Can anyone recommend a decent mic?

[polarpoole]

Bit hesitant about asking this question 'cause I'm sure it's been asked many times before but I think it's worth a try.

Currently I'm using the microphone built into my laptop to record audio but it always has a really loud hissing noise in the background. I'm hoping that someone could recommend a good quality microphone to record vocals and instruments like guitar, bass and drums.

I've heard some good things about the Blue Yeti mic but I wanted to get a second opinion before I buy anything.

Thanks.

[Rampant]

MXL (Marshall) mics are usually pretty good for the price, as are the Shure SM mics (55 is the one I use). These are very good mics considering the sub-250 price tag.

You have to ask yourself how much you want to spend, though. You can get a good USB-powered mic for under $200; if you want to go more professional-level recording, you'll need an interface to connect your mic to your PC - and if you're using a condenser mic, you'll need one with a mic preamp, which can cost a few hundred dollars for a really good one.

Bear in mind that each mic will colour your recording a little, so you might find one mic that works great for you, but makes another person's voice sound flat and dulled.

[polarpoole]

At 5/31/13 05:32 PM, RampantMusik wrote: MXL (Marshall) mics are usually pretty good for the price, as are the Shure SM mics (55 is the one I use). These are very good mics considering the sub-250 price tag.

You have to ask yourself how much you want to spend, though. You can get a good USB-powered mic for under $200; if you want to go more professional-level recording, you'll need an interface to connect your mic to your PC - and if you're using a condenser mic, you'll need one with a mic preamp, which can cost a few hundred dollars for a really good one.

Bear in mind that each mic will colour your recording a little, so you might find one mic that works great for you, but makes another person's voice sound flat and dulled.

I was thinking maybe a mic that connects directly into your computer through USB or something. I'm earning a bit of money now so I can spend up to â'¬100 on a mic without setting myself back too much. What's a preamp, though? I've heard people talking about them a couple times before but I'm still an amateur and don't really know that much about recording or production other than the things that I've figured out myself.

[Draewa]

If you're on a low budged and want something you can plug directly into your computer without an interface I'd recommend the AT2020 USB. It goes for about $170 here in Germany, and it's a pretty decent entry level mic. The regular AT2020 (without USB, needs an interface with DMX ports) costs a bit less. If you can find a cheap interface somewhere you might end up saving a few bucks if you buy the one without USB.

[ulfusNG]

Blue Yeti Pro aint too bad, that's what I use

[Jacob]

Honestly, good recording atmosphere and proper editing will go much farther than the mic.
The Blue Yeti will be more than sufficient for what you're after.

If and when you need super high quality recordings with an audio interface, you can look at other mics.
But if we're talking USB, the Blue Yeti is perfect.

I actually recorded everything but the last thing in this demo with the Blue Yeti:

• 
  Demo Reeeeeel by Himynameisjacob

  My Blue Yeti broke. This is his story.

  Score

  4.33 / 5.00

  Type

  Voice

  Genre

  Voice Demo

  Popularity

  1,452 Views

• Loading...

However, I didn't know how to record properly, nor edit properly. If I knew what I do now, I could make it sing.

Message me if you ever need any help making your recordings crisp and clear! I'll tell you everything I know.

[polarpoole]

At 6/1/13 04:18 AM, Himynameisjacob wrote: If and when you need super high quality recordings with an audio interface, you can look at other mics.
But if we're talking USB, the Blue Yeti is perfect.

Yeah, I think I might go with the Yeti. It's on Amazon.co.uk for just under £100 so perhaps that's the mic to start off with. Would you recommend to standard version or the pro?

[ulfusNG]

At 6/1/13 06:12 AM, polarpoole wrote:

At 6/1/13 04:18 AM, Himynameisjacob wrote: If and when you need super high quality recordings with an audio interface, you can look at other mics.
But if we're talking USB, the Blue Yeti is perfect.

Yeah, I think I might go with the Yeti. It's on Amazon.co.uk for just under Ã'£100 so perhaps that's the mic to start off with. Would you recommend to standard version or the pro?

Just get the standard, the pro's only good later when you're experienced, plus it's triple the price of the standard.

[DavidOrr]

At 6/1/13 06:24 AM, ulfusNG wrote:

At 6/1/13 06:12 AM, polarpoole wrote:

At 6/1/13 04:18 AM, Himynameisjacob wrote: If and when you need super high quality recordings with an audio interface, you can look at other mics.
But if we're talking USB, the Blue Yeti is perfect.

Yeah, I think I might go with the Yeti. It's on Amazon.co.uk for just under Ãf'Ã'£100 so perhaps that's the mic to start off with. Would you recommend to standard version or the pro?

Just get the standard, the pro's only good later when you're experienced, plus it's triple the price of the standard.

Yeah, the Yeti is a pretty safe choice if you're dead-set on a USB mic. I picked one up a couple months ago, and the audio quality for voice is quite good -- would be great for podcasts, skype, or any low-budget professional work. I've used as a room mic for on-the-fly instrumental recordings, and it works (though I wouldn't ever use this to mic instruments for professional work).

The stadard version only has a 44.1 khz sample rate, so you're going to be hard-pressed to get a super crisp, clear sound. For a USB mic, you're going to have to expand your budget to get a sample rate higher than that. Regarding the pro version, I think spending much over $100 on a USB mic is a little ridiculous - you'd be much better to get yourself a cheap used interface (or sound card), and go with a tried-and-true XLR mic, like the Shure SM-/5758.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the purchase -- it's one of the best sounding USB mics I've heard!

[Jacob]

David's got you covered.
Yeah, the Pro I'd hardly any better, but with a huge add-on of price.
If you really want something better, buy an interface and get the Bluebird or something similar. It's a mic to brag about for sure, but the overall equipment cost is more than you should shell out unless you plan on making the money back with the recordings.
Blue Yeti, standard. I'll gladly help you get the best sound out of it!

[polarpoole]

At 6/1/13 12:31 PM, Himynameisjacob wrote: David's got you covered.
Yeah, the Pro I'd hardly any better, but with a huge add-on of price.
If you really want something better, buy an interface and get the Bluebird or something similar. It's a mic to brag about for sure, but the overall equipment cost is more than you should shell out unless you plan on making the money back with the recordings.
Blue Yeti, standard. I'll gladly help you get the best sound out of it!

Thanks, man. I won't be able to get it for another couple of weeks but when I do I'll send a message your way if I have any trouble.

[SuperApartmentBros]

It is definitely hard to find a good mic for recording when you have a tight budget. Thanks for asking and everyone for sharing!