Looking for another $100 General Purpose Dynamic Mic

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Seafroggys

Seafroggys

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So I have an SM57 and an Audix i5. I'm thinking about picking up a third mic in this catagory, but I'd rather mix it up a little. I'll be using these mics for snare drums and amps. Any thoughts, a list with sound characteristics of each, perhaps?
 
MD421 would complement nicely, but over $200

ATM650 is very nice. sort of a 57 and i5 combined
 
Ill second the e609....it is not what I would consider a gereral purpose mic..but it fits your budget and to me it is a GREAT snare mic....Although it is supposedly made for guitar cabs...I like a 57 there much better but come to think of it...I dont think I have tried it on any clean electric guitar or mildly distorted guitar...
 
AKG D770- a discontinued model, but pretty easy to find. $50-$70 and worth every penny.- Richie
 
Get some really old Electrovoice dynamics off of ebay.

Namely, something like an RE-15 or an RE-16 / 18.

Or look for some old Peavey PVM 520's. And no, I'm not joking. One of the best and most useful mics I can think of. Tons of upper midrange boost makes it ideal for getting more click out of a kick drum, more crack from a snare, or more crunch out of a guitar amp ... if these are things you need. Also an unusal, and very clever / colored option for vocals in certain situations.

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That D770 is surprisingly useful. Good recommend there... for the money.

Maybe an Apex 210 ribbon for $100? Or a slightly used Shure SM86 handheld condensor can surprise you also.

The SM57 and the i5 already cover 90-95% of the home recording bases, so break out of the mold, dont repeat it.....
 
I have very little experience with Ribbon mics, I didn't deal with them at audio school. I've read up a lot about them, but still don't know much about them, if that makes sense.

Thanks for all the recommendations!
 
Seafroggys said:
I have very little experience with Ribbon mics, I didn't deal with them at audio school. I've read up a lot about them, but still don't know much about them, if that makes sense.

Thanks for all the recommendations!
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Give one a try. They have better high end response than moving coil dynamics generally do, and they generally take EQ much better than condensers because they don't have the sharp peaks and dips. The downside is that they don't like lots of wind/air movement. Don't blow on them, use them outside, or put them in the hole of a kick drum.... Don't apply phantom power, as it can blow out the ribbon or magnetize the transformer core.
 
chessrock said:
Get some really old Electrovoice dynamics off of ebay.

Namely, something like an RE-15 or an RE-16 / 18.
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I was going to suggest an EV 635. You should be able to find an used one for much less than $100.
 
Adam P said:
I was going to suggest an EV 635. You should be able to find an used one for much less than $100.
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I don't know if there's any hope of finding them any more, but the RE-55 is a very useful dynamic mike. A true omni like the 635, but without the bass rolloff and with a flat and extended high end. They were discontinued in about 1999 or 2000. I've snagged up four since then, which doesn't help matters, I'm afraid. :)

They're handy on just about anything. I use them often on drums, percussion and miking cabinets. They don't quite have the fine detail of a SDC, but at least there's no harshness in the top end. The low end starts to roll off only below 40 Hz, which is actually quite handy on low end instruments, since you get what you need, but not the subsonics you don't need.

Cheers,

Otto
 
I'd say a vintage unidyne III 57 that have a great smooth sound to them that you can't get with the mexican made models.
 
jeffs789 said:
I'd say a vintage unidyne III 57 that have a great smooth sound to them that you can't get with the mexican made models.
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Ahh, now I can't argue there, either. I used to have seven SM-57s, but I sold or traded off all but the two old Unidyne IIIs, which were the first mikes I ever bought. But $100 would not pry them from my hands. :)

Cheers,

Otto
 
thajeremy said:
Ill second the e609....it is not what I would consider a gereral purpose mic..but it fits your budget and to me it is a GREAT snare mic....Although it is supposedly made for guitar cabs...I like a 57 there much better but come to think of it...I dont think I have tried it on any clean electric guitar or mildly distorted guitar...
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i hardly ever use my sm57 on guitar cabs anymore since i have my 609. it sounds brighter and more open with more isolation. it just seems to cut through the mix better.

and it is a great snare mike yes.

sucks on vocals.
 
faderbug said:
i hardly ever use my sm57 on guitar cabs anymore since i have my 609. it sounds brighter and more open with more isolation. it just seems to cut through the mix better.

and it is a great snare mike yes.

sucks on vocals.
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I'd assume the last one...Is it signifigantly better than the 57 would u say?
 
I got an ATM25 for certain kick drums and mostly for floor toms, and it's nice on snare as well. 90-100 bucks used.
 
JPXTom said:
I'd assume the last one...Is it signifigantly better than the 57 would u say?
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it's not a 'better' mike since it can't be used on the same broad scale of applicartions as an sm but on guitar cabs it does sound better imo.
 
In my experience the best dynamic mics are the MD421, MD441, M201 and M88, there are more like the PL20 but I don't have them.

There are no better dynamic mics like these.
 
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