Recommend a good omnidirectional mic >£100

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vanslyke

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Hi,

I'm in the UK, need an omnidirectional mic for recording singing, ukes, violin and steel-string acoustic guitar around a large table. No more than £100, and preferably more like £50-60.

If someone could recommend a good source of used mics in the UK that'd be good.

Thanks.

PS: this was originally a far more detailed post, but the forum logged me out when I posted it and then deleted the whole post. If you want more detail, just ask.
 
I'll send KIP4 your way. He will set you right up with an omni microphone. He is in the UK as well and knows a guy that will set you up with a great omni microphone at a fraction of what you quoted in your budget.

I sent him a PM so be on the look out.
 
Hey guys
Kip to the rescue.
I know just the fella for you.
If you want a great omnidirectional condensor microphone for that all in the same room feel what you need is a Niaint xs. A tiny little microphone that is way better than its price range.
It will take a couple of weeks for shipping and a few quid in VAT (as with all imports over £10)
I think i paid about $35 last time i bought one+ shipping. Its so light the shippings not much and i got a cable and mic stand holder included.

check out the spec here

Naiant - Microphones

and if you have any queries just email the owner and ask any questions you want answering. Jon's a great guy and provides a great service and product.

Jons email is

music@naiant.com


I am not affiliated.
I hope this helps.
You can also ask any other questions you want here and if I/We can help we will
Welcome aboard mate
 
I'm all over it Moresound.

The price on the Niaint mics on Jons site is for new mics btw.
You may have to play with positioning the players a little more than just round a table if you want to make a reasonably balanced recording too or you may find some instruments stick out too much through out.
You can use the condensor mics with a preamp or even a mini disc recorder.

Shhh dont tell anyone but it would make a good bootleggers mic. Keep it under your hat, Not literally though.
 
Hi kip4,

Thanks for responding to Moresound's PM so quickly. :)

I hope you won't mind if I'm brutally honest and say that I don't think the Naiant X-S is the way forward for me. There are two problems: positioning; and the shipping delay. Positioning: there's no way for me to hang it over the table in question, and no quick or simple remedy for that; and it isn't compatible with my mic clip or stand. Shipping delay: one of the details that got lost in my deleted post is the fact that, ideally, I need this mic by next Friday. I can always use my PG58 at a pinch, but it wouldn't be ideal.

I guess if there's a third issue it's that one of the few reviews I could find (I could find the link if pushed) relates how cymbals became little more than white noise through this mic. I forgot I also have to record percussion in the form of a tambourine, and I'd like to be confident the mic could cope.

I hope you don't mind if I ask for another suggestion? ;)

Cheers!
 
vanslyke said:
I hope you won't mind if I'm brutally honest and say that I don't think the Naiant X-S is the way forward for me. There are two problems: positioning; and the shipping delay.
Cheers!
Click to expand...

Can't argue with the shipping delay, but a clip for a mic is gona cost you very little!

Also, I can't imagine cymbals sounding like white noise. That just sounds like a bitter/poor review.
 
vanslyke said:
I hope you won't mind if I'm brutally honest and say that I don't think the Naiant X-S is the way forward for me. There are two problems: positioning; and the shipping delay.
Cheers!
Click to expand...

I can't imagine cymbals sounding like white noise. That just sounds like a bitter/poor review.

How about condensers on ebay?
 
vanslyke,

Could you get the link for the XS review? I can't help but think that there may have been sub-optimal mic placement issue, or some gain staging issue.

If you look at the frequency response for the XS, you will notice a high frequency rise above 6kHz on the XS (check the Naiant web site), which could account for an apparent increase in high frequency energy from the cymbals. Knowledge is power, and you can EQ to taste.

I have close mic'd acoustic guitar, electric guitar cabinet and a flute with the XS (albeit in a modest sound reinforcement context) without issues and with excellent results.

Paul
 
I'm with you guys i cant imagine this mic did a terrible job even on cymbals.
It's a real shame you cant wait for the mic although i think you'll still be pushed to buy one and get it delivered even from the uk in time for next friday. I could be wrong.
I dont know of many other Omnis that fit into that price bracket to be honest that have the qaulity of the Niaints.
I really hope you find what you want because a pg-48 wont cut it i dont think and as far as i know its not an omni. Is it?
If you have to put your mic stand on the table. I'd try to isolate it from knocks though if you can.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to have received so many responses so quickly. But the Naiant really isn't my solution, and you guys don't seem to be able to see beyond it.

1) The shipping delay is "a couple of weeks". That's really far too long.
2) This thing is tiny and I don't see how I could make that work in a satisfying way with my current (or any commonly available) mic clip, such that I could reliably mount it on my mini tripod.
3) I'm aware of eBay as a source of used mics, but what I need is advice on which mics to buy. There's also the added hurdle of not having a PayPal account, and thanks to past experience that's not going to change. It may be possible to use a one-off PayPal payment (a service they offer now) but I'd hate to go ahead and buy something on eBay just to find that the one-off payment system isn't available for eBay purchases.
4) I agree that the review of the XS I found may be flawed, but arguing against it still leaves two major hurdles that kill the XS as an option.
5) The PG58 is a cardioid, and is most certainly _not_ ideal. But it's what I have, and it works.

Can I kindly and humbly request an option that would be compatible with a standard mic clip and/or stand and would conceivably be in my hands far sooner than a Naiant?
 
I don't know the Naiant microphones at all but would humbly suggest that if Steenamaroo and Moresound recommend them, they're not to be discounted.

However, near your price range is the SHURE SM63LB which DV24/7 have for 139 pounds.
 
Bobbsy said:
I don't know the Naiant microphones at all but would humbly suggest that if Steenamaroo and Moresound recommend them, they're not to be discounted.
Click to expand...

Just because advice is rejected, does not mean it has been found to have no value.

However, near your price range is the SHURE SM63LB which DV24/7 have for 139 pounds.
Click to expand...

Quite a bit over my budget, I'm afraid.

No more than £100, and preferably more like £50-60.
Click to expand...

Nevertheless, thank you for the suggestion. I'll try to find some reviews and see if it's available second-hand anywhere.
 
You're having a bit of a battle here because, other than small lavalier mics or large and expensive multipattern condensers, omni mics are pretty unusual.

Hmmmm...one off the wall suggestion: BEHRINGER ECM8000 measurement mic. DV24/7 list them for 41.72 pounds but don't have any in stock--I daresay you could find them at Thomann or someplace.

I have one that I use for input to my real time analyser--the frequency response is flat enough for that. The lack of lumps and bumps on the response means that the sound is accurate but a bit lacking in character--but with your range of sounds around the table maybe that's what you need anyway--no single "character" mic will sound good on your whole list.

Anyhow, worth a thought.
 
With the upwardly spiraling list of limitations, the choice of mics, it seems, heads in the opposite trajectory.

If you want another alternative (but you won't get it by Friday, I am fairly sure), contact Jean-Pol (JP) Gerard at No Hype Audio in Belgium (NoHype Audio, Official Reseller for Line Audio, TK Audio, MTR Audio, Extreme Isolation, TF PRo and Manufacturers of Quality Audio Equipment) and inquire about the Line Audio OM1. About €100.

This mic, and its cardioid cousin, the CM3, have received many compliments in the remote/live recording forum at Gearslutz.

By the way, has table-top recording worked well for you? I'd have expected problems with resonances, etc?
 
You could check out a boundary microphone - but not sure how big your table or guest speakers are, may not work for you.
 
Bobbsy said:
Hmmmm...one off the wall suggestion: BEHRINGER ECM8000 measurement mic. DV24/7 list them for 41.72 pounds but don't have any in stock--I daresay you could find them at Thomann or someplace.

I have one that I use for input to my real time analyser--the frequency response is flat enough for that. The lack of lumps and bumps on the response means that the sound is accurate but a bit lacking in character--but with your range of sounds around the table maybe that's what you need anyway--no single "character" mic will sound good on your whole list.

Anyhow, worth a thought.
Click to expand...

I think we have a winner. This mic is available on AmazonUK for slightly less than DV247 with free shipping, and the reviews there, as well as some scattered ones one the wider web, are highly positive—with specific mention of this mic's suitability for recording choirs and acoustic instruments.

I'll post back if I suddenly encounter a glaring reason not to buy this, but in the meantime I think I'm done :)

Thanks!

PRHunt said:
By the way, has table-top recording worked well for you? I'd have expected problems with resonances, etc?
Click to expand...

Are you referring to recording sounds as they travel through the table and up the tripod? Of course, you're right, for a professional that would be a concern. Fortunately, a couple of things work in my favour: one, the tripod has thick rubber feet that act to mitigate; two, the table is by design actually several tables placed side-by-side to form a larger one, for flexibility, so barring the knocking of these tables against each other I've actually got natural breaks in conduction; and three, these recordings aren't particularly crucial, so the odd knock and bump here and there will prove no great hardship.

Experience with the PG58 has shown the resonance not to be noticeable, though of course with the higher sensitivity and better frequency response of the ECM8000 it may become more noticeable. But I'll cross that bridge later.

Ta! :)
 
I suspect PRHunt was more worried about reflections off the table top causing nasty phase issues--and that certainly is a problem. The direct sound arrives at the mic a fraction of a second/fraction of a sound wave before the reflection from the desk, resulting in some frequencies being emphasised and others being cancelled out.

When a round table discussion is done in a radio studio, the table/desk is almost always covered with carpet to deaden the reflections--might be something for you to think about doing.
 
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