Aigh, I need a mic and my brain is overloading with reviews. Help me :(

M

Mosqito

New member
T'sup guys. How are you.

Been researching like crazy the last 6+ days.

I am looking for a Condenser mic that would suit Bruno mars, Adele, Drake, eminem, little wayne Jada Jada. I like many type of songs, but what I dont do is rock, screaming etc.

I am looking a Mic for 200 GBP+- (European price) that would be best for it's money.

I have just a Zoom H4N which I use as an interface right now, which will probably be sold and for the money I will be getting a dedicated interface.

Some people recommended me Shure sm58 with some decent preamp/interface, but from the audio samples I found on youtube I thought it sounds very muddy and kinda tube like. Didnt like the sound. As if it ate up the highs and lovs of the song and didnt leave any detail in it. Tho the noise was low. Wont you agree with me that the Shure sm58 is good if you are looking that kind of sound, like for screeming, rock etc, where the Clarity of the voice is not that important, and where the clarity IS important the Condenser Mic does a better job pop/rap/r&b etc.


So, I am looking into the Rode NT2-A, cause what I have found it's a great sounding mic. Some people call it Harsh/warm ? I'm not sure what that really means to be honest.


I am getting the mic for a home studio (If a pc + mixer + mic in my bed room can be called a studio)

I like to sing Rap, pop, high and low sounds. I got quite a decent voice range, but the the actual voice still needs a lot of work.


Help me on this pic please. Basicaly I am looking for good sounding mic with clarity and nuances heard in it

IS the Rode NT2-A a lot better sound quality wise over the NT1-A version?


Other recommendations in mics?


p.s

Sorry for my rather chaotic writing.
 
My buddy uses a ROde NT2A - check out my H S B link below and the top few tunes are recorded with a Nt2a mic through a UA101 to Sonar.
 
a) Check out thomann.de/uk they have mic samples for most of em,

b) consider an;
- AKG perception 220
- sE X1
- Shure SM7b (if you can stretch it or hit eBay)
 
With respect,
You are worrying too much about it. For the price, the only thing to worry about is dynamic or a condenser. Dynamics are typically used live because they pick up close sounds. A condenser picks up much more sound, which also means room noise, far away sounds etc., but they also pick up more detail. But the Rode or similar and learn to use the software and how to mix. That will make the biggest difference (performance is always the most important thing though).
 
Washburn100 said:
With respect,
You are worrying too much about it. For the price, the only thing to worry about is dynamic or a condenser. Dynamics are typically used live because they pick up close sounds. A condenser picks up much more sound, which also means room noise, far away sounds etc., but they also pick up more detail. But the Rode or similar and learn to use the software and how to mix. That will make the biggest difference (performance is always the most important thing though).
Click to expand...

Yah, I agree that you're overthinking this. I personally wouldn't make a choice (good or bad) based on a YouTube video though.
 
Mosqito said:
As if it ate up the highs and lovs of the song and didnt leave any detail in it.
Click to expand...

A pretty good summation of the 58! Those characteristics, though, have made it such a versatile live mike . . . it is very manageable on stage.

For recording, I reckon you will get a lot of satisfaction from the NT2A . . . or even the NT1A. If you are on a budget, try the latter.
 
gecko zzed said:
A pretty good summation of the 58! Those characteristics, though, have made it such a versatile live mike . . .
Click to expand...


Finally someone agrees with me. Omg, I thought my ears are being dumb.

Guys, I just woke up. Thank you for reply's, Il get back in the topic as soon as I get back from school.

Thank you. :)
 
About reviews.

Well When I review a product I listen to countless audio samples on youtube or w/e I can find. Not one video, but MANY. For example, I watched videos till page 36 on youtube for the Rode NT2-A . The ratio between good and bad videos (audio quality wise) were 65/35 +- .

Still, to every mic there are just pathetic quality examples that can be found on the net, Which spread a lot of doubt. I know that Mic is not the only thing that influences the sound coming out, and that makes it even harder to make a decision.

Ido1957 - I checkthed some of the examples on that site "H S B" but I didnt realy like the quality. It sounded a bit like sm58 when I tried it. Lacked clarity, or the vocals sounded to dim on the beat. Maybe you could point out which song exactly was recorded with Nt2-A please?. However I see great results on youtube for this mic.

Gazec - That's a usefull link, and I liked the quality i found on Nt2-A, but god knows what preamps they are using etc.


About AKG perception 220, dunno, kinda didn't like the quality. Or just the noise. Anyway, Im skeptical on throwing my money in ebay, cause of all the counterfeit good. What If i get FAKE? I Wouldnt be happy.

Nt2-A is definetly good on low noise, still. the so called "Harshness" as people mention makes me feel that it's for rockers, screemers and might not pick up my tender little voice when I sing Katy Perry songs or Bruno/Britney Spears/Lil wayne etc :D

I know I have to make the decision myself, but, kinda need to feel good about my purchase, you know ? Moneys hard these days.


What usualy works for me is that product that gets most recommends from many sources are the best one. But this is a wide category.
 
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You can listen to a thousand samples and none of them will tell you how a mic sounds on your voice because none of the samples use your voice as the acoustic source. Not that they are useless but they do leave out a major part of the equation. Sometimes it's just not possible but if there's any way you can manage it you should try mics with the intended source.
 
I reckon the best sleeper in the mics for that price range is a Rode NT1000. Ok it does not have selectable pattens, no pad, no roll off, but by saving the money for these extras the mic delivers a better sound for the price. I did a quick google for prices in the UK and found 2 for sale under £200.

I bought 2 second hand and they have become my go to vocal mic, and I have more expensive mics in the studio.


Alan.
 
The NT2A is a nice mic but I think it's been overtaken but some of the offerings from SE Electronics.

My "go to" mic for most vocal recordings for the last couple of years has been the SE2200A--to the point where it frequently use it in preference to more expensive Neumanns.

Just lately, my friendly equipment store let me borrow an SE X1 and it seems to have the same nice qualities as the 2200A. I notice that DV24/7 has a package deal for the SE X1 AND A REFLEXION FILTER. Unless your recording room is acoustically treated, I think I'd be very tempted by this package--the Reflexion filter really does do what it says on the tin and gets me nice recordings in some pretty naff rooms.
 
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Last edited by Bobbsy; 4 Minutes Ago at 23:13. Reason:
Typing SE X1 with no space and caps on spells SEX!. Not a good mistake with THIS crowd!


:laughings:~~~~:eek:~~~~:mad: What you talkn' bout Bob!
 
moresound said:
Last edited by Bobbsy; 4 Minutes Ago at 23:13. Reason:
Typing SE X1 with no space and caps on spells SEX!. Not a good mistake with THIS crowd!


:laughings:~~~~:eek:~~~~:mad: What you talkn' bout Bob!
Click to expand...

This is no mistake, when Rode brought out the first NT1, Rode NT1 without the space = Rodent1 this is from the same company that warns against singing after eating pizza without using a Pop shield in the instruction book.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
This is no mistake, when Rode brought out the first NT1, Rode NT1 without the space = Rodent1 this is from the same company that warns against singing after eating pizza without using a Pop shield in the instruction book.

Alan.
Click to expand...


:laughings: Do they give alternative foods to be eaten?

That is really funny.
Was that only in OZ that it happened before they started to shipping the Rodent 1 world wide?
 
witzendoz said:
This is no mistake, when Rode brought out the first NT1, Rode NT1 without the space = Rodent1 this is from the same company that warns against singing after eating pizza without using a Pop shield in the instruction book.

Alan.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to say I caught the rodent1. It was eatin' up all da cheeze man! What else was I supposed to do? :D

lol You would think they would change it to the RODE CT2 or something, but nooooo, just a little space in between RODE and NT1...
 
moresound said:
:laughings: Do they give alternative foods to be eaten?

That is really funny.
Was that only in OZ that it happened before they started to shipping the Rodent 1 world wide?
Click to expand...

I'll have a look through my manuals and see if I can find the one with the Pizza comment, however have a look here for some funny comment in the original NT2 manual, love the Never take the NT 2 into the shower, never sing in the rain or go swimming with one. and If you are rich and have ‘a few roo’s loose in the top paddock’, comments.

Alan
 
Never use the NT 2 as a hammer or
football.

Never lend the NT 2 to anyone! Tell them to
buy one of their own.




These are my favorite!
 
Omg :)


Lot of recomendations/lot of YouTube videos to watch.

Right now I'm hooked on the Rode NT1000 videos. Sounds legit. Though I don't know If those things witzendos mentioned wont be needed. I'm not really recording instruments or anything, just my voice from rather close proximity. I hate how mic's sound when you place them in middle of room and sing while being 1m+- away from it. (I got to google these selectable pattens, no pad, no roll off right away.)

Thank you forum dwellers :)
 
Don't eat pizza then sing without a pop filter? ReallYYY.

Add this one, don't drink a 40 of Jack and then sing WITH a pop filter.

I saw this on a label today: "If ingested, may cause serious irreversible side effects such as death" ReallYYY
 
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