Looking for recommendations for Home Studio Vocal Mic and Studio Monitors in $400 – $

musicmashane

New member
Hello my friends!



I'm posting this on as many music production forums as I can, in order to acquire as much feedback and opinions as possible.



So I have a Focusrite 2i4 as my soundcard/interface and a Toshiba Laptop running Win 10.



I have several DAW's, but Reaper is my main for both mixing and host for midi triggering of other sampling / synth programs.



I'd like to know what you guys would recommend for a good home studio vocal mic as well as a pair of home studio monitors, and both in the $400 - $500 range.



(I might stretch a bit on either if it seems like it's worth it, but probably not too much. It just depends on how much of a significant difference in quality it's really going to make in order to make that stretch in cost)



I'd love to hear some recommendations, opinions, and feedback!



Thank you all and I will continue to check all replies even if I do not respond immediately due to the hours I work!
 
Assuming you mean the $$ for total. Different mics for different voices. There's a slew of medium-to-large condensor mics in the $130 to $180 price range. (AKG P220, AT2020 ...). Monitors - the JBL LSR305 goes for as little as $230/pair if you shop the sales.

Important questions: what type of music are you recording? What is your room like? Do you have acoustic treatment? The best mic and monitors in the world wont' do much good in the wrong room.
 
And just a bedroom and I do want to get sound absorbtion etc

Rock is the style! Not screaming, but plenty of high held long and loud notes
 
There are so many good microphones in that price range, and everybody has their favorites. Internet reviews are tough to trust due to the "I just spent money on this and therefore it is the best ever" factor. It's probably going to be a matter of trying as many as you can at your local music shop and seeing what fits your voice. Return policies vary for microphones, depending upon how strict the store public health policy is.

That said, I've been really curious about Lewitt microphones lately. I bought their entry-level mid-diaphragm condenser for a friend for his birthday last month, and I'm really impressed with how good that little $200 mic sounds. Clean and crisp highs that aren't hyped like most Chinese capsules are. I'd be really curious what their full-size large diaphragm condensers sound like. There's one in the $400-$600 ish range that I'm really wanting to give a try.

Several people around here swear by their Rode mics. I've been a big fan of my Avantone CV12. A few guys here get great results out of dynamic mics like the Shure SM7b or eV RE20. But there are seriously a gazillion mics out there of different designs, with or without transformers, with or without tubes, different diaphragm sizes, different sensitivities, and almost every one of them has a unique personality. It's impossible to really suggest any certain one. Listen to demos, try some for yourself, or throw a dart at the mic section of the Sweetwater catalog and buy whatever mic you hit :)
 
Great answer Tad! Thanks! And most of those you named Rode (can't remember the model I was looking at) Avantone C12 and Shure were ones I was already looking at! So good stuff! :)
 
Just to throw a spanner in your works...

Mic: sE2200A ii C $299. A great all round mic for the money. I bought one on spec and now own several, often using them in place of more expensive mics in the cupboard.

Monitors: $700 for two. Genelec 8010. A true professional monitor, you won't believe the sound you get from such a small box. Depending on the genre of music you mix you may choose to add a sub later on but try without first.

Price from Sweetwater--I'm not advocating them, it's just an easy site for me to check US prices from Australia. You may get both cheaper online.
 
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