God, if I was asking the questions you are and getting the answers you are getting, I'd be confused as hell. First, the Behringers you refer to are, IMHO, a poor choice. You can get any number of better mics in your price range. The big question is whether you should start with a dynamic or a condenser mic, and whether you select a preamp or not. The MR-8 has pres, not the greatest, but a Blue Tube isn't a big step up. It's a pretty cruddy preamp to buy just for phantom power. I agree that the DMP-3 is a better pre than a Blue Tube, on either of its 2 channels. Don't be sucked in by the "tube warmth" marketing hype. The big question is- dynamic vs. condenser mic, and if a condenser, what type? Then the specific make and model.
Advantages of dynamic- Good ones are cheaper than good condensers. Sometimes a cheap stage mic like SM57 is very useful. Personally I use AKG dynamics, mostly, and the higher end Shure SM7-B. But hell, top of the line dynamics are $400-600 or so, and perfectly good ones can be had cheap. Advantage 2- They don't need phantom power. Some impressive studio tracks have been recorded with an SM-57/SM58, and they're $80-$100 new.
Disadvantages of a dynamic- They are not very sensitive, so they need a good preamp, because they need lots of gain. Cheap preamps usually suck when cranked. Lack of sensitivity can be a good thing too. Generally an SM57 will not record your bowel sounds, the hot water heater, or your watch ticking across the room, as good condensers can. So a dynamic wants a good pre, but is good in a bad room. It's not great for high end detail, which makes it a cruddy guitar mic IMO, and a pretty poor overhead. It rocks on snare and toms, and it's perfect for some vocalists.
Advantages of a condenser- Well, the reverse of a dynamic. They can sound good through a cheap preamp or mixer. Getting enough gain is rarely a problem. The detail that makes really fine recording is there. They used to be wicked expensive, but competition has gotten fierce in the budget condenser market. There are bizzillions of models and opinions vey widely. Advantage 2- You can get condensers with multiple polar patterns. cardioid, hypercardioid, omni, figure 8. This allows for sophisticated stereo recording techniques. Types of condensers- The commonist are small housing mics with a small diaphragm, often called pencil mics. Good on instruments such as guitar, piano and violin, they are often used as drum overheads. They are rarely selected as vocal mics, although it's been done. The other type has a larger housing, is typically a side-address mic, and may be small diaphragm, large diaphragm, or in between. Often chosen as vocal mics, they can be good as guitar mics or percussion mics also, including overheads. Personal preference is a major factor, especially on acoustic guitar. Advantage 3 condenser- Some condensers have bass rolloff and pads, which can be useful as hell at times- a few dynamics have bass rolloff, I have one, AKG D320B.
Disadvantages of condenser- Ooh, very sensitive to handling noise and background noise. The damn things pick up everything. I had a hum once that was driving me nuts. It turned out to be a mosquito. They need phantom power, except for a few battery powered models. A pain outdoors on windy days.
So there, how to spend $200 on your first mics? Have you noticed that the mics that are good on vocals often aren't so hot on instruments- different needs. You will have to come to terms with condensers- They are a standard of the industry. You will have to come to terms with dynamics- They are a standard of the industry. In many ways your first mics should be learning tools. So-first get a good used dynamic. I got
my AKG D320B for $45 used on ebay, and I'd select it before SM-57 on most things. There are lots of cheap good dynamics- I like Sennheiser e835, which I have talked Guitar Center out of for $36 new. I prefer it to the SM-57 on vocals. However, SM-57 is a standard of the industry for many reasons. Spend $50 of your $200 on a dynamic mic, preferably used, not abused. Then with the other $150, consider condensers.
Big question- The large diaphragm type, or one or two small diaphragms. That depends on what you need them to record. For small diaphragms, Marshall MXL603 and Oktava MK012/MC012 are cheap and popular. On the large diaphragm side, Marshall MXLV67 and Studio Projects B-1 are among my favorites for cheap. If I were you, I'd buy three mics to start. A dynamic, probably a used SM57 or Sennheiser e835, a Studio Projects B-1, and a Behringer ECM8000. The Behringer is dirt cheap, about $36 new. It's a measurement mic, designed for taking readings to assess acoustic space. It's also omnidirectional, a little noisy, and accurate as hell. Consider it a $36 learning tool that can be pretty good on acoustic guitar or as an overhead. I know one looney who has used it successfully on kick drum! Hope that all makes sense. Best of luck with your selection.-Richie
