Which mic should I purchase?

Boeing77W

Boeing77W

New member
Hello,

I've been looking for an inexpensive all-purpose mic to learn and explore different miking and recording techniques at home.

I would like to record piano, trumpet, vocals, guitar, and drums (overhead).

After some research, I've come down to two options which would be the Shure SM57 and the Apex 515. I really like the SM57, however the Apex 515 is capable of recording with different polar patterns and it is also slightly cheaper. I have looked around for reviews and videos of the Apex but I haven't found enough to compare it with the 57. If anyone has used these mics before or has any tips/suggestions please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

SM57: https://www.long-mcquade.com/1092/P...nes/Shure/SM57_Unidirectional_Dynamic_Mic.htm
Apex 515: https://www.long-mcquade.com/7679/P...ti-Pattern_Hand_Held_Condenser_Microphone.htm
 
Well, the SM57 is a workhorse that everybody needs in their kit. I wouldn't worry about the polar patterns--for the things you want to record it would tend to stay set in cardioid anyway.

However, I've never heard/tried the Apex mic but the fact that it's a condenser interests me. For most of the things you list, my first mic choice would indeed be a condenser. I find the SM57 (and most dynamics) a bit flat sounding and lacking in detail (this statement is bound to start an argument). If I could only have one mic for everything, it would likely be a small diaphragm condenser.

(At this point I looked up the SDC I was going to recommend on the supplier you listed and it was almost twice the price of the SM57. I'm used to it be almost the same as the 57 in the UK and here in Australia so that was a bit of a shock.)

Anyhow, I suspect I've just confused you more. If you had any way to actually listen to the mics that would be best--however, I suppose it's safe to say you'll eventually want a 57 anyway so get that purchase out of the way and think condenser for your inevitable second mic when G.A.S. sets in.
 
I guess my best bet would be getting the SM57 to play around with for now, and get a condenser when I get more cash on my hands. The SM57 seems very reliable and durable according to the reviews I've read.
 
Unless you've already purchased something, what are you going to plug the mic into to get it into a computer? Most here will recommend a 'USB audio interface' (not a mixer with USB).
 
I have a strong suspicion that the condenser is the same components as ones I used to sell here in the uk. Nice crisp sound and useful other patterns. The hyper was rather nice, and the Omni capsule was very handy. Downside was that out of the fifty I bought, finding pairs for stereo recording was tricky. They were all similar, but the capsules themselves were the common everyday electrets produced at penny cost. They also suffered quite a bit from handling noise and I didn't like them as hand helds. Given a choice of them vs an SM57 they're just very different beasts. 57's aren't much good as overheads but the condensers aren't that happy in front of a loud bass cab. For my first mic, I'd go for the 57. Second mic choices could include the condensers?
 
the SM-57 or an AKG D5 would be good. however,for drum mic'ing a single dynamic overhead just won't cut it. one can never have too many mics but a dynamic & a condenser is a good start. even the "budget" MXL 990/990s are good condensers when you get used to them & their eq curve.
after that,a decent moddable ribbon like the MXL R144 should be in the works for vocals/acoustics/pianos,etc.
 
I'm another huge fan of the sE2200 (both the original and Mark II versions) and use them on lots of things. The only reason I didn't bring them up is that they're in a very different price range than the examples the OP mentioned.
 
My first mic was SM58. It is very similar to SM57. I would highly recommend SM57. For you applications, it would not be able to capture a complete drum kit (used as an overhead). I think it really works when used as a close mic on drums. I have no experience with the apex 515, but I have sE X1 that I bough for about 30 euro more than the SM57. It was my second mic. It works great on anything I try it on. It has a 10db attenuation (for drums, guitar cabs and maybe horns) and a bass roll off. Great as a first mic and would work when layering stuff using the same mic (coloured mics that may make a source sound more flattering, may not be as capable of layering instruments using the same mic). If I were to have only 4 mics, I would have these two and a matched pair of SDCs!
 
"I would like to record piano, trumpet, vocals, guitar, and drums (overhead)."

personally, i would cry if i had to do all this with a dynamic microphone. you can get a decent start with something like the apex 460 (about $300 CDN), which is three times your desired price point, but not only is a mic like this far more versatile, it will sound sooooo much better, and the switchable polar patterns make it work well in a live situation as well (in the studio i do EVERYTHING in omni, i find (hyper) cardioid to be too "choked" (IMO)). but the real reason for picking a mic like this is that when the rest of your gear (DA, soundcard, monitors, etc) catches up, for another $300 or so you can mod this mic and bring it into the (arguably) $1500 price range - and here is where you get the value for your money. i've run the gamut on so many $100 mics and thrown the recordings in the proverbial trash.

in my opinion, save your money and buy something that will stay in your studio for years to come - and NO CHEAP CONDENSERS, unless you like the sound of ball bearings falling onto sheet metal...
 
Sorry for my unresponsiveness, I almost forgot about this thread haha.

So I guess I'll stick to my original plan and get the SM57 first, and see if my budget will allow me to get a condenser as well. Please do keep in mind that I'm a total beginner, so all I want right now is something cheap but decent which I can experiment with. I'm not looking to create the best sounding recordings quite yet, but I will definitely expand my mic collection as I develop my understanding of recording audio.
And yes I do I have a USB interface with 2 XLR/quarter-inch inputs.

Thank you all for providing me with suggestions and insight!
 
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