Studio quality microphone $200 or less

T

theflyingfoal

New member
Guys

Looking for a warm, rich, professional sounding large diaphragm condenser for digital demo work, vox and acoustic guitar, also voice-overs for radio broadcast, seeing lots of cheap Nady and Studio Projects models but a bit suspicious, looking for something that sounds far more high-end than it actually is (but respectable nonetheless), show me the way! Please advise:

Radio stuff: interviews / debates / voiceovers, looking to emulate tube / valve sound as closely as I can afford so that audio carries austerity (you know, makes people take notice of it)

Vox and guitar digital stuff: again looking for real warmth here, acoustic guitar layered with effects so need strong warm signal to start with, vox spoken poetry and singing mixture, will need to respond well to either a whisper or a wail (via popshield) and pick up tonal qualities of each, to cut through the guitar

Thanks very much, The Foal
 
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Lots of people ask this

Lots of people ask this question dude...and most get the same response. When it comes to quality equipment you pay for what you get. 200 for a Studio Projects C1 give you a quality mic at a very resonable price. 100 for the SP B1 gives you another quality mic for less...and they're suited for different uses.

Tell us exactly what you want to do (style, instrument, etc.) and how much your budget is...then we can help you narrow down your choices...but if you want a "sounds-like-$2000-but-only-payed-$150" mic - there is no such thing.

Jacob
 
Jacob, thanks

Not after 'paid $150 but sounds like $2000', more like 'paid $250 but sounds like $500-1000'.

OK, radio broadcasts first, talking / interview and debate so spoken word, have you ever listened to radio 4 in UK? The audio has a certain warmth and richness that is almsot certainly valve or tube, looking to emulate that sound quite closely, for austerity

Vox / guitar: Joy Division style with poetry, so layered effects on guitar (need strong warm signal to start off with), vox mixture of singing and spoken word, changes in texture, again looking for deep rich sound that is not at all tinny, so fatter bottom-end possibly?

AT range as been recommended, particularly 4040 and 4047, might just be out of reach in terms of budget though, so a bit stumped

thanks for your help

The Foal
 
Ah, yes, the old 'studio quality' microphone question. :D

Don't confuse Nady with some of the good value brands such as Studio Projects, ADK and CAD. All mics are not designed equal!

Basically you need to have a search through this forum and you'll find the answers you seek, and many more besides. :)

Nik
 
That's not echoing me! There are a bunch of brands you should look at ... for example, the ADK Vienna/Hamburg are a very popular pair of mics at the moment, as the CAD M179 has been for some time. :)
 
Don't confuse Nady with some of the good value brands such as Studio Projects, ADK and CAD.

does this mean that Nady is not good value? Now, I have spent a few hours reading through all these threads and I've got about 200 options!!! Audio Technica seems like a decent brand, as does Rode, but these are pushing the budget a bit, although maybe Audio Technica AT2020 or upwards. I've only got 1 stab at this so have to try and make sure I'm getting the best I can for the money, like I said before something that sounds nearly as good as a $500-1000+ mike but for much less
 
Nady mics (with the possible exception of the quite popular ribbon) do not get a very good write-up on ANY forum. If you are after a first mic, my opinion would be that you should choose between the Studio Projects B1 and the Audio Technica AT2020. There are loads others around there, but these are the two that I would most confidently buy myself.

However, you are correct that this is just ONE opinion ... and you should take others into account! FWIW - Either of these mics, or one of the lower Rødes, or an ADK A-51 or whatever ... they're all going to be fine to get you going. Seriously, just pick one out of a hat if you need to and get going.

I probably wouldn't bother with the Samson C01 though. :)
 
I have a good friend who is famous broadcaster, he uses a SP B1 for voice over work on commercials. with his deep baritonish voice it works well
 
Interview type mics - EV RE20, Shure SM7...between those, a great voice, and some compression, youd have what you are looking for. Instead of a mic-of-all-trades, why not pick up an RE20 and a pair of Oktava MC012s or something. Sure, you will have to spend more, but Id think it would be more worth it. I have never heard one, and I wouldnt be apt to buy one, but if you want your jack of all trades, perhaps the B1 is a good thing to look at. Maybe one of those and a SM57
 
Much of the sound of radio comes from dynamic microphones.

Electrovoice RE20 RE27 RE50, Shure SM7, Sennheiser 421, are just a few of the more popular ones.

I don't know what austerity has to do with a recorded sound but if you are looking to get that big sound you hear on radio that's done with compression and limiting not with some mic or other gear that emulates the sound of tubes.

Honestly, most of that radio sound comes from someone equipped with a good voice, without that even thousands of dollars worth of gear isn't going to get you there. If you have the voice and know what you are doing an SM57, a cheap micpreamp, and some free software would basically do it.
 
theflyingfoal said:
Don't confuse Nady with some of the good value brands such as Studio Projects, ADK and CAD.

does this mean that Nady is not good value? Now, I have spent a few hours reading through all these threads and I've got about 200 options!!! Audio Technica seems like a decent brand, as does Rode, but these are pushing the budget a bit, although maybe Audio Technica AT2020 or upwards. I've only got 1 stab at this so have to try and make sure I'm getting the best I can for the money, like I said before something that sounds nearly as good as a $500-1000+ mike but for much less
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Whay not just find a $200 that sounds good to you instead of demanding that is sounds "as good as" a $500-1000+ mic? I'm sure you would find a few mics in that mid price range that you dislike (compared to a $200 mic you like). But you'll find a lot more in the $500-$1000+ range that a really really nice. That's an awful lot of mics to listen to to be sure you're getting what you want.
 
noisedude said:
Nady mics (with the possible exception of the quite popular ribbon) do not get a very good write-up on ANY forum.
Click to expand...

Jeez, ya make a few million lousy wireless mics and suddenly all your products suck. :D

Nady is a mixed bag, from what I've seen, worth trying specific products when recommended, but a little dicey otherwise. IMHO, their ribbon sounds quite nice. I've also heard good things about their TCM 1150 tube condenser. The CM-90 works decently for overheads, if a little bright. Their DM-90 kick mic... not so great, IMHO.
 
dgatwood said:
Jeez, ya make a few million lousy wireless mics and suddenly all your products suck. :D
Click to expand...
:D :D :D :D

I'm just a home user like everyone else, enjoying the hobby and trying to make a few quid recording some tunes for my mates' bands and all that ... every penny has to count, which is why I tend towards companies with good after-sales whenever I can. If we're honest, most products in any price bracket are likely to be 'fine', as in, "yeah, it's fine, I guess". Then it's just a case of what rings your bell price-, looks- and support-wise.
 
In addition to the good thougts above:

Keep your eye out for decent used mics that come close to your budget. I picked up a BLUE Baby Bottle a little while ago for $350. A used Bluebird might dip down close to the $200 budget. The difference between the B.Bottle and the SP C1 is marked. The C1 still holds its own and frequently sounds better on some voices than the B.Bottle because that's how LDC's are, but there IS a quality and clarity that the C1 just doesn't have.

At any rate, I've also used the B1 and the MXL V67g - I bought them for the education studio at work when mics started to dissappear.... Now the kids *love* these mics (and the engineers are mildly impressed, as well) and no one cries when some punk walks off with one.) The B1 (before it was stolen) was the mic of choice, but I think that's mostly because the hip-hoppers didn't like the gold & green of the v67g.

Anyway, I use them all without guilt or shame even though I'm honest with myself about them being "fine, I guess". I've had quite a few well paying jobs where the MXL 603's and Sp C1's did the bulk of the work (along with a small army of SM57's which everyone recognizes). I just don't apologize, I don't tell my clients "yeah, this mic was only $150!", and I treat the mics like they are sacred objects. No one has yet to say to me "Hey, man! That's a cheap mic!"

With the notable exception of a mixing engineer that I take MY music to when I'm done with it. While working with the EQ on a vocal track his brow furrowed and he asked me what mic I used for the vocals. As this was before I had B.Bottle (and part of the reason I have one now) I said "A Studio Projects C1." Blank look from Jeff. "A chinese LDC with American quality control- not bad for the price and I can't afford a Nuemann." In defeat, his hand slid off the HF eq control (on his Neve 8018 console) and he said "Oh, that explains it."

Take care,
Chris
 
Studio quality? Well, I have a home studio with a bunch of SM57's and a Behringer B1. Please never use the term "studio quality" again.
 
I have a Behringer B1 mic. I was pretty surprised when I started using it because it's really nice. It doesn have a as "detailed" sound as many more expensive condenser mics, but it's very suitable for guitar and voice, IMO. It's very clean (no-noise) and even though I think it exagerates a bit the highest frequencies, you get a very decent sound.

Most importantly : I agree whole heartedly with the posters above, it's the voice that makes the mic sound good ;)
 
Harvey Gerst has a few at his Indian Trails studio, if I recall....

Its the rare studio these days that can afford to stock only top shelf equipment. That has always been the case.

As such, the term 'studio quality' covers a really broad range and doesn't really mean anything excpet "not a cheapo mic with a built in cable that you can at Walmart."

Chris
 
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