OK, I need a mic to capture sounds with to make samples and, thus sound effects. So I need suggestions for some mics I may want to look into. The absolute most I''m hoping to have to spend is about $250 US.

take a trip to your local guitar center and pick up a unidirectional voice mic, or an instrument mic.. an instrument mic might be better for certain things.. like slamming doors, etc.. you may want to talk to the people there so that they can recommend the optimal model.. i''d go with a Shure. then there''s the problem of interfacing.. studio mics use the 5pin mic interface, so you''ll have to get a converter for 1/4" phono and then convert that to 1/8" phono to plug into mic in. don''t use line in, line in is stereo. of course none of this is a problem if you actually have some equipment already, i.e. a mixing board and possibly recording equipment.

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Float like a butterfly, bite like a crocodile.

It depends what sounds you want to capture. Different mikes get different ranges. The Shure is a decent mike for general sounds but it depends to an extent on where you are going to get them from. If you will be creating them in a studio then that''s cool, but if you want to capture them from outside a studio then you will need something more multi-directional (and portable). If you are on a limited budget then you can always go with a mini-disc recorder and mike. These pick up sounds really well and (with the exception of the background noise) have good quality. If you have Sound Forge (or something similar) you can clean up the sounds by using various noise gates and EQ settings. With just a little bit of playing around you can create a really clear, clean sound that would be acceptable in a professional situation.