Mic Recommendations Given Background Noise (Apartment Bedroom)

[estimated_eyes]

I am setting up my first home recording area (Electric Guitar, Bass, Vocals). However, despite acoustic treat, this is in my bedroom. There's furniture and the area is on the same side of the room as large windows that have a little noise from the road.

Though I was originally looking at condenser mics, I am leaning more towards dynamic mics hoping it may not pick up some of the background noise. Budget $100-200

Vocals - singing songs from a soft voice to full singing voice but never screaming. I am a tenor.
Leaning towards Shure SM-58

Guitar Amp Mic - Electric guitar using pedals.
Sennheiser E609

Given my room situation, would you guys also recommend these mics for the purposes above? I'm more willing to invest in the vocal mic. Are there other recommendations for better quality at a similar price point?

Thanks,

-Z

 

[rob aylestone]

You need to understand why condensers often get criticised for picking up background noise. Dynamics have a diaphragm that has to physically move, and be quite large to produce sound. As a consequence, they don't respond very well to tiny and higher frequencies that don't have the 'guts' to move the structure. Condensers have very thin and delicate diaphragms and the output is created electronically, with a preamp inside the mic. So - for mid to loud sounds, dynamic in close sound nice and warm and the background, if it's in the usual quite defined rear null, is a smaller proportion of the captured signal. Condensers often get used a bit further away, the bodies are often smaller offering those weaker sound an easier route to the capsule, which doesn't help.

The two mics you mention like loud sounds and the 58, for example loves singers who belt. Both of them are a bit deaf for weaker sounds, further away. You can use many condensers in close, with a pop shield, and sometimes using the -10/20dB pad to reduce the level, but some that don't have pads suffer quite badly close in. For your problem, if you had less funds, a 57 would probably do the job of both - just needing a windshield to stop breath noises close in.

 

[keith.rogers]

A dynamic with a cardioid pattern, and not super/hyper-cardioid, IMO, will work for both. The SM57 with a pop screen (not a foam windscreen) for vocals, as suggested, would work for both to start. You aim the back of the mic at the loudest source of background noise so that has the least impact. Treat your side walls and the one behind you (e.g., with blankets) if possible to minimize reflections that will enter the mic when you are recording vocals.

If you need 2 mics so you can record vocals while you are playing, then I might lean to something with a little more upper end, though still cardioid, like maybe a Sennheiser e835 vs SM58 (though I really like the SM58 for my own baritone).