Opinions: best microphone for $700 or less?

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jgohman

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If you had $700 and were going to buy ONE microphone (and you couldn't keep the change), which one would you buy?
 
i would look for one of those old jam boxes from the 80s with the condensor mics built in. im sure there are some on ebay, and then you rip it out. thats gonna be my choice.

why do you want only one for $700? do you have other mics?
 
If you were to give me that $700. I'de buy a CARVIN conderser for $600. A friend of mine has a Carvin and it sounds great
 
I already have some *okay* mics (2 AKG c3000's, oktava mc-012, sm57). I know that I want a condenser (although a Sennheiser 421 wouldn't be bad), but I have $700 from a bonus that I want to spend on the best mic that I can get. I'm thinking about the Neumann TLM-103, but want opinions on lesser known mics. I know that Marshall, Nady, Rode, CAD, and others all have cool *looking* mics, but how do they sound?

Thanks for the input so far.
 
jgohman said:
I already have some *okay* mics (2 AKG c3000's, oktava mc-012, sm57). I know that I want a condenser...
Click to expand...

Huh? The AKG's that you got there ARE condenser mics!

But anyways, for that price I would consider a Shure KMS44, or some of the Earthworks mics. There are Neumann available at that price.

Any of those will do quite nicely...

Bruce
 
yeah, that KSM is an often over looked mic. the tlm-103 would be nice too. I would go with one of those two.

I would not touch a carvin mic with Bruce's ten foot pole..(or MXL, RODE, etc.. for that matter)
 
I know I have condensers. I was just saying that I want the new one to be a condenser also.

Thanks for the info on the Shure and Earthworks mics.
 
sorry, ive been having trouble getting into the site today.

defintely the KSM44, ive been eyeing that thing like a stalking freak. and its $700 i think.
 
I just snagged a AT4050 for 479.00 online at 8th st.Music in Philly:

http://www.8thstreet.com

I've called at least 30 stores over the past 2 days pricing mics, and nobody came close on this one. I called this morning to confirm that the price they emailed me was correct. That review that tdukex gave the link for was very informative. I know the AT, that mic has proven itself over the years but I wanted to read something about the KSM44. Since the review/comparison was a dead heat between the 2, the AT gets my nod, and I save a couple hundred. Free shipping too.The ATs are warm to begin with, and running it thru a tube preamp makes them sound very nice. Shure seems to have their retailers locked into that 699.00 price. Didn't see it for much less anyplace. Cool lookin, tho. Anyway, you might want to check that place out if you're interested in the 4050.
 
The AT4047 is highly regarded too. Designed to emulate the sound of a vintage F.E.T. mic. Cardoid pattern only. About $500.

Buy one of those and a Langevin voice proccessor(hand-built by Manley Labs) Only $2000.
 
AT 40/50 simply rocks...on vox and cabs! Paid toooo damn much for mine though.
 
i,ve read that the soundulex u95 is a very good mic. Supposedly better in many applications than a tlm 103.

But it is $100 over your budget. Sorry
 
There really is no "best" mike...

...but my own tastes gravitate towards "accurate" and "natural" sounding as being "best".
On that score, any of the Earthworks line seem to be well ahead of the field and under-appreciated. Everyone of their models is superior in accuracy to just about any other mike out there, and the models are just slightly different flavors of direction-pattern, sensitivity, noise, etc. Many of thekm sell for under $700. I would probably go for the SR77s, (hypercardioid) since I already have a matched pair of the omnis.

By the way, in spite of being ridiculed, the Carvin mikes are made by the same Chinese company and are identical innards to other mikes sold under more "famous" names. I suspect they actually sound pretty good, but i have not heard one.

Peace,
Rick
 
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