best cheap mic(s) for acoustic / vocal recording?

Am Donnerstag, 12. April 2007 schrieb Fons Adriaensen:
> On Wed, Apr 11, 2007 at 11:59:26PM +0200, Robin Gareus
wrote:
> > Paul Winkler wrote:
> > > I'm not a fan of the C1000. Here's an
interesting post about why it
> > > sometimes works fine and sometimes is awful:
> > > http://groups.google.com/group/rec.audio.
pro/browse_thread/thread/eab8c
> >
>6400a4f4fa0/369fcee1b26201ba?lnk=st&q=&rnum=1&am
p;hl=en#369fcee1b26201ba
> I've been reading the thread referred to above, and if
you ask me
> it's just load of nonsense presented as informed
opinion. This is
> quite common in audio reviews these days.
> The same reasoning can be used for any microphone.
Sometimes it will
> have exactly the frequency response you require and
sometimes not.
> That's about all there is to it.

I did only a quick scan of some of the comments but I
thought exactly the 
same: Every mic will sound good in one position and bad in
another. It all 
depends on placing the mics (relative to the instruments).
You can love or hate mics for their quality or their sound
buts that is 
something different and in case of the sound something very
personal.

> Indeed the C1000 has some boost at the top end. So what
? In many
> cases that is what you need, and if you don't you can
just use some
> gentle EQ to remove it. Or are we still living in the
1950's ??

Having more sound at the top-end to EQ away is also good to
reduce noise...

Have a nice day,

Arnold
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On 4/12/07, Paul Winkler <pw_listsslinkp.com> wrote:
> For vocals, I like my MXL V67G and my Sennheiser 421.
>
> For acoustic guitar I don't currently have a mic I
really like.  The
> V67G is tolerable, as is the 421, as is my MXL V57
(flatter mids than
> the V67 but more harsh on top).  But none of them are
really ideal for
> guitar.  I've heard the small-diaphragm MXL 603 is a
good value, they
> go for around $100, I've been meaning to try that.  For
$200 or so you
> could also check out the AKG 535 which doubles as a
very very nice
> handheld mic.
>
> I still want to find a good small-diaphgragm condenser.
Or maybe some
> ribbon mics, yum.
>

Thaks for all the great info and ideas! From prices here in
Australia
the MXL's seem like a good idea. The Octava's get great
reviews but
seem hard to find and pretty expensive here. The review of
the 603
http://www.mojopie.co
m/603.html is glowing and they are REALLY cheap!
;) I'm not sure to get 2 603's for stereo recording  ($150!)
or the
MXL2001 and 603 for $150 too. 2 small diaphragm or one of
each? Guess
i also have to ask mic pre or mixer? I don't need a mixer
for anything
else... so i'm thinking seperate mic pre. Is solid state or
tube
better at the cheap end? A few companies seem to have $100
tube mic
pre's.

Loki
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Loki Davison wrote:

> Guess
> i also have to ask mic pre or mixer? I don't need a
mixer for anything
> else... so i'm thinking seperate mic pre. Is solid
state or tube
> better at the cheap end? A few companies seem to have
$100 tube mic
> pre's.

I use an 8 channel Behringer MX-802A, which I don't think in
production now.

the Behringer Xenyx 802 looks as if it may fit your needs,
but I don't 
know anything about shipping down under.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behr
inger-Xenyx-802?sku=631263

-- 
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Am Donnerstag, 12. April 2007 schrieb Phil Sexton:
> Loki Davison wrote:
> > Guess
> > i also have to ask mic pre or mixer? I don't need
a mixer for anything
> > else... so i'm thinking seperate mic pre. Is solid
state or tube
> > better at the cheap end? A few companies seem to
have $100 tube mic
> > pre's.
> I use an 8 channel Behringer MX-802A, which I don't
think in production
> now.
> the Behringer Xenyx 802 looks as if it may fit your
needs, but I don't
> know anything about shipping down under.

I wouldn't even think about them! They are just _cheap_
copies of 
Mackie-mixers.

I would opt for a mic-preamp from presonus or maybe alesis
or something like 
that. But do yourself a favor and stay away from the newer
behringer mixer 
series...

Arnold

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>  Guess
> i also have to ask mic pre or mixer? I don't need a
mixer for anything
> else... so i'm thinking seperate mic pre. Is solid
state or tube
> better at the cheap end? A few companies seem to have
$100 tube mic
> pre's.

The preamps in cheap mixing consoles are generally very
poor. Standalone 
preamp is definitely a better idea. I mean something like
M-audio DMP3 (two 
channel solid state, great for stereo recordings) quite or
Studio Projects 
VTB-1 (one channel solid state + tube). 

Regards,

Ctirad
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>  Guess
> i also have to ask mic pre or mixer? I don't need a
mixer for anything
> else... so i'm thinking seperate mic pre. Is solid
state or tube
> better at the cheap end? A few companies seem to have
$100 tube mic
> pre's.

The preamps in cheap mixing consoles are generally very
poor. Standalone 
preamp is definitely a better idea. I mean something like
M-audio DMP3 (two 
channel solid state, great for stereo recordings) quite or
Studio Projects 
VTB-1 (one channel solid state + tube). 

Regards,

Ctirad
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Ken Restivo wrote:

> I bought an MXL-990 and tried it out, and didn't like
it, so I sold it. But, as has been pointed out by several
folks in this thread, that may have more to do with my not
knowing what I was doing.

They require 48V phantom power and should be "warmed
up" for about 15 
minutes with the phantom power on.

My elderly ears (I am 67) can't tell the difference between
them and my 
AKG C3000B mics, except the AKGs don't seem to need the
warmup time.

-- 
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Hash: SHA1

On Fri, Apr 13, 2007 at 01:05:39AM +1000, Loki Davison
wrote:
> On 4/12/07, Paul Winkler <pw_listsslinkp.com> wrote:
> >For vocals, I like my MXL V67G and my Sennheiser
421.
> >
> >For acoustic guitar I don't currently have a mic I
really like.  The
> >V67G is tolerable, as is the 421, as is my MXL V57
(flatter mids than
> >the V67 but more harsh on top).  But none of them
are really ideal for
> >guitar.  I've heard the small-diaphragm MXL 603 is
a good value, they
> >go for around $100, I've been meaning to try that. 
For $200 or so you
> >could also check out the AKG 535 which doubles as a
very very nice
> >handheld mic.
> >
> >I still want to find a good small-diaphgragm
condenser. Or maybe some
> >ribbon mics, yum.
> >
> 
> Thaks for all the great info and ideas! From prices
here in Australia
> the MXL's seem like a good idea. The Octava's get great
reviews but
> seem hard to find and pretty expensive here. The review
of the 603
> http://www.mojopie.co
m/603.html is glowing and they are REALLY cheap!
> ;) I'm not sure to get 2 603's for stereo recording 
($150!) or the
> MXL2001 and 603 for $150 too. 2 small diaphragm or one
of each? Guess
> i also have to ask mic pre or mixer? I don't need a
mixer for anything
> else... so i'm thinking seperate mic pre. Is solid
state or tube
> better at the cheap end? A few companies seem to have
$100 tube mic
> pre's.
> 

I bought an MXL-990 and tried it out, and didn't like it, so
I sold it. But, as has been pointed out by several folks in
this thread, that may have more to do with my not knowing
what I was doing.

- -ken
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> Thread hijack so i changed the name... I want to record
acoustic
> guitar and vocals. Price limit is < AUD$300 so i'm
thinking of 2
> behringer c-2's ($75!!) and stereo mic pre or a single
SM Pro mic 1
> condenser and pre. Are cheap condensers better than
sm57/58 of the
> same price? Any recommendations?

I've gotten really nice acoustic guitar results from my Rode
NT1 large
diaphragm condenser, and I hear the Rode NT1-A is even
better.  For a
cheap condenser, it's very nice.  I think you can get it for
around $200
USD.  Rode is an Australian company, so maybe they are even
cheaper
there.  Maybe you can find a used NT1 somewhere, and a used
SM-58 for
vocals if you record both at the same time.  Otherwise the
NT1 works
great for vocals, too.

vic

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On 4/13/07, Victor Roetman <vroetmanmyrealbox.com> wrote:
>
> > Thread hijack so i changed the name... I want to
record acoustic
> > guitar and vocals. Price limit is < AUD$300 so
i'm thinking of 2
> > behringer c-2's ($75!!) and stereo mic pre or a
single SM Pro mic 1
> > condenser and pre. Are cheap condensers better
than sm57/58 of the
> > same price? Any recommendations?
>
> I've gotten really nice acoustic guitar results from my
Rode NT1 large
> diaphragm condenser, and I hear the Rode NT1-A is even
better.  For a
> cheap condenser, it's very nice.  I think you can get
it for around $200
> USD.  Rode is an Australian company, so maybe they are
even cheaper
> there.  Maybe you can find a used NT1 somewhere, and a
used SM-58 for
> vocals if you record both at the same time.  Otherwise
the NT1 works
> great for vocals, too.
>
> vic

>

Rode mic's are way more expensive than that here. about 5
times a mxl
603!  One of these http://www.smproau
dio.com/PR4v.htm seems like the
mic pre for the job. Though the local shop had them at way
more than
RRP and wasn't keen to sell them to me. SM pro are a
melbourne company
though so i might be able to pester them directly for a
better price.
Anyone used there gear?

Loki
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