What kind of microphone do you use?

[Shhadow74]

I need a microphone and been wondering what everyone else has been using to get their clear voice audio.

I haven't seen any topic about it and don't know if I should buy a microphone for a recording studio or just something from Bestbuy.

Much Appreciated!

[loansindi]

I use an EV dynamic vocal microphone for voice with good success. Pretty much anything you get from Shure or Audix or similar companies will serve you just fine.

With a standard microphone you'll need to get an audio interface to get the most out of the product, I use an m-audio fast track (mine is the old version) for both microphones and direct guitar recording.

I used this setup to record this poem for LibriVox.

[Cross666]

Samsun C01U - USB Studio Condenser Mic

Specs Here

[Offgore]

I use the inside microphone that came with my macbook pro laptop :P

[InGenius]

Behringer B-1 large Condenser microphone through XENYX stock preamps. The preamp is just as important (moreso IMO) as the microphone as a crap mic can still sound decent on a good pre, but a good mic sounds crap on a bad pre. Look for either transparent preamps in your mixer/interface or a high quality stand-alone preamp and a solid microphone with characteristics tailored to suit your specific needs. On the lower price side, my Behringer is a great, very flat mic which lends well to tailoring the sound yourself. On the higher price side look for mics that lend well to the voice you're recording and the style of music you're recording for.

[CogSpin]

Yeti USB mic is epic. THX-certified. Studio-quality.

[Chris-V2]

In b4 Sennheiser SM58.

Seriously, I've used this to nice effect a few times in class projects. It's a legendary mic for a reason- it sounds pretty good.

[jarrydn]

At 1/4/10 01:30 PM, InGenius wrote: The preamp is just as important (moreso IMO) as the microphone as a crap mic can still sound decent on a good pre, but a good mic sounds crap on a bad pre.

I think you might have that the wrong way around buddy...

A U47 through a Behringer or Mackie pre is going to sound a fuckload better than a Radioshack mic through a Neve or SSL desk.

[loansindi]

At 1/4/10 07:58 PM, jarrydn wrote:

At 1/4/10 01:30 PM, InGenius wrote: The preamp is just as important (moreso IMO) as the microphone as a crap mic can still sound decent on a good pre, but a good mic sounds crap on a bad pre.

I think you might have that the wrong way around buddy...

A U47 through a Behringer or Mackie pre is going to sound a fuckload better than a Radioshack mic through a Neve or SSL desk.

Like many things in the audio world, I think people tend to overemphasize the effect of certain things. People will flip out about the wood their guitar is made of and completely disregard the musicality of their amplifier, that sort of thing.

Ultimately, OP:

What microphone you should choose depends on a lot of factors. Such as where you're recording, what you're recording, why you're recording it and what your budget is.

[PeterSatera]

You need a phantom power with this though. I use a mixer. Awesome mic. Stunning clarity for price.

[Usernamemyarse]

MacBook Pro built in, i never use it though.
for drum recording i use a "RØDE" mic, i think its M1, not sure though since its a part os an "official" recording studio (Open every thursday for the public) but since im a good friend of the guy who owns it so i got my own key :D

[Acid-Paradox]

AKG Perception 120

It's a good microphone , and it's pretty cheap too

[Box-Killa]

I use a usb logitec headset thingo for recording lol. Sounds good to me.

[Chronamut]

ZOOM H2 - best handheld mic on the market :P

[loansindi]

At 1/5/10 11:57 AM, Chronamut wrote: ZOOM H2 - best handheld mic on the market :P

Have you actually compared it to other field recorders, or are you just making that up?

[Chronamut]

At 1/5/10 12:14 PM, loansindi wrote:

At 1/5/10 11:57 AM, Chronamut wrote: ZOOM H2 - best handheld mic on the market :P

Have you actually compared it to other field recorders, or are you just making that up?

im just making that up - I think they made a better one already :P

but as far as handheld does - in comparison to quality it is the cheapest for the best quality :)

[InGenius]

jarrydn: I'm talking condenser mic and preamp, not Dynamic. A crap condenser is still 10 times better than a crap dynamic in comparison. And a crap preamp makes a Rode sound like a Radio Shack dynamic because the things which make a preamp crap take all of the sheen off of the expensive nature or the mic, ie. well made and well tested becomes crap because of bad connection sources, faulty transformers, etc. Conversely, I've yet to hear a single condenser mic with the noise problems that craptastic Dynamic mics come up with. I don't think there's a manufacturer out there that would waste the time and money producing such a low quality condenser mic.

So yes, if you want to compare apples to oranges, you're right: a crap dynamic mic would never sound "good" on a Neve. But I was not talking dynamic as I don't really like using dynamics much for studio work. I am of the personal opinion that dynamics are best used for stage, ribbon and condenser for studio. Personal opinion on that one, but you can easily see why.

Again, the Behringer, which a huge contingent of recording engineers would agree is, for all intents and purposes, a "crap" mic, sounds quite nice through my pre and sounds even better through a quality tube pre; but an ART 20$ special tube pre could make a Rode K2 or NTA-2 sound like crap because of the piss-poor manufacturing specs on the average ART low-end merchandise. So yes, loansindi, that's about what I was trying to point this topic towards: don't think the best mic money can buy is going to sound like the best mic money can buy if you are running it through the cheapest preamp money can buy. They are both equally important.

[Chris-V2]

At 1/5/10 01:58 PM, InGenius wrote: Trying to waffle out of being proven wrong

But I was not talking dynamic as I don't really like using dynamics much for studio work. I am of the personal opinion that dynamics are best used for stage, ribbon and condenser for studio.

RIBBON!? Was your mom actualy a mint and you fell out between the rolls of money?! You never mentioned that in your arguement and that sort of technical snobbery doesn't make your music good. Sometimes your source benefits from use of a dynamic, certain types of singer and things like the strumming of an acoustic guitar can sound too harsh- different tools for different jobs. Personaly I do LOVE the sound of a nice condenser, but you can have too much of a good thing.

Especialy since alot of people will compress it all in mixing and mastering anyway- kind of ruins the "detailed but warm" sound, just makes it "warm". High end rolloff, wopee, can't do that with a digital EQ.

I think Beck's work, for example, involves using lots of piezo (contact) microphones and indeed broken semi-functional microphones- he wants to make Lo-Fi sounds, a $5000 Ribbon mic will be doing him no favours. I think he'd sack you, actualy.

They [Microphones & Pre-amps] are both equally important.

A valid point, but Newgrounds is a community of people who don't charge (ie: Don't make money) from the music they upload- we'd all love a nice Vintage 50's Tube Pre-Amp. But you gotta work with what you have.

[loansindi]

At 1/5/10 02:59 PM, Chris-V2 wrote: A valid point, but Newgrounds is a community of people who don't charge (ie: Don't make money) from the music they upload- we'd all love a nice Vintage 50's Tube Pre-Amp. But you gotta work with what you have.

This is what I hate about threads like this.

Hobbyists come in and ask for gear recommendations, and instead of focusing on things the hobbyist is likely to both afford, and feel is worth the outlay, people come in and say "Just buy <random expensive microphone> and run it through <random expensive preamp> " without regard to the fact that someone who's asking for advice in a hobbyist-level forum and doesn't specify that the budget is expansive probably isn't looking for 'top of the line' shit.

Never mind the fact that inexpensive equipment can consistently provide excellent results. I don't understand the equipment related elitism in this forum.

[Chronamut]

At 1/5/10 03:05 PM, loansindi wrote:

At 1/5/10 02:59 PM, Chris-V2 wrote: A valid point, but Newgrounds is a community of people who don't charge (ie: Don't make money) from the music they upload- we'd all love a nice Vintage 50's Tube Pre-Amp. But you gotta work with what you have.

This is what I hate about threads like this.

Hobbyists come in and ask for gear recommendations, and instead of focusing on things the hobbyist is likely to both afford, and feel is worth the outlay, people come in and say "Just buy <random expensive microphone> and run it through <random expensive preamp> " without regard to the fact that someone who's asking for advice in a hobbyist-level forum and doesn't specify that the budget is expansive probably isn't looking for 'top of the line' shit.

Never mind the fact that inexpensive equipment can consistently provide excellent results. I don't understand the equipment related elitism in this forum.

well played sir! I totally agree.

My mic was still expensive tho. -.-

DAMN YOU NEWGROUNDS DONT YOU TELL ME I HAVENT WRITTEN ENUFF TO POST!

GAH!! STILL?!? DAMN YOUUUUUU

oh for the love of..

[loansindi]

At 1/5/10 03:59 PM, Chronamut wrote: My mic was still expensive tho. -.-

You don't have a microphone, you have a field recorder. They're very different beasts and the cost comes from different features.

[InGenius]

Did either of you bother to read a thing I said before or after the words "Ribbon mics"? I do not own a ribbon. I do not even own a mic over 100$. My mixer is a Behringer 1622FX and I own no stand-alone pre, so I have not spent much on that aspect of my setup. If you'd bothered reading you'd have noted that what I use in the studio is considered by most engineers to be total, unadulterated crap, yet it sounds quite nice for the money, thankyouverymuch. But the two of you want to act like spending ANY amount of money is SO far out of reach for anyone onsite. Good God, get off your high horses and read what I wrote. I merely wanted the OP to understand that coming in and asking what kind of mic everyone else uses is a bit of a bad way to figure out what they need because the pre and the mic pairing is important. And, in my first post if you'd bothered to read, I also went over the fact that it depends on what you're recording, what the recording is used for, etc.

Fuckall, but everyone took this and ran with it rather than spending 5 minutes to read the posts in their entirety. And I even made it a point to state that it was my OPINION and that I personally do not use Dynamics in the studio. But it was too hard for you to comprehend, I'm guessing, the difference between opinion and fact so instead you decided to spend your time calling me, of all things, an elitist? Really, where are the two of you when the "Only classical music is REAL music" threads are running rampant, to come and tear down the elitists from their hallowed Halls? Too busy being hobbyists who can't even spend 100$ on themselves, I'm guessing. Frankly I never suggested buying anything expensive, merely NOT buying cheap crap. You would do no less were you to spend as much time helping as you do detracting from threads.

[loansindi]

At 1/5/10 04:11 PM, InGenius wrote: ridiculous rant

Calm the shit down dude.

Everyone is sharing their (much vaunted by yourself) opinions.

[InGenius]

As a post-script:

Nady, MXL, Audio Technica, and Shure all make ribbon mics for less than 200$. And since the average NG user runs FL and the median price for FL is 200$, the average NG user can afford the cost of a ribbon in terms of how much money they have, even if they can't afford the cost of spending that much on a single piece of hardware like a Ribbon Mic. So where again would I need to be Elite or rich to own a ribbon mic? So sorry you didn't bother to do your research before opening your mouth.

[loansindi]

At 1/5/10 04:16 PM, InGenius wrote: Nady, MXL, Audio Technica, and Shure all make ribbon mics for less than 200$. And since the average NG user runs FL and the median price for FL is 200$, the average NG user can afford the cost of a ribbon in terms of how much money they have, even if they can't afford the cost of spending that much on a single piece of hardware like a Ribbon Mic. So where again would I need to be Elite or rich to own a ribbon mic? So sorry you didn't bother to do your research before opening your mouth.

Stop being so fucking confrontational. There's no need to be angry here. I found some nady ribbon mics for cheap. The only examples from shure were four figure units.

I don't think I would buy an inexpensive ribbon mic, given their inherent fragility, myself.

[InGenius]

Sorry, but I took offense at being called an elitist, and your follow-up at agreeing wasn't particularly that helpful. I try to help in the forums as much as possible and I don't appreciate it when I'm flamed by someone who then went on to not provide at least a counter to my statement with links to cheap, good quality mics which is what I feel ChrisV2 did. His post was merely a chance to call me a silver spoon rich kid and I worked for every piece of gear in my studio and home, so it makes me a bit hot to be maligned like that.

[ss4neji]

To be honest i use the Mic's from Rockband and Guitar Hero. They work well for me lol

[race1]

I use a Shure SM58. Oddly enough, that was suggested to me here a while back. I get some very nice results with it and it has a built in pop filter too which is really nice and it only ran me about 60 dollars on ebay.

[jarrydn]

Wow, no idea what happened there.

All I know is that my original NT2 sounds just fine through my shitty MQ-1.

And I've never had any problems with cheap ART or Behringer preamps. The wiring is solid, the transformers are fine, and they pass signal as you would expect. They don't colour sound like a neve or API would, but I wouldn't say that they degrade the signal either. Maybe you've had bad experiences? Or maybe my ears suck.

Fact of the matter is, most preamps have a $5 IC amplifying the signal. All audio ICs made today have very competitive THD figures. Would the other components be to blame? Resistors are negligible. Caps, maybe. Assuming that they've dried out. Which they wouldn't have. Connections? As long as metal is touching metal, it should all be fine. As for transformers, there should be no excuse for busted transformers considering that the ones in most preamps cost pennies.

I'd be really interested to know which preamps you think suck. I'll actually go out and buy one, listen to it, and check it with a scope.

[Chris-V2]

At 1/5/10 04:34 PM, InGenius wrote: to not provide at least a counter to my statement with links to cheap, good quality mics which is what I feel ChrisV2 did. His post was merely a chance to call me a silver spoon rich kid and I worked for every piece of gear in my studio and home, so it makes me a bit hot to be maligned like that.

In my first post I recommended a Sennheiser SM58. And why did you say you used condensers and ribbons in studio when you then went on to imply you don't actualy have any.

You also have yet to name a microphone the boy could actualy purchase and use for his recording.

Wow, you really are looking abit stupid today, aren't you?