Radio presenter & home studio noob, looking for a building-block mic!

Welcome! I agree with everyone here about a solid dynamic mic. An SM7B, RE20, PR40, SM57/58, EV 635a or an i5 can all be had for reasonable prices and even cheaper used.
 
@Bobbsy - cheers for all your advice - been a great help! I did my research this evening and ended up ordering the Alesis 4 USB mixer along with the SE Electronics condenser mic. £50 above mt budget, but got a pop-shield thrown in for good measure. Will nip down to Maplin's for a goose-neck mic stand on arrival.

Cheers for all the help guys and apologies for whoever I upset along the way. Here's to successful recordings!

i don't think you upset anyone.
Best of luck with your recordings!
 
Hi to all watching this thread and interested in recording voice overs.

Good voice over mics similar to the RE20 but cheaper.

Beyerdynamic M400 Soundstar Mark II
Beyerdynamic Opus 69
EV PL80
EV PL9
Peavey 520i
AKG D321
AKG D770

The D770 is available on ebay right now for $35 shipped, buy it now.

These mics are all dynamics like the state of the art broadcaster mics, The RE20, SM7, Sennheiser, etc.

The state of the art hasn't changed in 40 years.

I have all the mics I recommend and I do a lot of voice over. Which do I use? None of the above.

I do my voice overs into my iRiver H320 dictaphone omni mic and then I use a usb cable to transfer the voice over tracks to my computer for post production. This works great with my low breathy Blues voice. Will it work for you? I don't know.

I do know you don't have to spend a fortune to do good voice over work.

That said, do I wish I had an RE20? Damn straight. Will I get one sometime? Probably.

And then I'll see if I like it better than my ATM25 for kick drum.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry
 
I know some Behringer mics don't have a great reputation, but I love my B-1 LDC. I personally think it's a great value, plus it comes with a shockmount, windscreen and case. If you don't want to worry about phantom power, I also recommend the Samson C01U. Its probably one of the best USB mics on the market for the price.
 
Gotta love us musical types. It's not so much that we make mistakes, but that we publish them.

music-industry-and-label-tour-supprot.html

supprot.html heh... And yet the title tag spelled it right.

As I go to change my own schedue.html page. (as opposed to schedule). I blame the microsoft keyboard.
 
Gotta love us musical types. It's not so much that we make mistakes, but that we publish them.

music-industry-and-label-tour-supprot.html

supprot.html heh... And yet the title tag spelled it right.

As I go to change my own schedue.html page. (as opposed to schedule). I blame the microsoft keyboard.

I'd laugh except the main directory on the external drive I'm using as I type this is called "Sound Fils".
 
I am semi-retired after working over 30 years in major market radio and also doing a lot of voiceover work. so listen up....there is no such thing as a "building Block" microphone. For QUALITY voice work you need a warm yet powerfull mic. You have two choices, either a piece of crap (cheap) or a solid professional mic. while most studios use expensive mics like old RCA or neumann (Ribbbon) mics that will run you well over $2,000...most major market radio stations (and their production departments) use the EV RE-20 because it is a great mic and not very expensive in professional terms, and lasts forever if treated right. You can grab one on ebay for around $350 used in good condition (ASK before you buy if it was in a smoke free enviroment). But if you don't want to spend that much there are a few cheaper alternatives, but keep in mind, if you go that route you really have no professional interest and might as well keep using your schools equipment.
 
check out this one, about as cheap as they come, phantom power, 1 mic pre, and one more input for expansion in the future or adding a two channel mixer for radio with multiple mics. This will cover any recording needs you'll have as long as you don't need more than 2 inputs and 2 outputs.

Amazon.com: M-Audio Fast Track USB 2 Computer Audio Interface: Musical Instruments

Bummer about the Steelers, eh!?
Hometown boys were all beat-up and broken before they even started the game :-(
 
Hey Eddzz, I know the EV RE20 probably seems pricey, but in the long run, if you want to be able to make decent money doing VO, you'll need a studio quality mic. The RE20 is phenomenal, a terrific investment, and a workhorse that will last you a long, long time. It's worth saving up for, IMHO. If you're determined to get something sooner though, I suggest you google the name David Lawrence along with the words voice over or recording studio. He's a voice over coach here in Los Angeles. He did radio for many, many years (that's how I met him, we did back-to-back air shifts at a station in Washington DC) and he's a genius about recording equipment. He also helps people with questions like yours. If you contact him, he'll be able to give you your best options. Good luck!
 
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