Condensor vs Dynamic (Without room treatment)

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mrdanny

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Hi there, I have a question, at this moment I have an mxl v69ME, good mic, but with a very bad treatment in my room, it sounds very bad so I can't profit at all my microphone, and I can't do any treatment because of my parents...
Well.. the thing is, a friend want's to change a shure beta 58a dynamic for my mxl, would you do the trade? I think it's better a dynamic mic for a less good acoustic treated room, does it sound good or profesional?

"I don't know if It's right to compare but the well known band boyce avenue, I think they use a beta 58a... I don't know if it would be better to me..."

Thanks
 
BTW, shouldn't we be discussing this under Microphones in Equipment, rather than under Digital Recording and Computers?
 
Personally, I wouldn't. Not unless your friend included a lot of cash with the Beta 58. $100USD minimum.

Find yourself a good room to record in. Try every room in the house, apartment, flat, piso, apartamento, casa, etc. A good sounding room for recording doesn't necessarily have to be acoustically treated; it has to sound good. The larger the room, the better the chance of it sounding good.

If you're confined to record in one room and it doesn't sound good, the Beta 58 might be a good choice.
 
You're not comparing like with like - the MXL is a bright nice sounding studio mic with the warmer sound that comes from a valve mic. The Shure is a live mic - a good one, and my band use them - but you need to sing into them. The two mics sound totally different, no comparison at all. If you want a live mic, that's tough and holds it's value and all the rough edges don't really matter - they're great. If you want a quality truthful recording mic the the MXL is clearly the one to go for. I'll gladly swap one of my Beta 58s for it! P+P from the UK would be a bit expensive though.
 
Also, keep in mind the type of singer you're dealing with. The 58 is not going to sound, well, "full" with a quiet voice. It really needs some pump to get it going. As Rob said, the mxl is going to shine...regardless of vocal style or dynamic. Really great all-around large condenser mic. The 58 is a supercardioid dynamic. It's not designed for the same type of recording. It's several steps up from the old 58s of yesteryear, but better suited for live performance where the bass pops aren't going to hound your production.
 
well, thanks everybody for the answers, he trades the shure with 50€ aditional, I don't know, I am confined to record in my room and it's bad treated... I sing all styles, I have more tendence in rock/metal, but it's relative, also I play spanish love songs so i have no style predefined, I don't know, I don't like how the mxl v69 sound....

Also I have a sh//t interface, an m-áudio fast track mkii, perhaps I could go for the shure and with the 50€ and this interface sold I could get a new one, I don't really now, I don't like how it sounds the mxl actually... I don't know why, all the vídeos I see in internet sounds greater than mines, and I've learned how to record equalize etc... I've seen iphones sounding better... I don't know...
 
Danny, check the link on my first post. For $100 (don't know what that means in quid), you can get a mic isolation foam device thingy that will semi-knock out the bad room vibe. The untreated room is no place for a nice mic like that. I have the 2001 and would trade it and my left arm for a v69 (well, not really). Point is, try to correct the environment (even make a blanket tent if you have to) to see if you can get the mic working like it's supposed to before you trade it for a mic that's not made for recording...
 
mrdanny said:
well, thanks everybody for the answers, he trades the shure with 50€ aditional, I don't know, I am confined to record in my room and it's bad treated... I sing all styles, I have more tendence in rock/metal, but it's relative, also I play spanish love songs so i have no style predefined, I don't know, I don't like how the mxl v69 sound....

Also I have a sh//t interface, an m-áudio fast track mkii, perhaps I could go for the shure and with the 50€ and this interface sold I could get a new one, I don't really now, I don't like how it sounds the mxl actually... I don't know why, all the vídeos I see in internet sounds greater than mines, and I've learned how to record equalize etc... I've seen iphones sounding better... I don't know...
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Have him let you try the 58. The thing is the two are so different- in how they sound, in how close or far' they sound best -and that's a huge one, you would basically be trading one set of strengths and weaknesses for another.
See that thing BrokenH posted? You can do a lot- a lot better than that just by hanging a little sectioned off area of some heavy soft stuff around you and the mic. That knocks the room tone down in the mic, go from there. (Skip the new interface for now. What the mic(s) pick up is the first 93.687% !
 
In fact it was donde with the mxl, but I'll record another one now just to do a better one and you'll see the poor quality I get..
 
That's still not a good trade with 50€ extra included. Your mic is worth almost double what his is worth.

I've seen a few Boyce Avenue vids, and while they might have a beta58 in the music videos, they most likely aren't actually using it in the studio.
 
So i've recorded two kind of songs now with the mxl v69, "my pc is a bit noisy, it's not because of the mic", and I speaked just to see the quality with simple voice, I didn't add any effects, I record in multitrack, first the guitar and after the voice, I hope you understand my english, I think the quality it's not very good for the mic... well.. you are the professionals... what do you think?

Also I have a test song in youtube, it's a kind of hip hop, it haves some eq and delay and compression, but it's just to see the quality...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWwufVVdrtk

(I know it's in mp3 but I rendered just because the file was too large, it sounds practically the same..)
 

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The 58 will probably be better for you in a dodgy sounding room than the LDC for sure, so you and your friend will both be benefitting... I usually use a beta 58 live, and have also used it with some success in the studio. Or you could sell the MXL and buy a dynamic, but that is more complicated...
 
I would do the trade if your friend includes a large sum of cash or something else you need. Something like an RE-20 or SM7b might be better if you are going to take the dynamic route. Someone might be willing to trade one of those.
 
I don't have cash for the sm7b, I would love to have one, but the v69 costs used maximum 160eur, and the sm7b its about 400eur I think it's a bit higher than in USA because of the taxes of commerce.. I don't know, but the price is to hight, well, did you see the recording I post? It's normal for a mic like this or it have poor quality?
 
Listened to you GnR cover. It needs work, but it isn't bad sounding. That's the V69, right? I don't hear much of the room. Mic placement on the guitar is critical and you have a lot to experiment with. You also have room for improvement with the vocals, but mainly how to work it after it's recorded.

I say keep the V69. It's not hindering your sound.

The hip hop song is a disaster, but that isn't due to the mic.
 
yes the hip hop song it's just to burn it and bury the ashes heheh, but well, I placed 10 - 15 cm far from the 12 fret, I didn't understand the "room for improvement with the vocals, but mainly have to work after it's recorded"
 
Definitely keep the mic. Just an odd question. You sing in English and Spanish, but your accent sounds Scandinavian: Where you from?
 
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