whats the best mic in a $300 dollar price range?

[MicFlo]

also whats the best pre-amp in a $300 price range?...



im trying to get a studio, that will get me proffesional quality, good enough to be put on a cd, and be sold, without the quality being jacked


i plan on getting a delta44 soundcard....


but i need, to know what kind of mic, and pre-amp


i would appreciate it..

thanx

pz

 

[Gidge]

what are you miking?

 

[jonathanl]

Mics in the $300 range?

There are many answers for this, but here's a couple of them:

Audio Technica AT3035 ($199 with free cable and mic stand/pop filter (depending where you get it)

Any of the non-tube Studio Project mics like the B1 ($80), C1 ($199)..

As for pres:

in your price range, the Audiobuddy or even the Behringer UltraGain (I think that's the name)...

otherwise, save up an extra $200 for the RNP or the Grace 101!

 

[tubedude]

Sennheiser MD-441 used from ebay, $250-$300, flat out best buy for vocals, guitars and snare.

RNP, at under $250/channel, cant be beat yet.

This is your smartest route, but its your life.

Peace.

 

[tubedude]

There are 3 441's I see right off on ebay right now... one with a $329 buy-it-now, the other with a $350 BIN...

Let me tell you why this mic is your 1st choice...
Hand built throughout... yes, hand built. Excellent quality.
Top quality components all the way through... you can hear it when you stack em up. This mic makes a difference.
Real German engineering...
Buying one for $300 now will resale in two years for $300.
And... it looks crazy. Crazy mics are cool.

Drawbacks... if a capsule goes bad or it needs service, Sennheiser will try to rape your virgin butthole to service it. Plan on spending as much as the mic costed you in the 1st place, or more. But, its an $800 mic new. Makes sense I guess.

 

[Tomcat]

I presently have two "$300 mics". The first one I got is a Shure KSM27 which is a good mic and I like it a lot. The second one I got just last tuesday and it's a Studio Projects TB-1 tube mic and I LOVE IT!!!!!! It is now my vocal mic of choice, although I have NO intention of getting rid of the KSM27. I paid $270 for the KSM27 at GC and $300 for the TB-1 at a Studio Projects dealer in Portland, Oregon (Brownell Sound).

I wasn't unhappy with the KSM27 but I keep reading about tube mics so I decided to try the only one in my price range and I'm really glad I did. I have NO intention of ever taking the TB-1 outside my studio whereas I certainly would take the KSM27 on location. If I could only have one of them. it would be the TB-1.

Tom

 

[Henri Devill]

Used mic..I think Tubedudes suggestion is a good one..I always look around for used mics first before I spend..For example if I was looking for a AT4050 theres a store here that has one used for 400.00 and change..Mic is mint{salesmens sample}nice mic, good price..Now if that mic was a 300.00 dollar mic..it would be about 200.00..I've bought a AT 4033 for 199.00 used and paid over 340.00 w. tax new for the same mic..and same for a Shure SM81...used is good, better if you can try it out before you buy....good luck


Don

 

[chessparov]

Mic, here are some questions that'll help me give you further info;

1) What kind of material are you recording?
2) Do you already have a compressor? If so what kind?
(especially important when you "close mike")
3) Is your voice prone to sibilance and/or popping the mike?
(like me)
4) How would you catagorize your voice type and style?
5) Do you already have any vocal microphones?

Chris

P.S. With a budget of $600 you could consider a good condenser
AND a good dynamic microphone normally.

 

[Middleman]

I picked up a Rodes NTK recently for $385. Great tube mic.

 

[frist44]

The answer would probably depend upon the kind of stuff you were recording.

I agree with the dynmic selection of the sennheiser, but wouldn't you think with a budget like that, he would be much better off with a sm-57 and a B1 or something like that. That would cover just about all angles of instruments, assuming you're doing rock.

Hold out for the RNP, it will cover everything very nicely.

And then in the pot for the mic, you can take the rest and put it towards an RNC.

Brandon

 

[tubedude]

Do I think he would be better off with an SM57 and a B1?
Nope.
But thats just me. I would rather have one great, versatile, use-almost-on-anything mic than 2 average ones, but again, thats just me. The difference is in the clean high end electronics and the open sound you'll get when you start layering. Add to that the RNP and the difference will be quite obvious over a 57 and a Behringer.
The cheapo mics cant have expensive guts, or they wont be cheapo anymore. Ya know? Buy used.

 

[c9-2001]

i might get flamed for this but half of you have never even tried the mic...
the PPA ld2ube
www.PacificProaudio.com
at $300 its a great mic.. i've used it and had great results..plus ppa said if you don't like it.. send it back with in 30 days and get all your money back.... i used one vs a akg solid tube.. blew it away.. i also used it vs a ksm44 and a 4047.. the ppa is a great mic and if you don't like it.. you get all your money back.. its worth looking into

 

[cavedog101]

tubedude nailed it...m-441..good,maybe great, on almost everything recordable....rnp...best value without question...these would become a great starting point for a studio...their quality and sound would certainly stear you away from future purchases of pure crap

 

[chessrock]

* Shure SM7-B

* Rode NT1000

* Audio Technica 4040

 

[chessparov]

What kind of mike is "best" will depend largely on the type of questions I
posted above as this is really an application inquiry.

Chris

P.S. SM57 + RNC is known as an excellent professional vocal combo BTW.
If ya don't believe it, just ask Fletcher or Harvey.

 

[chessparov]

Just remembered...
Sometimes there is an issue with older 441's in that their connections
(tantalus) start degrading, causing them to lose some high end.
Typically this occurs 10+ years from date of manufacture.
(above per RAP posts)

That was one reason I choose their arch rival, the Beyer M88TG,
as my main dynamic vocal mike. The other is you can get one in excellent
condition for under $200 if you're patient-less $$ than the 441.
Plus it can be used as a hand held mike for live performance.

Good enough to sell millions of records for Phil Collins BTW.

Chris

 

[Chasedog]

I recently purchased a S.E. Electronics vocal mic and I've been very happy with it. It was around $350 but the sound quality is up there with the Neumann U87.

S. E. Electronics Z3300 is the model.

 

[c9-2001]

I recently purchased a S.E. Electronics vocal mic and I've been very happy with it. It was around $350 but the sound quality is up there with the Neumann U87.

S. E. Electronics Z3300 is the model.

no its not.. i've used almost every SE brand mic.. the z5600 isn't even on the quality lines of a u87..the z series mics are nice budget mic.. but its not neumann u87 quality.. i had a se5000 it it blows the z3300 away and it didn't sound as good,smooth or have the overall clarity of a u87

Chasedog, do you find the z3300 to be rather bright? it was when i used it on some female singers..

 

[MicFlo]

ight thanx apprecate it

i been lookin at shureksm27...


oh im recording rap/hiphop...my voice is kinda highpitch/medium... ya kno, i want to have ill quality when i make my album..but NO TOOOOO much money, nah mean....



thanx appreciate..


uppin

 

[jslator]

It was around $350 but the sound quality is up there with the Neumann U87.

Can't people be creative enough to come up with another mic to say their cheap Chinese knockoff is just as good as? Why is it always the U87? Why not: "My Behringer B1 sounds just like a Brauner VM1 KHE for a fraction of the price!" or maybe "The Superlux CM-H8A is every bit as good as the Manley Reference Gold for thousands less!" Doesn't that sound much more interesting?