Why?

[Slowrider]

...do people think you have to spend megabucks for a damn microphone? You spend most of your life on stage and you will see people making amazing music, and they do NOT spend most of their pay on microphones. They're only a TOOL and no amount of money or bragging rights will ever make them a better singer. I've had singers sound like they were using a $ 20,000 mic, using a Shure SM 58. Money spent on brand names do NOT make you a better singer....OR musician.

 

[sdelsolray]

True, better gear doesn't immediately improve one as a musician, but it helps with the journey.

Do you have a problem if someone buys expensive microphones? Because if you do, it's really none of your business, so you need to relax and take care of yourself.

 

[Slowrider]

Opinion stated.

 

[Track Rat]

If Mr Microphone can capture your mojo, boogie on.

 

[Big Kenny]

If Mr Microphone can capture your mojo, boogie on.

But you'll never get it back and we've seen what a man without a mojo looks like haven't we?

I agree, use what you like, I like expensive mics.

 

[chessrock]

I kind of agree, to a small extent.

At least in the sense that it's pretty obvious that most people who buy expensive mics have no real need for them.

If you base yourself in reality, it's probably a given that 99.9% of us will never sing on a track that will garner any more attention than a bar owner evaluating whether he/she should take a chance and have your band come in on an off-night ... or a bunch of "friends" listening to low-fi MP3s on myspace.

Even those of us who get paid for our production efforts ... about 99% of our "clients'" end products will wind up in the affore-mentioned bar owners' boom box, or the myspace friends' computer speakers. In which case, the hefty expense of such a tool would be very difficult to justify, even to the pickiest of myspace listeners.

Now if you happen to be one of the select few who are "lucky" enough to be working on a product that will be listened to / purchased by the masses on a lucrative comercial endeavor ... then you will more than likely be producing said product at a comercial recording facility that will be more than well-stocked with their own capable microphone collection. In which case, it would, again, be difficult to justify the purchase of said hi-ticket mic if the studio you're tracking at already has several.

And even if you happen to be an owner / engineer of said recording facility with capable microphone collection ... then you probably have no earthly reason to hang out on a site like this one.

So, at least to that end, I don't particularly see a realistic scenario, based in reality, that would warrant anyone hanging out on a BBS like this one to lay out any more than, say, 200 bucks or so on a mic, to be honest with you. I'm sure there are scenarios that exist, but I would have to be pretty actively creative in order to come up with or otherwise picture such scenarios.

So at least in that sense ... I kind of agree with you, in a way. Although I'm not quite sure I would state it in such blunt or harsh terms.
.

 

[mikeyp62]

I prefer to spend every spare penny on gear because it keeps me broke. That way I don't have to worry about picking up a crack habit. Plus I could always sell the gear for crack if it came down to it. Is that a good enough reason?

 

[gbondo9]

I like spending money on gear because that's what Jesus would do.

 

[gema]

I promise to spend no more than $300 for a mic.

If that's not possible I will just get the mic that is good in the price range there. I set my own limits, so going overboard isn't a problem for me.

But I still drool when I go through Neumann catalogs.

 

[Dogman]

I spend all my money on Expensive Hookers.

And beer.

 

[ofajen]

...do people think you have to spend megabucks for a damn microphone? You spend most of your life on stage and you will see people making amazing music, and they do NOT spend most of their pay on microphones. They're only a TOOL and no amount of money or bragging rights will ever make them a better singer. I've had singers sound like they were using a $ 20,000 mic, using a Shure SM 58. Money spent on brand names do NOT make you a better singer....OR musician.

I understand the point you make from a philosophical point of view. From a practical point of view, many home recording types do aspire at least to make recordings with reasonably high production values. That process is heavily front loaded, as you point out. First comes all the musical values (composition, arrangement, performance, instrument, etc.), then the sonic values of the location (room or other space, treatment), then the choice of mike and location, then preamp and then other stuff thereafter, in order of decreasing importance.

The mike is the physical transducer, and the engineering challenges and limits in accuracy chiefly reside in transducers, where energy is changed from one form to another, rather than in circuits that merely work within the same domain and process a signal.

So, it stands to reason that, if you are seeking a high quality recording, you would want to use the best mike you can, since it is more important that anything downstream, with mike preamps in second place and producing second order differences.

Mikes are made according to the manufacturing tolerances of the production process. Certain capsules can only be made with higher tolerances and all capsules are more consistent and generally more stable if made with higher tolerances. Higher tolerances cost money in terms of labor cost and materials. Many thousands of low cost condenser mikes are sold these days and they generally have a bump in the high frequency response that isn't the sound I prefer.

Because mikes are more important than all that follows, it's better not to skimp there. OTOH, home recordists can quickly reach a point of diminishing returns. In my case, the accurate sound I generally seek can be accomplished quite well with the mikes I have and, with one exception, none of my mikes cost me more than $250.

All in all, your point is well taken, but I still want the best tools I can afford.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[omtayslick]

I like spending money on gear because that's what Jesus would do.

Nope. You're dead wrong! Jesus didn't even spend money on wine. He made his own out of inexpensive water.

 

[5*_PDR_Wizard]

In my case, the accurate sound I generally seek can be accomplished quite well with the mikes I have and, with one exception, none of my mikes cost me more than $250.

Hey...I'm new to recording and have tried the sm-57 and a cheap condensor (shure pg-81). I'm not sure that I like what they do. I'm capable and willing to spend a bit more (your $250 range is reasonable I think) to find something that works better/great.

I'm one of those at home recorders who produces music mostly for myself and need to have the highest possible production value within reason.

My question then is could you list the mics you use in the price range you stated? (and the more expensive one too?) I would like to investigate a few new mics.

Thanks...5*

 

[crazydoc]

I kind of agree, to a small extent.

(snip)

One of the few times you've said anything I agree with.

 

[timboZ]

A $1,500 mic and a crappy mix will still sound like crap.
I know from experience.

 

[ofajen]

I'm capable and willing to spend a bit more (your $250 range is reasonable I think) to find something that works better/great.

I'm one of those at home recorders who produces music mostly for myself and need to have the highest possible production value within reason.

My question then is could you list the mics you use in the price range you stated? (and the more expensive one too?) I would like to investigate a few new mics.

I'm afraid my mike list won't be that helpful, as most were bought used and some are hard to find.

Shure SM-80: omni capsule version of SM-81, discontinued in about 2000, few sold, you can't find 'em.
Shure SM-81: well, that one's easy to find, mine happen to be modded for better transient response.
EV RE-55: discontinued about 2000, hard to find now.

The more expensive mike is the AT 4050.

The SM-80s and RE-55s are omnis. You might want to try the Naiant omni mikes and see if you like what you hear. They will be qualitatively similar, but with slightly higher self-noise. And, they're cheap. Of course, you need a truly quiet space to record in to really benefit from using omnis.

You also might want to look at the SM-81 and its peers: Josephson C-42, Peluso and other mid-priced cardioid SDCs.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[ez_willis]

...do people think you have to spend megabucks for a damn microphone? You spend most of your life on stage and you will see people making amazing music, and they do NOT spend most of their pay on microphones. They're only a TOOL and no amount of money or bragging rights will ever make them a better singer. I've had singers sound like they were using a $ 20,000 mic, using a Shure SM 58. Money spent on brand names do NOT make you a better singer....OR musician.

So what you're saying is you can't afford an expensive mic. Right?

 

[tdukex]

I've had singers sound like they were using a $ 20,000 mic, using a Shure SM 58. Money spent on brand names do NOT make you a better singer....OR musician.

Er...the Shure SM58 is a BRAND name.

This yawwwwwwner of a subject has been done far too many times.

Why does anybody ever spend more money on one piece of merchandise than another when the less expensive item will essentially accomplish the same task? Write a really good book on that subject and maybe you'll make enough money to go out and buy a $20,000 mic you don't need.

 

[5*_PDR_Wizard]

I'm afraid my mike list won't be that helpful, as most were bought used and some are hard to find.

Shure SM-80: omni capsule version of SM-81, discontinued in about 2000, few sold, you can't find 'em.
Shure SM-81: well, that one's easy to find, mine happen to be modded for better transient response.
EV RE-55: discontinued about 2000, hard to find now.

The more expensive mike is the AT 4050.

The SM-80s and RE-55s are omnis. You might want to try the Naiant omni mikes and see if you like what you hear. They will be qualitatively similar, but with slightly higher self-noise. And, they're cheap. Of course, you need a truly quiet space to record in to really benefit from using omnis.

You also might want to look at the SM-81 and its peers: Josephson C-42, Peluso and other mid-priced cardioid SDCs.

Cheers,

Otto

Cool...Thanks for the reply.

I'll look in to the others mentioned.

5*

 

[recordingpro]

...do people think you have to spend megabucks for a damn microphone? You spend most of your life on stage and you will see people making amazing music, and they do NOT spend most of their pay on microphones. They're only a TOOL and no amount of money or bragging rights will ever make them a better singer. I've had singers sound like they were using a $ 20,000 mic, using a Shure SM 58. Money spent on brand names do NOT make you a better singer....OR musician.

ever used really highend mics on a daily basis????? you'd think different if you had