Best microphone for recording vocals/dialogue for under 100$?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kiiryu
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Kiiryu

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I'm sure you've heard this a thousand times already, but hell...

I went over the topic about mics under 100$, but I didn't see a clear cut answer as to what would be best for vocals and dialogue in particular.
 
Thanks for the tip.

However, me being an idiot who's never used a good mic aside from the one in his college's recording studio....I didn't consider that oh..I don't know...you can't just plug a mic into your laptop....

*Sigh*

I don't have a mixer, so it looks like I'll have to go for a usb mic..

Any suggestions there? Or would I be better off waiting until I can afford both a mic AND a mixer?
 
Well if it's just spoken word then get a USB microphone they are all pretty much the same just go for the cheapest one and save your money.

Google is your friend on that one.





:cool:
 
I'll give my standard "save more" response.

If this is something you want to do, then find some more $ and at least get into some semi-decent equipment.

Get the mic moresound mentioned and a basic interface, some free software and you're away..

But not for $100.. maybe $300...

It's like asking, what's the best new car I can buy for $100... there isn't one....

If you can only get hold of $100 and are averse to begging, prostitution or drug running, then, as moresound suggests, there's probably not a lot of difference.

Upgrade your ambition would be my $0.02 - any USB mic you get for $100 you'll throw away in 2 months time when you realise the results are crap.

See you then...
 
It's not like asking for a car that's 100$. I mean, I seem to recall in the shootout topic that a 125$ mic was preferred over a 648$ mic, so are you saying a 10,000$ car could be preferred over a 50,000$ one? Because that's interesting.

But anyway, I have the software already. I don't record live performances or actual instruments, I just use vsts and soundfonts so I'll never be going down the route of owning multiple mics and expensive equipment. I'm an artist first and a musician second, I make music for the games I work on and I need a mic for whenever I do dialogue in my animation or film, I don't need anything crazy.

And if I do need a new mic somewhere down the road? Well, I'll be working by then and I'll be able to afford something half decent, but until then if I can live with a 100$ mic then why not?
 
Kiiryu said:
It's not like asking for a car that's 100$. I mean, I seem to recall in the shootout topic that a 125$ mic was preferred over a 648$ mic, so are you saying a 10,000$ car could be preferred over a 50,000$ one? Because that's interesting.

But anyway, I have the software already. I don't record live performances or actual instruments, I just use vsts and soundfonts so I'll never be going down the route of owning multiple mics and expensive equipment. I'm an artist first and a musician second, I make music for the games I work on and I need a mic for whenever I do dialogue in my animation or film, I don't need anything crazy.

And if I do need a new mic somewhere down the road? Well, I'll be working by then and I'll be able to afford something half decent, but until then if I can live with a 100$ mic then why not?
Click to expand...

Then you'll at least need an audio interface like the "mobilpre USB" it's about the cheapest one and that will run you $99. Then the MXL V67g is about $90.
Sooooooo..... your looking at under $200.
Do you have a microphone stand and XLR cable?
And I forgot to ask where in the world that you are located!





:cool:
 
Don't be afraid to look for a used mic. $100 might just get you something decent if you are patient.

Craig's list
Ebay
Home Recording.com has a place for that too!
 
If you decide to go with the MobilePre, check out eBay. They can go as low as $50 (but those don't always come with the box, software, etc.).
I got mine like that, but the drivers were easy to get from the website.
 
Mobile Pre - $80 used most of the times when I see it. Craigslist, mainly because I don't do financials online and don't want to pay extra for shipping most of the time.

Cable - $30

Mic - $60 for something like an SM58, used on craigslist.

It depends on what you want it for, if looks matter and other things. A USB mic can cut all those parts into a single unit. Something like the MXL990 comes with a USB version. Blue Snowball and others. But how good is good enough. If it sounds the same as the mic that's already in your laptop or webcam, why bother?

Desktop mic stand - $10
Gooseneck - $10
Shockmount - $20
Pop filter - $5

How good is good enough?
 
Well, if usb mics are that bad then I suppose I'll just hold off for a bit.

I guess I'll come looking again when I've got a higher price range that can actually include a mixer.
 
If I only had $100 or less to spend on a mic, there is no question; I'd buy a Shure SM57. Slap a $20 windscreen on the mic and it makes a great vox mic (it is a favorite for my raspy, unrefined voice). Put it on the 12th fret of an acoustic guitar and record to your heart's content. Stick it in front of a cab and you can record virtually any electric guitar or bass and get decent results.

Is an SM57 the best mic out there? Nope, there are much better microphones but you'll probably pay a lot more than $100 for them. IMHO, for the price, the SM57 is hard to beat for its versatility.
 
Armistice
I am not the messiah...


Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiiryu View Post
so I'll never be going down the route of owning multiple mics and expensive equipment.

You want to bet?

:laughings: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA :laughings:





:cool:
 
Kiiryu said:
Well, if usb mics are that bad then I suppose I'll just hold off for a bit.

I guess I'll come looking again when I've got a higher price range that can actually include a mixer.
Click to expand...

There are $100 options out there. USB isn't completely horrid, but it's highly specialized. If you want say multi-track, you might find that near impossible with a USB mic. With a USB interface that handles both the input and output, less so. Will you sound like Bono, probably not. But it should have a much lower noise floor than your laptop and other integrated mics and sound cards.

The problem arises when you want to sell the USB mic because you have something better, or no longer need it. It's limits makes it a last call mic for those browsing the used market. Buying a $100 USB mic might only yield a $30 resale. Buying a $50 SM57 + $80 Interface might yield you a $100 resale. In short, the USB mic is $70 of non-refundable deposit. Where other options might be a near free rental. Maybe even a profit maker. It depends on how you do the math. Is it there to make you money? Or to just further your capabilities and education?

I got my gear because I perceive a need for the capabilities. Even though my usage probably doesn't warrant the investment. But can you really be a good web developer if you don't even own a camera? Can you make / burn DVDs for a living if you don't own a decent printer to make professional looking labels? Can you run a home office if you don't even have a phone? Do you even exist in modern society if you don't have a computer AND internet access?
 
I continue my argument that too many people here have become jaded and unreasonably biased against USB mics. Just because there is better doesn't mean that a USB mic isn't an acceptable solution for "recording dialogue for games".

Honestly, if a USB mic cannot be used to obtain a useable VO, than the VO artist is incompetent, the engineer is incompetent, or both. I could plug a mic directly into a Soundblaster and get a good enough VO.

moresound, I used to own about forty mics, now I have approximately six. But 90% of what I do is recorded with one pair.
 
Good enough for VO. But good enough for a grammy?

Good enough for a WAV file to convert to midi? But good enough for a track to mix with other tracks without converting it and resynthesize-ing it?
 
Shadow_7 said:
Good enough for VO. But good enough for a grammy?

Good enough for a WAV file to convert to midi? But good enough for a track to mix with other tracks without converting it and resynthesize-ing it?
Click to expand...

I dunno, you have many Grammys?

What is the limitation? The 16 bit conversion? Ever heard of an album called Jagged Little Pill? Limited dynamic range is not a problem for a VO artist who has all the time they need to set levels correctly.

Beyond that, you have what is probably a fairly generic Chinese capsule, same thing you'd get in any generic phantom-powered Chinese mic. So there is no reason to necessarily prefer a phantom circuit vs. USB circuit. Do I think all of the USB circuits I have seen are properly executed? No, but I don't think their limitations are an issue for VO.

It ain't the arrow, it's the monkey. Or something like that . . .
 
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