Suggestions For Vocal Microphone Price Range 200-300$

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Decodem

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I've been browsing the forum for the past month and have finally decided to buy a microphone. I have saved up around 200-300$ I am willing to spend on a good microphone, as I already have an m-audio fast track pro. I am looking to record mostly vocals and rapping with the occasional guitar. That being said I am pretty open and appreciative of any suggestions.
 
Take a look at the MXL V67 studio pack with both LDC and SDC units. Inexpensive mics that get a lot of good reviews.
 
The guitar would be acoustic, as I can hook the electric one up to the fast track. If its going to have to sacrifice quality vocally wise to be better for acoustic guitar, I would rather go for a mic that is better on vocals.
 
In an LDC, maybe an Octava MK319. Decent vocal mic and OK on an acoustic guitar.
In a dynamic mic, a Shure SM7B
 
I just bought an AT4040 that I've very impressed with. I'm no recording expert or anywhere close, but I consider it a good value and it sounds really nice.
 
up to and in the $200 - $300 (although as a UK guy i'm more accustomed to £'s, hence the prices below) price range LDC's that would work great on vocals and acoustic guitar;

sE X1 - about £100 - very clean sounding, quite bright in a nice way. have a read of this shootout that sE did on it a while back

MXL 990 - about £80 - ok sounding but it doesn't work for me, although there's plenty of people i know who like it, especially once it's been modded

MXL 990 and 991 pack - about £100

Rode NT1 - £160 - you either love it or hate it, very bright and sharp to my ears but works well as a good all rounder

sE 2200a (old silver one, not the new black one) - £160 - very very versatile, very sweet high end, crisp and cutting without sounding harsh

Apex 460 - £180 - a bit scooped sounding as stock on acoustic guitars but a new tube makes quite a difference. very full sounding and quite smooth

Avantone CK7 - £270 - great all rounder, multiple polar patterns to cover more bases, "classy" sounding

AKG C214 - £290 - crisp, natural, suits a wide range of voices

Blue Spark - £160 - can be a bit thin sounding but the focus button really does help vocals sit at the front of a mix

Please bare in mind this is all just my experience of these mic's and i do have my favourites which work well for what I do but YMMV. All have their own pro's and con's and i'd strongly recommend trying some and listening to as many as you can before spending your hard earned cash
 
Thanks for all the great advice! I unfortunately do not have a place where I can try the mics out, as the music stores near me only have a few selections. I am really tending to lean toward either the sE X1, sE 2200a or the MXL V67. They all seem to be very versatile and all have great reviews. Any help in narrowing down these three options would be great!
 
I've been listening to the sE 2200a and it sounds really good and perfect for what I want to do. Its around 250-300$ Canadian, but I would rather spend more for a more versatile microphone.
 
THIS has been a very useful resource for me in the past as part of the search for mic examples, along with youtube. However, i do suggest taking all the samples on the internet with a pinch of salt and think about how it may sound on your voice. i do appreciate how hard it can be to get out and try mics as, like yourself, the local music stores to me have a very limited selection of mics.

out of the sE X1, 2200a, and MXL V67 i'd say listen and see what you think. they all have subtle differences but will all do a sterling job on vocals and acoustic guitar.

i personally own a 2200a and have the X1 at work and have had great results with both, although the 2200a suited my voice better (hence why i bought two). i've played with MXL V67 a handful of times in a friends studio and had no problems getting good results with it. to my ears the 2200a sounded more well rounded than the mxl but i've also used the 2200a a lot more and know how to get the best out of it but i'm sure i could do the same with mxl given more time with one.
 
The mic will be used for Coldplay type vocals, and occasionally rapping, I am leaning more toward the 2200a because it seems to record well in a bedroom environment. I actually just found a 2200a locally for 170$, sounds like a steal.
 
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I am a firm believer that there is no better LDC for $300 than a Sennheiser MK4! I own that and the MXL v67g also, which is a good mic...but the MK4 sounds a lot better to me!
 
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