mic recommendations for low-cost studio

[[email protected]]

Hi everyone,

I'm new at digital recording, and I want to start (slowly) building a
home studio. Right now I'm looking for a good mic... I would like
something that works well with my Seagull Artist acoustic guitar and
can give me a really warm soft tone. Oh and less than $300... Let me
know your suggestions. Thanks!

-Matt

[Agent 86]

On Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:18:50 -0700, meo2662 wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I'm new at digital recording,

Are you new to recording in general?, or just digital recording?

> and I want to start (slowly) building a home
> studio. Right now I'm looking for a good mic... I would like something
> that works well with my Seagull Artist acoustic guitar and can give me a
> really warm soft tone.

Warm and soft are words that really don't have much of anything to do with
audio, except to the extent that soft can mean "not very loud".

But in any event, an AT4051 sounds pretty good on most any acoustic
guitar, provided the guitar itself actually sounds good. And it's
relatively inexpensive.


> Oh and less than $300... Let me know your
> suggestions. Thanks!

AKG C535 or EV ND/468 in that price range. If it's your ONLY mic, you'll
probably find the 535 to be somewhat more versatile, but both are worth
having and will be worth keeping even when you get something else.

[Paul Stamler]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> I'm new at digital recording, and I want to start (slowly) building a
> home studio. Right now I'm looking for a good mic... I would like
> something that works well with my Seagull Artist acoustic guitar and
> can give me a really warm soft tone. Oh and less than $300... Let me
> know your suggestions. Thanks!

Electro-Voice RE20. You'll never be sorry you bought it. If it's more than
$300 new, find a used one on e-bay.

Peace,
Paul

[[email protected]]

Thanks guys,

I am new to recording in general, and I appreciate your suggestions.
I have also heard good things about the akg C3000 B. I'll make sure I
research them all.

-Matt

[Scott Dorsey]

> wrote:
>
>I am new to recording in general, and I appreciate your suggestions.
>I have also heard good things about the akg C3000 B. I'll make sure I
>research them all.

The C3000 is among the nastiest-sounding microphones I have ever used.

Try all the mikes you can. Listen to yourself recorded through them.
Look for screechy and artificial top end, which is very common on a lot
of inexpensive microphones today.

Record speech. Play it back. Can you close your eyes and believe someone
is speaking right in front of you, or does it sound like a recording?
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Doc Weaver]

On Apr 12, 3:18 pm, wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'm new at digital recording, and I want to start (slowly) building a
> home studio. Right now I'm looking for a good mic... I would like
> something that works well with my Seagull Artist acoustic guitar and
> can give me a really warm soft tone. Oh and less than $300... Let me
> know your suggestions. Thanks!
>
> -Matt

Matt,
With your budget in mind, I would suggest that you get a microphone
that is multifaceted. There are plenty "decent" multi-use out there
from many different brands. I've had real good luck with the CAD M179
as an all around extra. It has 5 patterns, -20db pad, low cut, and
comes with a shock mount.

Caution: Don't expect to get a Neumann sound out of any Chinese mic.
To borrow an old saying, "It is what it is".

Doc Weaver

[Agent 86]

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:51:58 -0700, meo2662 wrote:

> Thanks guys,
>
> I am new to recording in general, and I appreciate your suggestions. I
> have also heard good things about the akg C3000 B. I'll make sure I
> research them all.

I've heard good things ABOUT the C3000 too.

Problem is I've never heard good things THROUGH one.

[philicorda[_3_]]

On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:44:37 -0400, Agent 86 wrote:

> On Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:51:58 -0700, meo2662 wrote:
>
>> Thanks guys,
>>
>> I am new to recording in general, and I appreciate your suggestions. I
>> have also heard good things about the akg C3000 B. I'll make sure I
>> research them all.
>
> I've heard good things ABOUT the C3000 too.
>
> Problem is I've never heard good things THROUGH one.

The C3000 and C3000B are not the same mic.

I had a C3000 once. It had two mic diaphragms in it, with a separate small
electret one wired to give the hyper cardioid pattern. The C3000B has only
one. It's been at least 12 years since the C3000 came out, so it may not
even be the same capsule. I've not heard the C3000B

The funny thing is, when the C3000 was new, and over £400 or so, people
loved it. Mine has wandered off since I lent it to someone who lent it to
someone. The parts on the records I did with it sound good though. It's a
weird but distinctive sounding mic. Anything recorded with one will be
audible in a mix, irrespective of how loud it is. :)

[hank alrich]

> wrote:

> I have also heard good things about the akg C3000 B.

You don't want to go there.

--
ha
Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam