hey, i have been recently intrigued by sound design and recording, etc, and was thinking about trying my hand at it. problem is, i don't have a decent microphone... and since i'm a tightwad, i didn't want to spend more than about $50 for it. basically my questions are: 1. What quality microphone can i get for around that price? 2. any suggestions on what i should buy?

It really depends on what you are going to be recording. If you want to mic guitar and bass amps, and pretty much anything else, and get away with vocals to, you could try an SM57. It is pretty much an industry workhorse, from what I understand. I use mine for pretty much anything I need. But, they are a bit more than 50 (I bet you could get a new one for 70-80).

I second the SM 57, or even the SM 58.

Yup, SM57 is my suggestion as well but not so much the SM58, because although it has the same capsule the grill makes it sound less good imo, but if you use the SM57 for vocals i'd suggest a pop filter (and since you're a tightwad, i'd suggest building it yourself). if you want one for less than $50, get a used one. if you're lucky you might even get the Unidyne III version.

If you are an *extreme* cheapskate, get a panasonic WM-61A omni back electret capsule and build your own microphone http://www.linkwitzlab.com/sys_test.htm#Mic

Isnt the shure mic you all are mentioning more for live sound and stage applications? I havent owned one and may be completly wrong. You mentioned you dont have a decent microphone well I'm not sure if you can get a decent one for under $50 just mediocre ones (though that shure mic is very well supported and in lots of text books). If you just want to get started going cheap isnt a bad idea but saving up a little bit might be a good idea because there is a noticable difference when you get to the 100-150 dollar range. Save a little more and you can get a good condenser mic for $200 even though I know thats far out of your budget if you are doing vocals (other than screaming) and acoustic instruments it will give you a much better sound. Head to a music store near you and talk to the guy who knows stuff about mics, it's always helpful to talk to someone face to face about gear.

Quote: Original post by JimWelch
Isnt the shure mic you all are mentioning more for live sound and stage applications?

The SM57 an absolute studio staple for electric guitar and snare drums, and it does work pretty well for vocals. Coincidentally I was playing with one last night, and it works better on my voice than my LDC (Large Diaphragm Condenser), which cost about five times more.
For around €50 it's about the most "high profile" mic you can buy. There are nicer mics, like a Neumann M146, but then that mic is about €4000 :-P

Ah microphones...beautiful beautiful microphones. Sure, I could endorse the 57/58's or some AudioTechnica's, or the new sennheiser "e" series...but what do you have in the way of an interface? More specifically, a cheap mic can sound great in a good pre-amp, but through a crappy pre-amp (like every onboard sound pre is) a crappy mic will sound like a crappy mic.

What would you be running the mic through before it gets to your machine?

Tony

First, it is agreed: The cheapest respectable mic you could get is an SM57/58. These are, of course, professional mic's and have XLR connectors. Assuming you don't have a good mic pre or any other professional audio gear, don't worry about the quality of the mic.

[Since you're new, understand that professiona audio folks generally consider $100 the bare minimum to spend on a mic, $1000 is probably about average, and most professional studios have at least one $3500 mic, so asking for a good $50 mic is like saying you want really good speakers and then going to WallMart to find them: It just ain't gonna happen.]

If you're just experimenting, then go to Radio Shack and get whatever. Microphones under $50 are probably all equally crappy. That being said, make up for the lack of gear with creativity. If you find that you want to put more money in it, check back and see what kind of gear folks are using. Don't worry about quality so much right now.

Have fun!

MXL makes some shockingly good condensers for under $100 - www.mxlmics.com. MusiciansFriend has a deal where you can get an MXL 990 (large diaphragm - good for voice) and 991 (cylinder/pencil - good for acoustic instruments, esp. guitar) bundled together for like $99. Separately, you can get the MXL 990 for about $50-$60, and I don't know if they sell the 991 separately as a single (I think they only have 991s as a pair). The bundle is a fantastic deal because not only are you getting condenser mics, which generally have much greater precision/detail/response than dynamic ones (like the SM57), but you'd also get two very different yet complementary mics for less than $100. Combine that with a cheap Behringer mixer (in the ~$60 range, yet still surprisingly good quality) and you've got a pro-level recording solution that's extremely versatile, gives you tons of options, and will last you through several studio upgrades. Recording with both these mics at the same time (in stereo) gives a warmth, depth, and precision that rivals equipment in the $2000 range.

The SM57's advantage though is that as a single mic, it is absolutely the staple of the recording studio; everyone has it, and it's always useful for something (recording a snare, recording a guitar amp, hammering a nail when you don't have a toolbox handy) ((seriously, it's that durable!)). It's a dynamic mic and won't necessarily need a preamp or mixer (like the MXL condensers would), but the downside is that it's not as detailed as a condenser. So basically it just comes down to planning out what you're actually gonna do with these lovely phallic symbols. ;-)


My personal recommendation is that no matter which you decide on, don't go lower than the SM57 - anything less than that will be a waste of money in the long run.... EXCEPT THIS:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/OnStage-Stands-MS7510-Mic-Pro-Pak?sku=270619

For $19.99, you get a passable mic stand, passable mic cord, and passable dynamic mic with clip included. This deal is so cheap that the cord and stand alone pays for itself, then on top of that you get a reasonably good microphone with it. Not much excuse to pass up on this offer, I got it in addition to the MXL 990/991 pair just for the extra stand! :-)

Right on Roget. I have the MXL 990. I paid 49$ for it a while back, and it is really pretty nice. Could be used for voice work.