Odds are the OP may have bought a mic sometime in the last year
AND it would be about time to move up to an AT 4050.
Best Condenser Mic Around $500?
- Thread starter chef13007
- Start date
AND it would be about time to move up to an AT 4050.
homestudioguy
Well-known member
I'd suggest you look at the long range plan as well as your current needs.
If you have an income stream that will allow $500 purchases a few times a year, then you might consider getting a nice $500 mic that works well with vocals and perhaps acoustic guitar. Then when another $500-600 piles up, get a nice pair of small condensors (example sE Electronics SE3s) and so on.
If you have $500 and you're not sure when the next $500 is coming in, you could conceiveably get a decent $300 Large Diaphragm (CAD M9?) and a decent $200-300ish small condensor. (The CAD M9 is a nice mic that works well for vocals and acoustic guitar and sells new for $299ish)
It all depends on what you are planning to record.
If it were me, I would go for one nice multi-purpose large diaphragm mic and hope for or save more money over the long haul. A nice used AKG 414 would be cool as would many of the others mentioned here. A used sE Z5600 9-pattern tube mic would be nice in that price range as well.
As far as "color" is concerned, a mic will have an inherent "color" based on its electronics that can be modified with EQ or a tube mic pre or a really clean mic pre or changing polar patterns or even a little compression and so on.
My 2 cents!
dgatwood
is out. Leave a message.
Depends on what I'm recording. Voice? Probably a single mic carefully chosen to be appropriate for the voice(s) in question. Voice + instruments? Several mics.
My general answer these days would probably be to buy a decent but inexpensive preamp (e.g. M-Audio DMP3, Peavey PV8), then add a ~$100 ribbon mic, a couple of Naiant SDCs, and a used CAD M9 or CAD Trion 8000. (I've used the M9, but not the 8000, so I can only go on other people's opinions about that one.)
If you already have a reasonably good preamp, then substitute in a used pair of Oktava MK-012 mics if you record drums.
If you don't record drums... I really don't have any good suggestions. Maybe spend the extra couple hundred on a used ADK Vienna or Studio Projects C1 (neither of which I've used) for a fairly different vocal sound, or maybe get the MK-012 mics anyway.... No real advice there.
You should be able to pull off any of those combinations for about $500 (not much over, anyway) by buying used. Any of those combination would give you a fairly wide range of microphone sound quality variations, and assuming the ribbon mic doesn't desperately need retensioning
D), you probably won't hate any of them or feel like you've outgrown them even if you eventually add more expensive mics to your mic cabinet, IMHO.
dgatwood
is out. Leave a message.
What are you using now?
I've got a modded 319, a pair of 012's w/ cardioids caps(bought way back when they were $50 each at GC), and a red capsule for the 012's. I actually like the sound of the Red capsules, and the modded 319 is great on certain voices, including my own. Oh yeah, it's not mine, but my bro-in-law has a bluebird that I also get to use whenever I want,
Juan
Then buy a used condenser in the meantime while saving. They normally sell for the same at a later stage. Unless you allready have a mic to record with while saving.
In fact - I have a pretty decent condencer here that costed me 150$. Works wonders and 150 was new price. Frankly, it aint THAT much worse than my 2000$ AKG C-414 B XL II. A little ofcourse but not drastically much worse, imo
You can probably get such an used condenser for 75$.
Works as a charm while saving for a better.
And yeah; if you can get a used AKG C 414 for 500$ where you live; hurry buy it before the guy changes his mind. Great mic. Used C 414s goes for 800-1200$ here, but they are really rare to find used, as they are considered a musthave for any serious studio owner/engineer, and those arent mics you sell when you invested in one.
Supercreep
Lizard People
AT4050$479 at AMS! Musician's Friend will price match.
................I second that.
homestudioguy
Well-known member
That M-Audio Sputnik looks really 
good at $599 as well as that "Make an Offer" on an sE Electronics Z5600A at Full Compass on eBay.
You might be able to get the (last years model ) Z5600A for about $500 
even though it normally "streets" in the $800s.
Both are excellent multi-pattern tube mics and both get high marks across the board from a ton of folks.
HSG
good at $599 as well as that "Make an Offer" on an sE Electronics Z5600A at Full Compass on eBay. You might be able to get the (last years model
) Z5600A for about $500 even though it normally "streets" in the $800s. Both are excellent multi-pattern tube mics and both get high marks across the board from a ton of folks.
HSG
spiketronic
New member
Another vote for the 414
I bought a 414 off ebay a few years ago for just under $500. That mic did the world a favor by letting me really hear my voice for the first time recorded to a pristine digital source. Now I don't sing anymore.
But for those who can and for people who can play their horns, acoustic guitars, etc etc, the 414 is golden. There's a REASON this thing is a legend. Get one and let your ears walk into the light!
I bought a 414 off ebay a few years ago for just under $500. That mic did the world a favor by letting me really hear my voice for the first time recorded to a pristine digital source. Now I don't sing anymore.
But for those who can and for people who can play their horns, acoustic guitars, etc etc, the 414 is golden. There's a REASON this thing is a legend. Get one and let your ears walk into the light!
drumzealot
New member
Joly moded Oktava MK319.
soundchaser59
Reluctant Commander
Stick with mics made in Austria, Germany (if there are any), USA, and Japan and you will be fine.
What is the best way to know where a mic is made? Is it just experience with certain brands and types? I'm looking to buy a nice LDC for vocals, and I would prefer it not to be made in China. How much does that limit me? Is there a list anywhere of non-china mics? so many questions...
warlock110
New member
What is the best way to know where a mic is made? Is it just experience with certain brands and types? I'm looking to buy a nice LDC for vocals, and I would prefer it not to be made in China. How much does that limit me? Is there a list anywhere of non-china mics? so many questions...
you just have to do research, there's alot of stuff going on with mic, some are "made in USA" but they uses china parts which essentially defeat the purpose haha.
Harvey Gerst
New member
Excuse me? Don't buy ANY mics from China? None of them are any good? Here's the Studio Projects T3 on a couple of songs:
LizWilliams (Acoustic guitar and Vocals)
Spoonfed Tribe (Flute and Vocals)
And as a side note, Spoonfed Tribe just got signed to Universal, and they aren't redoing any of the songs, including this one. They will repackage their albums, but the record company is very happy with the sound of the albums.
LizWilliams (Acoustic guitar and Vocals)
Spoonfed Tribe (Flute and Vocals)
And as a side note, Spoonfed Tribe just got signed to Universal, and they aren't redoing any of the songs, including this one. They will repackage their albums, but the record company is very happy with the sound of the albums.
Randy Yell
New member
I've used a Studio Projects TB1 for years and I love it and it has never given me a lick of trouble. Not buying a product simply because where it's made is foolish in my book, buy something because of it's value, not because of where it's put together.