Best All-Purpose Dynamic

[ksounds]

Just wanted to see what you guys would recommend for an all purpose dynamic microphone. I'll be recording guitars (acoustic & electric) and vocals. The condensers are just too hot and pick up way too much bg noise in my apartment. I'm kind of leaning towards an sm7, but I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for your opinions.

 

[dementedchord]

sm7 is a good one... consider also md421 (sennheiser) and re20 (EV)...

 

[ksounds]

of those, which one needs the least gain to get a good signal?

 

[pohaku]

Both the RE20 and MD21 require less gain than the SM7. I've not otherwise compared them against each other on the basis of required gain. As far as most useful of three, however, I'd pick the SM7. RE-20 would be second choice.

 

[Richard Monroe]

For an all purpose dynamic, SM7b is hard to beat, but it wants lots of gain. Sennheiser MD421 is not a bad mic at all, but for all purpose applications, I prefer MD441, which does not come cheap, as dynamics go. Electrovoice RE20 rounds out the "fearsome foursome" of dynamics. Any of those four is a keeper. Of the four, I think SM7b is the best vocal mic, and MD441 is the best instrument mic. All of them want quite a bit of gain, that goes with the territory.-Richie