Cheap Mics - looking to get a variety of cheal mics for £500

[franke]

Originally Posted by dubmunkey

Hi All

This isn't a spoof thread.. Im interested in increasing my low end mic collection and have set aside 500 quid to slowly build this up


I already have a 57, an nt2a, a behringer measuring mic and an se something or other and looking for more to add variety

So please recommend what you'd buy and why.

Cheers!

used RODE NTK
AKG 414
Any Audio Technica
used tlm102

it depends on what you will be recording though. just sayin..

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by dubmunkey

Hi All

This isn't a spoof thread.. Im interested in increasing my low end mic collection and have set aside 500 quid to slowly build this up


I already have a 57, an nt2a, a behringer measuring mic and an se something or other and looking for more to add variety

So please recommend what you'd buy and why.

Cheers!

freakin great mic for £145.00

I have a pair of the condensers and one of the dynamics

review
Electrovoice Cardinal & Raven

Electro-Voice Cardinal Condenser Microphone

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by franke

used RODE NTK
AKG 414
Any Audio Technica
used tlm102

it depends on what you will be recording though. just sayin..

All sorts... I wanna be able to experiment

Thanks

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by Sinner

freakin great mic for £145.00

I have a pair of the condensers and one of the dynamics

review
Electrovoice Cardinal & Raven

Electro-Voice Cardinal Condenser Microphone

Thanks, keep em coming!

[dubmunkey]

Bumpage

[Adam Chesi]

AT Pro37's great. There's a whole current thread about cheap mics that sound great focused on below $150 if I remember correctly:

Dirt Cheap Mics That Sound Great.

[chk23]

The ATs have already been mentioned. Then the T.Bone 800 (Apex 460) never thought that one can get a decent tube mic for that price - even the unmodified stock version was a great surprise (I did a tube replacement which improved it further, but there are some mods out there that do really great things to this mic).
Then you can look for some "secret weapon" vintage mics on eBay, some of them already rose in price because they're not so secret anymore but with a little luck you can still make a bargain at eBay:

RFT 622
Funkberater MD30-2

My top "cheap vintage" discoveries: both eastern german vintage mics similar to the sm57 but with their own special vintage character (the RFT 622 with sparkeling hights, the MD30-2 a really nice and round sounding mic). Loved both of them so much after the first test session that I immediateley went back to eBay to make them stereo pairs - real great on acoustic instruments and the MD30 is also a great alrounder.

Uher M537 - also an alternative to the sm57, less sparkling heights and more mid-driven than the other two, also with it's own vintage character, also great for stereo recordings if you can get a pair.

And a newer mic that surprised me although it's very cheap:
Behringer XM8500 - nice SM58 clone and so cheap, that you can get a whole bunch of them for nothing.

[chevybusa]

Another +1 for Audio Technica...My buddy got a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 so I could record him singing and playing acoustic guitar...he said he already had mics...I was dismayed when he brought over the AT Studio Pak that his girlfriend had gotten him, but I've gotta say I was absolutely amazed at how good they were given the price!!!!

[dubmunkey]

Great. Think ill definitely get an AT or two and will check out the other recs... The behringer is so cheap its worth it even if i only use it on one source..

[electricity17]

Just to throw it out there, you might want to think about putting the money towards one really good mic that you can use on a variety of sources. I'm a big fan of Oktavamod, Michael Joly modified a Rode NT1 for me that I think is great, I've been using it for all the vocals I've been doing. He's got a number of mics that seem like a good value.

I'm also a big fan of Little Blondie mics, I have two that I'm using for drum overheads and percussion. Beyer M201 has been great for me as well on guitar cabs, snare and acoustic guitar.

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by electricity17

Just to throw it out there, you might want to think about putting the money towards one really good mic that you can use on a variety of sources. I'm a big fan of Oktavamod, Michael Joly modified a Rode NT1 for me that I think is great, I've been using it for all the vocals I've been doing. He's got a number of mics that seem like a good value.

I'm also a big fan of Little Blondie mics, I have two that I'm using for drum overheads and percussion. Beyer M201 has been great for me as well on guitar cabs, snare and acoustic guitar.

Oh i will be getting a quality mic too but have a bit of work to do before i can warrant one. Thanks for the recs will add them to my list..

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by electricity17

Just to throw it out there, you might want to think about putting the money towards one really good mic that you can use on a variety of sources. I'm a big fan of Oktavamod, Michael Joly modified a Rode NT1 for me that I think is great, I've been using it for all the vocals I've been doing. He's got a number of mics that seem like a good value.

I'm also a big fan of Little Blondie mics, I have two that I'm using for drum overheads and percussion. Beyer M201 has been great for me as well on guitar cabs, snare and acoustic guitar.

Who makes the little blondie?

I picked up a beyer m55, an EV nd767, a heil pr22, two very cheap AT mics and am only about a third through my budget.

Gonna check ouy the other recommendations - just a few more Qs

What is the best of those suggested for acoustuc guitar (rhythm, lead, fingerstyle)?

If you could only buy one more EV and one more AT mic what would you get?

Are SDC's and Ribbons in this price range worth it?

[electricity17]

Little Blondie Mics

It's made by a GS member.

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by franke

used RODE NTK
AKG 414
Any Audio Technica
used tlm102

it depends on what you will be recording though. just sayin..

These use nearly all my budget. Is the c414 worth looking into as an alternative?

[indie folk guy]

my favorite four mics to recomend to people with a budget setup starting out are the following
beyerdynamic m201
beyerdynamic m88
pair of audio-technica at4033

you get a great simplified 4 mic setup for drums (88 on kick, 201 on snare, 4033 stereo overheads), a great stereo pair for acoustic instruments (4033), a great pair for miking up bass/guitar cabs (88 and 201, the 4033 also handles that app well), all three can make great vocal mics and provide three different flavors, all three can work well for brass/wind instruments, etc.

So since you've already got a 57 (which would be an alternative to the M201) maybe look for an RE20 or MD421 (for an alternative to the M88). Since you already have the NT2 just get a second one, this is actually a really cool pair to have as you get multiple patterns so you can do blumlein, mid-side, xy, spaced pair, ortf, etc. With your budget this should be easy to accomplish especially if you look used and would provide you with versatility and useable results.

Then as you grow and get more to spend on gear you can add other flavors like Audix D2/D4 (great for tom miking and a wonderful alternative workhorse to take the place of 57/421 mics), ribbon(s), small diaphragm condenser pair, a good large diagphragm condenser that is better suited to your singer, etc.

[dickiefunk]

Originally Posted by dubmunkey

Hi All

This isn't a spoof thread.. Im interested in increasing my low end mic collection and have set aside 500 quid to slowly build this up


I already have a 57, an nt2a, a behringer measuring mic and an se something or other and looking for more to add variety

So please recommend what you'd buy and why.

Cheers!

What are you looking to record?

The Rode NT2a and SM57 are a good starting point. I will throw in another recommendation for Audio Technica mics. I have the 4040 and use it on all sorts of things and it sounds consistently great. The cheaper AT2020 is extremely popular and here is a newer 2035 version which improves upon he 2020's specs.

Mics I would recommend looking at :-

SE Electronics X1 £80
Oktava MK-319 secondhand around £80
SE2200a £130 mkI
Blue Spark £135
Audio Technica 2035 £139
MXL 2003a £150
SE Elecronics SE2200a mkII £200
AKG C214 £246
Lewitt LCT 240 £250
Blue Baby Bottle £280
Audio Technica AT4040 £341
SE Elecronics SE4400a £350
Neumann TLM102 £396
Shure KSM 32 £397

You should be able to pick up at least two mics from this list (or more depending on what you decide to go with).

You could also consider some small diaphragm mics if you're recording acoustic guitar to give you a different tonal option though any of the above mics can give you fantastic acoustic recordings!

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by dickiefunk

What are you looking to record?


You could also consider some small diaphragm mics if you're recording acoustic guitar to give you a different tonal option though any of the above mics can give you fantastic acoustic recordings!

Mainly amplified guitar/bass. Lots of acoustic guitar, vox, percussion, reamped signals and room sound/ambience.

What SDC would you get for acoustic guitars if you could only buy one?

Im going to look into all of these def sold on the at3030...

Will post a list of what ive chosen so far..

[indie folk guy]

Originally Posted by dubmunkey

Mainly amplified guitar/bass. Lots of acoustic guitar, vox, percussion, reamped signals and room sound/ambience.

What SDC would you get for acoustic guitars if you could only buy one?

Im going to look into all of these def sold on the at3030...

Will post a list of what ive chosen so far..

in that case you will definitely want a ballsier dynamic mic
MD421 or M88 (the RE20 suggestion I made earlier still works I just usually choose the Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic first)
both of those are industry standards for gtr/bass cabs and play nice with the SM57

for SDC suggestions that don't kill the bank for your acoustics
AT Pro 37, CAD e70, Shure SM137 personally I'd try to find a used Shure SM81

see my previous post in this thread though you have a great starting point and I think the additional NT2a would probably be more versatile in your setup than a SDC as I really love having the ability to do any stereo technique with the multiple patterns.

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by indie folk guy

in that case you will definitely want a ballsier dynamic mic
MD421 or M88 (the RE20 suggestion I made earlier still works I just usually choose the Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic first)
both of those are industry standards for gtr/bass cabs and play nice with the SM57

for SDC suggestions that don't kill the bank for your acoustics
AT Pro 37, CAD e70, Shure SM137 personally I'd try to find a used Shure SM81

see my previous post in this thread though you have a great starting point and I think the additional NT2a would probably be more versatile in your setup than a SDC as I really love having the ability to do any stereo technique with the multiple patterns.

Yeah i will pick up another nt2a at some point to do just this, i tend to favour the omni or fig8 pattern on the nt2a but know i still have lots to learn regarding condensers due to how damn sensitive they are

Have around 6-8 guitars, a few amps and few pre's and felt the mics i had weren't giving enough variety so really appreciate your suggestions. Of course I know have a new strain of GAS :D

[indie folk guy]

I see where you are coming from but sometimes mid-side and blumlein can be perfect for recording acoustic instruments.

You could try mid-side with a SDC and your NT2 though.

For ac gtr I'd stick the SDC at the 12th fretish (go were it sounds best to capture that sizzle and sparkle) then use your NT2 to mic the body and put it where it captures a full sound that fills out the missing elements of your SDC. Check phase and pan to taste.

You should definitely try the 421/88 and your 57 on a cabinet though. Maybe even a 57/88/421 and your NT2a. You should be able to get some great guitar/bass sounds with that method.

For bass I usually mike up and run a DI signal.

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by indie folk guy

I see where you are coming from but sometimes mid-side and blumlein can be perfect for recording acoustic instruments.

You could try mid-side with a SDC and your NT2 though.

For ac gtr I'd stick the SDC at the 12th fretish (go were it sounds best to capture that sizzle and sparkle) then use your NT2 to mic the body and put it where it captures a full sound that fills out the missing elements of your SDC. Check phase and pan to taste.

You should definitely try the 421/88 and your 57 on a cabinet though. Maybe even a 57/88/421 and your NT2a. You should be able to get some great guitar/bass sounds with that method.

For bass I usually mike up and run a DI signal.

This is another reason i want so many options for blending and stuff.

I intend to do some live 'lounge' recordings. i want to mix ambience mics with close mics and all that fun stuff.

Latest idea was to put vocalist right up against a 57 and the NT perpendicular with a fig8 to capture 2 guitars either side..
. Yep was ambitious and came to the conclusion both guitars needed dedicated close mics as well so will have fun experimenting

And my nd767a has arrived just in time for the weekend!

[indie folk guy]

the 767 will be a much wiser choice for the vocals imho than the 57 (you won't have to worry about the plosives or sibilance that get accentuated by the 57 on many vocalists) plus the 767 is more tailored to voice reproduction imho.

[dubmunkey]

Originally Posted by indie folk guy

the 767 will be a much wiser choice for the vocals imho than the 57 (you won't have to worry about the plosives or sibilance that get accentuated by the 57 on many vocalists) plus the 767 is more tailored to voice reproduction imho.

Nice. I would normally use the NT for vox but couldn't in the above set up so that's definitely my first test.

[dubmunkey]

Thanks to everyone who replied, I will post a list of what I settled for when it all turns up but think I've done well with your recommendations

Ill prob update the other thread as that is pretty comprehensive

[MORDICUS]

Akg c 214 ...

Peace

mordicus

[marcreeves]

surprised no one mentioned Sontronics! Incredible budget mics. The STC-10's are hands down some of the best SDC's I've ever used for acoustic guitar,and you can pick up a pair for around £150!

Don't know how to link to youtube videos on my phone but I have lots of videos where I've used them (and a video review too) on my channel at http://www.youtube.com/marcreevesmusic

The STC-2 is also a great budget LDC - bought mine recently, only used it on my voice so far but it sounds really nice.

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Gearslutz App

[xfreddex]

Best budget mics ever IMO, the Line Audio CM3.
You should check out the threads about it...

I also like the CAD M179 and T.Bone ribbon mics.

[dubmunkey]

I've already way gone past my budget and not sure ill keep all of these but happy to lose a few bob on each:

Heres what I got:

EV nd767a
EV 635
Uher m357
Rft dm622
Heil pr22
T bone
Mxl v67g
Tele c14
Beyer m400
At3035 + 3 cheap ATs
Behringer xm8500
and an old lustraphone

Once Ive decided what ill keep ill try some more there are definitely a few more i wanna check out like the senn md421 and the audix i5 - either way should be a fun weekend

[machoboy]

se electronics x1 is imo the best $200 mic

the at2035 is also a "must have" for any well rounded budget collection

i have an mxl v67g and it sounds good but man is the quality control on MXLs poor. The fancy gold grill looks particularly comedic as the entire assembly leans to one side. Looks like a real home made spraypaint job of a microphone.