Best Mic for 200$-300$

[ritz crackerton]

Male, Strictly Vocals, Rap.....


100 - 200 price range?
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200 - 300 price range?
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ksm27 seems nice, but im pretty lost on what would produce best quality....

thx in advance

 

[Big Kenny]

Shure sm7
Studio Projects C1
EV RE 20
AT 4033

 

[ritz crackerton]

so any of the abovE? and the at is way outta price range.... sm7b outta price range, anyone got any other suggestions with some explanations or reasons why to ge what. thx.

 

[scrubs]

so any of the abovE?

ritz: I think you'll find that there is no "best" mic in any pricerange. Each mic has unique properties and will work for some applications/voices and not others. For a relatively versatile mic for rap, check out the mics kenny has suggested. If you are the rapper, try to test them out with your voice and equipment before you buy.

Edit: also check e-bay for used mics. You could definitely get a used RE20 or SM7B for around $300 used. They would be great mics for rapping, as they are used for voiceover work in many recording studios and radio stations.

 

[night'schild]

Dude the NT1-A by Rode is awesome for $200.00, especially on male vocals. I used this mic for a couple of years and liked it more than mics I have that cost upwards of $1,000.00. I did use a very high-end mic-pre which helps the tone of the mic greatly. I would recommend using a tube pre-amp with this baby. Also, Antares has a Mic Modeling plug-in that takes this mic and turns it into a vintage sounding mic, very f***ing cool!!!!!

 

[OneArmedScissor]

sm7b outta price range

I am pretty darned sure that Full Compass sells them for $313.

 

[Warhead]

AT3035 is a good choice for vocals.

War

 

[abraf]

you can get a ribbon and pop-stopper for that amount of $ Very cool on male pop-vox.
Nady perhaps, or a Beyer.

 

[ozraves]

Some rappers need a handheld mic to feel comfortable doing their thing. In that instance you need to go with something like a Shure SM58 or a Shure Beta 58.

If they don't need a handheld, then go with the MXL V69 Mogami Edition.

 

[Freudian Slip]

3035

the at-3035 is real good with high spl's, it's also pretty good for darker voices. It brings out a pretty full texture. The sm7 and re-20 would be good to I think but not as bright.

F.S.

 

[Dot]

Some rappers need a handheld mic to feel comfortable doing their thing. In that instance you need to go with something like a Shure SM58 or a Shure Beta 58.

Where'd you hear that, Steve? I've worked with hundreds of rappers [ real ones - from The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, etc ]. How many have you worked with? I've never had one person tell me they'd be more more comfortable with a handheld mic. Most of the time they hopped right on the U87 and got to work. Occasionally, if the 87 wasn't sounding right on their voice we'd switch to one of the AKG 414's. You might have the occasional person wanting to try handheld - because they're used to performing live - not because they do rap.

ritz, some newer mics that look like they're going to start leveling the playing field for LDC's under $300 are the ADK Hamburg and the ADK Vienna. The Hamburg has the smoother, slightly colored German sound - that you'd find in the Neumann's. And the Vienna has the more neutral sound you'd find in AKG mics. I'd put the ADK Hamburg on your short list of mics to consider.

 

[DJL]

Originally Posted by ozraves
Some rappers need a handheld mic to feel comfortable doing their thing. In that instance you need to go with something like a Shure SM58 or a Shure Beta 58.

Where'd you hear that, Steve? I've worked with hundreds of rappers [ real ones - from The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, etc ]. How many have you worked with? I've never had one person tell me they'd be more more comfortable with a handheld mic.

That may be true... but none the less, ozraves statement is also a fact... and not just with rappers either... sometimes I even like holding/eating the mic... it can be a kool effect that you can't get any other way.

 

[noisedude]

Every video I see of Bono in the studio involves him holding the mic as though he were on stage. Dunno if they're his final takes or not, but if you have a fussy artist I guess you have to make the option available?

 

[Dot]

Using handheld mics has nothing to do with genre. For that matter - you could bring that up in every vocal mic topic. Rappers don't need or want them anymore than any other vocalist in the studio. Doesn't make sense to single out rappers for handhelds. That was my point.

 

[shAkEz_gk]

So now REAL rappers have to come from the Bronx?
Fuck you, you ignorant muthafucker.

 

[Freudian Slip]

I think alot of singers might find it hard to get into it the first time in the studio. If you play an instrument and sing in a band I think your alot more use to being pinned down to a stationary mic. Hell going into the studio for the first time is a brain trip for any singer I think. It sure was for me...

Ever asked your self.... Is that me???????? What happened to my balls?

 

[ozraves]

I do have a ticket stub from 1987 where I saw Melle Mel. I think he's the only rapper from NYC I've met.

BTW, best hip hop show I've seen. And, Mel was very polite. He'd be a good member of the Nice Brigade.

 

[noisedude]

Using handheld mics has nothing to do with genre. For that matter - you could bring that up in every vocal mic topic. Rappers don't need or want them anymore than any other vocalist in the studio. Doesn't make sense to single out rappers for handhelds. That was my point.

I'm not sure that's true for an amateur rapper vs. an amateur singer, the only reason being that part of the performance for a rapper is their relationship with the mic. More singers use stands live than rappers do.

I totally agree that their should be no translation problems to moving to a stand in the studio, but some amateur rappers will find performing strange if they can't do all that hand-waving shit at the same time YMMV.

 

[robgb]

Studio Projects C1

Great mic. Way better than its price ($200). Has been favorably compared to the U87 (and, yeah, I know the elitists are laughing right now). Here's what one producer (Ted Perlman) had to say about it:

"Over the next week I tried the mic on male singers, female singers, young singers, old singers, singers who could really sing, singers who couldn’t sing very good – everybody. We did country, pop, rock, rap, hip-hop, R&B, everything. The mic just killed! It didn’t sound like a U87 – it actually sounded better!"

 

[kidvybes]

another option...

I have the C1 and it is an amazing piece for the price...but I just got a new "toy" and I have to fess up, "it's another 'Chinese' bargain!"...the new MXL 960 tube Mogami Edition ($199. at MF on promotion)...I swapped out the stock tube for a vintage Siemens-Halske ECC81 I bought on Ebay for $10. and the mic kicks ass!!!...gotta recommend this one...nice on vocals!...but I do more Reggae/Dancehall stuff, and it holds up sweet on rap style vocals WITH a pop-screen as a MUST...check it out...