What Are Undiscovered Mic Bargains?

[stevieb]

(Finally- a post from me that might benefit someone other than just myself...)

While looking for a good, cheap harmonica mic, I realized that there must be dozens, perhaps hundreds, of un-sung (no pun intended) microphones that are very good mics, but are languishing in back rooms because no one knows how good they really are. Everyone knows the virtues of a Shure SM58- but how bout others- I personally have a Shure BG 1.0 that is a darn good, and cheap, workhorse. Sure (Shure?) it's no SM58, but it is durable and sounds decent (altho I must admit, when I have a choice, I always put my SM58 or better in the stand in front of me- hey, it's one of the few perks of working my ass off doing sound for my group...)

Shure 545's have a decent freq. response curve, very similar to the SM57. Are they durable? If so, I'd think they'd make good substitutes.

What are some other mics that might be sleeping bargains?

[pandamonk]

Originally Posted by stevieb

(Finally- a post from me that might benefit someone other than just myself...)

While looking for a good, cheap harmonica mic, I realized that there must be dozens, perhaps hundreds, of un-sung (no pun intended) microphones that are very good mics, but are languishing in back rooms because no one knows how good they really are. Everyone knows the virtues of a Shure SM58- but how bout others- I personally have a Shure BG 1.0 that is a darn good, and cheap, workhorse. Sure (Shure?) it's no SM58, but it is durable and sounds decent (altho I must admit, when I have a choice, I always put my SM58 or better in the stand in front of me- hey, it's one of the few perks of working my ass off doing sound for my group...)

Shure 545's have a decent freq. response curve, very similar to the SM57. Are they durable? If so, I'd think they'd make good substitutes.

What are some other mics that might be sleeping bargains?

For recording or live? SM58 isn't really a good mic for either.

[bigtoe]

the 58 is a good mic in good hands. the beta58 is my favorite banjo mic...weird.

discovered a while ago...but the ev635a is insanely good for so many things. you can find em used way cheap. i've got em as cheap as 20 bucks.

Mike

[nuemes]

Beats AKG D112 & Shure Beta 52 on kick in every recording instance that I've come across. Lower cost then both and takes EQ better. Also good on toms.

[Daisy]

Peavey PVM 520i.

Love that mic. Works on a ton of things.

Just about any Audio Technica mic is probably going to be good, so if you see an odd one somewhere that you're not familiar with ... chances are it's a hidden gem.

[WhiteStrat]

EV 623. It's an old pistol grip mic like the Shure 545 the OP mentioned. Kinda known as a harp mic, but works great on guitar cabs too. Pick one up (like new) at a yard sale for $5.

[guitar zero]

Hey strat, whatever happened to those old "road mics" you picked up with the duct tape holding them together. Ever get those "hidden gems" up and running?

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by guitar zero

Hey strat, whatever happened to those old "road mics" you picked up with the duct tape holding them together. Ever get those "hidden gems" up and running?

Well I got 'em in and they were every bit as rough as the ebay pics. But I figure if even one of them worked I got a deal (all three 421's for $97!). But guess what--2 of the three worked just fine!

Unfortunately I haven't had time to either take apart the 3rd one or do any real recording w/the other two. I posted a pic of my "collection" in the mic collection thread right after I got the 421's. They're in the lower left corner:

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showpos...&postcount=731

[guitar zero]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

Well I got 'em in and they were every bit as rough as the ebay pics. But I figure if even one of them worked I got a deal (all three 421's for $97!). But guess what--2 of the three worked just fine!

Unfortunately I haven't had time to either take apart the 3rd one or do any real recording w/the other two. I posted a pic of my "collection" in the mic collection thread right after I got the 421's. They're in the lower left corner:

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showpos...&postcount=731

I think those mics qualified as "undiscovered mic bargains" until you came along. Now they've been discovered.

[Richard Monroe]

Personal favorites that get no respect- AKG D690, AKG D320B, AKG D770, AKG C2000B, Shure SM82.

It's not really that I love AKG dynamics that much, it's just that they were overlooked because of price differential in the 70's. Everybody used them in Europe, while the Shure SM57/58 and their forerunners became the standard mics in America. You can find those older AKG dynamics used for cheap now. The 320B, 690, and 770 are my go-to mics for everything that most folks use an SM57 for. The C2000B was overlooked because it was part of a series of mics that contained some klunkers (C3000B, C1000S), and most folks never listened to it. It's a great drum mic, a great cab mic, and fair as an overhead, vocal mic, or acoustic guitar mic. It's kind of like a cross between an AT4033 and an Oktava MC012. Last, the SM82 is one weird mic. It's a *line level* broadcast condenser mic, so you have to use a separate phantom power supply, or have a preamp with variable impedence. It has an XLR connector, but if you plug it into a mic input, you'll be sorry. It rejects everything that isn't right in front of it, but has the clarity and detail of a good condenser. It is one wicked acoustic guitar and voiceover mic.-Richie

[bubbagump]

No one knows... they are undiscovered.

[hungovermorning]

Originally Posted by nuemes

Audio Technica ATM 25. Beats AKG D112 & Shure Beta 52 on kick in every recording instance that I've come across. Lower cost then both and takes EQ better. Also good on toms.

You're absolutely right. I had to go all the way up to an EV RE-20 to beat it on kick.

[lukeslim]

I am a harmonica player and have experimented of the years with mic's to play amplified harp (Chicago sound).
I recommend a Sennheiser MD21 A fantastic blues harp mic and also found many other uses for recording.
They are have been around since 1954.They often sell cheap on ebay.
A very underrated and little know gem.
Cheers Luke.

[dgatwood]

Not undiscovered, but I've been pretty impressed with the Naiant series, the CAD M9, and Lundahl-modded Nady RSM-2. If you're looking for an SM57/58 equivalent, check out the Shure 545SD and 565SD, respectively. I've seen them used on eBay down around twenty bucks and they're very similar (but less dull sounding, IMHO).

[JuliánFernández]

They´re none. Harvey found them all!

[smitty265]

Not undiscovered but I still think the studio projects line offers a lot of performance for the money.

[KWagle]

I tested the SM58, Beta 58 and BG 3.1 (which is apparently the same as the BG 3.0) in a similar live sound situation (a weekly dance in Nelson, NH) and I found the Beta 58 to be MUCH better than the SM58 (which is basically a piece of crap if you care about clean vocal sound) and the BG 3.1 to be noticeably better than the Beta 58. Given a choice of all three, I'd chuck the SM58 in a river, and choose the BG 3.1.

I also used a Beta 87 in a wireless system in the same venue, and it's also much cleaner than the SM58. I'd be happy to use one of those, but I think the BG 3.1 might sound just as good at a much lower price. Sadly you can only buy it on eBay these days.

I happen to have recordings of the various mics, but the levels are wildly different and I need to normalize them before posting them.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

[KillerV]

Although I've been flamed for saying this (and maybe will get flamed again ) I've found the Samson Q Kick to be a really decent kick-drum mic when I was looking around for cheap alternatives to the usual, more expensive ones. I've been getting great compliments on the kick-drum sounds that I've gotten with it. I've also found the Samson C02 condensers to be really nice on overheads and acoustic guitars. Much nicer than a friends AKG C1000, which I hate, but cost more than double what the Samsons cost. A number of guys from all over have been saying they've gotten great results with them.

Also: +1 on the Studio Projects line.

[P. Glaser]

MCA SP1 (it's actually an MXL). For a cheap mic, ($40), it's a pretty decent LDC. I think there was a thread about it a while back. Some guys have had good luck using it on vox.

Paul

[rayc]

Sony ECM 19b.
A4 battery power little thing. A little noise but a great tone.

[pohaku]

Audio Technica AT4054 and AT4055. Capsule is based on the AT4050, but in a hand held format. Replaced by the AE5400. The 4054 is rolled off and the 4055 is not. The AE5400 has, surprise, a roll off switch.

These originally listed for @$500 when they came out. Now they can be found on e-bay for @$140. Essentially a cardioid only AT4050 for cheap. A couple were listed here several months ago and I was surprised that no one picked them up. I would have, except I already have three of them. Which of course is the reason that I'm adding them to this list -- I already have mine.

[Alden_Sloe]

Originally Posted by KWagle

I tested the SM58, Beta 58 and BG 3.1 ... and choose the BG 3.1.
... Sadly you can only buy it on eBay these days.

~ Kiran <entropy@io.com>

Happily I just won one for $10.50 + $6 S&H

I also picked up a Peavey 520i last weekend off Craigslist for $60. Not such a screaming good deal but it came with the aluminum case which of course makes it sound better

Seriously I'm really impressed with the ability of the 520i to reject off axis noise. It seems to do a great job with vocals (for a baritone) and I'm hoping to try it soon underneath the grand piano.

[tbone88]

for $50, the CAD KBM412 is one amazing kick mic. sounds sweet on bass amp and creates a very unique growling tone on guitar amp.

[Dogbreath]

Cad M179. Good workhorse.
Also the V67G...I've found it's better suited for my vox but may be pretty good on other stuff.

[hairylarry]

Hi,

I've already added a few mics to my ebay search list.

I always promote the Realistic 1070b. Great omnis cheap on ebay. The c and d models are black but they sound the same. Pay a little more for the d and get the name Shure on the label. The b, c, and d were all made in Mexico by Shure. They look exactly like an EV RE50. You can think of them as RE50s or EV 635a mics with extended frequency range. Very clean sounding dynamic omnis.

There are some very good lav mics you can get used on the cheap. The target market for these mics is video production but that doesn't mean they don't have good audio quality.

The EV 649b is a durable omni lav mic similar to the EV mics discussed above. Great sound tailored for vocals. I use one live as my vocal and harp mic velcroed to my harp rack.

The Audio Technica 831b is an entirely different creature. It's a cardiod condensor designed to clip onto instruments. It comes with a soundhole clip that lets you attach it to a guitar. It has a battery/phantom power pack that can clip on the belt. This is a recording setup only, not for live audio. But it reliably sounds like a good condenser mic on a guitar without the guitarist having to be as careful about mic placement.

And finally I want to highlight the Audio Technica Pro 37 or Pro37r microphones. Cardiod pattern SDCs with fantastic high end detail. Just run an a/b comparison with these and you'll hear the difference.

And I entirely agree. Most of the mics mentioned can be had at bargain prices. And they are high quality, not just good for the price. I even like the SM58. But not for every vocalist.

So I implore you. Keep this thread growing. If they can't be had at a bargain I can't afford them at all.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry