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Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Topic: Mic. recommendations?
Posted: March 21 2016 at 04:08

Just avoid used pantyhose.

Polymorphia View Drop Down

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Posted: March 20 2016 at 18:53

Davesax1965 wrote:

There are tons on eBay for less than a fiver. They just clamp onto a microphone stand.
Don't worry about the material, some are metal, some mesh. In my experience, it makes no difference at all.

If you're ever in a bind, some people actually use a coat hanger and panty hose. But yeah, they aren't even really all that expensive in the first place.

And regarding phantom power, condensers usually require it, though some have batteries or power supplies. If it's a dynamic or ribbon mic, you won't need phantom power. That's usually the easiest way to tell.

And I second the MXL recommendation. Good mics for pretty cheap. I have the 840s and the r40, both inexpensive, and they have served me very well.

Edited by Polymorphia - March 20 2016 at 19:08

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Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 20 2016 at 08:42

This is the preamp I use for sax and vocals. ART Studio v3. It's OK, uses a 12AX valve. I'm getting two twin versions of this and mounting them in a rack. For the price (£57 UK) these are fine. Not USB, though. ;-)

Everything goes through Reaper as a DAW - I use Reapers' inbuilt EQ plugin and also a VST called EZMix from Toontrack - https://www.toontrack.com/product/ezmix-2/ - I also use EZ Drummer for drums.

Quick sax sample here using that setup (and the 1933 Buescher Aristrocrat alto above) - it doesn't sound fully studio professional, but it sounds OK - and I didn't use a £2000 Rode microphone. ;-)

The added sound effects are from Guitar Rig 4, by the way.

https://brotherhoodofthemachine.bandcamp.com/track/1-nocturnal-transmission

Edited by Davesax1965 - March 20 2016 at 08:48

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 20 2016 at 08:33

There are tons on eBay for less than a fiver. They just clamp onto a microphone stand.
Don't worry about the material, some are metal, some mesh. In my experience, it makes no difference at all.

DDPascalDD View Drop Down

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Posted: March 20 2016 at 07:56

I've now already bought the Shure sm58, and I put it into a pre-amp (if that's the right word?) Roland studio-capture and that goes via usb to my laptop where my DAW records the sounds.

And I think I should indeed buy such a pop filter.
.

Edited by DDPascalDD - March 20 2016 at 07:58

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Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 20 2016 at 05:51

Recording sax.

The blue box at the back is a valve preamp (you can pick them up for about €50) which supplies power to the microphone (€80 ?) The microphone is in a shockmount (included in the price) and attaches to a microphone stand. Which you'll also have to get. There's a pop filter in there, too.

Just sticking a microphone near your mouth and hoping for the best works on stage, some times. (If you're some kind of idiot rapper. ;-) ) Getting a professionally sounding result.... requires professional equipment, no two ways around it. If you're just after recording OK vocals, you need to consider buying the "minimum level" equipment below.

Davesax1965 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 20 2016 at 05:38

MXL do a good discount range of microphones. The 990 series are good for vocals and all purpose recording.

One thing that's not been mentioned is that some microphones require phantom power. You need a preamp or mixing desk which supplies 48V to the microphone. Check the mic specs first. You will need phantom power for a 990.

SM57 and 58 are the standard choice BUT there are lots of good microphones out there in the price range.

You also have to consider your connectors, by the way. Getting a microphone with a DIN connector and then thinking "How do I plug it into a PC ?" is always an interesting moment for newbies.

Another thing. Get a pop filter for your microphone. They only cost a few pounds. If you don't - (a) you'll find that a lot of vocal sounds make "pop" noises. (b) it also keeps spit away from electronics. ;-) A shockmount is also a useful thing to have as it isolates the microphone from vibrations through the floor or being accidentally knocked.

Edited by Davesax1965 - March 20 2016 at 05:46

DDPascalDD View Drop Down

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Posted: February 08 2016 at 15:24

On eBay I couldn't find the t.bone MB58 beta, but I did see the Shure for almost 60 euros (shipping included). I also saw this discussion on a forum about the two mics: http://sonoengineer.proboards.com/thread/226/mb85-beta-sm58

I think if I can get the Shure for that price I'll take it.

New album! "A Moment of Thought"

Polymorphia View Drop Down

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Posted: February 08 2016 at 14:42

Freq response looks pretty similar, so yeah. Looks like the MB 85 has a bit more of the low frequencies.

SM 58:

MB 85:

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Vompatti

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Posted: February 08 2016 at 12:06

The one I mentioned is a copy of the Shure SM-58. I can't compare since I don't have the Shure but a lot of reviewers say there's not much difference.

Polymorphia View Drop Down

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Posted: February 08 2016 at 09:30

^You could try eBay or Reverb for used ones. Also the 57 is a tad cheaper.

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DDPascalDD View Drop Down

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Posted: February 08 2016 at 09:03

Thanks guys, appear to be good mics indeed, only a big difference in price, and for me the Shure seems pretty pricey. But if the Shure SM-58 is a starter maybe I've got to adapt.

I'll use it as follows (like I do with electric instruments):
I connect the microphone with an extern audio interface (Roland UA-1610 Studio-Capture) and then connect it via usb to my laptop and there I use a DAW.

New album! "A Moment of Thought"

pitfall

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Posted: February 07 2016 at 17:22

Depends a lot on what you intend to record onto.

i-phones and the like have dedicated hardware for recording sounds.

Polymorphia View Drop Down

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Posted: February 07 2016 at 15:38

The Shure SM-57 and 58 are essential mics to have and good starter mics. They're essentially the same mic, but the 58 has a windscreen (removable) which makes it better for vocals and the 57 responds a bit more to proximity effect which makes it better for instruments. Either would do as a starting mic.

Edited by Polymorphia - February 07 2016 at 15:39

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Vompatti

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Posted: February 07 2016 at 13:22

The t.bone MB85 Beta is a very good mic for the price (around 40€).

DDPascalDD View Drop Down

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Posted: February 05 2016 at 09:52

The 1mm microphone on my phone just isn't good enough. Have you got any recommendations for me? I've got absolutely no knowledge about it.
I want to record vocals mostly. I can record electric instruments so maybe once in a while acoustic guitar or something else, but not very important. It doesn't have to be supreme quality, just clean vocals for a normal range is ok. I'm not really sure about my budget, depends on how good the mic is... Around €20 to €50 I think.

New album! "A Moment of Thought"