First Mic - SM57 vs. B-5

[mean_dorris]

Ok. Well I guess I already lied a little, it'll be my second mic..

First being a Shure RS-25 that I got 3 for $75 and can't find any info on it ANYWHERE. My high school band used them for practise, and I still have one left over smelling of beer and lungs.
I'd been using it to record instruments lately and it wasn't until I sang into it yesterday that I realized what a mad proximity effect it has.. brutal. Any tilt of the head is devastating to the signal.

So I find myself in need of my first real mic. I'm saving up for a trip to BC so I'm on a wicked tight budget. Options are:

Shure SM57, new. $115cad at my local shop.
Behringer B-5, used. $50cad. no taxes.

I'm also looking at the MXL 2003/603 pack, but thats a little later when I have the dollars.

Having no experience, I've been thinking about it a lot and reading here a lot as well. I was almost set on buying an SM-57 because I kept seeing that it's a pretty good all-around mic, except a couple of things, and it's indestructable. I can vouch for that last part, the RS-25's seen hell, and then some.

Then I read this whole other thread where 150 ppl just basically come down on the 57 and tear it apart. "It sucks balls, but it has it's place"



So which sucks less, an SM57? or a Behringer small diameter condensor that will ultimately cost 1/3 of the 57?

I'll be recording mostly low-volume stuff. Acoustic guitar, soft singing, maybe some electric and bongos. I'm into condensors because I've used them in studios and have heard the kind of detail they can reproduce.
I'll be running Cool Edit, with a stock PC sound card (stereo line in) from a Mackie VLZ1202 from the mid 90's, and M-Audio desktop monitors.

?

 

[Chili]

Whew, Okay, sifting through all the extraneous.... This is the meat and potatoes right here.

I'll be recording mostly low-volume stuff. Acoustic guitar, soft singing, maybe some electric and bongos.

Acoustic guitar, bongos and singing and only one mic to choose and low budget.... You can find an MXL condensor mic for less than cost of an SM-57 and it will handle these tasks well. I'm not sure about micing a guitar cab, but maybe others can give some input.

The 57 does okay with vocals, does good with the elctric guitar, but not good with the acoustic. The Behringer SDC is good for an acoustic, but probably not good for vocals. Don't know how well it is on micing a guitar amp.

I've got the MXL V57M and it works great for vocals and pretty good for acoustic. I bought it for less than $70USD.

good luck and have fun,

 

[mean_dorris]

cool man. thanks a lot