Home Studio Vocal Mic for under $200?

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geekformayor

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Hey everyone.

I do alot of home recording and I am asking for a new microphone for Christmas. All I have now is a SM57...and I want something that is good for vocals.
What do you think the best vocal mic for around or under $200 is? Thanks!
 
This will probably start a lenghty debate but I like the Octava MC-319 in that price range. It's a dark mic without the hyped high end that a most of the budget large diaphram condensors have. If you're looking for that overly crisp (read strident) high end, this isn't your mic. Someone should be along soon to recommend a C-1 if that's what your looking for. YMMV.
 
Yah. Here comes the roars and screams. I can feel them coming, especially with what I am about to suggest.

Marshall MXL2001 is decent and is in that price range. In fact,, right now at AMS they have a special where you get the MX2001 and MXL603 for $200 bucks.

Anyway, just another one of the many suggestions you are going to get.
 
Mars Music (www2.marsmusic.com) has the Marshall MXL V67G for $150. I think that many contributors on these boards would agree that the V67 is on the same playing field with the Studio Projects C1 and superior to the MXL 2001. Naturally YMWV (your milege WILL vary!).
 
I am in the market for a new vocal mic and have decided on the Studio Projects C1.Here is a link to a revieiw at prorec.com

http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/articles/2CAB4F71AF9E2A1C86256A650081ECF9

It is right in your price range and the continuous comparisons to the gold standard Neumann U87 deserve a nod over the more iffy QC of Marshall et al.I just emailed Alan Hyatt and he replied to me that the new models with 10 dB pad and bass rolloff switch have begun to ship.I get paid tomorrow and plan on getting a C1.
Tom
 
Tom Hicks said:
I am in the market for a new vocal mic and have decided on the Studio Projects C1.Here is a link to a revieiw at prorec.com

http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/articles/2CAB4F71AF9E2A1C86256A650081ECF9

It is right in your price range and the continuous comparisons to the gold standard Neumann U87 deserve a nod over the more iffy QC of Marshall et al.
Tom
Click to expand...
Tom,

Look, whichever mic you decide to go with is fine with me, but the Marshall V67G sound is very similar to the C1, and the QC on the V67G has been very good. The -10dB pad and bass rolloff do give an edge to the C1, but there is now an $80 price difference (V67G street price of $149 vs. C1 street price of $229).

Finally, these "continuous comparisons to the gold standard Neumann U87" continue to really bother me. The U87 is a multipattern mic, the C1 isn't.

And one of the noted golden eared enthusiasts for the U87 comparison (after saying the C1 was "ABSOLUTLY IDENTICAL to the U87") later says that when he tested it in the studio, the C1 was "even better than the U87".

My question is still the same: If the C1 is "ABSOLUTLY IDENTICAL to a U87", how can it also be better? If two items are "ABSOLUTLY IDENTICAL", aren't they, by definition, the same? If one item is even better, then they're not ABSOLUTLY IDENTICAL, are they?

When I tested the C1, I found it VERY similar to the V67G, except the C1 had a slight midrange dip around 600Hz.
 
Tom, just to make sure, I got the quotes right, I went to the source, ProRec. Here are the exact passages that bother me:

"Ted Perlman. Ted has been using the C1 for a while now, and here's what he had to say about it:

Last January I got a frantic call from Pete Leoni, "You've got to get over here to NAMM and hear this mic! It's only $299.00 and it's exactly like a U87".

"There it was, next to a Neumann U87. Peggi, Pete, Alan, and myself put on the headphones and Peggi started singing into the 87. Awesome, that classic Neumann sound that is heard on probably 90% of the records ever made. She then moved over to the C1 and sang into that. EXACTLY the same, no difference. I bought one on the spot."

<Snipped>

"Over the next week I tried the mic on male singers, female singers, young singers, old singers, singers who could really sing, singers who couldn't sing very good – everybody. It didn't sound like a U87 – it actually sounded better!"

So, at the show, it sounded "EXACTLY the same, no difference." But in the studio, "it didn't sound like a U87".

Now, I can understand people prefering the sound of the C1 to the cardioid pattern in the U87. For most things, count me in that group.

But dammit, when a reviewer says it's "exactly the same as a U87, no difference" in one breath, and a few paragraphs later, says "it didn't sound like a U87", I tend to throw the whole reviewer's opinion out the window.

See my problem?
 
Of course, I will be the first to say that I dont have a lot of mileage with the V67G or the C1 to be able to offer any advice when related to them. I will say that most reviewers either love or hate Marshall mics. You know, one of my main problems with aquiring any kind of advice about mics in this price range is the bias that seems to be there against mics at this cost.

No, this is not directed at anyone in this discussion. It is just an observation I have made.

It just seems like no one is taken seriously if they arent going out to buy a $2000 mic.

Again, clarifier. I am not speaking of anyone in this conversation. Its just an observation that I needed to get out of my system.
 
Bah. After reading my own post back to myself I noticed that I sound like a real whiner.

Disregard my ramblings and carry on.
 
Hey V2,
Most of the peeps around here lean more towards the $200 mic camp than the $2000 mic camp. We'd all love to have Neumann's but this is HomeRec, and the majority of folks around here just cannot justify that expense... So don't worry too much about getting gear snobbed around here.

A point I continue to make whenever these threads come up is this:

Alan Hyatt's service policy on Studio Projects mics (and all his other gear): If it doesn't work or stops working, send it to him, and he'll fix it, free!

(don't know if that is actually written down anywhere, but I've seen it in action here on this BBS.)

When I was choosing between the two mics (V67G and C1) the V67G was $189 + shipping and the C1 was $229 shipped. I went ahead and bought the C1. Mainly on a remark in Harvey's comparison on the sturdiness of the C1's construction. When I later saw Alan's service in action, it made me even happier with my decision...

The tide turned a bit when the price on the V67 dropped to $149, making the difference ~$80. But now the C1 has more features (10dB pad, and bass rolloff) and better service. Is that worth $80? Your decision....

In an ideal world, you'd go to a store that sells both, and try each, and maybe some others, and buy the one you like the most on YOUR voice. That may not be so easy for you... There's quite a few songs floating around in the MP3 clinic featuring the C1, 2 of which are mine... :cool:

People aren't hyping the V67 nearly as much, but I'm sure we could flush some recording examples out of the woodwork here. But if Harvey thinks they sound the same, I believe him. Harvey has no stake in which mic you buy, his is an honest opinion.

Whew...........

Queue will shut up (for now...) ;)
 
rock on. thanks for your help guys. i am obviously a newbie to this board...and to home recording in general. I am just a broke 19 year old with no life. :)

Also, what's the easiest way to buy a C1? Is there a method online?
 
Queue said:
Hey V2,
Most of the peeps around here lean more towards the $200 mic camp than the $2000 mic camp. We'd all love to have Neumann's but this is HomeRec, and the majority of folks around here just cannot justify that expense... So don't worry too much about getting gear snobbed around here.
Click to expand...

I know Q. And thanks. Thats why I am digging this place. My frustration came from getting off the phone with a pro-audio place here in T-town. I was treated like a friggin bum because my budget right now only allows for about a $300 mic. Typical.

Well, they just lost my business. Thats all I can say.
 
I got mine from macmidimusic.com I think the studioprojectsusa.com page now has links on it. I think i saw them on music123.com's page too. A lot of people like 8thstreet.com, but I don't think they carry Studio Projects...

There was a thread here where I posted a bunch of links, too, try the search button for "studio projects online" in the microphone forum, and you'll flush out some leads...

Queue
 
ok awesome.

So if I was to get the C1 or the Marshall V67, do either of them come with shock mounts? And if not, where do I get them?

Also, the new Mars catalog has an Audio-Technica AT3035 and an AKG C2000B for sale, both at $200. Any thoughts?

Just humor me. I really hate knowing nothing about this stuff... :)
 
Alan Hyatt's service policy on Studio Projects mics (and all his other gear): If it doesn't work or stops working, send it to him, and he'll fix it, free!
Click to expand...

Uhhhh.....Isn't that the least you could expect? I mean if you buy a mic and it doesn't work, or if it breaks down...That's what the warranty is for: to get it fixed for free, no?

Have I missed something??
 
db51,

I do not speak from experience with either Studio Projects or Marshall, but, hey!, never argue with facts.... too much of a hinderance.

I had a Sam's Club card (bear with me) and a Costco card. Now I only buy from Costco because if my purchase fails for any reason I can take it back regardless of how long I have owned it.

Sam's Club only gave me three months.

If Alan will repair my C-1 two years from now while Marshall will only fix theirs if it fails in the next three months, then that is one HECK of an incentive to go with the C-1.

... Of course, I would vastly prefer to see this policy published than just be an informal deal through this board.
 
Harvey, I also was amused by the same thing in the prorec review.
Maybe it became "better" once he thought about how inexpensive it is!

The new B1 at $99 list will cut into a lot of Marshall V67 sales when it hits-for those
who will know about it at least-IMHO. Hard to believe that up until recently, the AKG
414 at about a grand list was considered great "bang for the buck"!
 
Ok...so I know the C1 comes with a case and shock mount. But does the MXL V67G? I can't seem to find out...
Also...Mars Music is only selling the MXL V67M...what's the difference?
 
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