Looking for a good microphone for a gift, but I know nothing.

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paige

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Background Info:
I'm hoping someone can help me out on this. My boyfriend plays electric guitar and also sings. I know he has an amp and another small machine that he plugs things into before plugging it into his computer. (I'm not sure what it's called, but it has a display with digital numbers and it's roughly 7" x 5". It might be a preamp, but I'm not positive.) I know microphones record differently from one to the next, I don't know if this helps, but his guitar style is kind of "bluesy."

Anyway, he has mentioned that he needs a microphone for vocals and electric guitar. He plays/records in his finished basement, but the room is large and would never constitute as "sound-proof" in the least bit. He's not a serious musician, he just wants to record for fun. I am wanting to buy him a mic for a Christmas gift and I want it to be a surprise. My budget is around $300.

My questions:
1.) After doing some research on my own, it seems that a condenser mic would be best for the set-up he has and for what he's wanting to record. Does this sound correct? I ruled out a ribbon mic since it sounds fragile and a dynamic mic sounded more like it would be for live performances with a crowd. Also, I read that condenser mics record both voice and instruments well.

2.) Will he need any specific computer software and/or cable in order to plug the microphone into so he can record? He currently has a software program that I think he downloaded for free, I'm not sure of the name.

3.) I am seriously considering this product:
AKG Perception 420 Condenser Mic w/ Cable and Stand
(I can't post the URL, it says I have to post at least 5 times, but googling that phrase brings the product up right away.)

4.) Would this be a good microphone for what he is wanting to use it for? Based on what little information I know, would the cable that comes with this work for plugging it into his "preamp"? Is there some other microphone out there that is better (keeping my budget in mind)? I can get this microphone for $299.95, which sounds like a fairly decent deal to me, but since I don't know that much, maybe it's not. I really need help!

Thank you so much for your help, it really means a lot.
Paige
 
Hi Paige! I own a AKG Preception 420 and me and everyone else that has heard the results are very impressed with it.

I use it for vocals, acoustic instruments, and capturing a "room" sound. I get a lot of compliments when I break it out for recording. I'll be like "hold on guys, let me get my fancy mic..." and people are typically impressed because of the cool case, the way it sits in the mic stand, etc. For the price I was talked into it and glad I made the purchase. I'm no pro audio engineer but I'm getting results that me and my clients are excited about. And for $300 if you get a cable and mic stand that's a good deal. I played $350 for mine with no cable or stand.

**Important information for owning a Condenser Mic** He'll need "Phantom Power" to use it. If he is using a preamp it should have a switch that says something like "+48v" that's the phantom power switch. He'll need that "on" for the mic to work. Most preamps are able to supply phantom power, but not all.

If you can, take a look at what the 7"x5" thing is, post the name of it and someone here can look up a picture of it or it's specification to see if it has phantom power.

He'll be very excited to receive this mic as a gift, I'll recommend it based on the fact that I have one and I'm really liking my results. If he's playing bluesy type music he'll get alot of great sounds from it. If he was playing death metal I might recommend something stronger and less sensitive, but he's not so go with the 420. What a good girlfriend! Merry New Year!
 
Sweet! Yeah, see if you can find out what the box thing is and post a name or something!

Ahhhh I wish I had a girlfriend like you lol :D
 
Thank you so much for your feedback! This is great! I'll try to check out what he has and maybe try to snap some pictures of it.

I appreciate this so much!

Thank you!!!
Paige
 
First of all thank you for letting us know your price range. Second of all, it bothers me that you want to spend $300 on a single microphone, considering that he's "not a serious musician." There are PLENTY of great mics in the $100 range that would leave you more cash to get him other goodies (pop filter, mic stand, mic cables, preamps, beer).
 
Go with the nice mic, everyone who plays would like 1 piece of really nice gear. From point of view I'd prefer a really good mic as a gift than a mediocre mic, then a stand, cables etc. Go for the 420, or something in that range. I think it would mean more. Hey, you know the guy and that's the route you're going, stick with it. You can cheap out on a stand, cable. Even beer, that high end mic, is the real gift. The other stuff is set dressing.
 
Buy the condenser.... as a mic for electric guitar it may not be that great, but it's relatively cheap to get something for that, and he may already have one... but it will do wonders for his vocals...

Make sure he writes you a sickly sweet lurve song as appreciation!
 
Update

This is great feedback. Thank you all so much. I had a chance to snap some pics of what he has and it is not at all what I had thought. I don't even know if this microphone will work with this. Is this a preamp? I have no idea. There's a close-up of where you plug the mic in. I bet he has had this thing for years! Looks like it might be kind of old. I don't know, maybe not. I didn't see a "phantom power" or +48v switch anywhere, so I don't know if this will work.

Thoughts? Should I get him something in addition to a mic? Something to replace this? Not sure what my next move will be.

Sorry the pics aren't great, I had to be sneaky.

Thanks again!!
Paige

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I think you're right.... no phantom power that I can see listed on the site.

It's a guitar effects modelling device thingy rather than a mic preamp... a condenser mic will need a preamp and phantom power and a way to get it into the computer - that would be an audio interface which is usually all three....

Do him a deal... buy him a mic and tell him he needs to find a hundred or two for an interface...

Alternatively you could buy him a dynamic mic and he could route it via the box thing... but it's not really going to be particularly good quality, I would imagine...

Disclaimer - I've never used any of these things, but believe what I'm saying to be correct! :D
 
PreSonus 1Box | Sweetwater.com

$250
software, mic, cable, headphones, and interface. in a nice case.

the mic is a condensor. The interface takes the mic audio and puts it on the computer and it has phantom power. It records it to the included software. The headphones for listening to it back.
 
buzzard bass said:
... You can cheap out on a stand, cable. Even beer, that high end mic, is the real gift. The other stuff is set dressing.
Click to expand...

:eek: Cheap beet??? Horrors! But I do agree, beer does make a good dressing!
 
as stated above, that thing isnt an audio interface unfortunately :( you will need an audio interface in order to plug in the condensor microphone. you can get an allright audio interface for about $150-200.

M-Audio Fast Track Pro at zZounds is $200, and its a very good audio interface. alternatively if its too expensive you could get a M-Audio MobilePre USB Audio Interface at zZounds - i dont have any experience with this product tho, but i know the brand is good. :)
 
You can't go wrong with a Shure SM57. At around $100 it's cheaper than the AKG so will give you a bit of budget for a reasonably decent preamp or audio interface, and it's a very popular go-to mic in home and professional studios, especially for recording instruments like guitars...although it's very serviceable for vocals too. Odds are that at least half the music out there, probably a lot more, has something recorded with an SM57 on it. It's also incredibly robust to the point that it could even double as a burglar clobbering baton if needs be with no damage to the mic. It's one of those mics that everyone should own and probably does.
 
Last edited:
sockswithshoes said:
PreSonus 1Box | Sweetwater.com

$250
software, mic, cable, headphones, and interface. in a nice case.

the mic is a condensor. The interface takes the mic audio and puts it on the computer and it has phantom power. It records it to the included software. The headphones for listening to it back.
Click to expand...

This is it, he'll be able to do everything a 1 man band needs. For someone starting out an just looking to capture some songs this is great. Good find sockswithshoes!
 
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