Looking for advice on cheap mic for home recording

[Shredder87]

Hello folks,

I'm looking for some advice here because I'm not too knowledgable about mics... I have Acoustica Mixcraft on my PC at home and I am looking to do a bit of recording with it... nothing serious, just as an extension to my hobby really. I'm after a cheap mic that would be half-decent for recording electrics, acoustics and perhaps vocals too. I'd get an SM57 but I can't stretch the budget to cover it.

Not too bothered about super-duper sound quality, obviously I'd like it to be as good as it can be for the price, like I say it's just for recording at home, so I can mic up my amp when playing electric and so I can also sing and play my 12-string acoustic.

Any ideas? Any other advice would be very much appreciated... like I say I'm a bit new to all this recording business... just looking to expand my hobby of music, that's all!

Regards

Shredder87

[jb4674]

What's your budget?????

Jimmy

[yoyo1299]

I just bought a audio technica pro 63 mic for guitars and some basic vocals.It's really nice, cheap, looks cool, comes wiht a nice long cable

[Shredder87]

Originally Posted by jb4674

What's your budget?????

Jimmy

Hmm... about £50?

'87

[jb4674]

Check this out...

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Shure-PG...88-i1126552.gc

Jimmy

[Andelusion]

Second hand SM57 tbh.

[courtney2018]

I have a PG58 that I bought from Best Buy for the same price. I don't know what the difference is, other than the screen design difference, between that one Jimmy and mine, but I'm sure it'll be just as good. Maybe it's that mine is more for vocals than instruments? I don't know. I've used mine to record my acoustic before and I works just fine.

http://www.musicians.friend.com/prod...ble?sku=270286

Be sure to remove the "." between musicians and friend when going to the link.

[Wild_Child]

I'd go with a second hand SM57 too. But then, I am quite the ambassador for used gear They can be had off the bay for under £50 if you're lucky. Although for an extra £15 you could get one new:

http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product.asp?id=966

That seems like the best deal to me, if you're willing to spend a little more.

[meestursparkle]

If you want to record vox and accoustic guitar and amped guitar I would buy a condensor mic. Micing an acoustic guitar with an sm57 is kind of, well, not a great idea. If you are not super concerned with sound quality etc you can find one with a a battery in it that way you don't need phantom power. There are actually TONS that take a battery that are great mics. Rode NT#. Octavas, Marshalls are ok.
A half way decent condensor will pick up a full spectrum of sounds where as a sm57 is geared toward midrange, good for amped guitar but if I had to chose one mic it would be a condensor. You can pic up a decent one with a battery for $50-$100 .

[meestursparkle]

I meant to say Rode NT-3. A little more expensive but a great mic. Also Studio Projects makes some decent small diaphram condensors.

[Jamie]

Hi,

Try to save some more money.

For a good all-rounder try a KEL HM-2d.

These are one of the ONLY companies in the world producing quality at an affordable price. The poster above is right, Studio Projects is the best of the Chinese manufacturers, but only because quality control is much better.

http://www.kelaudio.com

You'll see a link to the Sebatron preamps as well. These are superb.

Your bare minimum should be an SM57. It will last you forever and with some practice provide multiple functions and best of all, you can gig with it and not risk damage.

Rode are good too. But more like the $200 mark. KEL ftw.

Jamie

Edit: you know you will need phantom power for a condensor, and a preamp for both types of mic yes?