First Microphones?

[elementary]

My two cents here would be to avoid buying a standalone preamp just yet and look to buy a computer interface that has built in preamps. You can get perfectly good sounds with budget preamps so long as you have good instruments and musicians.

Something like this http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/shop/view_product.php?product=ediua25 would allow you to record two simultaneous channels of audio into your pc at any one time.

 

[pandamonk]

I again recommend the sm57, sp b1, and dmp3. I also recommend a better soundcard.

You said about connecting the mic to the soundcard. Your soundcard probably has a preamp built in, but it'll be shit, so forget using that. You will connect your mic to a preamp xlr-xlr, then from your preamp, probably 2x 1/4" jack - 1x minijack, into the line-in of your soundcard. But You will probably want a better soundcard which has TRS(balanced jack) inputs.

 

[phsource]

No, rather I was thinking now of getting a mixer with built-in preamps and an audio interface (or some kind of all-in-one thing) and then using firewire to get it into the computer. So basically, I now will be getting at least 1 Shure SM-57, at least 1 Studio Projects B1, and maybe 1 ES-57, just to test it out.

 

[pandamonk]

No, rather I was thinking now of getting a mixer with built-in preamps and an audio interface (or some kind of all-in-one thing) and then using firewire to get it into the computer. So basically, I now will be getting at least 1 Shure SM-57, at least 1 Studio Projects B1, and maybe 1 ES-57, just to test it out.

Unless you get an expensive mixer, chances are it won't have great preamps. The best thing to do is to get stand-alone pres, like the dmp3, and a separate interface, or an interface with built in pres, like the presonus firebox. Both have/are decent pres.

 

[phsource]

Think I'd better be suited for posting in the Newbies forum. Oh well. Guess I'll probably get SM57, ES-57, and Studio Projects B1 to start, at the very least. I might get a small condenser too with that.

The essentials (pop filter, boom) I'll get too. Thanks everyone for their suggestions! I'll get into the studio stuff somewher else.

 

[elementary]

Have a look at the alesis multimix firewire 8.

Its a mixer and a firewire interface and the preamps are good.

 

[Decipha]

akg c2000b is with out a doubt the best multipurpose budget mic i've ever purchased, i paid $100 for the kit which included the akg k-44 headphones from musiciansfriend... i actually prefer that mic over any other mic i've had the pleasure to use as of yet