Microphone suggestions for home recording

[neatomic]

when i was doing live sound engineering and tech, you could practically mic a whole band with shure 57's...great for speaker cabinets...also good on snare drums and toms...shure 58, which is very similar but with ball end, was choice for vocals, and brass..tho the 57 would be okay for that too in a pinch

great easy to use basic mic, that doesn't require additional pre-amp/outboard gear like a ribbon or a condenser might

learning how to mic..placement and reflections.. is really the key! different placement will get vastly different results...so experiment and trust your ears

then you can move on to better and more detail specific mics

luck

cheers

ps- in todays studios, where the number of tracks is not an issue, it is not uncommon to mic a speaker cab with 2 mics..a dynamic and a ribbon...and then blend the two in the mix...very chic these days!

[Ray175]

The SM57 is an excellent choice for a first mike since it’s so versatile and rugged. But I’d consider a condenser mike for later, especially if you want to record an unamplified instrument. They generally have a flatter and wider frequency response. Most require require phantom power.

Most mics (including the SM57) are directional and have proximity effect where the bass response dramatically increases as you get very close. So be aware of that when experimenting with mike positions.

Thanks Kirk. The Zoom U-44 has phantom power, so hopefully that base will be covered. Any suggestions for a decent inexpensive condenser mike at a later date?

[KirkP]

Thanks Kirk. The Zoom U-44 has phantom power, so hopefully that bass will be covered. Any suggestions for a decent inexpensive condenser mike at a later date?

A few years ago I researched inexpensive condenser mics with decent reviews and ended up with both a CAD GLX1200 and CAD M179.

The GLX1200 is the style one might use for acoustic guitar and the M179 more oriented toward vocals in a studio. I don’t claim they are pro quality, but I got good results with them. There are many other options and many review sites.

I bought a Shure PE50SP in the mid 70s, which is nearly identical to an SM58. It went through a bunch of bar gigs including on flame breathing magician. It still works good as new.

[neatomic]

A few years ago I researched inexpensive condenser mics with decent reviews and ended up with both a CAD GLX1200 and CAD M179.

agree about the cad condensers...they make decent home/small studio/budget version of the neumanns!..good value

however a condenser might not be my first choice when it comes to micing guitar speaker cabs...or at least not the primary mic...

but definitely keep cad in mind..good company to deal with as well

cheers

[Max405]

I can’t argue with the choice of the Shure 57. I’ll never forget this.. the night we were supposed to open for Frank, Dean, Liza and Sammy at the Brendan Byrne Arena I saw an entire crate FULL of 57’s each one wrapped in a paper towel!! They had at least a 40 piece orchestra. During setup, all the mics were put in place. During sound check, every mic worked perfectly. At 7:45 (after they started letting People into the lobby of the arena) they cancelled the show!
The techs ripped everything down faster than you can imagine. I saw Shure 57’s being tossed back into the huge crate. Those things are bullet proof.

But if you go condenser, check out the Blu Bluebird. It’s an extremely detailed mic and it’s also quite versatile. The Rhode Nt1a is nice too. Very cost effective, great mics.
Joe D

[fep]

Okay, this thread has sent me down the rabbit hole... well this thread and the discovery of the audio test kitchen site. I've listened to a ton of mics today. I'm listening with Kali LP-8 speakers in a treated small room (my home studio). The audio test kitchen went to a lot of effort to make the source material, and mic placement identical for all the mics.

I just tested four of the least expensive mics against an ADK Z-251 $3,000 mic. The differences are very subtle. You all should check this stuff out for yourself through a decent system, amazing web site.

I thought the MXL sounded the closest to the ADK, but the differences are pretty subtle to me. Where I noticed the most difference was when I zero'd in on the sound of the snare drum, the brightness of the snare drum. There was some differences around 6 khz that was affecting the snare sound for me. I'm 62 with average hearing for that age, can't hear about 13k and above.

The mics tested:

[fep]

But if you go condenser, check out the Blu Bluebird. It’s an extremely detailed mic and it’s also quite versatile. The Rhode Nt1a is nice too. Very cost effective, great mics.
Joe D

Just gave them a test. I really liked the Rode NT1, wIth the NT1a close behind. The blue had just a touch of extra high end brightness that made it sound not as warm to me, but that high end articulation is what some might want. I will also say that the Blue had the most personality in that the other mics in this group where pretty similar with the blue sticking out as a brighter sounding mic... This is all very subjective in what one would prefer. Acoustic guitar, hmmm perhaps I'd like the Blue the most. Unfortunately there is noacoustic guitar yet, they say they will be adding to the site as they go. Edit: (My Bad) There is acoustic guitar, and the Blue does well with a dreadnaught high end articulation.)

Showing the optional screen here with the frequency response curves (best to listen and evaluate without those curves showing though so as not to get biased by the picture).

[ThatRhythmMan]

One more plug for the Heil PR30. It’s almost as tough as the SM57 with a better response, even more versatility, and it’s quieter overall. It costs a little more, but I can tell you, I sold off my SM57 mics and bought another PR30. The Heil is my dynamic mic of choice, hands down. It compares very favorably to my Audix SCX25A condenser mics for a fraction of the price.

And no, I don’t have any stock in Heil.

[icr]

Just about any mic will do for an amp. The most important things are:

Mic position: Need to listen carefully with sealed headphones. One millimeter movement will make huge difference. I slide the mic stand around on the floor with my feet to zero in on the right sound. The backing tracks need to be going to hear how it will all sound together.

Monitoring: I split my signal so the disk recording is dry, yet I can hear sound based effects as I play. Cut and paste post-production is easier without the reverb and delay tails. Add the time-based effects during mixdown.

[morroben]

I use an SM57, E609, and a Samson VR88. The VR88 is really underrated.

[Smurf43]

Any suggestions for a decent inexpensive condenser mike at a later date?

Hope I am not stepping on any toes here, but I would suggest a MXL V67G, low cost (can find them used at $50 or below at times), and it sounds like a nice older condenser, not a bright, shrill MIJ mic that is so prevalent in today's low cost world. I have used mine on vocals (male and female) guitar amps & acoustics, bass amps and as drum overheads in a matched pair.

The most underrated condenser IMHO.....