First time microphone purchase

A

AsianBigBelly

New member
I know, you probably see more than 100 types of these posts and I've read about 15 and I still can't decide. Also, I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the newbies section.

I want to record mainly only vocals with the occasional acoustic guitar and that's it. I'm not a singer but since i'm writing songs I want to sing them to my heart's content. My voice is not very deep in my opinion so there's that if that helps. Genre wise it would be rock and metal without the screaming. However, I plan on recording in my bedroom and it is not at all acoustically treated nor does it have padding of any sort and my gaming rig is going to be in there to record and although I can turn down the fans I don't know how well it will be.

Now the microphone is going to be at least 15 feet away and not aimed at that direction so theres that.

I'm not sure whether to pick up an SM57 or 58 simply because of the price point and that I can also get a stand and pop filter alongside them for cheap since I don't have either of those two items.

I would like to stay under $200 and so I've been shopping around used and came across the AT2035 ($105) and AT2050 ($150). It seems that the only difference is that the 2050 has multi pattern switch and I don't know if I would want that.

I then saw some AT4040's for about $180 with the box and shockmount and there's one at $150 without the mount but I also have to take into consideration that I need a microphone stand and filter and other gear plus I dont have shock mounts. If anyone has any other suggestions please do tell!
 
Most studio style condenser mics don't allow you to get as close as you could with an SM58. That last couple of inches can make a huge difference in the amount of room sound you pick up, which may be more important than the usual benefits of a condenser. Plus, getting right up on the mic will boost the lows, which may also be helpful. It won't be quite as effective on a guitar but it should get the job done. If there were any way you could try a few different mics it would really help you sort out the best option.
 
Now the microphone is going to be at least 15 feet away and not aimed at that direction so theres that.
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Did you mean 15 inches??? 15 feet is a bit out there to get decent vocals. SM57/58 you would want to be pretty close depending on the volume you'd be singing at, perhaps 1-8 inches or so..

edit.... maybe you meant 15 feet from a source of noise??
 
arcaxis said:
Did you mean 15 inches??? 15 feet is a bit out there to get decent vocals. SM57/58 you would want to be pretty close depending on the volume you'd be singing at, perhaps 1-8 inches or so..
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I had the same reaction until I decided he meant the fans in the gaming computer.
 
arcaxis said:
Did you mean 15 inches??? 15 feet is a bit out there to get decent vocals. SM57/58 you would want to be pretty close depending on the volume you'd be singing at, perhaps 1-8 inches or so..

edit.... maybe you meant 15 feet from a source of noise??
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I meant 15 feet away from my PC to try and minimize the noise picking up the fans
 
Probably a dynamic mic would be good to start with. My own room is pretty quiet if I close all the windows, but a condenser mic will pick up the 'ticking' of a quartz clock on the wall about 8 feet from the mic. I can't hear the clock with just my ears. Fortunately my computer fan is fairly quiet, although does noise up if I don't blow the dust out of the CPU cooling fan routinely.
 
AsianBigBelly said:
Even if the condenser is in cardioid?
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Yup, typically what I use. The clock it 'hears' is about 90 degrees to the side at about 8 feet. The other 'noise' I've had that had me puzzled for a while is a whole house attic fan at the other end of the house that put low frequency hum/rumble into the whole house that the shockmount wasn't stopping. Again I couldn't hear it with normal hearing, but when the attic warmed up the fan would come on. Took me a while to find that one.
My room isn't treated, but I'm usually up to the mic fairly close so the preamp/interface gain can be reduced and not pick up too much room. You could try a condenser mic to see how it works out, but just be aware you may have some things to do as far as acoustic cleanup in the room.
 
You know if I one had one mic it would be an SM58, buy one and use it for the vocals, later save up and get a condenser as well, you will always be able to use an SM58.

If the room is noisy the SM58 will be the best mic form the ones that you listed. By the way you did not say how much the SM58 was in your area?

Alan
 
Brand spanking new $99 but Sweetwater has it bundled up with a stand and cable for $109 which I could buy new, I figured if I went the condenser it would have to be used. As for the room being noisy I only anticipate my PC fans potentially interrupting.
 
Sontronics STC-10 Small Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone

^ I have its big, side address brother and that is an excellent LDC microphone. All that has been said about dynamic mics and their low room pickup really is a consequence of their low sensitivity. The STC-10 has a -10dB pad and so can be made to be close to dynamic's sensitivity but retaining the smooth, wide frequency response of the capacitor. It also has a built in 75Hz HPF switch, invaluable for "rumble" clean up and can be on for virtually all recorded sources.

Flip the neg 10 pad off and the mic will be far better for acoustic guitar than a dynamic in almost every regard, smooth, extended, crisp response and low noise*.

"Gaming setup"? Should be ok for recording but have you mentioned any sort of interface?

*You can reduce fan noise pickup by putting a solid baffle between the computer and mic. A sheet of 3/4" chipboard, better MDF, 3'x3' or bigger close to the PC will stop a lot. If you can face the PC side with foam, GF or Rockwool, even better.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
All that has been said about dynamic mics and their low room pickup really is a consequence of their low sensitivity.
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Actually, it's distance from the diaphragm that's the primary benefit in this application. By that token a 57 could be even better, but it's less plosive resistant.
 
I currently have the second gen scarlett solo. The only things I worry about is picking up fan noise which I suppose can be relatively blocked off with foam and that my bedroom is small and untreated for vocal treatment.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Actually, it's distance from the diaphragm that is the primary benefit in this application. By that token a 57 could be even better, but it's less plosive resistant.
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Agreed but in the interests of K.I.S.Sir I shunned talk of "Critical Distances"! The thread demonstrates plainly that almost any microphone is going to be a compromise for universal use.

BTW, I checked the specc of the STC-10 and the pad drops the sensitivity to around 3mV/Pa. About twice that of the SM57/58 but low enough I would aver to allow very close working. Whatever OP uses a decent pop filter/spit shield is really a must.

Bit of a search of Thomann revealed shedloads of SDCs. Some very cheap Bellringers at ~50Ees but many "famous names" in the 100 to 200Ee area. I guess there is a similar supplier in US?

Dave.
 
AsianBigBelly said:
I currently have the second gen scarlett solo. The only things I worry about is picking up fan noise which I suppose can be relatively blocked off with foam and that my bedroom is small and untreated for vocal treatment.
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The Solo's pre amp will certainly be good enough for vocals and acoustic guitar even with a dynamic.

"Treating" the room will do nothing to reduce fan noise* you need a mass in the way of PC and mic. However, you should be thinking of some form of absorbent material between the rear of the mic and more behind you. This will reduce the room's bad acoustics by stopping some of your voice getting into the room and also coming back into the mic over your shoulder. This is the classic "duvets on a frame" idea.

*The gaming PC will be doing practically no work recording a single track (or ten!) but the fans will be going 19 to the dozen most likely! Have you looked into fan control software? You could also study the Motherboard manual to see if fan control can be done in the BIOS.

Dave.
 
Was your first car you best car? Same with mics - there are very few universally understood mics and the SM58 is one of them, so is the 57, which in the seventies was often the vocal mic of choice weirdly, usually with foam windshields. When somebody suggests a 58, we all know what it will sound like. There will be other, far less well known ones that could be great, but the number of readers here who have heard them means any recommendations are more personal opinion than a satisfied average. I'm lucky enough to have all sorts in my mic box, but go to favourites as first choices every time. My current favourite is the old Beyer M201 hyper cardioid which I'm using on all sorts. I've rediscovered some ancient AKG 160s, that sound nice on some voices for speech. There are few really horrible ones apart from the usual AKG we won't mention. Buy a 58 (a real one from a real authorised dealer - never eBay) and I doubt you will fee you wasted your money. Once you are really familiar with it you can move up.

Your President has been using SM57s for years. The reason is they are reliable and predictable. They're not clever, and often used outside their comfort zone, but they never do a bad job. With an unlimited budget, they use cheap (by pro mic standards) mics. Something to think about.
 
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