How much of a difference does a really good mic make in comparison to budget mics?

[G_amador]

Some microphones can be priced high just because they have multiple polor patterns.. But from what I've seen looking at expensive mics and cheap ones...are a huge difference in the way they pick up frequencies.. Check different frequency charts usually they are provided...haven't experimented with it. But on paper looks like a expensive mic is more flat and "true" it might even be like comparing speakers to studio monitors. Both produce audio. One just produces a "true" version. Idk ... Just 1:30 am thoughts on that. Lol.

[Djkwame301]

Originally Posted by ruju

I recorded at a basement studio in a booth with an audio technica 2020 and I noticed that this microphone is being sold at zsounds for 100 dollars now although it used to be more and is sold for more where I live, i'm just wondering how much of a difference will I get if I record on a higher end mic - being something $500-600 and up.

I'm asking this because the recording I was able to make with the at2020 came out really good in my opinion. I'm sure most of the quality is based on the performance itself rather than the equipment, hence why my recording turned out well with a cheap mic. I do rap music btw.

biggggg difference...night and day..that recording with the cheapo mic may have been good but a higher quality mic will make it better.

i upgraded from a behringer c-3 to an AT3035
clearly one of the best choices ive made EVER.

[xanderbeanz]

I always seem to find that cheap mics need alot more EQuing, compression, messing around with, to get them to sound nice in a mix (you can still do it though), but expensive mics just play nicer and need less doing to them to get the final result - the frequency response is already there.

[peeweedrummer]

apart from the actual sound source the mic palys the next biggest difference in the recording. The good ones are usually expensive for a reason!

[Strangeland]

Originally Posted by xanderbeanz

I always seem to find that cheap mics need alot more EQuing, compression, messing around with, to get them to sound nice in a mix (you can still do it though), but expensive mics just play nicer and need less doing to them to get the final result - the frequency response is already there.

This sums up what I was going to say.

[PRobb]

Good mics need less EQ and they take EQ better.
It's hard to describe, but good mics have another kind of size and depth.
When recording acoustic instruments, the priority starts at the source and goes down from there. Since the mic is the closest to the source, it's the most important.

[Gretsch 6120]

Knowing the mic’s characteristics in terms of darkness and brightness, how to match it to the source, and how to position it are more important than anything IMO. Bright sources need dark mics; dark sources need brighter mics, and all of this works on a relative, subjective, and sliding scale, of course…Properly positioning the mic to the source can also go a long way in getting the results you desire; so, mic technique is a must.

Better mics just make the process easier, but even the best mics still need to be worked to some degree.

Chris

[foldback]

The best mic is the one that brings the singer across in the best manner possible.

We went on a quest to find the best recording microphone for the female singer in our band.

Over a three year period we rented U-47(s), a U-48, bought a few Peluso's, a Royer, tried several AKG and we finally settled in on an older Shure SM-58 through an API preamp and 1176 compressor. When we hit that combination the recorded sound was the rock tone we were craving for her voice.

The LDC condenser microphones brought out a crackle in her voice. The ribbon was too mellow.

Best of luck to all.

[kosmokrator]

depends.

In a less then very good sounding room, f.e. a Brauner VM-1 can be a nightmare.

For users on a budget I always recommend a MD421.
This mic is good on everything and not picky with rooms.

[natpub]

Mics are tools and the best one depends on sound desired. Sometimes I want lofi. The right high end mic makes a massive diff if you want a high end sound.

Sent from my MB855 using Gearslutz App

[kafka]

If you're looking at $500 and under mics, I suggest that a really good, studio proven preamp will help you get more out of a wider variety of more economical mics than a $500 condenser. Personally, I'd prefer to work with a Beyer M88 and an M201 and a good preamp than most condensers in the $500 range with any preamp.

That said, you can pick up a used AKG 414 or Sennheiser 441 in that price range, and either could make you very happy.

[MKaiAudio]

I always knew better mics can make a difference but didn't realise how much until I upgraded. I started recording with an old Shure A12 I had from my live days, it recorded ok but when I got my new Samson CL8 the difference was night and day ( and it's not exactly a high end mic)

The thing to remember is that mics don't sound "better", they sound different. You could get a higher end mic and find your AT2020 still sounds better on some things. It's all about the source and what matches it

[popmann]

Well, no...plenty of MICS sound "better"...almost objectively.

In the price range...dynamics...all the way.

[Tone Laborer]

When I used a friend's AT2020, I was impressed at the quality of mic for that price.

I think a lot of beginners make the mistake of getting one mic and using it for everything, for way too long. When you begin tailoring the different mics to different sources, recordings take on more depth and life, IME.

They don't all have to be high end (not that it hurts) , but having a variety is important. At least for the varying sources I record.

[MKaiAudio]

Maybe I should have put that better. Not all higher end mics sound better all the time, or else pro studios wouldn't have mic lockers, they would have one mic.

How many stories are out there about $1000 mics not working as well as an SM57.

What I was trying to say (I'm a noob on the forum) was that there is no perfect mic for every source, just the best mic, for that source, for that song at that particular time.

[piper]

The impression I get is that there's a diminishing returns thing that goes on.

Obviously it matters what you're recording.

But for a given type of microphone in a given application, I think you'll find that spending more generally gets you more quality, but less additional quality for each additional dollar. A beginner might not have enough ear training to really hear the differences.

[ruju]

Well here is a song that has been recorded and mixed at the studio I recorded that. This isn't me, but its an example of the quality he creates. He charges 100 per song at his studio. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

[loopy]

Depends... It's far more important to have the correct mic for the type of sound you are looking for.

For example, if you are looking for a nice balls out Jerry Lee Lewis rockabilly piano sound on some clapped out upright, some high end mic may be too pristine sounding and a good old SM58 or Beta 58 might fit the bill better.

Recording a classical pianist on a fine Steinway in a minimalist setting, like say 3 mics and a piano and taking the room into account, you are probably going to want the best mics you can possibly afford because piano's are notoriously difficult to record in that type of natural setting.

I used to work in a trio backing up a fairly well known female jazz singer who had a slightly nasal voice. The engineer tried all kinds of standard stock mics on her and none of them hit the mark.

He finally tried a Beta 58 and it was just the ticket for HER voice.
Made her sound like an angel and when I commented to the engineer that that would have been my last choice, he laughed and said it *was* his last choice !

Go figure.

Bottom line is mics, like monitors, have their own personality and sound and it's really a combination of the mic and the source that can make or break the recording.

If I were you, I would rent/borrow a couple of mics in various price ranges and experiment a little. It's a great, inexpensive way to learn.

[Wolf LeProducer]

You would be surprised how much you can do with an SM57, and just how many appearances the SM57 has made on high budget, low budget, major label, indie label, home and project studio albums..

SM57's have been a legend in recording, and they are dumb cheap..

There are those producers, audio engineers, and musicians who can take very inexpensive kit, and make great records... and when you give them really expensive kit, "that is where the shine," comes from..

[Tal Black]

The better your gear the less work you have to do to get the tune to where you want it.

Yes a pro can get decent results with cheap gear but that has NOTHING to do with the fact that.....

The better your gear the less work you have to do to get the tune to where you want it; and the faster you learn and move on project wise. One of the reasons that a pro can get decent results from cheaper gear is because he's used to great gear and thus he instantly knows the limitations of ANYTHING he uses. He won't try to polish beyond a pieces limitations.

In some cases Great gear also eliminates the delusion that "this song would be smokin' if we only had better gear".

Get the absolute best gear you can lay your hands on. Upgrade whenever possible. Great gear trains the ear.

[Wolf LeProducer]

Originally Posted by Tal Black

The better your gear the less work you have to do to get the tune to where you want it.

Yes a pro can get decent results with cheap gear but that has NOTHING to do with the fact that.....

The better your gear the less work you have to do to get the tune to where you want it; and the faster you learn and move on project wise.

In some cases Great gear also eliminates the delusion that "this song would be smokin' if we only had better gear".

and your post, and all the others to follow, will not change the simple fact that, "an sm57 was the mic on many, many, many major label records." either to mic the amp, or as the second mic in a vocal booth, or to mic a kick, or something...

I have nothing against expensive gear... infact, "i'm all for it." however.. SM57's are important history, and definitely professional gear, albeit not expensive... just saying

[PRobb]

A few people mentioned this, and I agree that for limited money you might be better off with a good dynamic than a cheap condenser. For the price of a bottom of the market condenser, you can get something like the RE-20 or SM-7 or 421.

[loopy]

Originally Posted by PRobb

A few people mentioned this, and I agree that for limited money you might be better off with a good dynamic than a cheap condenser. For the price of a bottom of the market condenser, you can get something like the RE-20 or SM-7 or 421.

+1
Good points!

[Plush]

The mic is everything.

[ritepathstudios]

Heres the thing...if you go high end on a mic and still using an interface or micpre thats cheap the high end mic will sound cheap...if you want the best out if your mic...placement is key then quality of the interface or preamp youre going into...i used to have an st51 going into a mobilepre (way back when lol) and the st51 sounded like crap so i thought...when i upgraded to my now liquid saffire 56 the mic still sounded cheap but not as crappy since it was going through better pres. Now i got a rode nt2a going through the liquid pres (salverrow-helios console) and its perfect for my voice but not a go to for every client i have. High end can sound better given the right equipment and sources but the most important thing is proper technique and placement. Ive heard garbage from high end gear from piss poor "engineers" and gems from low end gear so there you have it!

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

[T_R_S]

A good mic will shine when you are mixing...

[piper]

Originally Posted by Tal Black

The better your gear the less work you have to do to get the tune to where you want it; and the faster you learn and move on project wise. One of the reasons that a pro can get decent results from cheaper gear is because he's used to great gear and thus he instantly knows the limitations of ANYTHING he uses. He won't try to polish beyond a pieces limitations.

More important though, is the pro knows his craft. He has a deep understanding of sound, microphone placement, recording, mixing, and so forth.

This summer I was camping and there was a professional photographer nearby. He was on vacation, so he didn't have all his pro gear. He got better photos on his iPhone than most folks could get from the best gear out there. Because he understood light, camera placement, and timing.

I guess the bottom line is that if you don't know how to use your gear then it doesn't matter what you have My gear is decidedly low-end, so I work on learning how to use it as well as possible.

[Enlightened Hand]

Originally Posted by ruju

I recorded at a basement studio in a booth with an audio technica 2020 and I noticed that this microphone is being sold at zsounds for 100 dollars now although it used to be more and is sold for more where I live, i'm just wondering how much of a difference will I get if I record on a higher end mic - being something $500-600 and up.

I'm asking this because the recording I was able to make with the at2020 came out really good in my opinion. I'm sure most of the quality is based on the performance itself rather than the equipment, hence why my recording turned out well with a cheap mic. I do rap music btw.

It seems that we're always looking for the exact dollar to quality level correlation. Unfortunately, there isn't one specifically. But there is one in general. IN GENERAL the more expensive the mic, the better things sound recorded through the mic. But that's NOT always the case. And when you get beyond a certain price point the differences in price don't necessarily reflect the difference in sound quality.

As far as how much better a more expensive mic is than a specific, low cost option goes, the only honest answer I can give is: it depends. One might not be any better than the other at all. Odds are in favor of the more expensive mic sounding better. But because sources vary, as well as listener preferences, it's impossible to say for certain. If you're satisfied with the results then that's all that matters, not what might have been if only "x".

More expensive mics are so because people have put more time into fine tuning them and usually more expensive materials and/or construction processes into creating them. That usually means they sound pretty good all around. But whether or not you'll like the sound of a particular mic over another has much less to do with how much either mic costs and more to do with how things sound in the moment of use. The surest way to increase the odds of you having great sounding recordings is to use the best sounding mics you can get. In most cases they will be the more expensive options.

[Syncamorea]

Dammit guys, answer the damn question! The OP asked "how much?" which begs a quantitative answer. The answer, to a first approximation, is 0 to 1000 percent.