Mic recommendation for beginner - solo, home studio

B

boball

New member
Hello!

I am looking for a mic recommendation as a beginner, just starting out into music producing and recording from my home. Music producing would be using DAWs and USB MIDI keyboard controllers, not real instruments, and sound recording would be just my voice (solo) in my home.

What mic would you recommend for a beginner such as me?

I know I would need a condenser mic, and I think an XLR mic (through an audio interface preamp) is preferred over a USB mic. I looked around and some that I see that seem to be popular in a $50-$100 price range are:

---- MXL V67G
---- Samson C01
---- Audio-Technica AT2020
---- Behringer C-1
---- Behringer B-1

Would you recommend one of these? Do you have a better recommendation?

Thanks very much.

I know some people will suggest to invest more and get something in a more expensive price range, as they will be much better and will save money down the line, but I feel that since I am a complete beginner, I would rather spend something around $50-$100 now and see how far I go with that first.

Thanks!
 
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Do not buy a USB mic - unless you can guarantee that you will never need to record in stereo, need to work at a distance from it, or need to put it on very loud sound sources. They work fine for podcasts - but so much music recording just is beyond them. Choosing mics is like picking paint colours - the USB mic is magnolia - the colour you pick when you don't know if the person it's for will like it.
 
rob aylestone said:
Do not buy a USB mic - unless you can guarantee that you will never need to record in stereo, need to work at a distance from it, or need to put it on very loud sound sources. They work fine for podcasts - but so much music recording just is beyond them. Choosing mics is like picking paint colours - the USB mic is magnolia - the colour you pick when you don't know if the person it's for will like it.
Click to expand...

Yes I have mentioned above that I would prefer XLR over USB - and that I would be the only user of it for the immediate future. The mics I have listed above are all XLR and I wanted to get opinions on these mics (or others in this price range).

I have the Focusrite Scarlett 2nd Gen audio interface for pre-amp and phantom power.
 
I am going to second what Rob stated. With that said, and figuring you really want to get started, I would probably go with MXL or Audio-Technica AT2020. Mainly for name recognition and they seemed to get pretty good reviews. But it is just a guess.

Mics on vocals are really hard to find without trying them out. I have gone through several mics and finally found something I could live with. If your vocals will not be the center of your mixes, probably any of the above mics will do. It is a hard call and at that price level you will have to settle. But you can make it work.
 
I have both the MXL V67G and the AT2020. The V67G was about the first LDC mic I had purchased. For vocals my choice would be the V67G over the AT2020. While the AT2020 is a decent mic, I view it as more of a general purpose mic that sounds a bit bland on my voice. The V67G is transformer coupled on its output which I think lends some color/warmth to a vocal.
Whatever you get for a mic, figure a shockmount, pop filter, mic stand, and a decent cable into the budget
 
These are all decent choices to start with, and I honestly have no experience with any of them. But, I'd actually throw my vote with the Behringer B-1 because it comes with a suspension mount and high-pass filter switch, both of which I use all the time on my large condenser mics. (The Recording Revolution site - one I follow - has some info on that mic - it's one the site's owner recommends to start with and actually still uses on occastion, FWIW.)

You want to include a good boom mic stand, which you'll always be able to use and a decent pop-screen (a must) as well in your budgeting.

Good luck.
 
Oddly - I have learned to use other people's advice as simply a guide. I've heard horrible things about the 2020, yet I like mine, and the Behringers often get bad comments based on I think the general comment. I haven't ever bought a microphone that I didn't;t find worked well on something - although often not the thing I bought it for. Now I'm lucky enough to have a decent collection, I can pick the most flattering one for each use.
 
Since you know exactly who you are going to record I highly recommend try before you buy. The mxl is supposed to be a "vocal" mic but the other posts in this thread should make it obvious that there will always be different opinions when the mics are used by different people in different situations. I agree with all the comments I've read here - you are the one who is going to be using it and it has to suit you so best to compare with your own ears. Quality wise I think these are all using Chinese diaphragms and similar circuitry however mic body design has a huge influence on it's response. I would also recommend trying vocal designed dynamic mics(Shure SM58 etc.). If you limit yourself to LDC's test wise you could be passing up something you might find perfect for your use.
 
I strongly suggest you get a copy of Sound on Sound Jan 2018 (see me in 'user contributions).

I agree that dynamics are worth a good look, especially since the 2i2 is not known for high pre amp headroom (but they are quiet) and a capacitor mic could sound nasty at high levels.

The Audio Technica AE6100 and the Sennheiser e935 are a little over budget but get a very good rep' in the above.

Dave.
 
Listen- if you are gonna spend $100 only, and only want to buy new stuff... get a SM58 or a 57.

Why? Well.. a $100 condenser is not enough mic for vocals. It will, in the end, be a mic that you don't need and don't use.
A 58, on the other hand, is a workhorse that you can use live, on instruments, drums, whatever. In the end.. when you save up for a better LDC, your 58 will have a job and a happy home :)

Or pimp your mother and get this for $230:
Amazon.com: Rode NT1A Anniversary Vocal Condenser Microphone Package: Musical Instruments

Or go used! Only $125!
Rode NT1-A Condenser Cardioid Microphone MC-2500 698813003372 | eBay

The NT1 is not a perfect mic.. but IMO it is a very solid, useful entry level LDC that will be useful for years.
 
LDC PRO's:
Much better for that interface preamp and normal vocal loudness.
LDC are known for being more sensitive and that is often related to being a "louder" mic. Its more sensitive and can amplify quieter sources.
Large diaghpram has more of the hifreq crisp sound, imo, more of a polished sound. Great for quieter sound sources.

LDC CON:
because they are sensitive they pickup noise from the room or even the next room or outside! or can make your PC fan sound like a airplane in the background (use a gate/noise gate)


Dynamics PRO's:
Are often low sensitivity and dont pickup the room noises and are often cheaper often more rugged. Great for loud sound sources.

Dynamic CON:
one of the most common complaints a newbie plugs in a dynamic SM58 or other, and the 2i2 gain has to be full max and that often adds hsssssing noise from the preamp. Then someone will say you need to buy a outboard preamp. lol and thats $300 more....

Specs kind of tell the story-
The LDC will have 14mv/pa etc..Dynamic will have 1.5mv/pa range.
When I compared the Shure SM7 dynamic to the LDC KSM44, the SM7 sounded like mud without adding some help. The help can be eq, comp, and all the stuff we use anyway. The SM7 kills the KSM44 for room noise rejection...while the KSM44 doesnt need an outboard pre or hardly any eq..
I prefer the LDC in my closet, i use a software noisegate and have moved the pc fan noise out....but with the LDC any tv or fans in the other rooms can be heard as its so sensitive. Im not a screamer either. The SM7 had me shopping for ISA One preamps and the like....and I didnt really hear the SM7 that much different than the SM58 $100.... so the SM58 is a great deal and a professional mic, but you might need some extra gain. While a used original champagne KSM27 is around 14mv LDC for $150...

thats my 2 cents
 
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All solid advice here, as usual. Most definitely DO NOT buy a USB mic for this purpose, not ever. For numerous reasons. That's Rule #1.

Rule #2 in my book is if you consider yourself an actual vocalist (as in it is your primary instrument or the focus of your music), don't skimp on the mic. I understand you are a beginner, so what I mean when I say "don't skimp" is if you can get something decent for live use for say, $80-$100; and something decent for studio use for about $150-$175 (I use the word "decent" meaning for a beginner's use); then why not try to get something that can sort of do both for $175? Or even less?

I do about 300 solo acoustic gigs a year on top of studio work (vocal & instrumental sessions, production, arranging, etc.) and I recently got an Electro-Voice ND76 as a part of a Mackie Reach package I got a stellar deal on. I've been using it for about six months in lieu of my Shure Beta87 and I LOVE it. Really impressed with it, especially at the price point. You could get away with recording with this mic as well, probably just for demo use, but...

You could also jump up about $50 to the $175 mark and get the Shure SM86, which can easily be used as both a live and recording mic, with a few caveats. This is actually a handheld condenser mic and before I used a Beta87, I used this almost exclusively. The caveats: this mic requires phantom power, so your interface and/or your P.A. system will have to supply it; OR you'll hafta use a separate phantom power supply. Many interfaces and P.A. systems come with phantom power as a standard feature nowadays. The second caveat is this is a condenser, so it can only be used in tame live situations, meaning acoustic performances or quite, controlled performances. You won't be able to use this if yer fronting a full-on rock band, no way. You could use the ND76 in that case, however, it won't be as good for recording.

Hope that helps!
 
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