Mic questions (2 Viewers)

[Serpico]

Maybe there should be a sticky for this. Recommendations for Vocal mics please.
Right now my budget is as close to 100-200euro as possible but I may wait and around Christmas it could be around 300-400euro. I am impatient however.
Sooo, recommendations for best vocal mic at the 100euro ball park and the 300euro ballpark please...

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

The SE2200/a is pretty decent.
KEL HM-1 I hear great things about.

 

[Goodbye]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

The SE2200/a is pretty decent.

I concur. Love this mike.

 

[Deleted member 3435]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

The SE2200/a is pretty decent.
KEL HM-1 I hear great things about.

How does something like that compare to something like an sm 58?

I've never really messed around with mics other than sm 58 for vocals. But then again. I'm a chancer, a messer, a fly by the seat of the pants-er, a fuck it plug it in there and see what happens-er.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

It'll sound different.. kinda hard to describe, is there anyone you could borrow one off?

 

[Goodbye]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

I used to record vocals with an SM58.

Now with an SE2200a.

Lets just say, with the SE2200a, what you sing is what you record. It's there.

SM58 is muffled and weak and requires loads of processing to sound decent afterwards, hence it not sounding like what you sang. In comparison.

Thats my 2 cents anyway...


Also as a "room" mike for guitar amp it rules also.

 

[Deleted member 3435]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

I used to record vocals with an SM58.

Now with an SE2200a.

Lets just say, with the SE2200a, what you sing is what you record. It's there.

SM58 is muffled and weak and requires loads of processing to sound decent afterwards, hence it not sounding like what you sang. In comparison.

Thats my 2 cents anyway...


Also as a "room" mike for guitar amp it rules also.

And this would be in the 100-200 euro range?

hmmm. interesting.

edit: just for the craic...

Most recently I've been using an SM 58 plugged into a boss multi effects (for guitar) which I was using as a pre amp and a bit for eq, and occassionally some delay/tone/slight distortion effects, which in turn goes into a desk which is connected to a sound card and cubase.

 

[Goodbye]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

http://www.thomann.de/ie/se_electronics_se_2200a.htm

The roll off switch is a godsend for home recording too.

 

[Deleted member 3435]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

Anyone had any experience of this bad boy?http://www.thomann.de/ie/akg_c4000b.htm

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

I've heard C3000s.
They're kinda gah.
There's better mics for 400-450.

 

[Pantone247]

Re: For the millionth time,mic question

Audio Technics rule in this price range, 4030 is a great mic and the 4020 has had folks on TapeOp wetting themselves. Good solid build too.

I remeber when I first got a SM57 and ran it with balanced cable, like someone had take cotton wool out of ears, same feeling again when I got a Condensor mic... "I can hear the traffic outside!!!"

The downside is it'll show up your shitty sounding room, your crappy nasal singing, the hithero un-noticed squeaky kick drum pedal, etc, etc, etc...

 

[Gino Padula]

Maybe there should be a sticky for this. Recommendations for Vocal mics please.
Right now my budget is as close to 100-200euro as possible but I may wait and around Christmas it could be around 300-400euro. I am impatient however.
Sooo, recommendations for best vocal mic at the 100euro ball park and the 300euro ballpark please...

Regarding the €100 end of the condenser microphone market, I'm using an Audio Technica AT2020 at the moment. It sounds fine to me and it's reliable. As a preamp and a phantom power provider (and a mini mixing desk), I use an older version of a Behringer Eurorack. I'm sure you can get a cheaper, and probably better pre amp for the mic, but some sort of pre amp would be neccessary.

I used to use an M Audio Luna, but it broke. I have a feeling that this happened because I might have unplugged the microphone prior to switching off the phantom power on the mixing desk. I recommend not doing this and switching off the phantom power first. Perhaps it was just not a great microphone. You could also dismantle it by unscrewing the bottom of it, so when I would remove it from the mic stand, it was liable to disintegrate (I exaggerate slightly). I wouldn't recommend it though anyway.

Regarding dynamic mics like the Shure SMs, I wouldn't have a clue, although I must get one. If you're going to use the microphone for playing live (or otherwise without wearing headphones), you're probably going to want a dynamic. This is because a dynamic mic is only going to pick up the sound going straight into it from one direction and therefore not give you a load of unwelcome feedback when you have your monitor switched on. If you're looking to home or studio record vocals, a dynamic mic, unless it's really expensive and shiny, wouldn't give you nearly the same sound quality per euro as a condenser.

 

[Serpico]

At the lower end of the spectrum, I borrowed one of these http://www.thomann.de/ie/akg_perception_p_100.htm yesterday and I am well impressed. In a like for like comparison with my SM58 it is superb. Lovely low end,much louder signal and fantastic clarity. I am now thinking if you can get this for 95euro what the fuck would a 4,000euro Neumann sound like?!?!?!? By the way, I don't suppose there is somewhere you can hire a 4,000euro mic from is there? I would wet myself if I could try one out in my little home studio and compare it with the stuff I've got.
Mind you, if I hadn't seen such riches,etc.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

www.sensiblemusic.ie

 

[Serpico]

Fantastic!! A new way to spend even more money I don't have! mmm...Neumann U87...

 

[lemonbravo]

I was using one of those Studio Projects C3's at the weekend (€275'ish).
I hadn't used one before, very nice. Might pick one up myself.
I used it as a front of drum kit mic, going into a valve compressor, it sounded great.

 

[Serpico]

Lots of people liking the Studio Projects stuff. Pantone mentions the slightly more expensive AT 4040 but has anyone any experience of the AT3035 (it being a bit closer to my budget)? Lots of fans over on gearslutz.com http://www.thomann.de/ie/audio_technica_at3035.htm

 

[Serpico]

Got the SE2200a
It's a beauty.

 

[Goodbye]

Good stuff. Horse of a mic

 

[potlatch]

What would you spend your money on - this or this?

That SE2200a looks awesome and all, but I'm a beginner and it's outta my price range for now.