Which Condensor Microphone?

[noisedude]

Sometimes I think there are too many companies that sell cheap Chinese made budget mics...

I think I know where you're coming from. There are so many mics in the lower price bracket that I'm starting to think you can't reccomend good ones, only direct away from bad ones. The Samson CO1, for example, is IMHO a stinker - but having decided not to get that one there are so so many alternatives I wouldn't know where to head next. Draw one out of a hat and see what you think. People are raving about CAD, SP and SE Electronics, not in equal measure but with equal vitriol. Just don't get a turkey!

 

[mrface2112]

<< Sometimes I think there are too many companies that sell cheap Chinese made budget mics... >>

part of me (the eager consumer who just wants to BUY something NOW), would agree with you. it's easy to have no idea what's crap and what's not, at least, not without doing some research.

now, the capitalist in me, who likes variety and competition in the marketplace, LOVES the fact that there's a lot to choose from. i think people SHOULD research their purchases, be it a mic, car or house. and competition only serves to bring the price of good down, and that's great for the consumer.

example: it was only what, 3 years ago, that the v67 was selling for $200+? Now it's $99? people were raving about it then (at $200+) as a great bargain, so what's that make it now? it's a decently solid (yet ugly!) mic at a great pricepoint.


<< sometimes they even sell the same (or almost the same) mic with just a different make, model number and etc. >>

this is true, but it's unavoidable. just look at cars--Chevy and GM have the same cars with different names (and hence different features and performance).....as do dodge and chrysler, etc. i really consider this to be not all that different an animal.

and even though a lot of these mics LOOK the same, they sure don't sound the same. minor changes in grille material/spacing, mic body resonance, etc., will all have an impact on the sound of the mic. like with all mics, you've just gotta find the one that works for you, regardless of what everyone else says or thinks about that particular mic.

i think it was chessrock that said something like "if your voice sounds great on a cheap chinese mic, that's great for you--i wish we all had that problem." i can't help but agree.


cheers,
wade

 

[flesh5thdog]

So basically...if I like the way I sound with the mic that I buy, It's all good.

 

[DJL]

So basically...if I like the way I sound with the mic that I buy, It's all good.

Yes, but you won't know which mic you really like the most untill you've auditioned them all or at least as many mics as you can... and the rest of your audio chain, monitors, the room your recording in and etc, will all paly a part in how you like it or not.

 

[pdadda]

Never tried the SP B1. Mics I have tried for vocals are Behringer B1, Samson C01, Audix OM2, Sm57, SM58. Out of those I like the Behringer the best. If you can, DEFINITELY try out a few first. I have heard Beh B1's that don't sound nearly as good as mine.
I'm sure no mic will be superb at $100, but you will learn a ton. Plus, recording is just freaking fun. Best of luck with your purchase.

 

[cyberal]

some mic questions

I'm also in the same boat. I recently decided to invest in a small home studio. I have purchased the Tascam us-122 and am now in the market for a good condensor mic. I've looked at the Behringer B1 and the SP B1. Originally I was looking at the MXL 990 mic. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the MXL 990 mic. I've read some reviews and apparently it is a very versatile mic. I'll be using the mic for mostly acoustic guitar and vocals. My voice is mid range but more hi than low and my guitar style tends to have a lot of low bass strings that ring in the background. I had pretty much decided on the MXL 990 but the bass rolloff switch on the Behringer B1 seemed very attractive. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated!
cheers,
al.

 

[cominginsecond]

If you are looking for a mic in the bargain basement, I'd go with the B1.

However, I don't recommend you get any of those mics if it means you don't get a good mic. Save up your money and get a decent workhorse mic like a Shure KSM32 or AT4040. You won't regret it.

 

[Innovations]

I too was about to recommend the B1 until you said that you just wanted it for vocals. (is this just your own vocals? If so what is your vocal range, color and style?) In other words the B1 is a generalist, and a darn good value for one. However if you have a specific purpose you don't have to go with a generalist, you could go for a specialist, a mic tailored for your need. The first one that comes to mind as an inexpensive vocal condenser is the MXL V67G, but with some details on your voice it would be possible to get more specific still.

 

[still4given]

You can here a Studio Projects B1 on voice and acoustic here. "I Come To A Mountain"

It is an Ovation Balladeer just worn on a strap and standing in front of the B1 with no shock mount. Then the vocals were recorded at about 10" away through a pop filter. No EQ was added. This was done for a friend who was wanting to buy one.

Warning; Christian lyrics.

Blessings, Terry

 

[noiseportrait]

Bottom line:

The Studio Projects B1 is a better mic than the Behringer B1, but both of them suck on most voices. You are much better off getting a CAD m177 or an MXL v67g. And remember, it is always a good idea to try before you buy.

 

[4-Man Takedown]

I'm sure you won't go wrong with whatever you get man. You're probably not gonna be able to audition all of them, so just grab one up for cheap and start recording.

If you could, I'd say try to save for a bit longer and go with something in the $200 range, like a CAD M179, or something else with multiple patterns so you'll have more experience with stuff like that.

Just don't fret about it too much, you're gonna love your first condensor. I got two samson C01's for dirt cheap, I friggin love em.

 

[cyberal]

mxl 990

thanks for the prompt reply guys,

I really like the mxl 990 and from what I've read on it I can barely ever find a bad review. It has a nice large diaphragm and I really like the old vintage style (jeff buckley fan). id like to try out the Behringer B1 and compare the 2. Also, how handy is the bass roll off switch?

some reviews i looked at are:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Recording/Data/MXL/990-01.html
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/2950

the actual mic is here:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/s=mics/search/detail/base_pid/273156/

I also ran across a pretty cool german site that does a lot of mic tests:

http://testing.holmerup.biz/mic_pretest/ (switch to english at top left)

As for my vocal qualities its kind of hard to objectify myself and describe it. Maybe I'll post some of the crappy recordings I've done on my website. I'd say my voice is kinda in the range of Elliot Smith. I cover Radiohead pretty well. I also like doing some Tim Buckley covers if anyone is familiar. I'm not sure how else to describe it. I'll post one of my songs when i get home.

If anyone has heard or knows anything about the MXL 990, I'd really appreciate it, as I got the music store here in Toronto (Steve's) trying to get me one.

 

[cyberal]

note

i should also mention that I'm not just using it for vocals. it will mostly be vocals with acoustic guitar, possibly electric guitar (which i might not mic) and definately some jembe!

 

[crazydoc]

...It has a nice large diaphragm....

It doesn't have a large diaphragm - it's 20mm diameter. Large diaphragm is generally in the 25mm or greater range.

I replaced the capsule in a 990 with the capsule from an Oktava 219 which helped de-emphasize the harsh quality of the 990 on my voice.

 

[cyberal]

ahhh i see. do you like the 990 otherwise? what type of voice do you have? when you say a harsh quality..what exactly do you mean. I really like the 990 and wanna make sure it is versatile enough to take on acoustic guitar/jembe/and vocals.

 

[crazydoc]

I suppose the harsh quality could be from an emphasis on frequencies around the 5k-10k range. There may be frequency spikes that don't show on their published curves (which are never to be trusted.) My voice is a tenor/baritone singing folk/traditional music - not a good voice in any case.

I would steer you away from the 990 - the only thing it has going for it is looks - sort of the Britney Spears of mics. If you need a versatile mic, then I'd definitely recommend the SP B1 - although it may not excel on any one thing, it will do a good job on most, and will probably be a mic you still use for some applications even if you get better mics.

I don't know anything about djembe.

 

[cyberal]

thx for your time,
greatly appreciated...ill check out that sp b1 mic. do you figure the mxl is just poor in quality ?

 

[noisedude]

Can't comment on the mic in question, but the Microphone FAQ is always worth a look-in - http://www.hr-faq.org

 

[crazydoc]

thx for your time,
greatly appreciated...ill check out that sp b1 mic. do you figure the mxl is just poor in quality ?

No, the quality of construction seems fine. Some people seem to like it for certain applications - mic'ing amped guitar IIRC. Most don't like it for voice. It apparently has the same capsule as the MXL603, but the accoustics of its chamber and grillework make it less than ideal for accoustic guitar.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Eeldip gave you a very good rundown of the mics that are out there in the specified price range. I also don't like the B-1 on my voice, but for some voices, like Chessparov, it apparently works. Eeldip mentioned the Oktava Mk319. There are a few floating around Guitar Center for about $99. I like the Oktava a whole lot, and I have some lady singer friends who do, too. Between the B-1 and the B-1, I'd choose Studio Projects if only for the customer service.-Richie