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Help buying Microphones! Please?

GarethHayes	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 10:25 AM I am looking for a good clear vocal microphone and a microphone to mic my acoustic guitar. Do you guys have any reccomendations? Thank you very much DM'ers
AndyReal	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 10:57 AM I suppose it depends on your budget. I'm on a really tight budget and I've recently bought the AKG C1000s, I'm really pleased with the vocal sound from it but the couple of goes at recording accoustic guitar haven't been too succesful. Though I think this might be down to my recording ability rather than the mic.
GarethHayes	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 12:03 PM I'm looking up to £100 for each mic.
K3VIN	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 12:05 PM ask bir hes got soem good recomendations
K3VIN	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 12:05 PM http://bir.dmusic.net/
GeneHilbert	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 2:24 PM Studio or live.......?
imemine	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 2:33 PM http://www.dmusic.com/forum/gearup/15958#10 http://www.dmusic.com/forum/gearup/19676#19 http://www.dmusic.com/forum/gearup/20206%5Bhl\|MICROPHONE%5D
GarethHayes	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 2:43 PM Studio. Thanks.
GarethHayes	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 2:45 PM Studio. Thanks.
GeneHilbert	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 4:35 PM AKG C3000B for $300 - will be hard to beat for vocals. Acoustic guitar is more problematic - a matched pair of small diaphragm condensers will work best plus the C3000B - I Think AKG offers a combination package just like this.... Check them out... You will also need a quality mike preamp - and that is where you'll spend your money. A good mike pre can make shit mics sound great..... imemine posted 3 thread on this topic - and there are also more.
GarethHayes	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 4:39 PM Thanks Gene, but I am really looking for mics under £100. From what imemine posted Im thinking of getting the Shure SM58 for Vocals and the SM57 for micing my guitar. Thank you.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 5:44 PM I find an SM57 good for micing guitars, it may not be the best in the world but you can get usuable results with it. It actually is best used for micing electric guitars - and particularly good at overdriven guitar amps, (it's still not too shabby on acoustic geetar) and some pros have been known to use it for that purpose... it also does a good job on certain drums too. Nice solid mic does a good job for not too much money. I wouldn't be without mine... SM58 is also a fair choice for vocals, for it's price it's as good as anything else in that price range for that type of mic.
GarethHayes	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 7:45 PM Would the Shure 58A (vocals) and the Shure PG81 (acoustic guitar) be a better bet?
GeneHilbert	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 8:36 PM I'm not sure of the exchange £100 to $..... and these (Shure SM58 & SM57) are great for live vocals and amplified gtrs – but they are not going to produce high end results for an un-amplified acoustic gtr or studio vocals. I can certainly appreciate the budget restraints, but if necessary get these now then you’ll have them, because ever mic collection needs them anyway - but set your sights higher.
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 9:21 PM Agreed. That is a big part of why a pro studio recording sounds better than even the best planned and executed home recordings - the $$$$ hardware they can afford, definately including mics. Still we all need to start somewhere eh, and better an SM57 and SM58 then some trash from the Radio Shack/Circuit City!
LiQuidMetamo...	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 9:24 PM Gene/other dmusicer's, what kind of mic pre-amp would you recommend a) if you had deep pockets full of silver b) on a limited budget?
GeneHilbert	Date: February 20, 2006 @ 11:33 PM On the Cheap: ART Tube MP Studio V3 http://www.zzounds.com/item--ARTV3 High End: http://www.zzounds.com/item--FOCRED7 http://www.zzounds.com/item--FOCRED1
SimonWaldram	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 5:50 AM This is the only microphone you'll ever need: http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/02/mistermicrophone.html
GarethHayes	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 6:38 AM £100.00 = $174.39 So, can I afford something better for studio recording than the Shure SM's? Thanks.
GarethHayes	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 6:47 AM Remember, I can spend upto £100 ($174.93) on each mic.
Rodrica	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 7:04 AM Gareth...if you want to hear the results of a Shure 58 vocal mic then just stream around 10 secs of each of my songs - the Shure is all I use (with a pre amp/compressor) and I love it. I use it for all my studio work and the best thing is that it's directional so it doesn't pick up unnecessary background noise - saves a lot of sound-proofing in the studio!
GarethHayes	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 7:36 AM Thanks Rodrica, but do you use the SM58 or 58A? Thanks
GarethHayes	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 7:49 AM Wooo Wooo Wooo! Midnight Train is Funkeh!
BIR	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 8:31 AM microphones "Samson-C01usb" Studio condenser mic,USB hook-up. For computer,Great if you dont have 48v phantom power. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C01usb/ "studio projects-C1" Large-diaphragm Cardioid condenser mic. you'll need pre amp W/48v phantom power for this + 1 XLR Cable(short cables are better) Its what I use w/yamaha pre amp, This mic packs alot of bang for the buck!! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C1Mic/ "studio projects-LSD2" Stereo bad boy,some dream about this mic!! Warning This mic is not cheap! http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LSD2/ This is a Crazy $ mic!! just for shyts..check it "Neumann M 150 tube" http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M150Tube/
BIR	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 8:38 AM ^GarethHayes..question,are you playing and singing at the same time? you could overdubb tracks/less bleed-over....if you could only Use 1-mic and spend more you could get a better quality mic.
BIR	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 8:50 AM To mic a acoustic guitar and get a good sound sometimes takes two mics.. 1-mic placed close to the body/sound-port(I have seen a mic inside the guitar) and 1-mic in front of the neck.. Record each mic as its own track, if you balance/blend the two tracks you will have a rich/full sound. Then when your ears are happy with the mixed tracks bounce them to one track..
BIR	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 9:13 AM ^leedsquietman...here ya go cheap pre amp.... http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicroMix/ good for the price..variable impedance http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MPAGold/ high quality mic/instrument pre amp.. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AD2022/ or this one.. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LiquidChannel/
GarethHayes	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 9:23 AM Yes, I am playing and singing at the same time.
GeneHilbert	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 11:09 AM That Liquid Channel - is a very new design..... I have not read a review of it yet, but you give them a year or 2 to really develop that system and bring the cost down a little and work out any bugs and routing problems and that thing will be the preamp of choice.
GarethHayes	Date: February 21, 2006 @ 1:28 PM Im really unsure about what to get. Vocals: Shure SM58 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/2022 Shure Beta 58a http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/3018 Instrument: Shure SM57 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/3010 Shure Beta 57a http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/3019 Shure PG81 http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/1870 Which two do you think I should get guys? Many Thanks
Blaz	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 2:29 AM For acoustic guitar, I would highly recognent having a condensor mic. I have a dynamic Shure SM57 and as said above, it's great for el. guitar, but for acoustic, it just sounds a bit muddy. So out of those, I'd get the PG81. But remember that PG81 is a condenser mic and you need a source of phantom power for it. As for vocals - I suck at singing, so I have no idea... sory...
Fraser	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 2:37 AM Dont get the one AJ has.
GeneHilbert	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 2:51 AM LOL
Rodrica	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 3:53 AM Sorry Gareth...I should have said! I use a Shure 58 for vocals Some people feel that for studio work they lose a little clarity - but I've just learned to compensate by making sure my diction is clear, I put in plenty of expression when I sing, and I don't over-do the effects Then you've got yourself a very reliable, sturdy mic, with low noise.
zedsalt	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 7:10 PM I was going to go off on my usual rant...one of my usual rants...about how f**king expensive Sweetwater is, but I decided to compare their prices with Zzounds, Musicians Friend, American Musical Supply, and I'm glad I did. They've been rethinking their pricing policy, apparently, and they actually had a couple of sale items that were comparitively cheap. The ART MicroMix at Sweetwater was cheaper than at MF, and the ART MPA Gold was cheaper at Sweetwater cheaper than at Zzounds or MF (still more expensive than at AMS, though, and their regular price was the most expensive). And still, the Samson C01U and Studio Projects C1 were cheaper at Zzounds and AMS; the Avalon AD2022 was cheaper at MF; and the Focusrite Liquid Channel was cheaper at Zzounds, MF, and AMS. Among the four, only Sweetwater carries the Studio Projects LSD-2 and the Neumann M150. I stick by my comparison between Sweetwater and Crutchfield- they're good spots to check out equipment, but one can almost always find stuff elsewhere cheaper.
K3VIN	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 7:16 PM its cheaper?
K3VIN	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 7:16 PM the usb mic?
K3VIN	Date: February 22, 2006 @ 7:19 PM its cheaper by 15 bucks but u pay 5 bucks in shipping so 10 dollars cheaper thanks zedsalt u saved me money
BIR	Date: February 23, 2006 @ 12:07 AM Zed^:bigrin like sweetwater....why? I've been a customer for years,and when I call them I always talk with the same Sales Engineer.. I have noticed my Discount % Increase over the years just like my Loyalty to their company. For Instance my last order was sold at almost 40% Discount!! The price that I see in the book or online in most occasions is not the price that is paid.. Thats why If I need music equipment,I get it from them..&
zedsalt	Date: February 23, 2006 @ 10:37 AM I didn't realize that there WAS such a thing as a Sales Engineer that had been with Sweetwater for years. A couple of old chums and a guy I bought a used recorder from have all told me that their "incentive" program was designed to make it impossible to remain with them for long. Again, though, it's been years since I talked to anyone who worked there. By the same token, I couldn't help but notice that they advertise for sales help pretty much year-round.
MitchWillis	Date: February 26, 2006 @ 10:27 AM Gareth: Vocal - MXL V67G - £61.26 Acoustic - MXL 603s pr. - £111.84 (prices from instrumentpro.co.uk) TOTAL = £173.13 (you'll need pop filter, stands and mic cable, unless you aready do so). Leeds: Budget - FMR RNP $475 High end - Daking IV (4CH) $1895

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