I read somewhere around here about a Shure SM-58 and I remebered I need a good mic to record sound effects (drops in water, rolling coins...) but I don't know much about sound hardware. Can you name some of the best microphones? I googled about this and found some big companies like Sony, but I'd like to know some opinions. I'm not talking about thousands of dollars equipment, ofcourse, just about maximum a few hundred. And do I realy need a powerful sound card for recording? I currently have an onboard sound card... Thanks!

the sm58 is a great mic, but its not the mic you are looking for if you want to record sfx. The sm58 is more geared towards live performance for singers and some like it for micing under a snare (with a sm57 on top of the snare as well)

I think the best bet for a beginner would be to go to your local guitar store (guitar center , Sam Ash) and talk to those guys about what you want to do and what your budget is. They will have a decent selection for you at your price level. And you can demo them...always important IMO.

Also make sure that you have a way to interface your mic to whatever you are recording with. Most mics above radio shack level come with an XLR connector. If your recording gear does not have an xlr (like a pc) you will need to get somthing to go inbetween.

Microphone choice is largely dependant on the sound you wish to record. As for the "best all-round mic for sound effects", that title probably goes to the venerable Sennheiser MKH416t. Most of the commercial sound effects libraries out there have been recorded using this old Film/TV workhorse. They're rugged enough to take into the field, but sensitive enough to capture subtle clothes rustles and room tones. They also cost a small fortune.

The Shure SM-58, as Alter Demise pointed out, was designed for up-close live vocal work. The high self-noise and low sensitivity (it's a dynamic mic after all) means that any subtle foley effects will be burried in mic hiss. The frequency response on the SM-58 is specifically tailored towards vocal recording, unlike the SM-57 which is intended for instrument applications. On the plus side, both the 57 and 58 are great mics to have on hand, combining low cost with a reputation for being nigh-indestructable. These are quite usefull in high-SPL situations (eg. gunshots) or wherever the mic will be in harm's way (eg. taped to the exhause manifold of a speeding car).

Don't be afraid to rent the gear. Most larger pro-audio dealerships will have rental departments, allowing you to get to know the various mics available without springing for them outright. If you're looking for field-portable sound effects recording gear, call up the local film/video production rental companies and look into one of the new solid-state recorders (eg. Fostex FR-2, Sound Devices 722). Not only are they brilliant portable studio solutions, but they'll let you copy the recordings directly into the computer via USB (thus bypassing the terrible input quality found on most consumer sound cards).

The bottom line is that you can either buy the gear you can afford or rent the gear you want. Either option has its pro's and con's, but with rental you don't wind up with a mic cabinet full of ill-advised investments.