Condenser Help? Read Description

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mikeeb

Whats the best RAP MIC??!
Alright guys whats going on. I have been looking around for a good condenser mic but i am on a little more than a $500 budget. The thing is, I also need a pre amp because i will need phantom power? The condenser will be used to vocals in the more acoustic-alternative rock range. An example would be from Jack Johnson vocals ranging to The Foo Fighters vocals. At first i was going to buy the Baby Blue Bottle but that is $500 alone and I want a pretty good pre amp. I just want the best set up for it to sound great. I also will be using a Taylor acoustic guitar with this condenser and maybe the occasional Fender Strat. The recording software i am using is REAPER and audacity. If anyone could tell me any good pre-condenser combinations that sound well together please let me know. I can maybe go up to $550. Thanks guys and have a great weekend
 
Okay just a quick note i just found out that my top price is $600
 
You can find a Rane Ms1b for less than $100 new (I done it twice last year) or used. Couple that with a used Shure Ksm44 or Rode K2 and I think you have an excellent setup for what you're looking for at your budget. Even a used 414buls would pull you in on budget. I prefer the shure or rode for vocals though.

If you want 2 channels you can get a Dmp3 which also has a Di if you need it but I don't see these go for cheaper than about $130 but you still would be in budget. Just don't let anyone tell you you need an Fmr Rnp to really "step it up". I think it sounds no better than the cheaper ones listed above and your money is better spent on the mic. When you do have money for a better pre, skip Fmr and get a Hardy or api or great river.

These are my best suggestions but there are many low cost alternatives these days in mics and preamps. These have worked for me. Weigh my opinion with all that follow and make your best decision and you will be fine with whatever you choose. Try your best to demo first if at all possible though but don't sweat your decision whether you can or can't, just make music and it will all be ok. It's not like there won't be other mics and pre's in your future.
 
Thanks I will look into it. I will take all suggestions and really consider them!
 
I Just looked and the mics you sent me were about $700 ea. Thats just out of my budget if I need a Pre also
 
That's why I suggested buying them used. If used is not an option then I don't have any real good suggestions based on experience. I like some of my cheaper mics but find them sort of one trick ponys. The ksm27 is pretty good if you have nothing to compare it to. I like it on acoustic guitar and liked it on vocals at first but found it less impressive as I acquired other mics. Even with that said, you could make good recordings with it and it's going for $199 right now. Alot of people rave about Cad179 but also don't love it on vocals. Kels get a lot of love for cheap condensers but I don't remember anything about applications. Based entirely on hearsay I think you could do worse than the mxl v67g and it's a $100 dollar mic. It's been around a long time and some good recordists still rave about it. All this being said I think you'd be more satisfied , long term with a mic from my first post.
 
Yeah. Sorry, i have to learn how to read. Between the mics you have suggested, which do you think is the best? I can afford a new Rode K2 for $700 if my pre is $100. My budget has moved up to $800 max now so I need to find the best combination of a vocal mic, a pre, and hopefully the vocal mic will be able to record acoustic guitar. My main thing is that I need the condenser to pickup acoustic and vocals smoothly.
 
For an all around mic, I think it would be hard to beat a Shure Ksm44. It does an excellent job on acoustic guitar and a very respectable job on vocals. It's the last of my condensers that I would part with includeing a c414buls.
 
Alright and for my pre would a DMP3 do the job well? To me the singing is more important than the guitar so I need to make sure its a great singing mic and if possible a really really good mic for guitars
 
The thing is Mike, all this is really subjective. What works for me may not work for you. What I like to hear you may not like the sound of. If I were spending $300 or more on a microphone, I'd want to hear it first rather than take an anonymous strangers word for it. I have bought unheard pieces before and may again but these come from common consensus (mics that have stood the test of time) or price (cheap enough to take a chance on). If there is any way to audition any of these , please do.

Any all around workhorse mic is probably not going to be best at anything. When we're starting out we have to do the best we can with fewer pieces. My 1st mics were all expected to do double or triple duty. I learned over time and through trying other pieces that no mic does everything well. That being said, I could do an entire song with the ksm44 or c414 or sputnik and if it turns out bad it's not the mics fault. They're all good tools. Make the best decision you can for now and don't second guess yourself. Just make music. There will always be a better mic or preamp in someone's mind. Most of it is hype unless your at the lowest end of the spectrum.

You're acquiring tools to build skills with. There are people with lesser gear than me making much better recordings than I can. Pick your gear and don't look back. If in doubt when looking for new gear remember It's hard to go wrong with studio standards.

Also contrary to many other people on this forum, I find that I like tube condensers better on my voice as a general rule. I rarely like them best on acoustic guitar though. I would rather sing through the mxl 960 than any sub $300 fet I've tried. Most people here don't feel that way. That's why you need to hear for yourself.

The Dmp3 will be more than adequate.
 
Thanks man i appreciate all the help. Being new to all this, I try to take in as much information as I can and have it reflect on my decisions. Being a student means that my budget does not allow for a trial and error process of picking out microphones. I will go with the DMP3 and as for the condenser, I will see if i can keep reading posts just to limit my decision. It is not a decisions I want to rush, and while everyone might have different tastes in music, the overall quality of the mic will be prevalent in posts on these forums. Thanks again man and i will consider everything you said deeply.

Regards, Mike
 
quickmill said:
The thing is Mike, all this is really subjective. What works for me may not work for you. What I like to hear you may not like the sound of. If I were spending $300 or more on a microphone, I'd want to hear it first rather than take an anonymous strangers word for it.
Click to expand...

Well said. In that range, I'd suggest you might demo:

Shure KSM-27
Audio-Technica AT4033
Sterling ST66
sE Electronics SE2200-A
Groove Tubes GT50
RODE NT2-A

Only you can decide which sounds best on your voice...
 
I think I would break that up and do a 2 channel preamp and 2 mics a small condencer for the guitar and a larger one for vocals. If i had to just use 1 mic I think I'd give the akg c214 a try it looks promising with a dmp3 or a rane either one as they are around the same type preamp
 
I have decided to go with the DMP3 since i got it for only $129. However, I was thinking about getting the AT4050, or the Shure Ksm44, or maybe even the Rode K2. There is also a great Hamburg out..Too many choices! Hahah
 
Yo Mikeeb! First, I have no problem with DMP-3 as a starter pre. Aside from AT4040/4050, and Rode K2- all of which are perfectly good mics, there are many others worth considering. I like Shure KSM44 and AKG C414, but both are at the end of your budget, even used. A couple of dark horse mics that no one has mentioned are B.L.U.E. Bluebird and AKG C2000B. C2000B is discontinued, but is an underated multi-purpose small diaphragm condenser in a larger housing than a pencil mic, so it's pretty good on vocals. The Bluebird is a large diaphragm condenser, excellent on acoustic guitar and some vocals. They also made the baby bottle, which is in your pricerange, and is very good on some clean vocalists. I've actually had better luck with the Bluebird on vocals than the Baby Bottle. Here's your biggest problem- Vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit, or they don't-and the price is a very poor predictor of what will sound good on any given vocalist. Furthermore, for different material, the same vocalist may benefit from using different mics.

My best advice- find somebody on this board who lives near you and owns a bunch of mics. Maybe somebody will let you try out a few candidates. I'd do it for the price of a Chinese dinner, but I'm in Boston. Another thing- I question whether you need multipatterns, and NTK is a perfectly good cardioid that is a little cheaper than a K2. Best of luck in your search. Here's my best advice: As nobody can predict what mic will make somebody sound good, do the best you can to find the mic that makes *you* sound good. If you can't do that, buy respected mics from well known manufacturers that you find in the "B" rooms of serious studios. This does 2 things- First, it increases the likelihood that the mic will be good for recording *something*, even if it isn't what you intended. Secondly, it means that if the mic doesn't work out for you, it's easier to resell if for a fair price.-Richie
 
Hey Rich, thanks a lot man. I understand where you are coming from with the trying them out idea. I will not make a rushed decision because it will effect me in the end. I plan on trying to find someone around me, or just buying a trusted brand such as the Shure Ksm44. I appreciate your help though and I look forward to learning some tips from you in the future. After buying the mic, I have to find out how to actually mix well with REAPER or Audacity. So far i know barely anything. Thanks again man.
Mike
 
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