Looking to get a new mic for vocals and guitar. $0-800 please recommend!

F

foreverdown

New member
Alright, so I am looking to get another mic. Right now my main mic is a Studio Projects C1. My friend has an AKG 414 that he uses on vox and guitar and it sounds amazing. I will be running whatever mic I get into an M-Audio DMP3 Preamp and then into my computer with Cubase SX 2.0 goin. If you have any more questions just let me know. Like the title says my spending range is 0-800 bucks. If you think I should chop that up and spend my money on a new mic and a new preamp, please speak up. I really appreciate any advice you guys can recommend to me. Thanks!


If you would like to hear how I sound and what I will be using the mic for, you can listen to a track at http://purevolume.com/foreverdown/ (listen to "I'll Find You")
 
Akg C - 1000

they ve been good to me... you can get 2 of them for $300. they re good for drum overheads / acoustic guitar to. of course the sm-57 and 58's are almost a necessity. try out a hand held PZM cheap!!! (but very useful)
 
that's cool, but not quite what I am looking for. I have an SM57 and an SM58. I'm looking for some higher end mics though.
 
oldtownrobot said:
Akg C - 1000
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You probably won't find another mic that is more universally consented among the pro audio community to be harsh and unuseable. foreverdown, it might be helpful if you tell what sources you plan to use the mic on. vocals? what instruments?

Taylor
 
Safe Sound P1 - $500
CAD M179 - $150 + up
oktava mc012 - $100 each (get two)
If you liked the 414 ignore the above message and buy one
 
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Big Kenny said:
Safe Sound P1 - $500
CAD M179 - $150 + up
oktava mc012 - $100 each (get two)
If you liked the 414 ignore the above message and buy one
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Or try to get one and listen to it before you buy it. They aren't particularly cheap for the harsh sound they provide.
 
foreverdown said:
Alright, so I am looking to get another mic. Right now my main mic is a Studio Projects C1. My friend has an AKG 414 that he uses on vox and guitar and it sounds amazing. I will be running whatever mic I get into an M-Audio DMP3 Preamp and then into my computer with Cubase SX 2.0 goin. If you have any more questions just let me know. Like the title says my spending range is 0-800 bucks. If you think I should chop that up and spend my money on a new mic and a new preamp, please speak up. I really appreciate any advice you guys can recommend to me. Thanks!


If you would like to hear how I sound and what I will be using the mic for, you can listen to a track at http://purevolume.com/foreverdown/ (listen to "I'll Find You")
Click to expand...

A few questions. Acoustic or electric guitar? If acoustic, what is the guitar and will you be strumming or playing fingerstyle? Will you be recording guitar and vocals together or separately? Does the C1 work for your voice? Do you like the AKG better on your voice than the C1? The answers to these questions will help making some recommendations.
 
sdelsolray said:
Do you like the AKG better on your voice than the C1? The answers to these questions will help making some recommendations.
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If his voice does sound better on that 414, I'll bet he doesn't have a very nasaly voice.

Taylor
 
There are a number of people on this board who are unimpressed by the 414, but I'm not one of them. I've had very good luck with it, but not as a main vocal mic. I use it mainly for acoustic guitar, backing vox, and voiceovers. In your price range, I think you can't go wrong with Shure KSM44, but if your voice sounds good on a 414, go for it. It didn't become an industry standard by some accident.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
There are a number of people on this board who are unimpressed by the 414, but I'm not one of them. I've had very good luck with it, but not as a main vocal mic. I use it mainly for acoustic guitar, backing vox, and voiceovers. In your price range, I think you can't go wrong with Shure KSM44, but if your voice sounds good on a 414, go for it. It didn't become an industry standard by some accident.-Richie
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Richie,

You're right. If it works go for it.

I think the 414 was really a staple in the days when analog ruled. They say it was designed to work well with the inherent high frequency taming qualities of analog tape.

Taylor
 
I love AKG C414s. I wish i had a 3rd one right now actually.

I have tried them on many vocals though but when i have, it has worked pretty good. However, i have the oldstyle EBs so that might be a big difference. People say the C414 is harsh but i consider them pretty warm. Maybe the newer ones are a bit harsher?

My most versatile vox mic is the AT4050. But i havnt tried the KSM44 or 32 and alot of people recommend those for a lower price 4050. A preamp might be a good thing to add in there if you buy a mic for around $400.

Danny
 
If its for ELECTRIC guitar, you should check out some of the "nicer" dynamic mics, like the EV RE20 and the Sennheiser 421 MKII.

I hope you have a good preamp to complement buying a nice mic, though.
 
What he means is.

Are you saying you hate the sound of your voice through the C1 and there's no way in Hell your friend will let you borrow his 414?

The AT4050 is $529 in the US. Lots of people like those.
 
Once you find a mic you like better for your applications, you could sell the C1, since it's pretty much a vocal mic only (at least that's kind of what I think about it). Unless you want another mic around for somebody else's voice, you could probably get $150 out of it - seems like everybody wants one. You could get started on a nice pre-amp from that little chunk of change, especially if you don't spend all of your budget on another mic.

I've got a dmp-3 as well, and it's a huge step up from my old behringer mx-series mixer pre's. I run use a c1 for my vocals. I just picked the c1 up used to step up from my old superlux ldc. I'm not terribly impressed with it on my voice, either, but I figure'd I could sell it for what I bought it for if I didn't like it. I'd also like to see what a darker flavored mic (like maybe the MXL tube or a octava 319 or maybe a CAD 179) would sound like on my voice.

I record acoustic with a matched pair of mxl 603s's through my DMP-3, and I like the sound. I got them used for $150 with the case and shockmounts and all. I think a pair of sdc's might be good if you're wanting to record acoustic guitar.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by foreverdown
My friend has an AKG 414 that he uses on vox and guitar and it sounds amazing.

chessrock said:
Alright . . . so then exactly what is your question again?
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Bingo.
 
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