Suggest Any Decent Mic For Under $500

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geeq

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I currently own a Nady System condenser mic, I wanted an upgrade..
Can you guys help me choose a better mic for under $500?
I'm recording Hip-Hop/R&B music..
This are what I found that I THINK better..

AKG C2000B
AKG C4000B
AKG C 451 B
AKG C3000B
RODE NT4 Dual-Element Stereo
RODE NT3
RODE NT2
RODE NTK
RODE NT1000

If you guys know any better mics than this, pls help me out.. Thanks..
 
Out of those you mention, I'd go for the NTK! If you want to save a little cash, then the NT1000.

I am assuming you want to record vocals (inc rapping)? The Studio Projects C1 is good, but so would be the T3 which is available for about $530.

You could also go for a C1 and an NT1000 for about $500 I think?
 
Shure SM7, KSM27, KSM32
Cad M177, M179, M9
Studio Projects B series, C series, T3
Blue Baby Bottle
Sennheiser MD421
etc. etc.

What exactly are you looking for? A vocal mic? An LD? An SD?
 
After reading alot of reviews, I just put a bid in on eBay for a Studio Projects C3 (which is the same as a C1 with additional directional capabilities).

The C1 reviews compared it to the $1600 Neumann U87.

eBay has it or $200

my bid for the C3 (retail $499) is currently at $199 for a brand new one. If you wanna get a C3, just stay away from oldmantran's bid. I'll be pissed if you outbid me.
 
From the list you posted, I'd take the 4000B - but that's just me...


Scott
 
hmm.. it seems hard to choose, since you guys choose differently..
im no expert with choosing mics.. I guess I'll take the most expensive ones from the list.. Do you guys know any reviews or ratings with this mics? I guess it would help me out choose a mic.. Thanks.. :)
 
geeq said:
hmm.. it seems hard to choose, since you guys choose differently..
im no expert with choosing mics..
Click to expand...

Aha! That ought to tell you something - that the only "expert" on choosing a mic for you is...








YOU! (surprise!)
The so-called (& mostly self-styled) experts can only get you in the ballpark, and maybe suggest a few for you to AUDITION. Only your ears will tell you which you like best.

Scott
 
That's the thing... Most of the time, questions like the one you posted don't help any...

Sometimes, it'll help you narrow-down the many options out there, but most of the time, it just adds a bunch of other options you weren't even aware of and then you become overwhelmed!

By the way, the C3 does NOT sound like the C1.

Out of the ones mentioned, I'd consider and look further into:

V77
TB1
T3
KSM32
NTK

P.S. I haven't heard the TB1 or NTK myself.
 
thats the reason i ask u you guys, cuz I live in the Philippines, i can't test it.. i don't know any store (i don't think there's one) that sells condenser mic.. i'm goin to have to order it thru the internet without testing it.. i just need a mic to record hiphop/r&b music (vocals).. it's going to be hook to either

1. Aardvark Direct Pro Q10
or
2. M-Audio Delta 1010 with Grace Note (or Aphex) pre amp..

i guess that should narrow down my question..
my budget should go from $400-$600,,
 
Well, if you don't know what any of these mics sound like . . . and there's no way for you to test them out first . . .

then my initial thought is to stay away from something highly colored, and try and gravitate towards something that sounds good on a lot of different voices. Go with something safe.

From my experience, the KSM32 tends to be very neutral, and it's a good starting point for most voices. There's not a lot of voices that will sound "stellar" with it, but there's nothing I can think of that would sound particularly bad with it either.

Basically, what you would have is a very high-quality reproduction of your voice, which you could then tweak or spice up with EQ and/or compression if needed. It's a pretty safe choice.

Another safe choice, especially for hip-hop / R&B, would be the SM7, which I mentioned earlier. So far I've used it, I believe, on every rapper who's come in here, and it's always done well. Can't remember it ever sounding bad.

And either one would probably sound really professional plugged in to a Grace 101. If I had to to pick two mics and a pre to take with me to a vocal session, and I didn't know what their voice sounded like or how it would match up with the mics ahead of time . . . then those would probably be the two mics I'd take, and the Grace would be a good choice for it as well.

Good luck in your search.
 
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