Getting back to recording: USB or Condensor microphone?

A

amt7565

New member
Hello-
The last I recorded at home was in 2003. The recording platform was quite different at the time and I now realize that recording technologies have advanced that makes me to learn techniques all over again.

I have a MACBOOK Pro that I plan to use as my new recording platform.

For recording guitar I am considering the well sought after Blue-Snowball mics. Any recommendations on which might be better- USB or Condensor? I plan to record instrumental guitar only. Or you rather recommend something else? I am on a budget of about $100-$200 for the Mics.

thanks
 
A USB mic limits you to only being able to record with that one single mic at a time.

Better to go with an interface with phantom power and use any or combination of XLR cable connected mics. I assume you are looking to record an acoustic guitar? Two mics have always given better results for me. That means you need gear that will allow that. What DAW software are you using?

Sorry, your specified budget is likely not going to get that taken care of with a quality result.

I suggest you do some more research and determine for yourself what level of quality you wish to achieve before making any purchases.
 
Thanks for the feedback.
I plan to record Electric only. I can go with Condensor, not an issue. I do have an SM57 that I am yet to use.
As for the software thinking of going with Garageband. I used to do SONAR, but it appears that is not supported for MACs.

Considering above, thoughts on the Mic for electric guitar recordings?
 
I have not used the Snowball, but in side to side reviews on Youtube, it did not sound good. I would take the next step up to an AT2020USB+ or a Blue Yeti.
 
Chili said:
Don't use Garage Band, it is a toy.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:

Look at this one, it comes with Studio One, a real DAW app. It will be better than GarageBand.
Click to expand...
...in your opinion. Which is fine, but my point is it's all highly subjective...I know knowledgeable people who like GarageBand a lot and Studio One, not so much.

Anyway, back to the actual topic of mics....

There is a slight misunderstanding here. "USB" and "condenser" are not mutually exclusive. USB is not really a "type" of mic exactly. There are USB condenser mics and USB dynamic mics. I do agree w/those that say bag the USB idea though, and get an audio interface (you can get a fine basic one that would serve your needs for about $150 new) and use the 57 you already have, which will almost certainly beat any USB mic you can buy anyway.
 
Thanks for your suggestions.
Paid a visit to GC today and I explored the Clarett x 2 Pre unit. It's a bit expensive but appears to be a high-quality unit.
Should I choose to go with Clarett, then I will probably use the SM57.

As for the DAW APP, I find the SONAR more suitable to my liking, but considering the lack of MAC support, and I may have to explore other Apps or stick to GB.

Question: If I use an external Audio interface, would it be possible to use the GB guitar effects through them?

Thanks
 
Hang on!

A $600 interface? I think the guy at GC saw you coming and decided to up his commission to put his kids through college.

Seriously, something like that is very much a niche product and you'll do 99.9% as well in quality terms with an interface in the $100-$200 range. The Audiobox that Chili mentioned is a good choice, as is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2...and a personal favourite of mine is the Alesis iO2. At $100 most places it's hard to beat for features and quality vs. price. One specific point: unless I'm missing something, the Clarett doesn't even have direct hardware monitoring, something I'd consider essential.

On the topic of software, how much will you be using MIDI as opposed to live recordings of guitar, voice, etc. Both Sonar and Garageband are "MIDI rich" but if your prime use is for live recording, there are others I'd consider better. Almost all of them offer free trial downloads so, if I were you, I'd try a few before buying. Most can do everything you need but you'll find that some of the user interfaces with seem intuitive to you while others will always be a battle--and everyone's tastes are different.

Finally, I assume your query about effects relates to using the effects live. The answer has to be "it depends". Quite often the round trip through the computer results in too much latency (delay) to be truly useful--but you can try it and see.
 
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