$200 to spend on first mic(s)...

[pennylink]

I'm getting a modest home studio together and would appreciate some help/suggestions with mic selection...

I will be recording acoustic guitar and electric guitar via amp and/or directly into an Aardvark Q10, some percussion (not drums), and very little vocals.

I have up to $200 to spend on mic(s). Any suggestions, considering the Q10 has phantom power?

My thoughts so far:
Sure SM57 ($80)
MXL 603 ($75)
Matched pair of MXL 603 w/shock mounts ($200)
Studio Projects B1 ($80)
Behringer ECM8000 ($40)
Oktava MK012 ($100)

Any other suggestions?
Which combination(s) will work best for both acoustic guitar and micing the amp, that can also handle a small amount of vocals? (remember, no more than $200 total...)

 

[wx3]

First off I would tell you to pick up an Sm-57 for sure. It's a great mic for the price, it works wonders on electric guitar and isn't too bad on some vocals...

I have a Studio Projects B1 and i think it's a wonderful mic for recording vocals, especially for the price. It's a condensor mic though so it does need phantom power... Does the Q10 have phantom any1?...

I also have a pair of MXL 603's and they are very fine microphones for recording acoustic guitar and they are half decent overheads for drums. They are small diaphram condensors which means they will give you a percise sound, and will not flatter it at all... this works well on percussion.

I'm sure that made no sense but re-reading it would be too much work Oh well...

 

[pennylink]

Yes, the Q10 has phantom power (I put the question mark in the wrong place...)

 

[Gidge]

sm57 for micing amps ($79)

Marshall MXLv67 for micing vocals and acoustic guitar ($79)

Behringer ECM8000 ($39) for double micing acoustic guitar
ecm8000 over the shoulder, v67 out front

 

[Wide Awake]

There are hundreds of possibilities but here is what I would do- I'd spend all $200 on one large diaphram condenser with -10 db pad and bass-rolloff. They will work well for vocals, guitars, percussion, etc.

Audio Technica 3035 $200 (comes with a free mic cable and mic stand at www.8thstreet.com )

ADK A-51 $159

 

[tdukex]

I'd buy a B3 and an MXL 603s.

 

[DJL]

Me too.

Vox, A/E-Gtr, etc with a $200 budget, I'd buy a Studio Projects B3 and a Marshall MXL603S.

 

[chessrock]

I'd see about getting one of
these.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I'd consider Studio projects B-3, and get a used sm57 on ebay, $150 and $50, give or take. Use the 57 on cab, and the B-3 on acoustic. This gives you 2 possible vocal options and an omni for close mic'ing acoustic or as a room mic for the electric, if you have a good room.-Richie

 

[pennylink]

Great suggestions. Thanks!

I understand the combinations including the SM57 for E-Gtr, and combinations including an MXL 603S for acoustic.

Where the recommendation is for buying just one large condenser or B3/MXL 603, can the large condenser close mic the cab, or would I be able to room mic it only?

Or would I mic the cab with the MXL 603S?

 

[DJL]

Use the B3 on E-Gtr cab.

 

[pennylink]

Thanks, DJL, you ARE a True Force of Nature!

 

[kid klash]

I'd go for a pair of Studio Projects B1's ($160 total). You'll be good to go with vocals, acoustic guitar (stereo if you want), electric guitar, drum overheads, and dang near anything else you throw at them. They're an amazing value IMHO. I've got a pair of them and simply love them.

 

[pennylink]

To recap the votes/suggestions:

3 for SM57 in combination with another mic from the list
3 for B3 " " " "
3 for MXL 603S " " "
1 for MXL V67 " " "
1 for B1 " " " "
1 for AT 4033 as a single mic
1 for AT 3035 " " " "

What would do a better job on the cab (rock/blues), B3 or SM57?

How about on acoustic, MXL 603S or B3?

Thanks again everybody!

 

[tmix]

on Guitar Cabs

I have both the B3 and sm 57s and I choose to use the B3 every time. It sounds very good on Acoustic guitar and clear and neutral for vocal. it works particularly well on ssssibilant voicessss.

 

[DJL]

<snip>

1) What would do a better job on the cab (rock/blues), B3 or SM57?

2) How about on acoustic, MXL 603S or B3?

1) I like the B3 a lot.

2). They both work good, but I swear by the MXL603S on acoustic guitar.

If you get the Studio Projects B3 and Marshall MXL603S you'll have BOTH a multi-pattern LDC mic and a great little SDC mic... and a choice of both worlds comes in very handy. I see your using the process of elimination here to stay within your $200 budget... I'd buy a Studio Projects B3 and a Marshall MXL603S.

 

[SteveMcB]

Another possibility...

Without getting into second-hand territory, it may exceed the $200 a little, but...

B1 - $80
MXL603 - $70
SM57 - $79

$229 all up, or you could get the 57 second hand.
B1 - Vocals, acoustic (mono or in stereo setup with 603), electric (alone or with 57), percussion
603 - Acoustic (I love this as an acoustic mic, mono or stereo with B1), perc, could even use as a room mic for cabs
57 - Electric guitar, loud belty vocals

With this setup you could even mic up a drumkit (in mono) if you felt the need ( (B1 out the front of the kick, 57 on snare and 603 as overhead - I never contemplated recording real drums initially, but now I do and love it). It's also eminently expandable once you get more cash (oh, yes, you will suffer GAS) - add a second 603 and/or B1 and get nice stereo setup, an LD dynamic for deep percussion/bass/kick/vocals if needed, and another LD condensor as a vocal alternative to the B1, and so on and so forth. You can also just start with 2 of the mics (I'd say the B1 + 57 if you're recording more electric, B1 + 603 if you're recording more acoustic) and add the third later. The other suggestions are great too, but if I had my time again, this would be my choice. That said, I really want a B3 and a pair of ECM8000's to add to my current mics!!!

Steve

 

[pennylink]

So many mics, so little money...

Since acoustic and electric guitar will be pretty evenly split, it sounds from the majority of your suggestions that an MXL 603S would be a winner for acoustic, paired with B1 or B3 for cab, vocals, and percussion (and maybe an SM57)

Either combination will be just under or just over my $200 budget.

In practical terms what would be the advantage of the B3 over the B1? How do their sound compare? Does it warrant the extra cash?

 

[SteveMcB]

Haven't use the B3, but in practical terms:
Switchable patterns means that you have an omni pattern available, which doesn't suffer from the proximity effect (bass buildup when close to the sound source - lots of people like that for acoustic. Also good for recording group backing vocals in some situations (mic picks up equally from all directions, so singers cluster around the mic). Also, you have figure-of-8 - which rejects sound that's arriving from a 90 degree angle to the capsule - so if positioned right, (for example), you could use it on acoustic when playing/singing at the same time to minimise the spill of vocals into the guitar. You could also use the B3 in fig8 mode to do M-S stereo recording in combination with (for instance) an MXL603. This requires a mixer with phase switches or a special decoder box (which is not that complex to make supposedly), and the mxl603 (or other cardioid) is pointed at the middle of the sound source, the figure 8 perpendicular to the centre mic, but to be honest I really don't know enough about it to say much more.

People have also said that the B1 is quite neutral in sound, while the B3 is a bit more coloured and less accurate, but in a pleasing way.

Are the patterns worth the money? Yes and no. Yes, because I'm sure it's a great mic, and it gives you extra options as far as the patterns go. No because if you[re sticking under the $200 for the extra $80 you could get an MXL 603 and have a few $ to put towards another mic, and having a small diaphragm and large diaphragm gives you a lot of options, including good stereo ones, which is really important especially if you're doing sparse acoustic-based arrangements (stereo-micing acoustic guitar does not demand a pair of the same mics - many people use a small diaphragm at the neck end and a large diaphragm at the body end). So you pay your money and take your choice!!!

I've had another thought - if you have to stick under $200, you could amend my list above to sub in the ECM8000 for the MXL603 - I love my 603's and don't have the 8000's (next on my list) but that would give you LD condensor, SD condensor and SM57 for under $200, with all of the options above.\

Steve

 

[pennylink]

Steve, thanks for the explanation. It all makes a lot more sense to me now.