£200 to spend on mic (condenser) and stand - advice appreciated!

hazza · 24th May 2006

Hi all,

as in the title, i'm looking to spend about 200 pounds on a budget condenser and stand. i think i can get my hands on a pop shield - but that may also have to come out of the budget.

looking through a catalogue and seeing what comes in under budget can only get you so far - i don't really know what each of these mics is going to give me.

basically i want it for all round use. it'll be my first mic (well, i have a nice sony stereo, but that doesn't really count) so i want to be able to use it for vocals, a bit of guitar, some wind instruments and maybe even some percussion.

perhaps i'm asking a bit too much of 200 pounds, so again - all advice would be appreciated.

at the moment i'm running a G5 powerPC with logic 7 and an Mbox 2.

thanks!

-hazza.

tINY · 24th May 2006

I'd look for either a front adress vocal mic (like for stage performances) or a small diaphragm mic.

Nuetral sound is good if you only have one mic. The AT pro-37 is reportedly pretty good. The EV RE510 may be just inside you price range too.

-tINY

David-Morpheus · 24th May 2006

Check out the studio projects stuff, they make very good condensers for a superb price (poor man neumanns

)

If you would like a small diaphragm you could check out the C4 - a matched pair is about 280 EUR, they come with 2 interchangable capsules (omni, cardiod)

or go for a large diaphgram like C3 - dual membrane, 3 patterns, high pass, pad .... sells for about 270 EUR in the EU.

I have two B1s and a T3 tube mic from them and they rock for that price

Reza · 25th May 2006

I'd get an SM7b and save a little more for a nice pre.

That'll get you a whole lot further than a cheap condenser. Do a search on gearlutz for that mic and you'll see that a lot of people really rate them!

Rez

kingofswing · 25th May 2006

Forget the chinese crap, go Rode.

For £185 you can buy the new Rode NT2A (new HF1 capsule), Multipattern with Pads.

The sound is smooth and flattering for vocals, and great on acoustic guitars.

Its also a super quiet mic with only 7dba noise.

IMO 'one' of the best mic for under £500/600

Heres a SOS review:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar0...s/rodent2a.htm

hazza · 25th May 2006

thanks for the responses guys!

kingofswing - it sounds nice, but where can i pick it up for 185? everywhere i've looked seems to want more. the only downside to this is i'll need to buy stand shockmount and popshield bringing the price up a few notches.

reza, i'm looking into your suggestion, thanks!

-hazza.

kingofswing · 25th May 2006

Hi

you can find the NT2A for that price if you shop around.
http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail...ckCode=ST00388 with a pop

Plus a stand will cost you around £10-15. The shockmount is around £50, but you may not need one if you are on solid ground though.

By going with the NT2A you will be heading the quality route, and you can always add the shockmout later if you think you need it.

hazza · 25th May 2006

thanks a lot, it sounds good. that price is pretty good too!

any other suggestions?

cheers,
-hazza.

Peter Lancaster · 25th May 2006

hazza,
You might want to consider the ADK Vienna. If you really want to go cheap try a Studio Projects B1.

You can hear clips of these mics and many others here. Bear in mind that every voice will interact differently with the same mic, so what might sound good for a voice on a clip may not work for you. Also bear in mind that unless you have the same pre amp as was used to record the clips then the mics might not sound the same when you use them. What I'm saying is that the clips are just a very general guide and useful for comparison especially if you know the sound of some of the mics already.

Pete.

24th May 2006	#1
hazza Gear Head Joined: May 2006 Posts: 66 Thread Starter	£200 to spend on mic (condenser) and stand - advice appreciated! Hi all, as in the title, i'm looking to spend about 200 pounds on a budget condenser and stand. i think i can get my hands on a pop shield - but that may also have to come out of the budget. looking through a catalogue and seeing what comes in under budget can only get you so far - i don't really know what each of these mics is going to give me. basically i want it for all round use. it'll be my first mic (well, i have a nice sony stereo, but that doesn't really count) so i want to be able to use it for vocals, a bit of guitar, some wind instruments and maybe even some percussion. perhaps i'm asking a bit too much of 200 pounds, so again - all advice would be appreciated. at the moment i'm running a G5 powerPC with logic 7 and an Mbox 2. thanks! -hazza.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Hip hop Rnb track advice appreciated!!	jx23	Work In Progress / Advice Requested / Show & Tell / Artist Showcase / Mix-Offs	1	8th June 2006 04:36 AM
Mojave Audio MA-200 Tube Condenser	jdjustice	High end	1	4th April 2006 03:32 AM
Best Condenser Mic For Under $200...	StratMan86956	Low End Theory	22	23rd January 2006 05:49 AM
I still need an all around LD condenser- advice needed.	TYY	So much gear, so little time!	16	11th March 2005 05:18 AM
Advice needed. 8k to spend on mic-pres and comp.	Cosmonauta	High end	10	19th November 2004 04:35 AM

24th May 2006	#2
tINY Gear Guru Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 10,233	I'd look for either a front adress vocal mic (like for stage performances) or a small diaphragm mic. Nuetral sound is good if you only have one mic. The AT pro-37 is reportedly pretty good. The EV RE510 may be just inside you price range too. -tINY

24th May 2006	#3
David-Morpheus Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Slovakia Posts: 924	Check out the studio projects stuff, they make very good condensers for a superb price (poor man neumanns ) If you would like a small diaphragm you could check out the C4 - a matched pair is about 280 EUR, they come with 2 interchangable capsules (omni, cardiod) or go for a large diaphgram like C3 - dual membrane, 3 patterns, high pass, pad .... sells for about 270 EUR in the EU. I have two B1s and a T3 tube mic from them and they rock for that price

25th May 2006	#4
Reza Gear addict Joined: Feb 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 409	I'd get an SM7b and save a little more for a nice pre. That'll get you a whole lot further than a cheap condenser. Do a search on gearlutz for that mic and you'll see that a lot of people really rate them! Rez

25th May 2006	#5
kingofswing Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2006 Location: UK Posts: 1,145 2 Reviews written	Forget the chinese crap, go Rode. For £185 you can buy the new Rode NT2A (new HF1 capsule), Multipattern with Pads. The sound is smooth and flattering for vocals, and great on acoustic guitars. Its also a super quiet mic with only 7dba noise. IMO 'one' of the best mic for under £500/600 Heres a SOS review: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar0...s/rodent2a.htm

25th May 2006	#9
Peter Lancaster Gear interested Joined: May 2006 Location: Worthing, UK Posts: 2	hazza, You might want to consider the ADK Vienna. If you really want to go cheap try a Studio Projects B1. You can hear clips of these mics and many others here. Bear in mind that every voice will interact differently with the same mic, so what might sound good for a voice on a clip may not work for you. Also bear in mind that unless you have the same pre amp as was used to record the clips then the mics might not sound the same when you use them. What I'm saying is that the clips are just a very general guide and useful for comparison especially if you know the sound of some of the mics already. Pete.