Help choosing a Microphone

F

FedePatane

New member
Hello everyone!

I am planning on getting a mic for recording male vocals in my home studio, well, actually my home.

I have a budget of under 500 USD and i have been reading a lot but only found that there are as many opinions as there are reviews.

From what i read and heard i really liked the AKG C214, but many argue that this mic is better for tracking instruments than vocals.

I also read good things about the Rode NT1-a and it is even cheaper than the AKG.

The last i saw that was even cheaper was the Audio technica AT2020 which is even cheaper, but it is not so good as the other ones.

I would really appreciate any recomendations, either for this mics or any other I should consider.

Thanks a lot!

Federico
 
I've had the AT2020, and I use the NT2-A. Never tried the 1a... I record through a presonus firepod, so I am not at any pro level... The AT2020 was noticeably harsher. After I got the NT2-A I saw no use for it and sold it. I think I spent $330 on ebay for the NT2-A, brand new years ago. I would classify it as fairly bright - but it's easier to tame bright vocals than to brighten up muddy ones. It also sounds awesome on acoustic guitar. I've tried it on my amp but so far the SM57 always come out on top.
 
My friend has NT2A and it is pretty nice for its price - used it for years to record with no problems. It is a bit bright but that can be tamed with a little eq.
 
If you are new to this and doing it at home, it is better to get a dynamic microphone , like SM 57 or 58.

Condenser would pick up a lot of unwanted noise if your room isn't really treated well.

And I would always say pick a condenser and dynamic. Try it out and see and return back the one which you don't like in a week or two.
 
If you can find a bottle rocket stage one used, they can sometimes go for 500 the standard capsule is te b8 (same as bluebird) and it gives you the ability to swap out capsules as you get some more money to spend. In terms of versatility it is unmatched because you can get so many different flavours out of the one mic with different capsules.
 
I agree with the dynamic mic approach and would recommend a Shure SM7B... It does a really good job with male vocals.
 
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