Need a first LDC for home studio

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DOMF

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Hi All, I'm a n00b here but the n00b forum said to ask forum-specific questions in the right forum so here I go - I've been putting together a home studio for the last couple years, and I have the Shure Drum Mic kit w/ 3 SM57s and a Beta 52, and two Shure BG4 SDCs. I'm running these through a Focusrite 18i8 (running the SDCs through a Mackie 1202 for preamps and into the line ins when I'm recording drums and need all the mics at once) From what I can tell, this is ALMOST enough to record everything I'd need to, but what it's lacking is a good large diaphragm condenser mic for vocals. My budget is $300 or less. What's the best first LDC to get in that price range for a home studio? Musical styles will run the gamut from punk to pop to folk to klezmer, both male vocalists (myself), female vocalists (my wife), and child vocalists (my 7yo)

Thanks in advance!
 
Thanks for the reply! That's one of the mics I was thinking about, but saw others complaining about the highs being too harsh. Others I've been considering:
MXL 2003a, CAD M179, Studio Projects C1 (the latter because there's one on Craigslist nearish to me for $175 used and the reviews look good (Chinese U47 Clone) but IDK if buying a used mic like that is a good idea?
 
DOMF said:
Thanks for the reply! That's one of the mics I was thinking about, but saw others complaining about the highs being too harsh.
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That was a common complaint about the first NT1. That's why I specified the black one. The N1 has been re-engineered and is much smoother than its predecessor.

See this Sound on SOund review

Rode NT1
 
Not that I'm saying that I have any idea about what you need, but I'll just throw this in here. I wouldn't necessarily 'assume' that you NEED an LDC. You probably want one, especially for the other vocals, but I've only got one LCD, an MXL V67G. Not exactly high end, I know, but I got into this when it was all the rage. Most people's complaints about it were that it was too 'dark'. Well, I decided that, if THAT was 'dark', then maybe LCDs weren't for me. And in my situation, especially with my crappy space that isn't likely to get much better any time soon, I think I was right. SM7b is about as good as I think it's going to get for me, unless I can come up with the cash for a 441, and that might not even be an improvement. Garbage in, garbage out, you know. :D

BTW, what the heck is klezmer?
 
I've got both the NT1 and the V67G. The Rode is definitely the quieter mic, and I think its a bit more neutral sounding than the MXL. I have used both for vocal work. Of the two, the NT1 would be my first choice. It also comes with a really nice Rycote mount which is step up from the rubber band mounts that many companies use.

Some people complaint that the NT1A is bright. Its not the same as the NT1. Its got a bump of about 4-5dB at 10-12k and a bit of a dip from 80Hz down. That makes it brighter or thinner sounding. Be careful reading the various review, because people have a hard time keeping them straight. Some even complain that they are typical "cheap Chinese condensers". In reality, both are made in Australia and have been made there for years. Rode makes their own capsules in house. They don't buy capsules from the Chinese manufacturers that many microphone brands use.

You might also check out the SE Electronics X1A. Its $100 and looks to be somewhat similar to the NT1 in terms of frequency response. Its not hyped in the top end. I've thought about snagging one just to check it out.
 
TalismanRich said:
I've got both the NT1 and the V67G. The Rode is definitely the quieter mic, and I think its a bit more neutral sounding than the MXL. I have used both for vocal work. Of the two, the NT1 would be my first choice. It also comes with a really nice Rycote mount which is step up from the rubber band mounts that many companies use.

Some people complaint that the NT1A is bright. Its not the same as the NT1. Its got a bump of about 4-5dB at 10-12k and a bit of a dip from 80Hz down. That makes it brighter or thinner sounding. Be careful reading the various review, because people have a hard time keeping them straight. Some even complain that they are typical "cheap Chinese condensers". In reality, both are made in Australia and have been made there for years. Rode makes their own capsules in house. They don't buy capsules from the Chinese manufacturers that many microphone brands use.

You might also check out the SE Electronics X1A. Its $100 and looks to be somewhat similar to the NT1 in terms of frequency response. Its not hyped in the top end. I've thought about snagging one just to check it out.
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Good to know. What's your take on the MXL as being 'dark'? And the bump and dip, are those in the NT1, or the 1A?
 
And from what I remember, the reviews of the C1 were good overall, but I think it was supposed to be just a tad on the bright side too. But then, maybe that's what you want.

And I swear, if I ever made a post where I didn't have to go back and edit it because of my inability to type, I don't know what I'd do with all of the extra time.
That should tell you something about my playing skills.
 
This is the response curve for the NT1 (black)
rode-nt1-frequency-response-chart.webp

This is the NT-1A
rode-nt1a-frequency-response-chart.webp

Regarding the V67G, I wouldn't say that its particularly dark sounding. Most LDC mics seem to have some type of boost in the 6-12kHz range. That gives them "air". The V67 doesn't have a boosted top end which gives a "warm" sound. Its a bit like the NT1, but the noise level is quite a bit higher. Its primarily aimed at vocals where you don't really need 10-12k boost.


I looked on Amazon, and only one place had it listed for $149. I got mine about 4 years ago for $70. B&H Photo has it listed at $100.
 
TalismanRich said:
This is the response curve for the NT1 (black)
View attachment 106835

This is the NT-1A
View attachment 106836

Regarding the V67G, I wouldn't say that its particularly dark sounding. Most LDC mics seem to have some type of boost in the 6-12kHz range. That gives them "air". The V67 doesn't have a boosted top end which gives a "warm" sound. Its a bit like the NT1, but the noise level is quite a bit higher. Its primarily aimed at vocals where you don't really need 10-12k boost.


I looked on Amazon, and only one place had it listed for $149. I got mine about 4 years ago for $70. B&H Photo has it listed at $100.
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What type of vocal application would you say needs that boost? My problem with condensers in general is their sensitivity, considering I have such a noisy, bad sounding space. The fact that I'm not a very loud singer doesn't help.
 
[MENTION=204493]DOMF[/MENTION], I've not used the NT-1 but based on recommendations here from folks who do know what they are talking about, I have recommended it to others. A good friend got one for their son, and he, his wife and son have all recorded vocals and acoustic guitar that I know of, and it sounds excellent. If I needed another LDC, it would be a consideration. Certainly for the price I don't think you'd do better.

P.S. As noted, the harshness you've been incorrectly advised of is not with the current model.
 
What is your price range? Rode is good for < $200 but if you can swing $300 there's a great Lauten mic :)
 
notCardio said:
What type of vocal application would you say needs that boost? My problem with condensers in general is their sensitivity, considering I have such a noisy, bad sounding space. The fact that I'm not a very loud singer doesn't help.
Click to expand...

The only vocal I could think of was Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You". :) ( pull it up on Youtube if you aren't familiar with this one )

What I meant was that most vocals don't need a boost. The bump in high end really works more for things like cymbals, instruments with lots of transients, things that sound good with "sparkle". Adding top end can make voices breathy, and can increase sibilance. By contrast, de-essing usually works partly by putting a dip in the 5-10K region, where sibilant sounds are located.
 
You can't go wrong with the Studio Projects C-1 in my opinion. The Red Badge model NOT the 747 Branded model.
 
MXL V67 is a good LDC that won't break the bank. Around 100 dollar. THE v 69 mogami is around 250 dollars. There's been many comparisons with MXL V 67 and 69 and he Neuman u87
 
TalismanRich said:
The only vocal I could think of was Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You". :) ( pull it up on Youtube if you aren't familiar with this one )

What I meant was that most vocals don't need a boost. The bump in high end really works more for things like cymbals, instruments with lots of transients, things that sound good with "sparkle". Adding top end can make voices breathy, and can increase sibilance. By contrast, de-essing usually works partly by putting a dip in the 5-10K region, where sibilant sounds are located.
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Interesting. That's exactly the opposite of what I would have thought. I would think that things that already have a lot of high end sizzle would NOT want a bump in those areas that would exaggerate it. Of course, I don't record cymbals, and the LAST thing my voice needs is more sibilance. What about acoustic guitars? Does a bump in that area help or hurt, or does it depend on the guitar and what you want?

Amazing what you learn here. Thanks.

Oh, and I'm very familiar with Minnie Ripperton. And she was Maya Rudolph's (of SNL) mother.
 
If they are still available, my best sounding microphone for the price is the Neat King Bee, if it is still around. It started off as a $300+ microphone, but the price dropped because its insane appearance turned off too many people. If the King Bee isn't available, the Worker Bee is a good vocal mic as well. The Worker Bee is probably around $100. It may turn you off by its appearance, but it sounds great on voice.
 
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