Looking for a ~$150 (around or less) cond. mic as an upgrade

N

Nogibak

New member
Hi everyone! I'm looking to buy a new condenser mic as an upgrade to my current system. I'm currently using a MXL 990 condensor mic with a PreSonus Firebox preamp. The mic will be mainly used on me with an emphasis in recording vocals in a small home studio (aka budget studio). I have a baritone vocal range, and I tend to record a lot of pop/rock music genre (sometimes slow or soft, sometimes faster & edgier, but not too much howlin' screams).

The only condensor mics I have ever used are the MXL 990 & GrooveTube GT55. I found the GT55 (which was my friend's mic) to be relatively crisper and cleaner than the MXL990. It also seemed to push the vocals as front and more clear as possible meaning it cut through the mix better, which is my main factor in choosing quality mics. But I have not used enough mics to truly say which other mics out there would be suitable for my tastes. The MXL 990 (as cheaply as it is, maybe like $25 when I bought it) was my first mic that I purchased along with the preamp to really get that 'recording sound.' As I've stuck with the MXL 990 for a few years, I wanted to upgrade to maybe something a little bit better, if possible. I have searched through several places online and some review sites to try to find what I need. My main budget is around $150 or less. So far I've compiled a list of mics based on price and reviews.

List to consider (always able to consider others):

AKG Perception 200 (~$160)
Behringer B2 Pro Studio (~$150)
Kel Audio HM-2D (~$150)
Marshall MXL2003 (~$150)
Studio Projects B1 - "version 2 w/ -10db & -20db pads" (~$120)
Behringer B1 Pro Studio (~$100)
Marshall MXL2006 (~$100)
Audio-Technica AT2020 (~$100)
Samson C03 (~$99)

My questions are basically: what do you guys recommend and why (if based on your experience of the following mics)? And in your opinion, are they better than my MXL 990 (if you've ever compared them or even looked at the mic specs)?

You can also recommend me something not on the list as I'm always open to more mics... I just don't know what mics are good, and I want some more opinions or suggestions. Just make sure the mics are compatible with my equipment (ex. a cond. mic, 48v phantom or not, tube or not, etc.) Again my price range is $150 (the less, the better of course ), and I know with that price range you can only get so good of a budget sound, but I'm still up for it. Thanks!
 
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For a baritone voice, I'd probably pick something with a bit of a presence peak to it to brighten up the sound a little. I suspect that an ADK Hamburg would fit the bill, IMHO, but I don't have a baritone singer around to try it, so take that with a grain of salt.

You can probably get one used around $150. In fact, you can definitely get one used for about that:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220173157575

Froogle rocks.
 
CAD M177 or, even better, M179 (You can still find them new on line for $150). If you're patient, maybe the GXL3000 will go on sale again for even less, but it is is currently available for $100 at MF. I think for the features and sound, the 3000 is tough to beat at the $100 price-point.

Paj
8^)
 
Of the ones on your list the only one that would interest me (a baritone) is the Kel (bought one but has not arrived yet). However the Kel is voiced similar to a SM7 and may not be crispy enough for you, the Cad M177 / 179 is a contender.
As is the MXL 67G.
 
Hmm, MXL 67G and CAD M177 / 179.... well I've heard of the V67G before, so I'll take that into consideration as well. As far as the CAD mics, I can't seem to find any new M177 (it seems they are discontinued on MF?) but the M179 is ~$200 or so which is kind out of my budget a bit....
 
You can also get an AT 3035 off of ebay for less than $150 shipped. I've never used them, but many people on this and other forums love them and the whole AT line.

Juan
 
Mxl 960, i have an mxl 990 currently and am gonna look to upgrade to it...its 150-ish...idk it mightve jumped up, but it might be worth the extra 20 bucks hah.
 
akg 200s

anyone else besides me use the akg perception 200's? I use them for my recorderman drum overheads and when i record singer/songwriters. I stumbled upon them, took them in trade for a debt from a friend, but i kind of like them. like, a lot.
 
Another mic I've never used, but one that I would look at if I were in the market for a $150 mic is the MXL V67i. If you're not familiar with it, it has 2 diaphragms, one darker in sound and one brighter in sound.

Juan
 
Newbie Needs Help!

Currently have a HP laptop(Windows XP-intel duo processor-3.5mm mic input)and would like to record my voice with a single acoustic guitar(Martin D-28 that is strong on the bass side) or occasional mandolin in a bedroom. I do not want to add any instruments or vocals. I just want to authentically reproduce the raw sound to put on a CD. What software is needed to capture the sound? Do I need one microphone for the guitar and one for vocals or just a one mic setup? I didn't want to spend more than $200 for microphone(s) with a tabletop stand. Was considering a usb condenser microphone. Do I need to buy additional equipment(preamp) for this kind of recording?
 
doctorhl said:
Currently have a HP laptop(Windows XP-intel duo processor-3.5mm mic input)and would like to record my voice with a single acoustic guitar(Martin D-28 that is strong on the bass side) or occasional mandolin in a bedroom. I do not want to add any instruments or vocals. I just want to authentically reproduce the raw sound to put on a CD. What software is needed to capture the sound? Do I need one microphone for the guitar and one for vocals or just a one mic setup? I didn't want to spend more than $200 for microphone(s) with a tabletop stand. Was considering a usb condenser microphone. Do I need to buy additional equipment(preamp) for this kind of recording?
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you don't need a preamp if you use a usb mic. But I have no experience with those. I'm not sure what you mean by "authentically reproduce." Do you mean accurately. What do you hope to do with the recordings?
 
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