Dynamic and condenser

alexbreadmaker · 6th October 2005

Hi

Friends of mine are coming from the USA so I'll take the opportunity and order microphones. I'm going to buy both a dynamic and condenser microphones.

The dynamic microphone I'm not s(h)ure between the SM57 and the SM58. Is there a reason to get the more expensive 58?
About the condenser I'm thinking of either the Rode NT-1A or the Audio Technica AT3035.

The intruments I will be recording are mostly woodwinds (mostly saxophone, clarinet), brass (mostly trumpet, trombone, tuba), strings (violin, contrabass, cello), percussion (like darbuka and other ethnic drums), and occasionally guitar and vocal (but not much).

Thanks and good day.

tINY · 6th October 2005

The SM58 is a live vocal mic and not very useful for too much else. You'll get better mileage from an SM57. The other Sure mics to look at on a budget are the Beta57 and the SM87C.

AT has some nice mics for not a lot of money. The 3031 is a pretty good SDC that works for stringed instruments pretty well. The new 2020 is worth checking out, though I haven't used one myself.

Electrovoice has a couple mics woth checking out. The ND468 is nice for percussion that doesn't have a lot of high-frequency content and should work well for woodwinds. The RE20 is starting to get a little out of the "low end" price range, but it is a wonderful mic with a smooth response and good frequency range.

If you are limiting your purchase to one dynamic and one condenser, you should probably think hard about getting a small diaphragm condenser (as the strings will often sound better that way) and a dynamic without a lot of coloration.

Had you asked this in another forum, the list may be a little different.

-tINY

Pohaku · 6th October 2005

You could get an AT-4041 SD condensor (a step up from the AT-3031) for @$180 through 8th Street Music. That's a pretty good price for a very usable SD condensor.

panda · 7th October 2005

last i knew.. was the 57 and 58 were the same mic, but the 58 has the foam head and grill on it.. you can take it off and have a 57.. am i wrong?
i was told this by a couple different guys i interned with back when.. but could be wrong. recording seems more myth then reality...

Brian Middleton · 7th October 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by panda

last i knew.. was the 57 and 58 were the same mic, but the 58 has the foam head and grill on it.. you can take it off and have a 57.. am i wrong?

No, you're right, but that foam-lined windscreen does have an audible effect on the sound of the mic, which Scott Dorsey explained nicely on r.a.p. a while back. In short, the 57 has a little more top-end clarity and a tighter pattern, both of which make it a more useful recording tool. As tINY said, the SM58 is pretty much a one-trick pony for stage vocals.

panda · 7th October 2005

well of coarse the windscreen has a sonic effect..
i'm just saying you can take it off.. it comes right off no problem..
a 57 + the cost of a screen = cost of a 58..
i got a 58 cause i like to bring my own mic when playing out.. and at home i can just take the screen off.. just me though..

panda

aussie_techie · 8th October 2005

get a beat57 unless you realy want cardioid, much better mic
the sm57 and sm58 is NOT the same mic, they use a different capsule, although they are very close

i think you would get alot of use out of a Rode NT3, they are good on just about everything you listed and they are cheep

Drumsound · 8th October 2005

Consider a Sennheiser 421 instead of the 57. It sounds better on more sources.

6th October 2005	#1
alexbreadmaker Gear interested Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 2 Thread Starter	Dynamic and condenser Hi Friends of mine are coming from the USA so I'll take the opportunity and order microphones. I'm going to buy both a dynamic and condenser microphones. The dynamic microphone I'm not s(h)ure between the SM57 and the SM58. Is there a reason to get the more expensive 58? About the condenser I'm thinking of either the Rode NT-1A or the Audio Technica AT3035. The intruments I will be recording are mostly woodwinds (mostly saxophone, clarinet), brass (mostly trumpet, trombone, tuba), strings (violin, contrabass, cello), percussion (like darbuka and other ethnic drums), and occasionally guitar and vocal (but not much). Thanks and good day.

6th October 2005	#3
Pohaku Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 1,036	You could get an AT-4041 SD condensor (a step up from the AT-3031) for @$180 through 8th Street Music. That's a pretty good price for a very usable SD condensor. __________________ Yeah I'm an attorney, but everyone needs a day job.

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6th October 2005	#2
tINY Gear Guru Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 10,206	The SM58 is a live vocal mic and not very useful for too much else. You'll get better mileage from an SM57. The other Sure mics to look at on a budget are the Beta57 and the SM87C. AT has some nice mics for not a lot of money. The 3031 is a pretty good SDC that works for stringed instruments pretty well. The new 2020 is worth checking out, though I haven't used one myself. Electrovoice has a couple mics woth checking out. The ND468 is nice for percussion that doesn't have a lot of high-frequency content and should work well for woodwinds. The RE20 is starting to get a little out of the "low end" price range, but it is a wonderful mic with a smooth response and good frequency range. If you are limiting your purchase to one dynamic and one condenser, you should probably think hard about getting a small diaphragm condenser (as the strings will often sound better that way) and a dynamic without a lot of coloration. Had you asked this in another forum, the list may be a little different. -tINY

7th October 2005	#4
panda Gear Head Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: nyc Posts: 59	last i knew.. was the 57 and 58 were the same mic, but the 58 has the foam head and grill on it.. you can take it off and have a 57.. am i wrong? i was told this by a couple different guys i interned with back when.. but could be wrong. recording seems more myth then reality...

8th October 2005	#7
aussie_techie Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 2,709	get a beat57 unless you realy want cardioid, much better mic the sm57 and sm58 is NOT the same mic, they use a different capsule, although they are very close i think you would get alot of use out of a Rode NT3, they are good on just about everything you listed and they are cheep

8th October 2005	#8
Drumsound Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bloomington Il Posts: 5,032	Consider a Sennheiser 421 instead of the 57. It sounds better on more sources.