Crappy piece of crap mics being sold today...

[chessparov]

Fusion, it usually takes me a few weeks or a month to properly evaluate a vocal microphone-unless it's blatantly wrong sounding for me.
So...

Particularly with dynamic microphones, you could buy some used, that you could re-sell in the event they're not right for you.
ausrock gave you excellent advice for buying new.

A good basic vocal microphone "kit" IMHO would be selecting at least one condenser microphone, then adding a Shure Unidyne III
like the SM57 or 545 series, and a Electro-Voice EV 635a omni dyanmic. Both of those dynamics work well for many vocalists,
especially is you get a good mic pre like the VTB-1 or DMP3.
(personally prefer the VTB-1 BTW)

According to a world class AE, he ALWAYS trys both of them when
trying out various microphones for a vocalist.
The engineers at RCA records used the 635a despite having a stable of Telefunken's, Neumann's, and RCA ribbons!

Chris

 

[Fusion2]

i gotta go about 500miles tonight, excuse the non answered/replies, famous last words, _i'll be back_ ...... thanks again...

 

[Fusion2]

here's something to look at, if your into it, gotta go...

http://www.cjnekrasov.com/samples.htm

 

[omtayslick]

huh?

I just punched up the link. Is his name fusion or confusion? Can some body please tell me what this thread's about?

 

[acorec]

Re: huh?

I just punched up the link. Is his name fusion or confusion? Can some body please tell me what this thread's about?

It's about crappy peice of crap cheap junk mics of today as opposed to crappy peice of crap expensive mics of yesterday.....
Got it?

 

[knownutten]

DJL-I've been watching a lot of TV, and I think you should get a truck. There's this commercial where the voice-over guy sounds real tough, and he's talking about how Californian's are a different breed, etc., while it shows people rock climbing, etc. And there's this tired old overdriven bass riff with some pretty extreme high and low pass filtering done to it. Get that truck.
-your friend,
Kent

PS-Sorry I don't know what color. My TV is black and white.

 

[DJL]

Ok... lol.

 

[omtayslick]

Thanks for the clarification. I think I understand now. You know Jake and Elwood once traded a Cadillac for a mic. Don't know if the mic was a piece of crap or not though.

 

[Fusion2]

thanks for the straight up replies, appreciate them... i'll seek mic question answers elsewhere in the future though...

peace...

humm, that link didn't last long or only the good stuff is on late at night... hope you got in on them...

 

[DJL]

Fusion2, most everyone on this BBS is more than happy to answer any questions you may have about mic's... but, we can only help if we know the answer, and there is just no way anyone on this BSS knows the answer to which microphone(s) YOU'LL like best. I hope you understand and I wish you the best...

 

[chessparov]

Fusion, some pro engineers always include a Shure SM57 and EV 635a in their vocal "kit"-even when Neumann's are available.
Plus there were some good suggestions on specific respectable condenser microphones, like the B1 and V67.

A reasonable way to go would be to start with one condenser under $100 and one dynamic microphone. Then you could possibly expand upon that in the future should the need be felt.

Chris

 

[rustyfingers]

I don't own a Marshall V67

"hmmmm"

Slackmaster 2000

 

[Fusion2]

well, at least most here seem to not use MF as a reseller which is a plus to start with IMO, looking back, i was silly for asking the question with "that" reseller in mind, like i said, ignorance is bliss, forgive me, to the reasonable replies anyway, thanks again...

i don't buy on impulse or color nowadays, did that when i was a kid, and i surely don't believe much if any of the PR they flash at buyers today...

but they do make some very pretty pieces of crap today i must say... go figure peace all...

 

[Flatpicker]

...but they do make some very pretty pieces of crap today i must say... go figure peace all...

Yup. Those green and gold mics sho do sound better than those black or silver ones.

 

[Treeline]

When I decided to start building a mic closet (well, shoebox) I had to deal with the no money / too many choices / lots of junk issue, and here's what I did.

I had a Shure SM57.

I picked up a Shure Access - 1, which is a $50.00 pseudo - SM58. This has turned out to be a very good, warm vocal mic, particularly for live, shapely female torch tune singers.

For vocals and choir work, I picked up a pair of Studio Projects B1 mics and later got some real shockmounts for them. $ 80 apiece or something like that. I relied on reviews here and at the VS Planet - which I think steered me in the right direction.

For acoustic instruments and to mic a grand piano, I picked up a pair of MXL 603 s small diaphragm condensers, with shockmounts, at 8th Street for about a hundred bucks apiece. They have been fantastic, and I've ended up using them for solo vocals as well. I've been using this stuff live with pretty good results. Again, the reviews here and on the Planet, particularly by Dan Richards and Harvey Gerst, swayed that decision. Turns out to be a no-brainer; they are that good.

I run them through outboard preamps, which is important, as my board won't do much for their sound. It's OK but not great. So, budget speaks again - I picked up one DMP3 preamp and one Blue Tube preamp.

If I had to do it again, I'd do exactly the same thing - and I'm saving my pennies for a set of Studio Projects C4s and an SP preamp. Use this approach and you will have different flavored preamps for the mics - it's all about versatility.

So that's one budget driven approach - and it gave me way more capacity than I know how to use.