Upgrading to a new Mic, not sure what to get? (condenser mic for vocals)

T

TakeruInudo

New member
So for the past 3 or so years I've been working with a Samson C01U (which was a good microphone to start with at a nice price), now I'm planning to upgrade to a different mic & am still not sure what to get. I was thinking of the AT 2035 (While my fiance was looking at the Blue Snowball & Blue Yeti) but at the same time someone had suggested the Nady USB-1Cx.

So here is why I am having such a hard time figuring out which mic I want to get. I need a cardiod condenser mic that doesn't create white noise (my room can be completely silent but my current mic will still produce a little bit of white noise), doesn't pick up so much on background noise, & has better and clearer quality in sound.

It can either be USB or non (I've heard USB types to produce as much quality). I am willing to spend $100 on a USB type or $200 on getting a mic that needs an audio box (that will then hook up USB wise to my laptop).


I understand things better when they are categorized & detailed (sorry for asking you to type a lot).

This is a B-Day present to myself & I would hate to screw up & get a bad mic lol so all the help I can get would be greatly appreciated :)

Another reason why is also because I work with the UTAU program (If you don't know what that is, it's a voice synthesis program that you record certain words & then manipulate in the program ((this is better at explaining than me -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDglpHOKdZ0))
Because I use this program it can be very sensitive to noise & even a light hum (or faint white noise) that gets into the recordings will be amplified & sound terrible in the program.

So any help would be greatly appreciated!

(also If you are interested in voicing for my utau project then pm me :) )
 
The only LCD mic I can think of [in that budget] that has a good reputation is the Rode NT1A.

Every other cheap LCD needs mods to sound good, imo. If you like bright or brittle high end maybe not. I wouldn't get a Nady. I own one that was modded by Mike Joly, so it's a good mic now, but it was horrible before that, and their customer service was bad and misinformed about their own products.

I wouldn't get a USB mic. I can't give you a good reason other than I never heard one I liked.

The white noise from your current mic is probably the preamp not the mic, btw.

Are you sure you need a LCD? Like I thought I did, but then I got one and realized my vocals sound better on a dynamic (RE-11). If I had $200 to spend I'd get a good dynamic mic (Sm57, RE-11, 545, etc). If you're set on a condenser, you can do better with small (e.g. CM3) than large. That Rode is the only large I heard is good in that range.
 
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The Samson C01U's seem to have a reputation of producing white noise as you seemed to have found out.

If it's singing vocals you're doing an XLR connected mic and a USB audio interface would be preferred to a USB mic. A USB audio interface will generally have better features for monitoring/listening to what you are recording as well as playing back what you've recorded, than what will be found on a typical USB microphone. The microphone preamplifier and analog to digital converter components in a USB interface will generally tend to be of a better quality that what is found in a USB mic also.

A decent USB audio interface would probably be around $100 to $150 or so. The AT2035 seems to retail at around $150 as well. If around $250 to $300 is a little tight on the budget, I would suggest sticking with the C01U for a while until you can save a bit more.

Picking a mic is difficult as everyone has an opinion what sounds good and what they feel sounds good on their voice, may not sound good for your voice.
 
Nola said:
The only LCD mic I can think of that has a good reputation is the Rode NT1A.

Every other cheap LCD needs mods to sound good, imo. If you like bright or brittle high end maybe not. I wouldn't get a Nady. I own one that was modded by Mike Joly, so it's a good mic now, but it was horrible before that, and their customer service was bad and misinformed about their own products.

I wouldn't get a USB mic. I can't give you a good reason other than I never heard one I liked.

The white noise from your current mic is probably the preamp not the mic, btw.

Are you sure you need a LCD? Like I thought I did, but then I got one and realized my vocals sound better on a dynamic (RE-11). If I had $200 to spend I'd get a good dynamic mic (Sm57, RE-11, 545, etc). If you're set on a condenser, you can do better with small (e.g. CM3) than large. That Rode is the only large I heard is good in that range.
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Er, there are lots of good LDC mics besides the NT1A. The problem here is going to be budget. Similarly, there's a lot of personal taste involved--what might be described as "brittle" by one person can be be described as "good high end detail" by another. Speaking personally, I rarely use dynamics for recording vocals except when I need something to reject room noise.

Anyhow, the OP presents a bit of a quandary. For reasons given in this FAQ I can't recommend a USB mic, but the budget is a bit light for an LDC mic and interface.

For an interface, you can get an Alesis iO2 for about $100 (just checked and Sweetwater has them for $99 but you might do better online). I bought one a couple of years ago for a specific project and was amazed at how good it sounds and how well it works for the money.

For mics, two in your price range worth considering are the AT2020 and the AKG P120, both at about the hundred dollar mark. Which is best for you? It depends on your voice and your recording conditions.

However, if you can stretch your budget still more, I can heartily recommend the sE X1 and the previously mentioned Rode NT1A. If you can afford them, I'd personally consider either (but especially the sE) worth the extra.

Whatever you do, don't buy the Nady. I have never had a good experience with any of their gear but HAVE had a number of especially bad experiences.
 
Bobbsy's suggestion of the Alesis IO2 is what I had in mind for $100 in my previous post. It gets mentioned in this forum often. The AT2020 and AKG P120 are as well good suggestions. I have the AT2020 and an AKG P200 (similar to the P120). I probably lean towards the P200 for vocal use.
 
OP, can I ask why you need a condenser?

I thought I needed one for vocals, too, and then I got one and realized my particular voice sounds much better on a dynamic mic. My girlfriend sounds much better on the condenser [and maybe best on a ribbon]. So my point is that each vocalist will sound better on different mics depending on many factors, so do you know for sure you need this mic to make you sound best?

I notice the more "character" a voice has the better it sounds on a dynamic, and the more purity and refined a singer then the condenser enhances that. My voice is in the character camp. I once had a guy use a U87 on it -- sounded so awful. I sound better through $50 dynamics. So, keep this in mind and don't just assume things. Maybe go into a store and test out some mics if you can, or buy from a site that has a good return policy.
 
You can remove white noise with a light treatment post production (such as a noise gate). I don't recommend a Snowball. If you already have a USB adaptor or USB preamp, then there's no need to get a USB mic. If you don't have an interface, I think you would like the Rode NTUSB for about $170.
 
JefferySmith said:
You can remove white noise with a light treatment post production (such as a noise gate). I don't recommend a Snowball. If you already have a USB adaptor or USB preamp, then there's no need to get a USB mic. If you don't have an interface, I think you would like the Rode NTUSB for about $170.
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Yes, you can use noise reduction during the mixing process but always should be kept as a last resort and not planned in as a standard part of the production process. You're far better off curing noise problems at the source.
 
Nola said:
OP, can I ask why you need a condenser?

I thought I needed one for vocals, too, and then I got one and realized my particular voice sounds much better on a dynamic mic. My girlfriend sounds much better on the condenser [and maybe best on a ribbon]. So my point is that each vocalist will sound better on different mics depending on many factors, so do you know for sure you need this mic to make you sound best?

I notice the more "character" a voice has the better it sounds on a dynamic, and the more purity and refined a singer then the condenser enhances that. My voice is in the character camp. I once had a guy use a U87 on it -- sounded so awful. I sound better through $50 dynamics. So, keep this in mind and don't just assume things. Maybe go into a store and test out some mics if you can, or buy from a site that has a good return policy.
Click to expand...

I'm going to second this. At the $100 price point, "most" dynamics are going to blow "most" condensers away. You can pick up an interface for around $100 as well if you need only 1 input.
 
Nola said:
I meant in his budget and said that at the end: "That Rode is the only large I heard is good in that range."
I'll edit it for clarity.
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Sorry, it's still wrong. There are other good LDC mics with good reps in his range; in fact, he already mentioned one in the AT 2035. The AT 2020 and AGK 200 series (200, 200 etc) have also gotten positive reviews and recommendations........but as others have stated, it's all very subjective. What one might love, another might hate, or somewhere in between.

Some great points made here though. And bottom line, it's all well and fine to ask for opinions, but they are only that......the only way to know what works and what doesn't is to try them...which is frustratingly hard to do as few places have the set up for it. But odds are whatever you buy will be at least respectable...it's less about quality and more about what works for you.
 
I have a pair of AT3035 mics...and they are terrific...but I dont know if the 2035 is just a replacement with the same stuff in it...or not...if it is...Id reccommend it...sonically much like my KSM32...
 
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