is it just me or is the AKG C214...

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SolaFive

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I'm starting out building a budget home recording studio. I just ordered the Focusrite 2i2 and been looking for a nice vocal mic to record voice and acoustic guitar. I've listened to some of the recommended mics over the forums which are, Shure Super 55, Shure SM7B, BLUE baby bottle, and the AKG C214. Super 55 seemed a little mid high to me. SM7B sounded ok but a little too "muffled", not really a good choice of wording but seemed a bit bass heavy even with the roll off switch engaged. Baby bottle seemed good and warm but lacking some clarity and the highs. C214 to me seemed like it's crisp with the highs maybe a bit too sensitive and also lacks some natural warmth and lowend.

I know there probably isn't a perfect mic for me within the 400 - 500 dollar range. But is there one that someone could recommend me?
 
SolaFive said:
I'm starting out building a budget home recording studio. I just ordered the Focusrite 2i2 and been looking for a nice vocal mic to record voice and acoustic guitar. I've listened to some of the recommended mics over the forums which are, Shure Super 55, Shure SM7B, BLUE baby bottle, and the AKG C214. Super 55 seemed a little mid high to me. SM7B sounded ok but a little too "muffled", not really a good choice of wording but seemed a bit bass heavy even with the roll off switch engaged. Baby bottle seemed good and warm but lacking some clarity and the highs. C214 to me seemed like it's crisp with the highs maybe a bit too sensitive and also lacks some natural warmth and lowend.

I know there probably isn't a perfect mic for me within the 400 - 500 dollar range. But is there one that someone could recommend me?
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My best advice is to begin by accepting that the needs of recording acoustic guitar and vocals often don't call for the same mic. The excellent high end clarity you hear in the 214 makes it ideal for acoustic guitar, providing detail, while decreasing the low frequency boom common to dreadnoughts and jumbos, but only complements a few voices. The lack of detail you hear in mics like the SM7b and the Baby Bottle make them very flattering for a lot of voices. If you are looking for a compromise in a single mic, look no further than the discontinued AKG C2000B. There are many still out there, and can be had well within your price range.
 
Am a gonna confirm what Ricard has said here.
You can find the AKG C2000B all day long on evilbay used for about half of your stated budget. ;)
 
Thank you Richard and moresound kindly for your recommendations. I'm more leaning towards a vocal focused, natural and clear mic. I guess I'll worry about acoustics later on. Would your recommendations still be the AKG C2000B? I listened to couple of them and they do sound crisp with clarity.
 
Seems to me you just answered your own question. Vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit, or they don't. If it fits, and it's well within your budget, what's not to love? Furthermore, it's not about making you sound exactly the way you sound. If it was, we'd all use measurement mics for vocals. It's about making you sound *good*. Only you know what sounds good to you. You asked for clarity on a budget, and you've already stated that that's what you hear with that mic. After that, all you can do is either get a mic and start recording, or overthink it some more.
 
yeah I guess you're right in that. Right now, for me, it's down to either the baby bottle or the C2000B. I do like the warm and natural feel to the baby bottle that the C2000B lacks. But the C2000B does have better clarity.
 
Both could be had used for the price that you set for your limit.
Get both and sell the one that your least happy with for the same $ that you purchased it for. :thumbs up:
 
Also, this is bit of a side question, but would having a tube preamp help in addition to a built-in preamp from Focusrite 2i2?
 
SolaFive said:
Also, this is bit of a side question, but would having a tube preamp help in addition to a built-in preamp from Focusrite 2i2?
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Well, that would depend. It's not the tube. It's not the tube. It's not about the tube! If you added a $100 preamp with a small tube in the front end to add distortion, No. If you add a $2500 Pendulum, probably (a little). Not only is it not about the tube, basically, it's not about the gear. It's about the room, the performance, and the skill and experience of the tracking engineer, the mixing engineer, and the mastering engineer. The mic matters, but not as much as you think. The placement of the mic matters more, and in the case of a vocalist, the singer's mic technique. There is no magic bullet.
 
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