Hi all

I've had a Shure SM-57 for ages. It's a legendary mic, great for guitar cabs, passable for acoustic if you position it right, and can work for vocals, snares, and pretty much anything you can point it at. It is also almost indestructible.

However, in terms of frequency response and a warm, ambient sound a condensor is really the way to go. I've just ordered an Audio Technica AT4040 (about $350). It looks like a beast, and there is alot of raving about it on the tinternet, so I'm looking forward to recording with it.

In short: what microphone(s) do you have, what microphone(s) do you prefer to use for different tasks and why, and what microphone are you considering getting? ( I'd love a Neumann U87 but its not gonna happen)

On my student budget, I'm cringing about forking out even for a 57.  I use a cheap behringer mic (XM8500) which is pretty terrible, but cost me somewhere in the neighbourhood of $15 bucks.

I want to get a low-mid range condenser, run it through a tube pre-amp, into a nice, USB-enabled, all-digital mixer while rocking away on my 200W Marshall....well, you get the picture :P.

mics i have sm 57 and 58 ,  condenser mics  AT 4047 for my voice I liked this one better than the 4040. and a avlex avs79,   ...next mic for home is the AKG C414bxl, and the AT 4060...down the road a neumann U87
love the sound of these mics for vocals... and maybe a ev 20 or ev 40 or is that 440 can't remember.

awesome... yes I was tempted by the 4047 for vocals but heard the 4040 is better for acoustic... and it's cheaper for me!

Avi if you want a good low-med condensor it has to be the Studio Projects C1. Or if you can afford a little more the AT4040.

I've got a 57 and a 58 that I've used for years.. then recently added a Sterling condenser, which hasn't let me down. The tone is pretty much exactly what I needed. As for the ATs, I've used the 4040s and 4047s as pairs at school and I was happy with them both.

if you don't want to go with a condensor , I came across one of these ... then found out they had one at guitar center.. I plugged it in and sang thru it .. the salesman hadn't heard anything recorded thru it either.. we were both blown away by how nice this mic sounded.  one of the best sounding  dynamics I have heard.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PR40mic/

I've got the SM58, which is a great mic it's true; I also have a Shure 588SA (old, but really good) which is the mic I nearly always record through. 
I also recently bought the remarkable Behringer deal of 3 XM1800S (about £25/$45 for the lot).  Not truly brilliant mics but pretty damn good for the price.  These weren't necessary at all... I just thought that I had to try them for the price!

I'm going to go for a JTS NX-8 next.  I have heard excellent things about this microphone, and want to try it in a live setting.  Even this is a sub £50 /$90 mic.

The thing all these mics have in common is that they're pretty damn cheep - so if you're on a shoe string, it may be the way to go.

Just got shure beta 58a & 57a in Japan used them at home in the recording of vocals and sax,got up nice and close and routed a side chain amplitude guitar sim plugin on   Actors >.

In Diamond Jems  drummers studio which is where we do most recording for live drums  bass guitar vocals,.... use > rode NT1 ,Classic II  ,NT4, shure sm 57s/58s.and for drums beta 56s and 52 s.   > I've used the nT1a at home on accoustic guitar .. if DI'd as well yields a second guitar track.

What has astounded me is the range in prices of mics eg shurebeta 58a costs $320 au but in Japan get em for $128 in yen eq.No Us tariffs .

The vocalist in Wolf mother uses a shure 545sd on vox in some numbers  which is for mouth harp.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Wolfmother_closeup.JPG/800px-Wolfmother_closeup.JPG

 

I've had pretty good results with my AKG Perception 100 so far.

AT4040 blows the shit out of my AKG P 100 and Shure SM58 beta. Like. Holy jesus. Esspecially with good (mackie for me) preamps, the AT404 really shines.

AKGs are nice for guitar, they have great bass response even without preamping etc.

I use a Behringer XM8500.  Cost me ten bucks, and does what I need.  It's black.  Quite pretty.



I really like 4040's, but I'd rather invest the money elsewhere.  I think 57's and 58's are a little over-hyped.  Great for live use, but I prefer something with a bit more frequency response in a studio.

since i bought a (cheap) tube mic preamp, i am quite happy with my behringer B2 condensor mic, the performance was ok already, just had trouble with the lo output, but thats no prob anymore now, and the tube gets a warmer and fuller sound

SO, DaveUK, how is that AT 4040? Up to your expectations?

The mic I would like to get is AKG C 2000 and EV D/n767 for live performance.
So far I have been using Samson Q7, which I have found to be better sounding that both SM58 and SM57. Also, a large condenser which I use for vocals and acoustic guitar, and mando and ukulele -ADK A51, which is not very popular but it sounds very nice.

Of recently, I have found that the best way to record acoustic instruments (guitar, uke) is by haveing them plugged into the mixer (one track panned hard left) and also miking the instrument (the same track panned hard right). What you get is the sound of the pickup in the left speaker and the sound from the mic in the other speaker. Then, I record it once again in a separate track in the same way, but reverse the chanels. What I get : 2 tracks in stereo, with lots of space and excellent sound. In both channels I get both the sound of the pickup and the mic. It sounds fantastic, but I havent used it in any songs on here yet.

bringing up an old thread

 I am curious about tube mics.. I was looking at an AT 4060 but , I have heard nothing but good things about the
Mojave (Royer) MA200 ,  Does anybody know anything about this mic.. I heard that if you get the AT4060 that you need to change the stock tube out,  and put in a NOS tube for better sound and warmth.

  If anyone has any knowledge about the Mojave MA200 I would appreciate your input.