Right now I'm working with hand-me-downs. I've got money saved up so I'm thinking about investing in a mic.

I've read things about producers saying that certain mics work better with certain voices. Any of you recording gurus got that kind of advice for me?

As you all may know I'm totally into the 80's sounds. The main problem I have now with the mics I'm using is I always have to eq out the mids. I did use my boyfriends mic and noticed a difference. Can't remember what kind that was right now, but I know it wasn't a major brand.

VinaBlue said:

Can't go wrong with a good large-diaphragm mic like the Oktava mk319 or 219. However, you'll need to run it through a phantom power source. Ask Slave - it's a great mic for $79. I used to boost the mids to make my voice cut through, but in the end, it was just a matter of getting a mic that can pick up more highs and lows. At least for me.

You MIGHT want to look into getting a mic pre-amp instead. It may not be your mic at all.

Thanks Otan!

Not sure what phantom power source means. I plug in directly to the sound card's inbox. (It's a phone jack, not xlr chord coming from the mic.)


Here is what it looks like. It's got 8 ins, so you all can come over and record with me sometime...


A friend of mine records all his vocals through a reverb unit first, then to the input of his sound card. I was thinking of doing the same thing and buying a reverb unit instead of a new mic.

Yes, that Octavia mic is just amazing. Extremely sensitive so you may want to get a mic-screen (for the P's and T's). I've been experimenting with different rooms to see how I can use room acoustics.

When I first got this mic I was in my friend's living room with headphones and could hear kids playing like they were in the room with me. When I went outside to find them they were at the end of the block. Pretty sensitive to say the least.

Phantom power means that it needs a power supply in order for it to work. I have this cheap one thatuses a battery and I have this othe cheapie that just plugs into my amp but when you record it's like night and day.

I thought someone here mentioned a small jack or something that will get phantom power to the mic for realitively cheap.

I bought a 4 track mixing board to supply power to it ($79). The board was not just for phantom power but so I could mix more than one instrument into a single track. It gives you level controls and mixing ability but it also has an input that I can run effects through whatever is coming out.

Orgnote me with any questions as I'm babbling now.

With mics, you get what you pay for. If you paid $19 for the mic, it's going to sound like a $19 mic. Even $50 mics can be a waste of money. First off, DO NOT buy a mic that has a 1/4 plug at the end. Get one with the 3-prongs (XLR or Lo-Z). Right there the difference is night and day. The 1/4-inch microphones are made for low-quality reproduction. You've been recording for awhile, bite the bullet and invest in your voice. A Shure SM58 or 57 will run you less than $90. And then a pre-amp will cost as low as $50 if you shop around. Guitar Center usually runs a special - mic and pre-amp together for like $130 sometimes.

It's worth it.

Or, yeah, get a large-diaphragm mic and a phantom-power box. You'll get the same results - it'll be like someone cranked the power on the mic up to twelve.

-- AND ACTUALLY --

let's cover this here - micrphones.

If you do home-recording keyboards exclusively, and you're considering getting a microphone, DEFINITELY get a large-diaphragm mic. Dynamic mics are multi-purpose mics (like the SM57 and 58) intended for use with drums, amps, trumpets, and voices. A large-diaphragm mic is intended pretty much for just voice, or quiet acoustic instruments like acoustic guitar, violin and/or spoons.

SO. If you play keys, recording at home only (so you don't need to use a mic at a live gig) then don't waste the money on a multi-purpose mic. Get one that's JUST for your voice. Low-end mics like Oktava and Marshall are making decent ones for under $100. You'll need phantom power, but if you got a dynamic mic, you'd end up wanting a pre-amp to improve the sound.

Now I realize that $100 aint chickenfeed and it's a lot to tell you "you MUST get this" but think about it. How much do you spend on your keyboard and or your home-recording stuff? If you're singing as well, then your voice will invariably be the weakest link on your recordings. I've heard this on a lot of stuff up on here - awesome keys and vocals that sound like a bad phone connection.

I held off on getting a decent vocal mic for TWENTY years. I've had home studios for that long, and ALWAYS used a dynamic mic, and ALWAYS been frustrated at how weak or lo-fi my vocals sounded. And then last year I bought a large-diaphragm mic and POOF... suddenly the weakest link is now my songwriting, NOT my lame-ass voice.

So, just brace yourself. Once you get a better mic, you're going to be frustrated that you've got to write better songs.

in NO WAY am I up on my high horse. I'm trying to get everyone to trust me on this - I'm not telling you "if you want to be considered a real musician..." BS. no. I promise you - you WILL be blown away by these things.

Okay. I'm done. Go. Buy.

Marshall Large Diaphragm package: $59 at musicians friend (COMES with shockmount and carrying case):
http://www.musiciansfrien...e_id/88621


MXL V57M Large-Diaphragm Condenser Mic, $49!!
http://www.musiciansfrien..._id/101888

There's about 5 others under $100.
[This message was edited Fri Nov 14 14:26:12 PST 2003 by otan]

otan said:

It's the chord that has the 1/4 plug at the end, the mic has an xlr input on the end of it. Is that still whacked?

Yeah, I'll go to Guitar Center. I like their 30-Day return policy. That's how I recorded my first demos on a yamaha 4-track.

Slave2daGroove said:

Damn! Not sure about that then. The bus goes down my block every 10 minutes.



I use a 4-track to hear myself... maybe I should re-route my setup to go through the 4 track, then the soundcard.

Sorry - I just added a diatribe to my previous post - go back up and check it out again.

VinaBlue said:

What IS this Guitar Center? I assume it's like a chainstore that covers the whole of the US right? Man I'm jealous. Back in Englandshire I had to ride horse-back for two weeks to London, where I'd have Mr Thomas Brambleberries fix me up a piece of wood with cat intestines nailed to it.

Sorry, off topic just ignore me!

Taureau said:

No - good question Maggo - I mean Bull Man.

Guitar Center - online, they're www.musiciansfriend.com - super-store of musical instruments, or, as I call it, Heaven down the block.

Ah cool...

otan said:

Once again

Thanks for your testimonials!

I just got me a Shure SM58 and a nice pop filter and ready for some crazy work its a great mic!!!
[This message was edited Fri Nov 14 16:05:11 PST 2003 by Jem]

otan said:

The mic doesn't sugar coat it just picks up what's there and well.

Otan, you are the man for this mic post.
Smartass without a doubt but I'm not feelin any high-horses.

Vina, with that board I can bring down the levels and control exactly how sensitive it is.

for less money u can try the marshall v-series mics.they have a large diaphram and a gold sputtered thing-a-ma-jig and other big money but budget features.look 2 musiciansfriend.com for good online prices and Guitar Center if possible.Electro-voice also makes good mics for a small budget the n/d257b is a good choice.

Oh, mics... a specialty of mine! hehe Well, I recently bought a Shure SM27 and I thought it gave me good sound for the $. ($300 on sale) I think I'll go open up musicans friend really quickly and see what they have (browsing) One thing is for sure, use a condensor mic like the guys above said. You do want a good "popper" too. I bought a nice metal one for about $50 I think. I like it because it works very well, it's durable and I can wash it after sessions! hehe That Marshall mic looks like a decent deal but I can't see any more details specs on it. You want to get a mic with as flat a frequency response as possible. That way your voice sounds like your voice. :+) An extended frequency range might not hurt.

As far as a "midrange" sounding mic, certain brands do give you certain types of sound. I think the Shure mics are pretty versatile. I kinda see a SM58 as more of a live mic than a studio mic though. Let me get nerdy again...ugh. There are different types of "polar patterns" This basically means different ways your mic will pick up sounds. In your case I strongly suggest a "cardiod"(or maybe even a "super cardiod" which keeps out even more sound) pattern mic if it's in your budget. The reason I say that is a cardiod will help reduce any noise problems (Like the bus driving by your house) because it has a narrow range of where it picks up sound.

OK, I found a package that seems ok...

http://www.musiciansfrien..._id/109682

This seems like about the best deal I've seen so far...

http://www.musiciansfrien...e_id/49832

or this actually if you don't mind buying a "blemished" item. Just make sure you find out why it's "blemished" and make sure it's not refurbished. I buy refurb stuff once in a blue moon but I would NEVER buy a refurb mic. But this pack ROCKS, it comes with everythign you'll need.

http://www.musiciansfrien...e_id/56844

This is a good price and has some nice options...


http://www.musiciansfrien..._id/104119


Sorry for the long URL. hehe OK, as far as not having XLR to connect to "phantom power, you can connect to a phantom power box and then just get an adapter to go from the XLR connection to a 1/4 inch cable jack. Errr... I will stop here for now, if you have any more questions just let me know. Good luck. I am getting ready to buy a new mic too so I know where you're coming from. :+)

Thank you all for your input!

Hey Tal, I have an Electro-Voice mic, but it's probably one of the lower end ones.


Bootsi! Wow! Thanks for all of that. You got me dreaming with all those urls. Much appreciated.

You guys are giving me flashbacks to the recording techniques class I took YEARS ago. Most of it went over my head, lol.

As far as the xlr/phone jack thingy... I want to make sure I understand something. I have a cable that is xlr on one end and 1/4 ince on the other. Should I not use this? It sounds like I have to plug into the phantom power from the mic so I need xlr on both ends of that cable, but then can I use the cable I have now to plug into my sound card from the phantom power? I realize it might be better to buy a new cable anyway, since I'm getting a better mic, or is that not necessarily true?

VinaBlue said:

The cable you're talking about is the cheapo workaround. It means that your MIC has the 3-prongs to make it Lo-Z, but the cable converts to a Hi-Z (1/4) plug. From what I've read, that solution doesn't solve anything, but hey, it always comes down to your ears.

Your problem is that you're GOING to have to end up with a 1/4 eventually to get it into the computer... if you get the mic/preamp combo, I believe it will have a 1/4 output that's at the right level. Bootsinox said all the stuff I wanted to, but I dont have the technical vocabulary - I just know better/worse...

And lastly - the pop-screen. I built mine out of coat hanger and a t-shirt and duct tape. Panty hose would probably do better, but hey, it works for me.

daddy ain't rich, ya know...

Taureau said:

Just curious, how was the THD on that piece of wood with the cat intestines nailed to it?
[This message was edited Sat Nov 15 12:32:27 PST 2003 by LittlePill]

VinaBlue said:

What I suggested is having the XLR plug into your mic because it will have to. Then on the other end of your mic cable you plug XLR going into a phantom power box. After that you go FROM your phantom power box using XLR then on the other end of your mic cable if it doesn't already have 1/4 inch you may use a XLR to 1/4 inch adapter. That's all I meant! hehe :+) Any other questions, feel free to ask. Otan, that's a cool "popper", I used a thin hanging blanket for a year. hehe :+)

otan said:

I took a Music Tech class and this post sums up what I learned from it! I think we were using AKG condenser mics with phantom power though.

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[This message was edited Sat Nov 15 15:43:02 PST 2003 by CinisterCee]

Fischer Price?

I hear they come in pretty colors...
[This message was edited Wed Dec 10 8:20:05 PST 2003 by VinaBlue]