Best mic for less-than perfect recording environment. Dynamic? Condenser?

B

braltmann

New member
I'll start by saying I'm a total noob and have yet to buy my first mic. But I like talking about this stuff and I'm sure you all do too.

I've been researching for over a month now on the right kind of mike and gear to get. I just ordered in a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 which I think is a pretty good choice. Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks to be one of the only USB 2.0 interfaces out there. Plus I'm confident the preamps will rock for the price. But I digress.

My query is how big a deal is it whether I get a condenser or dynamic mic. Obviously my setup is very basic. I'll be recording multiple instruments seperately to build up songs track by track, but my main focus is on getting a nice vocal sound. When I say "nice", I'm a female vocalist with a reasonably broad range, and mostly I just want a sound that's warm and clear. Granted I'm not going to get a "pro" sound with a sub $200 mic, I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for my recording environment, which I haven't treated at all and don't intend to (sharehouse, rented). So would I be better off going with something like the Shure SM57 or SM58, or a condenser like the MXL 990, or a similarly priced mic?

It seems like every time I decide on a mic, I'll read about another one and change my mind. I wish I had the money to throw around and try different mics but I don't. Also most of the music stores around here dont have a huge range of mics to try, you have to order them in

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'd like to hear your opinions. I'm just a silly noob girl afterall.

That was a joke.

Brooke.
 
Ok.

Plenty of USB 2.0 audio interfaces around but the Scarlet is the newest kid on the block and also appears to be a really good unit. Great reviews on youtube. You are off to a good start.

Incidently, USB 1.0 would work just as good for only two inputs. ;o)


How BIG is your voice ? This determines how much room ambience you well be unintentionally adding to the recording.

I would recommend the shure dynamic or a condenser paired with a reflexion ( or clone ) filter.
 
Microphone operating principle isn't a deciding factor. You need to figure out what mic sounds good on your voice, and how far away you need to be from said mic to sound your best. That just depends on your voice and style of singing. A lot of male vocalists like to be 1" from a mic, especially if their voice is naturally thin. This is because the mic's "proximity effect" enhances bass frequencies and makes them sound better than they are (nothing wrong with that).

That reasoning doesn't usually apply to female singers because the fundamental of a female voice is a bit too high for a big proximity effect, although there are exceptions there.

So, close to the mic will sound very up close and personal, can be breathy if that is what you are going for. If you want breathy, I would probably look at a condenser because they are better at capturing that. On the other hand, a more rock&roll style is often better suited to a dynamic.

So long as you stay close to the mic you don't need to worry about the room that much, especially for female vocals. Just put yourself close to (not in) a corner of the room, toss a heavy blanket behind yourself, and sing into the room.

CFox is right that if your voice is big you need to back off the mic and that will mean more room. Try to find the biggest room you can in that case.

My generic condenser mic recommendation is the AT2035 and the generic dynamic recommendation of the SM58 is fine. Either mic will work for most people; you might find something for a similar price you like better for yourself.

However, your statement about recording multiple instruments one at a time tells me you'll probably get more mileage out of a condenser, because you can eventually get a pair of them to do stereo recording of various instruments . . . acoustic guitar, piano maybe, percussion, etc. Stereo is good . . .
 
Wow, thanks for your responses! I was afraid I'd get ripped apart because I realised after I posted this how many similar threads there are.

I think you've opened up my eyes a little bit. It's easy to get caught up in "which mic is best for this purpose". I read somewhere somebody said it's like asking "what is the best thing to have for lunch on a Friday". Haha. I WILL just need to buy one and then try it out for size. All the advice in the world can't measure up to actually testing something out at different distances etc. But the corner of the room tip makes sense. Thanks!

I don't have a super soft or super loud voice. At the moment I'm writing stuff that has a bit of everything (loud lead vocal parts, a bit of yelling, but some gentler harmonies and backup vox too).

I'm borrowing a friend's MXL 990 condenser this weekend. I'll try and find an SM57 or SM58 from someone too.

Thanks dudes!
 
Fish is best eaten on Friday. :p

There isn't much else to and to what has already been said ... unless you catch GAS then a whole new world of recording will open up to you.
 
they might be a little more expensive but you should check out some of the Blue Microphones. I love my Blue Spark. SM57/SM58s are great microphones but i'd be micing a guitar cab or a snare or bass drum with them. As far as live proformances would go it would definatly be one of the shure microphones. but i think in my opinion you would get alot more bang for your buck with one of the cheaper condenser microphones out there. just do some research and figure out which one you think would work best for you.
 
I confirm that if you need a condenser mic, don't hesitate and go for an AT2035 (please no Rodes NT-1!). In the Shure product, i might suggest the Beta57 which is my favorite multi-use mic and can do it all from vocals, to guitars, snare...etc...
Finding "your mic" is always difficult so try as many as you can, till you find the one.Good luck
 
Check out Liberty Microphones

If your looking for a quality made microphone check out the Liberty 76. We make hand made custom tuned microphones. They are very versatile and good for pretty much any recording application.

libertymicrophones.com
 
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