Budget All-Purpose Microphone

general questions, comments and ideas about recording, audio, music, etc.
Catoogie
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Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by Catoogie » Thu May 22, 2003 12:34 pm

I currently have a Rode NT-1 and after reading some of the posts here my opinion is confirmed...it sounds really thin. I am not into it. Can someone recommend a mic around the same price ($200 or less)? THis will be my only mic and I will be using it primarily to record myself (acoustic guitar, vocals) but sometimes other acoustic instruments. Actually I lied, I have an Optimus PZM and I'll mostly likely pick up an SM-57 very soon.

How are the Oktava mics? I've heard lots of good stuff about Audio Technica, which models should I be looking at?

Thanks!!!

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bedbug
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by bedbug » Thu May 22, 2003 12:35 pm

Catoogie wrote:
How are the Oktava mics?
Thanks!!!

I dig 'em. A 219 would be good for acoustic guitar and vocals.

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Russian Recording
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by Russian Recording » Thu May 22, 2003 12:50 pm

Yeah Oktavas really are great mics. I would go with the MK319 over the 219... the same electronics and diaphragm design, only the 319 has a modified acoustical labrynth that sounds better to my ears.

The AT 4033 is amazing. You can steal one for under $200 on Ebay.

luckybastard
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by luckybastard » Thu May 22, 2003 12:58 pm

im a newbie to recording but in my research i've heard many good things about the studio projects c1...they are about 200. i know at chuck levin's in dc they will order one for you and charge u 169+ shipping

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logancircle
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by logancircle » Thu May 22, 2003 1:23 pm

AT 4033 is so versitile. Vocal, acoustic guitar, drum overhead, strings, piano. You may buy better mics down the line, but you still won't want to get rid of it.

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heylow
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by heylow » Thu May 22, 2003 1:35 pm

I'm going to have to go with the at4033 as well if we are talking all purpose on a budget....this may be a cliche by now but it truly IS the SM57 of the condenser world as it handles just about anything you throw in front of it. It may not be the BEST mic for EVERY source but it will do a decent job on pretty much EVERY source.......make sense?

And yes...the upside is, once you get more mics, you wont feel the need to sell it.


heylow

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soundguy
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by soundguy » Thu May 22, 2003 1:43 pm

do you want to get a condenser? I dont much like the cheaper condenser mics, they just dont do a thing for me. I would much prefer, if I had $200, to get something like a sennheiser 421. If I had to make a record with only $200 mics, it would be a record full of those. Sure, it would be a dark sounding record, but it would at least sound cool.

You can get a cheap condenser, which as you've noted with the rode, after a point, you'll be excited never to use it again, OR you can get pretty mcuh, one of the best dynamics that you'll use for the rest of time. Sure, sometimes you need a condenser, but I'd be much more excited to try to make a great sounding dynamic do what I wanted with an EQ than try to make a cheap sounding condenser do what I want to do with an EQ.

dave

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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by jajjguy » Thu May 22, 2003 1:46 pm

If you can go a little higher in price, multiple patterns can be really useful when you're trying to do lots of different things with one mic. AT4050 is a good choice, they go used for around $350. But yeah, 4033 is great value.

Catoogie
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by Catoogie » Thu May 22, 2003 1:55 pm

Hey Soundguy thanks for the advice! Honestly I don't really know that much about mics (obviously), but dark doesn't scare me off. I'd much rather have dark than bright.

How do you like the RE-20? What other mics besides the 421 do you like? Also, what is your opinion of the 4033?

Thanks again!!

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eeldip
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by eeldip » Thu May 22, 2003 2:05 pm

sometimes you could sneak an md441 for a little over $200, which is another mic that you can use for a whole lot of different stuff. it is a great mic if you record in a bad sounding room, which chances are, you are going to record in most of the time. plus it looks really amazing. so if you have strangers over, they feel like you know what you are doing.

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soundguy
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by soundguy » Thu May 22, 2003 2:09 pm

RE20's are cool, but I think they might be a little over $200, you can get a used 421 for $200 though. Ive never tracked with a 4033, that cheap silver AT (is that the 3035?) sounds ok, but Ive never used it. the mics I lie in that price range are 57's and 421's, but everyone likes different stuff, so see if you can listen to the stuff before you get it.
dave

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wayne kerr
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by wayne kerr » Thu May 22, 2003 3:21 pm

for that kind of jing, I'd second the 421 - it's a very utilitarian mic with it's five-pos HPF and the fact that you can absolutely abuse it and it just keeps coming back asking for more. 4033s are cool too, but if I could only own ONE mic and I only had $200 to spend, I'd hold out for a 421.
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nathan
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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by nathan » Thu May 22, 2003 8:30 pm

if you decide you do want the "condensor" sound, another multi-pattern ld condensor to consider is the studio projects c3. it's $350 new, probably not much more than $200 used. it also has a pad and high pass filter, though they both can't be engaged at once. i haven't used the mic, but i'm in more or less the same boat as you and i haven't heard any nasty comments about the sp c line of mics.

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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by AstroDan » Thu May 22, 2003 8:39 pm

I gotta vote for the 4033. The 421 is an amazing mic, but the 4033 would most likely sound better for budget pres (which I assume you may have...not that there's anything wrong with that!). For my ears, it takes a fairly decent preamp to take full advantage of a dynamic, where as the 4033 could still sound good through a Mackie 1202. Just my opinion.

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Re: Budget All-Purpose Microphone

Post by sonariste » Thu May 22, 2003 9:37 pm

the studio projects B1 is a good all around mic.
$99 + $25 for the shock mount.
good on many vocals, acc guitar , BD, OH,

I agree the 4033 is a better mic but, for $99 the B1 is hard to beat.

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