[muso/techie/whatever] Microphones

[alan nagsworth]

Alright, so I really need to be making more music, but my methods are already really annoying me. I have been working on a bunch of all-vocal stuff as it's currently my preferred way of bypassing almost all of the knob twiddling that comes with sampling and synth programming, because I am known to get very bored or over-analytical with all of that to the point where I never actually finish anything. Now, I can see this happening again because my only way of recording my vocals is using the microphone on the iPhone (which reproduces sound surprisingly well for what it is) and then emailing the 'voice memos' to myself. I then have to convert them to .WAV from .MP4, save the files and import them separately into the sequencer. This is annoying. I want to have a microphone that allows live recording within Reason (or at least within SoundForge) so I can get my vocals down in a much more prompt way that keeps the spirit of improvisation alive. Ideas come and go really quickly and when I'm in the mood to actually make something, my current method means that those ideas dissipate and my enthusiasm fades before I've even recorded a second vocal track.

So basically I'm looking for recommendations for a microphone! I don't know the first thing about this stuff so... are they all compatible with PC input these days or do I need some kind of Logitech MuzakPro 3500 PC Microphone thing? I'm guessing as long as you have the appropriate line-in any mic will work fine?

I also don't want to spend a lot of money. How much does a semi-decent mic cost these days? The sound reproduction does not have to be perfect at all, I just want it to be able to handle the frequencies (particularly low-end/bass) fairly well so that I can explore vocal harmonies without it sounding like a big horrible mess. Ideally I don't really want to spend any more than £30, is that a ludicrously paltry amount of money for what I want to achieve?

[NoSleep]

I got one of these:



from here:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_sc1200.htm

And it does everything an AKG414 can for about 10% of the price. Good enough for vocals as well as anything else you care to throw at it. Two different LF filter settings two different pad settings, as well as a choice of Omni, Cardioid, or Figure of Eight. Sounds great.

[NoSleep]

You will need a preamp with Phantom Power if you don't already possess one.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/art_tube_mp.htm

[NoSleep]

Your audio interface may already be equipped to supply Phantom Power to a mic, too.

[alan nagsworth]

That's all way too expensive, NS! I really just want something cheap and cheerful within my dismal budget. I definitely appreciate your recommending of something that has a lot of bang for the buck, but I'm looking for something significantly smaller in both bang and buck. I spotted this cheap piece of plastic on Amazon and it seems to be much more within the confines of what I need. Is that shit, though? Is there something of a similar price that will serve me better?

[NoSleep]

Check some of the other mics in the Thomann range. LFBarfe uses one of their cheapest for casting on CaB Radio, and it sounds good enough.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/cat.html?gf=large_diaphragm_mics&oa=pra

[NoSleep]

Or a dynamic mic (no phantom power required).

[Johnny Yesno]

I think if you go too cheap you'll just be throwing away money you could have put away for something better. You should think of your mic in the same way as you'd think of an instrument. How much will you enjoy using it and how productive will you be if the results are uninspiring?

I got myself a Blue Ball a while back and it's pretty good, though not as inspiring as my AKG C3000, which sounds amazing for the price. Both require phantom power, however, and not long after I got the Blue Ball Blue put out the Snowball, which is based on the Blue Ball but connects to a computer via USB. It seems they now also do the Snowflake - I've no idea what that sounds like.

[alan nagsworth]

This is a big help, thanks very much for the links guys :)

[El Unicornio, mang]

I use an ST51 condenser mic, they're about $200 (120 quid) in the shops, or  $100 (60) if you buy from somewhere like amazon, running through a Blue Icicle USB preamp (40ish). I used to use the ART Tube Studio V3 preamp but I find that the blue icicle works just as well, albeit with less control. So, if you're willing to spend maybe 30-40 quid more, you could get the mic and preamp off ebay. Worth getting something decent, in the long run, I'd say.

Another option is the Shure SM58. It's more used for live performances, but is a good budget mic that can be used for recording also.

Edit: side note - condenser mics can pick up even the slightest background noise, so you need to have silence (soundproofing ideally). Noise reduction plug-ins work quite well, but can make the vocals sound a bit muffly. Basically, the better the raw untouched track sounds, the better.

[jake thunder]

This is a bargain:

http://www.ecrater.co.uk/p/12739301/shure-sm57-sm-57-instrument-microphone-in

Best selling microphone of all time. Will last forever. Sounds great. Dynamic. No need for phantom power. Very clean sounding.

[The Region Legion]

This is a bargain:

http://www.ecrater.co.uk/p/12739301/shure-sm57-sm-57-instrument-microphone-in

Best selling microphone of all time. Will last forever. Sounds great. Dynamic. No need for phantom power. Very clean sounding.

At that price it's likely a bootleg one.

[Repentia]

Will these microphones reduce ambient hiss? Or is that more of a soundcard thing?

I can remove the bath of white noise using some choice post-production filters almost effectively now. I was just wondering if there was any way to pre-emptively remove it so I could record cold. As it stands there is no way I could remove it in a live situation, just half-arsedly conceal it with the cunning use of a bed, which doesn't always work in practice.


Also, isn't it mixtape season for the radio? Are we doing that this year?

[Marty McFly]

I've got one of these. Handy clip for mounting on top of your laptop, or it just sits on the desk. Terrific sound quality, and as it's USB it's literally plug and play. Comes in a nice little carry case too. Available online for under £40.

[NoSleep]

Will these microphones reduce ambient hiss? Or is that more of a soundcard thing?

I can remove the bath of white noise using some choice post-production filters almost effectively now. I was just wondering if there was any way to pre-emptively remove it so I could record cold. As it stands there is no way I could remove it in a live situation, just half-arsedly conceal it with the cunning use of a bed, which doesn't always work in practice.


Also, isn't it mixtape season for the radio? Are we doing that this year?

You'll have to say what it is you're using currently to judge whether an upgrade of something will reduce hiss. White noise could be the sign of a capacitor dying in a condenser microphone. Got an audio example of the what levels of noise you're talking about? Hiss should be a minimal problem with normal use of a (semi-decent) mic, say to record a vocal, or an instrument.

[Repentia]

I'm probably making a hissyfit about nothing to be honest, it's not like I'm going pro. It's more that the hiss is fiddly for making spontaneous jokes over sound collages. I've got to go away, remember the funny thing and the way I said it, then mix it in filtered. It's just awkward, really, and it seems uneccessary given technology these days.

[NoSleep]

That definitely sounds like something is adding hiss to the whole thing and it's probably (most likely) the mic. 600 ohms impedance is a throwback to catering for the input to a portable cassette player or similar[nb]Possibly this impedance allows one to use such a mic with an amp designed for a guitar; old school shit in other words. These days you'd have a mic/line switch or even separate inputs.[/nb], which probably makes it not entirely compatible with the kind of thing that's expected to interface with a modern soundcard. The hiss may be a sign of it's age. Even a (very) cheap (modern) option could yield less hiss than is evident here.

[Delete Delete Delete]

Also, isn't it mixtape season for the radio? Are we doing that this year?

http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=31495.0

[Repentia]

T_ssssh_ssssank_ssss y_ssssou bo_ssssth ki_ssssndl_ssssy. _ssssI'll d_sssso a bit of vi_ssssrtu_ssssal win_ssssdow sh_ssssopp_ssssing an_ssssd so_ssssldier o_ssssn with th_sssse his_sssss fo_ssssr the cur_ssssrent Morp_ssssha.

[The Region Legion]

And it does everything an AKG414 can for about 10% of the price.

That is a fairly astonishing claim - I absolutely adored using a set of C414s on a gypsy jazz band some years ago, and have aspired to own a pair ever since. Do you have any examples of some recordings you've made with it?

[NoSleep]

The SC1200 does sound pretty good (I've used it for recording my voice for some forthcoming CaB Radio stuff and tested out recording some acoustic guitar; that's as far as I've had a chance to try it out). What I meant was that it has all the same adjustable settings as you will find on an AKG 414; the same flexibility.

I'm almost certain that the AKG will be soldiering on twenty years hence, whilst the SC1200 will be showing its age, if it hasn't become scrap metal.

That said, I have been told that the diaphragm in the SC1200 is much larger than one that Neumann could afford to make, due to the SC1200 being made in China. Only 1 in 5 are finally selected for use; a ratio too costly in Germany.

[NoSleep]

I'm almost certain that the AKG will be soldiering on twenty years hence, whilst the SC1200 will be showing its age, if it hasn't become scrap metal.

Although, I should add, the SC1200 does appear to be built like brick shithouse; so its demise isn't inherently imminent.