Best Mic under $150

  • Thread starter Thread starter dirtyp
  • Start date Start date

Best mic under $150

  • Shure SM58

    Votes: 54 25.7%
  • CAD M177

    Votes: 26 12.4%
  • AKG Perception 100

    Votes: 13 6.2%
  • Sennheiser E825S

    Votes: 6 2.9%
  • MXL V63M

    Votes: 11 5.2%
  • m-audio nova

    Votes: 5 2.4%
  • AT2020

    Votes: 33 15.7%
  • Heil Sound PR-20

    Votes: 10 4.8%
  • Studio Projects B1

    Votes: 56 26.7%
  • Behringer B1

    Votes: 9 4.3%
  • Joemeek JM37DP

    Votes: 4 1.9%
  • Behringer B2

    Votes: 7 3.3%

  • Total voters
    210
dirtyp

dirtyp

New member
Best vocal mic under $150..........
This could help cut down questions of wich mic to get.
 
:rolleyes: ive only used about 5 or 6 of these mics before, nto got to completely see what all were capable of but the at2020s are my favorite id have to say.

although i would love to try out a couple of the others.

the sm 57's/8's are incredible of course, the behringer b2 isnt bad, esspecially for the price, also the samsom c0-1 is really nice for $100 for a condensor mic.

nowadays for even under $100 you can get good mics :rolleyes:
 
I only used 3-4 of the mics too and have to say the at2020 and studio projects b are probaly my favorites.

Most of them are under a $100 I could have just done the poll that way but figured there wasnt many mics in the 100-150 range and if people pick a $80 mic over a $150 then it will hold more weight.
 
If you are willing to go with used mics rather than new ones, then I can think of a few more you might want to consider....2 mics that I bought used are an AT3035 and a SP C1, and I got both for under $150 each.
 
I don't see the 57. I think it works best for rap for under $100.
 
Great, another "best mic for $$$" thread - with a poll to boot. :rolleyes:

That being said, I'll participate anyway :D

I like my CAD M177 - very neutral mic with pretty good SPL, and can be had for about $100 brand new.

Might also look into a V67g (not on your list). Had one, didn't like it on my voice, and sold it. I feel it was a good mic, and had a relatively smooth character, just wasn't jazzed about how it worked with "my" voice.

Out of your budget, but a cool new mic I recently purchased is a Groove Tubes GT50. We're talking about $350, but it's been a great mic for me. Not on your list, but I'm talking about it anyway in yet another "best mic" thread! :)
 
I have used quite a few on the list. But I have earned a lot of money with the Heil PR-20 and an ADK A-51 (not on the list, but under $150).
Different tools for different jobs.
 
2020

popped a vote in for the 2020 because I have one and I like it... I like it for what it is; the "57" of condenser mics... It's a useful mic. Having one around is ok with me, for now. If my experimentations call for destroying it, so be it!
 
I voted for the StudioProjects B1. I havent tried any of the others but I did a lot of research and listening before I got it, and it's honestly an amazing mic for the money.
 
My cad gxl2200 isnt on there and I am very happy with it. I like the nova.
 
You can occasionally get both the AT3035 and the CAD M179 for under 150$ new. I've heard good things about the CAD, and the AT3035 is a quality mic for the price.
 
dirtyp said:
Best vocal mic under $150..........
This could help cut down questions of wich mic to get.

Easy. The best vocal mic for under $150 is the one that sounds best for under $150.

Otherwise, this is just a list for every mic under $150.
 
i will have to say mxl v67 are now in that price range, and i've been impressed with their bang for the buck....in fact, know of the major releases that have used them on vocals! Bonnie bramlett's new jazz record, this was her mic of choice!
 
Best for what?

EDIT: Hmm, seems I've already posted here. Quite unfortunate. :rolleyes:
 
I picked the things that I think are likely to be most useful out of that list---the SP B1 because it has a reputation for being a decent vocal mic (though I haven't tried it) and the AT2020 because it's the only non-large-diaphragm condenser in the list (it's a medium-diameter), and thus sounds pretty good on acoustic guitar, IMHO.

However, that list of mics is pretty much the exact opposite of the sorts of mics that I'd get if I were starting from scratch unless I were doing drum kit recording or live shows. Most of those mics are either dynamics or LDCs. If I were building a mic collection from scratch, I'd start with ribbons, add a couple of SDCs, and unless I needed to mic a kit, that would be about it.

I'd maybe get one tube LDC for variety, but beyond that, LDCs haven't impressed me in the slightest. And dynamics... well, I might have suggested them for some uses before I started using ribbons. I honestly haven't used them except for drums since then. I even use ribbons and LDCs for live shows, though I'll only use a ribbon if I'm the only one on it. :D

Ribbons offer fast transients like a condenser because of their extremely low element mass, but aren't as bad about picking up every little noise in your environment in my experience. IMHO, every home studio should have at least one ribbon mic, and with companies like Apex selling them for under $100, there's really no excuse anymore, IMHO. Really. Get a ribbon. You won't regret it.
 
Cad m177 or MXL v67

I have owned alot of cheap mics in my time. Almost everyone on the list and I would have to say that for vocals I would go with m177 or v67. These are the only mics in that price range that I still have(except for some sm57s). I use them mostly for rap vocals. The m177 is pretty flat and clear compared to alot of mics (similar to the at4040). It's very honest and won't give you any flattering coloring that you may get with other mics. It is also very sensitive so you may want to compress on the way in to control the peaks. Rap vocals really stand out on this mic, but can be difficult to place correctly in the mix. If you have a really heavy mix I would go with this mic. The v67 has a nice colored tone, but it doesn't work for everyone. It was made to emulate the sound of some tube mics. With this mic you will probably need to use a nice neutral preamp (like a dmp3). The midrange frequency is scooped on this mic so use'll have to make some adjustments to bring it out in a thick mix. My suggestion is to buy both if you can, (on ebay you may get both for $150 all together).
I won't suggest the B1 because you're just trying to do vocals, and this mic would probably fall in between the sound of the other two.
P.S. if you would like I can send you some vocals done with the same voice with both mics to better illustrate what I'm talking about.
 
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