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Thread: What is a god afordable mic that can do it all.

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    Default What is a god afordable mic that can do it all.

    I need a good mic but i am poor as hell so what do you suggest mic wise that does it all and is affordable.

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    Shure SM57? SM58?

    What do you need it to do? Vocals? Guitar cabs? Drums?
    Quote Originally Posted by Spudman
    Does anyone read the original post?
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    Either the 57 or 58 that Eric mentioned is a fine start to any mic collection. Obviously the 57 will be more neutral sounding when placed close toa sound source. The 58 has a proximity effect.

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    SM-57 for guitar. Around $100 on ebay.
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    Go with the Shure. I just pulled out an old SM 58 from storage that's twenty years old, and it still looks brand new. You can't go wrong with a Shure, and they are worth every penny.

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    +1 on Shures. You can use them to bang that loose board on the stage down too and they'll still keep working

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert View Post
    SM-57 for guitar. Around $100 on ebay.
    In the States you can get them for $99 brand spankin' new. I've been toying with getting one and a preamp to record my amph.
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    The SM-57's been considered a penultimate guitar amp mic for years but actually is a more versatile all-purpose mic than the 58 b/c of the 58's proximity effect.
    Skillful EQ'ing and injecting it through a tube pre-amp makes either mic excellent for vocals, but the 58's better for beefing up thin, reedy or high-pitched voices.
    The 58's classic strength is close-mic'd stage vocals, limiting intruding background sounds fairly effectively.
    Start with the 57, learn how to process it effectively in different applications and you may/may not find you need another mic, but if you do, get a 58.
    Once you've got these 2 dynamics in your mic locker, for recording in a controlled sound environment you can look at adding a Large Diaphragm Condenser for vocals and Small Diaprhagm Condenser or 2 for acoustic instros or high freq percussion. Good condensers can be had in the same price range as the 57/58.

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    Just for recording? I'd get a cheapie large diaphragm condenser like an mxr. And a tube preamp, behringer or ART.

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    Check out the Shure Beta 57a too. Costs slightly more than the 57, but seems to be a bit better at being an "all-rounder" I just got one 2nd hand for $70

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    I was at the store by me today and I asked one of the sales guys, a guitar player himself and band member, what would make an excellent inexpensive mic for vocals. He showed me an Audix OM2 dynamic mic. They cost about 100 dollars. I'm thinking of getting one for Charity, as she sings along on my PA to songs I jam to. I have a mediocre mic right now. Plus having two mics will be good.

    Here is the link to some information http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...m-2-microphone .

    You might want to check one of these out. They are supposed to sound better than the SM58.

    I haven't tried on yet so I can't say how they perform in various situations, but the sales guy says that they are definitely real nice.

    I hope this helps, in addition to the Shure mic info.

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    I sorta thought God could afford any mic he wanted.

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    I like the Sennheiser 835 mics for vocals. For instruments and vocals I have a Shure Beta 57A. For instruments primarily I have a Sennheiser E609 and a Shure SM57.
    MXL has the large diaphragm 990 and small diaphragm 991 packaged together as an inexpensive set and they can sound very good. I use the 990 for some room 'air' and close mic with the 57 or 609 when trying to record guitar. The pair of MXL's used together can really do a nice job recording an acoustic guitar.

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    First choice is whether you need a condenser or a dynamic mic.
    You need a condenser mic when you mic from greater distances and very dynamic material; drum overheads, vocals, pianos, general recording of sound.
    Dynamics are good for everything else but picking up from distances and very high or low and transient material.

    Generally I would say a Shure 57 is the best cheap all-round mic. You can use it to record vocals with a popscreen, and it's kinda an industry standard and very good for guitar and most drums - yes you can use it even for a kick. And it can take a helluva beating.

    A 58 is the exact same mic with a different grille for a better proximity effect and a built-in popscreen for live vocals. Many raspy-sounding or screaming vocalists like to sing to a 57 though because they get 2/3rd inch closer to the diaphraghm for maximum vocal pressure before feedback. I myself also sing into a 57 and practically eat the damn thing sometimes.

    There are better mics for many uses and also cheaper ones, but IMO everyone should have at least one 57 or 58. They just work very well for everything, superb all-rounders. Many a better-sounding mic may fail at kickdrum or maybe handling noise or just mechanical strength...that's why I'd go with a classic.

    If you need a condenser mic, one of the best starter single mics are Rode NT-1s. Plenty of choice therein. If you mainly do studio vocals etc, a large diaphragm one is good, but for general recording, maybe a pair of small tubular condensers in stereo is a better choice.
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    When using an SM57, it is really nice to have a great mic preamp to get the most out of it.
    I use a BAE 1073.

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    GLS Audio makes very good Shure clones. I just purchased one of their SM-57 clones, although it hasn't arrived yet. These are on Amazon for $29, about a third of a Shure. These were recommended to me by a guy that's been involved in recording for a while, and they come pretty highly recommended. Here's a link for the SM58 clone.

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    Default What is a god afordable mic that can do it all.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tig View Post
    I sorta thought God could afford any mic he wanted.
    The only reason I'm reading this thread is because I was curious and hoping to see pictures of a God mic.

    But now that I'm here, another vote for the Shure 57, which I've borrowed from a friend a few times. Thrilled to see there's a $29 knock-off. I don't mic much, so $100 is to rich for my blood.
    Nothing is anything until it is written. After that, it's everything.

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    Quote Originally Posted by davewrites View Post
    The only reason I'm reading this thread is because I was curious and hoping to see pictures of a God mic.

    But now that I'm here, another vote for the Shure 57, which I've borrowed from a friend a few times. Thrilled to see there's a $29 knock-off. I don't mic much, so $100 is to rich for my blood.
    29 dollars for a mic? Wow, why don't you just use a dixie cup with a string attached to it.
    What do you think you'll get for 29 bucks?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ToddK View Post
    29 dollars for a mic? Wow, why don't you just use a dixie cup with a string attached to it.
    What do you think you'll get for 29 bucks?
    According to over 100 customer reviews on Amazon, you get a pretty decent mic.
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