Newbie looking for first microphones

Jschmitz54

New member
Greetings,
I’m new to the forum and appreciate the opportunity to get knowledgeable information and advice.
I’m putting together a starter home recording studio for myself. I’m a beginner Acoustic guitar player with about 6 months of lessons, retired and am doing this to help myself improve. Recently purchased Stienburg UR22 mkII interface and a pair of JBL 305P monitors.
I’m looking for a decent mike that doesn’t cost too much. I’ve read about the Rode NT1-A. It seems to be liked by most. I’ll be recording acoustic guitar and vocals. Wondering if you would recommend something else or is this about the best I can do for about $200. TIA
 
You'll need a boom mic stand to position any microphone for recording acoustic guitar and also a pop filter for vocals. Plus a good XLR cable to connect the mic to the Steinburg, and decent headphones for tracking (IMO). It adds up quickly!

The NT-1 (vs 1A) seems to get more love around these parts.

If you plan to record yourself playing guitar and singing at the same time you probably want to consider getting a second mic and stand at some point because you'll find that getting the guitar and vocal balanced with just a single microphone is challenging.

If your budget is pretty tight at $200 and you don't already have the stand and other pieces, you might consider other mics - lots of options out there.
 
I have an original NT1, an NT1A, and the new re-invented NT1 (the black one).

The first two hardly got a look in once I got an AKG C414 XLS, but when I got the black NT1 it became my general purpose 'go to' mike.

However, everyone will have their personal favourites.
 
You'll need a boom mic stand to position any microphone for recording acoustic guitar and also a pop filter for vocals. Plus a good XLR cable to connect the mic to the Steinburg, and decent headphones for tracking (IMO). It adds up quickly!

The NT-1 (vs 1A) seems to get more love around these parts.

If you plan to record yourself playing guitar and singing at the same time you probably want to consider getting a second mic and stand at some point because you'll find that getting the guitar and vocal balanced with just a single microphone is challenging.

If your budget is pretty tight at $200 and you don't already have the stand and other pieces, you might consider other mics - lots of options out there.
To build on that.. a pair of mics ..the same or of even similar tones', you can do a stereo XY pair 'singing and playing at the same time, or do both on the guitar and overdub vocal ..or one on voc one on guitar*

*Check that out, there are some gotchas' / plus-minuses there.
 
You'll need a boom mic stand to position any microphone for recording acoustic guitar and also a pop filter for vocals. Plus a good XLR cable to connect the mic to the Steinburg, and decent headphones for tracking (IMO). It adds up quickly!

The NT-1 (vs 1A) seems to get more love around these parts.

If you plan to record yourself playing guitar and singing at the same time you probably want to consider getting a second mic and stand at some point because you'll find that getting the guitar and vocal balanced with just a single microphone is challenging.

If your budget is pretty tight at $200 and you don't already have the stand and other pieces, you might consider other mics - lots of options out there.

Is it possible to record the guitar and then record the vocals separately, on another track if that’s the correct terminology? I can sing better when not playing and play better when not singing. I’ve only started playing acoustic guitar and taking lessons six months ago.
 
Is it possible to record the guitar and then record the vocals separately, on another track if that’s the correct terminology? I can sing better when not playing and play better when not singing. I’ve only started playing acoustic guitar and taking lessons six months ago.
Yes, that’s what many do. Then you can get by with one mic, of course. (I did start that part about 2 mics with “If ....”)
 
It seems you are off to a good start. I use a NT1a at the bridge and another condenser mic at the neck. Better quality IMO with two mics, but you are just starting so go with just one for now.

Your room and how it sounds itself will likely be an issue for you to work on. There are many threads here about that.

Welcome to the forum! :)
 
Mics are like shoes. You buy a pair and they just don't feel good, yet others love them, and every new purchase is a gamble. With shoes, though, you can try them on and then buy them. Mics are the sort of thing where you can easily waste money on excellent products that you just don't like! My mic box has quite a few mics bought because others love them, and I just don't. For instance - somebody on a forum said how wonderful their Audio Tec 2020 was - I bought one, and it's good, but no better than others, and worse than some. I just find it sort of bland. It will do a lot of things pretty well like a Shure SM57 - so it's always a get out of trouble mic, but I can't get excited by it? I really like Shure SM86's - many hate them. I hate the AKG 1000s, never having found anything they were good at - yet others love them. I have a pair of AKG 414s and love them, yet I'd have to go and look to see which version they are, no idea. One of the Chinese factories I deal with made me a stereo large diaphragm mic, based on the old Neumann rotating capsule design, and I really like it - pure gamble, but for location recordings in churches and similar, it works so well. It's not nice singing into though, just using one capsule. Buying shoes is so much easier.
 
Probably the past two years Ive paid some more attention to mics, maybe past 5yrs.... sostuff
The room and LDC and the other route of a dynamic in a not so good room works... so many choices and flavors with dark to sibilance issues....matching with a preamp/comp....loud or quiet source.
screamers or soft... acoustic guitar recordings is going to include some room unless youre banging away versus classical playing.

my biggest issue was the crap room and super sensitive mic picks up every noise and wood creeking sound.
but not to get too picky, often I play a drum track while checking a noise floor which usually helps get over being too picky of the room. truth is im not going to have some studio in this bedroom like low ceiling room.

if you are doing acoustic guitars that's a pretty demanding thing for a room. ..and that's just Tracking.
mix down/playback is a whole other room thing to figure out.
LDC sound so nice at times, but the room could be an issue recording acoustic guitars.

I'd try to make a vocal booth type area then test a dynamic vs LDC or two...or three.... :eatpopcorn:
 
Probably the past two years Ive paid some more attention to mics, maybe past 5yrs.... sostuff
The room and LDC and the other route of a dynamic in a not so good room works... so many choices and flavors with dark to sibilance issues....matching with a preamp/comp....loud or quiet source.
screamers or soft... acoustic guitar recordings is going to include some room unless youre banging away versus classical playing.

my biggest issue was the crap room and super sensitive mic picks up every noise and wood creeking sound.
but not to get too picky, often I play a drum track while checking a noise floor which usually helps get over being too picky of the room. truth is im not going to have some studio in this bedroom like low ceiling room.

if you are doing acoustic guitars that's a pretty demanding thing for a room. ..and that's just Tracking.
mix down/playback is a whole other room thing to figure out.
LDC sound so nice at times, but the room could be an issue recording acoustic guitars.

I'd try to make a vocal booth type area then test a dynamic vs LDC or two...or three.... :eatpopcorn:

Thanks for the input CC. From the posts here I see there is much to learn and skills to acquire. I’m thinking I need to take one step a time. After getting acceptable equipment and realizing what’s lacking, like the room sounds I’ll try to improve that too. It’s good to be aware of it at this stage though. Without any attempt to hide my lack of knowledge what is an LDC?
 
for my description LDC is a mic requiring 48v phantom power, has much higher sensitivity (like a super ear can hear anything).
this is obviously good until its picking up the neighbors dog barking or my sons rap blaring in the other room...or it makes your computer fan sound like a 747 flying over.
 
... Without any attempt to hide my lack of knowledge what is an LDC?
LDC = Large Diaphragm Condenser
SDC = Small Diaphragm Condenser

The diaphragm is basically the part of the condenser (aka capacitor) that captures the sound, and (per [MENTION=19723]CoolCat[/MENTION]'s response) needs to be charged in order to work, typically 48v these days, though many accept a wider range of voltage, and some types require a smaller amount.

The size of the element is what determines what it is called, and there's no official standard on this. Generally if it looks like a big microphone ala the NT-1a, then it's probably an LDC but if it looks like a small, long-ish cylinder with the element at the end, typically pointed at the thing it's trying to capture, that's a SDC. (There are SDCs hiding inside large bodies, but they are not that common, and some SDCs are "side address" which means they are oriented vertically, with the condenser aimed perpendicular to the body length.)
 
Start recording and learn...

The internets won't tell you what mic YOU need in YOUR room, with YOUR style of music. Any mic might work. Mic positioning and room will influence you sound more than the mic used.

I've recently equipped a budget podcaster's studio with lavalier mics that cost 3,95 €. Perfect for what they need and now they were able to get some extra's, budget wise. They were very reluctant at first. After all, how could a 3,95 € mic be any good? But they forgot they are just recording speech, mixed with interviews over mobile phones. I did buy a dozen different cheapo's before I settled on one, though. They weren't all useable. But not one was really crappy.

The stuff you already got is perfectly fine. Shop around for a good deal on a (current) NT1. It fits into your budget. It's around 150 € over here, but that includes VAT. It's very quiet (no hiss) and reasonably universal. And I think it's moderate brightness will fit well on acoustic guitar.

If some budget is left, you might soon want a second, different mic. To experiment with catching a different tone, to compare with the other channel from your UR22...
 
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