New Microphone Purchase HELP NEEDED ASAP

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MasterRS

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Hello,

I'm relatively new to the forums but basically wanted to seek some advice on a new microphone purchase.
Currently I own a Samson G-Track USB Microphone which I have been extremely happy with. I also have a Samson Q1 Microphone.
Basically my friend keeps my G-Track mic in his basement where he has it connected to a mixer I believe as he re-wired it or did something like that and I normally go there and record. However I purchased a USB Plug and play set for my Samson Q1 as I didn't want to rely on him throughly but I've discovered its not the best USB microphone in essence.

I was looking to purchase a RODE N1TA or a SE Electronics Microphone as these had been recommended to me by other musicians. Then I came across the Avid Vocal Production USB Mic with Protools SE on eBay.
I've read reviews on all mics and heard varied things. Somebody said to go for XLR as its studio standard over a USB mic..however I have no eletrical or amp knowledge of how to set up a mic like this..on top of this I am going to be moving to university which will limit me to 1 room..and my budget is around £50 or $80 for a microphone..so I'm looking more towards a high quality USB mic for this price..do you think the avid will be good or I should go XLR? Whats there to know?

If anyone could suggest or help it'd be good Thanks
 
XLR microphone will require an interface = more money.

If you want to stay with a USB microphones (they are limited) your best bet would be the blue ~ YETI.
 
Yeah I understand..so why is dumbass terms for me are XLR mics better? Is it just the fact that they are industry standard? Just Ive seen some very cheap mics that claim to be 'XLR' and look exactly like my Q1 it just seems a bit baffling. Also in terms of setting up for XLR..What do you require for a good set up and prices? And is it fairly simple to set everything up? As I said Im going to be in one university room so space will be limited. And i'll be hooking my mic upto a Windows 7 i5 laptop with Intel HD Graphics and sound card.

Also Ive been recommended blue yeti now but two people..why for USB are there mics so good?
This is the USB Mic I have been looking at- Avid Vocal Pro Studios Essential USB Mic..(cant post a link as the site wont let me)

Just wondered if that mic is any good?
And for rap recordings which is what I want to do is there any XLR/USB setups/mics etc you can recommend me? Thanks
 
MasterRS said:
Hello,

I'm relatively new to the forums but basically wanted to seek some advice on a new microphone purchase.
Currently I own a Samson G-Track USB Microphone which I have been extremely happy with. I also have a Samson Q1 Microphone.
Basically my friend keeps my G-Track mic in his basement where he has it connected to a mixer I believe as he re-wired it or did something like that and I normally go there and record. However I purchased a USB Plug and play set for my Samson Q1 as I didn't want to rely on him throughly but I've discovered its not the best USB microphone in essence.

I was looking to purchase a RODE N1TA or a SE Electronics Microphone as these had been recommended to me by other musicians. Then I came across the Avid Vocal Production USB Mic with Protools SE on eBay.
I've read reviews on all mics and heard varied things. Somebody said to go for XLR as its studio standard over a USB mic..however I have no eletrical or amp knowledge of how to set up a mic like this..on top of this I am going to be moving to university which will limit me to 1 room..and my budget is around £50 or $80 for a microphone..so I'm looking more towards a high quality USB mic for this price..do you think the avid will be good or I should go XLR? Whats there to know?

If anyone could suggest or help it'd be good Thanks
Click to expand...

You can't really do anything for that minuscule budget.

I would normally recommend the CEntrance MicPort Pro as an inexpensive USB interface.

But this is about £140.

You can use this with any XLR mic. of your choice.
 
Hmm I see. Well maybe I should just save up then and geta XLR interface. How does this all work guys. I mean Im completely new to XLR and setting up. I'm just used to working with USB mics. So would i need just a interface then XLR mic and am ready to go?? Or what? And space wise do they take alot of space just as I said I'll be using my university accommodation to record at?
And whats the difference and why XLR is so much better..is it because as Ive read their industry standard??
 
Whats a good XLR mic then for a reasonable price for Rap Vocals for a real pro feel?
 
I start this rant with the fact that it is just my personal experience and my opinion.....

When someone asks what a good mic is for a reasonable price for a pro feel, You must realize that there is no inexpensive way to get pro quality from one piece of equipment. A whole chain of gear is needed to make one mic sound anywhere near 'pro'. You could possibly emulate something close for substantially less, but that would really involve having had years of experience in getting the most out of gear. There are so many variables to getting a pro sound that it really involves experience, more than the gear placed in front of you. A veteran engineer can get good sound out of inexpensive gear, but an amateur will most likely not even get close. This is a generalization, but starting without knowing what is good, on a very low budget, seems a really tough challenge.

That being said, figure out what you are willing to spend on the quest to get there. A $3000 mic that the pro's use, will not help you if you have a $100 interface, poor software, or a lack of recording knowledge. A $250 mic may get you there as long as it is the right mic for 'your' particular voice and you have learned how to work the mic, record it at the right levels, and how to process it in the context of a mix after the tracking. I would suggest to start with mid to low end gear, figure shit out yourself, then form your own answers to what works for you. IME, this would involve at least $500 at minimum. That don't even include software and CPU worthy of recording. Just cuz someone says "this is the shit", does not mean it is right for you. Myself included. People like me will always be here to give opinions and answers to direct software issues. But we cant ever tell you what is right for you. Only what we have experience in being right for us. And there may be a few that just come here to mock all us idiots and hide the greatest secrets of recording ever untold! lol! Trust me, it does not exist. The only secret is experience and experimentation. There may be tricks involved, but it all comes down to the combination of every little variable from how the performer was raised by his parents, to the financial debt incurred by the guy with the home studio. Everything in between, 'is' the secret. Learning the finer details in between, is how you will get a 'Pro' feel.

Ok I'm done... :D
 
Hi I totally agree with what your saying. Ive been editing and mastering vocals for 2 years now and have extensive knowledge on a number of softwares from Cubase to Mixcraft to Soundforge to even Magix. And I have made the Samson Q7 mic with USB Adapter sound as if it's radio XLR Quality with the right pop and hiss reduction, compression and mastering. So I totally agree. It's alot like video it's not the just mic you have but your editing and what u can do with it too.
I understand that and don't disagree.
However what I am stating is that for example I bought a Samson CO1U Mic..it was terrible. Yet had great reviews. And that was due to the fact when I connected the mic the sound recording quality was terrible low and crackily. Thats why in comparision to my budget I could save.
But I'd have to know whats so fantastic about XLR, Which also reading the tweak document I didn't get.

However I'm thinking to just save and get one of those Interfaces that was recommended earlier in the thread and then an XLR Mic..but which XLR Mic is good? And whats wrong with the Avid Vocal Studios USB Mic? A mean somebody needs to answer me to help with my situation and clarify.

Thanks
 
A very good XLR microphone for narration, singing, rapping? An EV RE20.
 
Okay. Why are USB mics not a good idea for music?

Every microphone is an analogue device. They convert the vibrations that your sound puts in the air into a varying electrical current. Because this conversion to electricity is dependent on the minuscule amount of energy in the air, mics also make a minuscule amount of electricity.

Why is this important? Because it means that the output of every microphone has to go through two stages before you can record it or do anything with it in your mix. First, it goes through a microphone pre-amplifier which, as the name implies, amplifies the mic output to line level which is what electronic gear wants to process. As you can imagine, when you're starting with a super-low mic signal, this pre amp has to be decent quality or it adds a lot of hiss/noise. Second, this amplified signal has to be converted from analogue to digital so the DAW in your computer can handle it.

As I say, every mic has to go through these stages. However, with a USB mic, all this is buried inside the mic using the most basic of circuitry. When you spend, say, $50 dollars on a USB mic what you're getting is a $30 mic and a $20 audio interface stuck in the same case. (I've made up these numbers but you get the point.) You're also stuck with a system that can't be changed. With a separate XLR mic and interface, you can always buy a new, better (or just different) mic into the interface. Or you can decide you want a pre-amp with different characteristics and plug your existing mic into that. Or you can get into MIDI keyboards and plug that into the interface when you want some new beats.

With a USB mic, you're stuck in a technical dead end. Any changes mean starting from scratch.

(On a technical side note: why XLR? XLR uses 2 wires plus the screen/shield in a cable. This allows a "balanced" connection which is far more resistant to electrical interference than simpler styles of connector/jack. It also allows your interface or mixer to feed phantom power back to the mic on the same cable. On a second side note: when we talk about an "audio interface" that's generally one or more mic pre-amps plus analogue to digital converters in the same box.)

Beyond the quality differences though, there can be other issues with USB mics. Just as corners are cut on the hardware, often there are also problems with the drivers that let the device work with a computer. You might be lucky...but have a search of this forum (and others) to see how many people have problems with "device not detected" errors...or dropouts...or clicks...or any number of other issues with USB mics.

Finally, one other thing to consider: most audio interfaces are two-way devices. They'll allow you to record but also provide outputs to put into monitor speakers, amps, headphones, etc. A few USB mics have a headphone socket but the majority are just input devices. If you want to listen to what you've recorded, you have to rely on the crap internal sound card on your computer...and they're ALL crap.

So...that's why you should save your money and buy a proper "XLR mic" and interface when you can afford them rather than waste your money on another USB mic failure.
 
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Hi,

I understand now. Well am thinking about getting the pre-interface mentioned above but I cant seem to find any decent ones on eBay? Can anyone help me? And okay I'll look into that XLR microphone thanks. Probably just going to save up now and get one.
My only concern is that my friend is going to get singers and they'll be using the Samson G-Track Mic so won't there be a huge difference in quality and recording between their Samson G-Track USB mic and then me recording on a XLR?

Thanks
 
Hi I've looked into the EV RE20 and its a bit out of my budget for what I'd spend on a microphone. I'm looking to spend around $250 including postage on the microphone then obiously a further $250 on the XLR interface (i'm going to get the interface someone posted above.) I mean for that kind of budget for a Rapper whats a good XLR mic you can recommend?
 
Also dumb question but is the Samson Q7 an XLR Mic? Just I'm sure somewhere I read it was (although I think its shit myself) lol
 
MasterRS said:
Hi I've looked into the EV RE20 and its a bit out of my budget for what I'd spend on a microphone. I'm looking to spend around $250 including postage on the microphone then obiously a further $250 on the XLR interface (i'm going to get the interface someone posted above.) I mean for that kind of budget for a Rapper whats a good XLR mic you can recommend?
Click to expand...
Well not sure the mic I chose is good for rap, I assume it is, but at least I can recommend you one thing since you have a similar budget to mine.
I just got the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 and the Blue Spark from zzounds.com
I mention that because instead of having to buy one thing and then the other as was my original plan I was able to buy both because they offer a split payment option (4 payments) and they also beat any advertised price so to me it was the perfect deal for a poor musician :-)
 
MasterRS said:
Hi I've looked into the EV RE20 and its a bit out of my budget for what I'd spend on a microphone. I'm looking to spend around $250 including postage on the microphone then obiously a further $250 on the XLR interface (i'm going to get the interface someone posted above.) I mean for that kind of budget for a Rapper whats a good XLR mic you can recommend?
Click to expand...

My advice at this stage is not to rush into any purchases. You may even agree with that, but still accidentally rush because that is what 3/4's of people do at the beginning. If I were you, I would expand my base knowledge about the whole set-up of recording...mics, preamps, interfaces, DAWs, etc. before jumping in the water.

Also, another thing is that there is no "perfect" mic for rappers. Everything is relative depending on your voice and how well it meshes with the frequency response/coloring of the microphone!
 
shaolin95 said:
Well not sure the mic I chose is good for rap, I assume it is, but at least I can recommend you one thing since you have a similar budget to mine.
I just got the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 and the Blue Spark from zzounds.com
I mention that because instead of having to buy one thing and then the other as was my original plan I was able to buy both because they offer a split payment option (4 payments) and they also beat any advertised price so to me it was the perfect deal for a poor musician :-)
Click to expand...



This would be a possibility for you MasterRS

You can find EV RE20's all day long USED on ebay and stay on budget ..... or get an EV RE320 which is pretty much the same microphone with added features for $299. If it was me knowing what I know ~ I would go with the EV route. ;)
 
yehp, used re-20 or if you're stuck another re series. Re 10/11/15/16/18....whatever.
Some of those are omni but it won't really matter.

Samson = inevitable upgrade.
Electrovoice Re = lifetime investment.
 
The re320 also doubles as an effective club for intruders :D
 
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