Condenser Mic or Dynamic Mic??

C

cag_a_tay

New member
Hello all,

Let me give you a brief info on what I've been doing so far and what I intend to do in the near future.

I use Cubase to record my own songs. Had an Audigy 7.1 soundcard and used to record the guitars by going in through the line in jack and used a crappy skype/messenger mic to record the vocals. As you can imagine the quality was way below the level of acceptance :)

For the past few weeks I've been interested in setting up a home studio. Therefore after searching the internet I finally got myself an external sound card. LINE 6 UX2. As before, I again aim to connect the guitar through the line-in instrument jack of the soundcard yet I still dont know what to get as a microphone.

I'm interested in the Rode NT1-A and the Shure SM57/58. Now I know the rode is a condenser mic whereas the Shure's are Dynamic.

I have read on other websites that for recording vocals, its better to use a condenser mic. However its also known (if I'm not mistaken) that condenser mics are more sensetive then dynamic ones.

Now, the place where I’m trying to record my own songs is my home, my room where there is no sound/noise isolation.

The fact that condenser mics are so sensetive, I do fear that any sound coming from neigbours, cars, computer etc might effect and even ruin my recordings if done with a the rode since its going to pick up any little noise no matter what the source is.

Do you think that I'm right in worrying on this matter?

I do not sing loud vocals. My voice is quite soft and used for slow songs.

So after all these said; do you think a dynamic mic like SM57 or 58 might be better for my purpose or should I go for the rode anyways?

What I'm trying to achieve is crispy recording with the least "hissing" on the background.

Note: Also whatever type of mic I get, I will also get a pop filter and even a shock mount if there is one available for the mic you suggest. ( Rode NT1-A comes with the filter and mount)

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,
 
A dynamic would probably suit your purposes better for now. Do a search on "Microphones" because there are so many threads on the topic here and a number of them are worth the read. Have fun !
 
cag_a_tay said:
, I do fear that any sound coming from neigbours, cars, computer etc might effect and even ruin my recordings if done with a the rode since its going to pick up any little noise no matter what the source is.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the life of home recording....

If you want the sound of a condenser mic, then local noise is an issue. I have to deal with airplanes, motorbikes, dogs, trucks, neighbours slamming doors, a million birds in the trees in the apartment block, and large squeaky bats...

Despite this, I find quiet patches enough to do recording...

If you only have a single mic for everything then yes, a dynamic is a good start. But if you get serious about recording, you're not going to own just one mic, you'll have lots, in time, including condensers.... and you'll learn to avoid and limit noise, just like the rest of us...

If where you are is fundamentally quiet, but has outbursts from time to time, then you'll be OK with condensers... if you're in a generally noisy area with constant stuff going on in the background, you may find it more difficult...

Good luck
 
That all said, you'd be surprized what dynamic mics can pick up. I remember recording in a flat I used to live in, my friend was on drums, I was on bass. When I listened back on phones, the [dynamic]mics had picked up the footsteps of my neighbour walking down the corridor outside the flat. Condensers are powerful though. Recording in a warehouse last year, on one song when all the drum and guitar noise dies away, you can hear a train very clearly going past. The overheads had picked it up. It sounded kind of cool or at least it would've done if the song had been connected with transport or escape or running away....
 
I've used both the SM57 and 58 when recording at home. I have kids and sometimes you get the bleed from the cartoons and chatter even though my studio is pretty far from the living room.

I think if I could only choose one dynamic mic I'd go SM57. That little thing does it all. I've also dropped it 113 time and it still works.
 
cag_a_tay said:
Hello all,

Let me give you a brief info on what I've been doing so far and what I intend to do in the near future.

I use Cubase to record my own songs. Had an Audigy 7.1 soundcard and used to record the guitars by going in through the line in jack and used a crappy skype/messenger mic to record the vocals. As you can imagine the quality was way below the level of acceptance :)

For the past few weeks I've been interested in setting up a home studio. Therefore after searching the internet I finally got myself an external sound card. LINE 6 UX2. As before, I again aim to connect the guitar through the line-in instrument jack of the soundcard yet I still dont know what to get as a microphone.

I'm interested in the Rode NT1-A and the Shure SM57/58. Now I know the rode is a condenser mic whereas the Shure's are Dynamic.

I have read on other websites that for recording vocals, its better to use a condenser mic. However its also known (if I'm not mistaken) that condenser mics are more sensetive then dynamic ones.

Now, the place where I’m trying to record my own songs is my home, my room where there is no sound/noise isolation.

The fact that condenser mics are so sensetive, I do fear that any sound coming from neigbours, cars, computer etc might effect and even ruin my recordings if done with a the rode since its going to pick up any little noise no matter what the source is.

Do you think that I'm right in worrying on this matter?

I do not sing loud vocals. My voice is quite soft and used for slow songs.

So after all these said; do you think a dynamic mic like SM57 or 58 might be better for my purpose or should I go for the rode anyways?

What I'm trying to achieve is crispy recording with the least "hissing" on the background.

Note: Also whatever type of mic I get, I will also get a pop filter and even a shock mount if there is one available for the mic you suggest. ( Rode NT1-A comes with the filter and mount)

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,
Click to expand...

Hi Cag - Welcome aboard.

I have used the NT-1A and it sucks. It sucks real bad. If you're looking for a cheap condenser, try Naint or perhaps MXL's excellent V67G.

My favorite dynamic mic for vocals is the RE-20. Runs about $400 new. Also, check out the SM-7. I don't own one, but I hear great things about it. Make sure your UX2 has enough gain (60+ db) to drive these mics before you pull the trigger.

SM57 and 58 are stage mics. My experience with them is that they sound wooly. I understand that if you can switch impedance loading you can get some great tones out of the 57, but that feature isn't available in very many preamps and certainly not in the UX2. You may have luck with subtractive EQ on the 57.

In any case, DONT buy the NT-1A. You can get better mics for much less. The V67 costs $100 last time I checked.
 
I'm with Supercreep on this one. I've got the V67, SM7 and RE-20 (In fact, I have the RE-20 because of how much he liked it!)

When I look back at all my tracks, the best vocal sessions are always with a decent dynamic (the SM7 more, because I've had it longer, but here lately the RE-20 as well). I think that condensers--especially cheap ones--are over hyped for/by home recorders.

The bonus? A really good dynamic can be had for as little as some of the cheaper condensers.

Welcome and good luck!
 
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