Best condenser microphone for under $300

J

JBr33zyMusic

New member
I am upgrading from my mxl 990. I have a budget of $300. I will be using it for rap/ singing vocals. Please give me some options. I have looked at the AKG Perception 420 and the sE Electronics sE2200a.
 
Buy it without the shock mount. You wont need it. The mics that come with the shock mount have the value of the shock mount shaved off the quality. A $300 with a shock mount is a $250 mic with a $50 Shock mount.

You can always buy the shock mount later if you really want one.

Alan.
 
JBr33zyMusic said:
I am upgrading from my mxl 990. I have a budget of $300. I will be using it for rap/ singing vocals. Please give me some options. I have looked at the AKG Perception 420 and the sE Electronics sE2200a.
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I've been reading up on the 2200 and it just may be my next new microphone purchase. Front End audio has it for $249.
 
If the MK4 is under consideration, I recommend a trial before you purchase.

On some voices, it can sound amazing...but on others I find it can have a bit of a nasal quality.

It's also pretty fussy about positioning and distance from the vocalist--up close, the proximity effect can be fairly dramatic (good on some voices and less so on others) but a bit farther away it sounds much brighter--whether too bright depends on the the source material.
 
...just for reference sake, the sE 2200A is essentially the same mic as the MXL V67G, but with slightly better components...years ago, Alan Hyatt of PMI Audio (Studio Projects/Joe Meek/Toft/etc) revealed that the 2200A, the V67G, and the Joe Meek JM-47 all shared the same circuit design with slightly different component quality...I owned all 3 mics at the time and close inspection revealed definate similarities between the three...the sE appeared to have the best quality capacitors (Panasonic)...soundwise, the sE was a bit brighter and clearer than the V67G, but close enough that I sold the other two mics...YMMV
 
By that criteria, the vast majority of condenser mics could be described as "the same". There's only so many circuit designs you can use in a mic. However, other things than the circuit board can make a huge difference in sound quality--materials and construction of the diaphragm being a biggie but with the case and grill design being significant too.

FYI, Sound on Sound did THIS profile of SE about seven years ago.
 
Most mics in that price range will be a tad bright while the AKG Perceptions are all a bit high in the mid range.
This could be a good time to try out the Spark.
 
I'm in the hunt for a condenser microphone for about $300 that will do vocals and acoustic guitars very well for the price. Any suggestions to add to this old but pertinent thread?
 
I have an SM57 and SM 58, but no condenser mics and figured its time to spring for one
 
I've got the Rode NT1 and the Warm 47Jr. For most things, I seem to prefer the Rode. It doesn't have the "air" of the 47jr, but it just seems to have a natural sound. The MK300 is $200 right now at Sweetwater, and I've almost hit the buy button, just to try it out. Do I really need a half dozen different LDC mics?
 
The trouble here is that it's like choosing paint if you're an artist. You can talk about the brands and the formulations, but when it comes to picking the actual colours - so much is what you see. Here, we're all guilty of selecting mics based on other people's taste and hearing, coupled with their voices and instruments and spaces. I'd actually paid no attention to the Senn MK4 that is the subject of the early posts here - but in the past week I've heard some good examples of it being an excellent choice for a mid range female voice - it flattered her. Buy from somebody you can send it back to with no quibbles.
 
rob aylestone said:
The trouble here is that it's like choosing paint if you're an artist. You can talk about the brands and the formulations, but when it comes to picking the actual colours - so much is what you see. Here, we're all guilty of selecting mics based on other people's taste and hearing, coupled with their voices and instruments and spaces. I'd actually paid no attention to the Senn MK4 that is the subject of the early posts here - but in the past week I've heard some good examples of it being an excellent choice for a mid range female voice - it flattered her. Buy from somebody you can send it back to with no quibbles.
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Thank you Rob
 
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