Home Recording Microphone - Where To Start ?

octatonic

lukedlb said:

Would it make sense that an SM58 could capture the mid-freq and a room mic captures the highs? Is this what @octatonic was referring to with the SM57 plus Royer 121 combo?

Not quite.
For the last 10-15 years or so many people have been recording guitars like this:



You aren't using the Royer as a room mic, it is a ribbon so tends to fill out the fairly spiky sounding SM57.

Using a room mic is quite different- the way I do it is to crush the room mics quite heavily (usually for drums, with a Distressor) to get a fuller and harder drum sound.

WiresDreamDisasters

An SM57 is a must.

The Audix D5 is a reasonable budget dynamic mic for vocals. Thomann have their own in-house brand called T.Bone which are rather decent quality for the price. I have an SC400 and it's not too bad.

Behringer B2 is a GREAT budget friendly mic too.

WiresDreamDisasters

dindude said:

For the limited recording I do, I’ve used a Rode M3 for everything, does great acoustic, mic’d electric and vocals, a fantastic all rounder for almost no money. 

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/rode-m3

Best advice I have is don’t disappear down the rabbit hole unless proven to have the time, inclination and patience for the process. 

One good iPad recording a few years ago and I quickly disappeared down the Mac / Daw / Thunderbolt interface / Multiple mics route. Didn’t use or enjoy any of it, completely crippled my creativity, went back to iPad and Cubasis and far happier. Not everyone’s the same I know, but I find buying recording kit can be a massive distraction to actually making music, more so than guitar gear even.

Yes. The M3 is one of my secret weapons (not anymore! lol)

I use it on snare - ALLLLL THEEEEE TIMMMMMEEEEEEEEE

The way it distorts with higher SPL's is very pleasing to me, and mixes well with a 57 and an SE3A, which I also typically use.

I own two of them, originally bought them for overheads but now I only ever use it on a snare. Haven't made it work well on a tom yet, but there is hope.

Macca_25387

Aston Spirit. Superb on everything i’ve put i front of it. 

camf

If the Aston Spirit is too much, the cheaper Aston Origin paired with an SM57 would cover a lot of home recording situations. 

Jalapeno

SM58 & 57 - or clones are workhorses, and ones you're likely to get from performing. But for more fidelity/sensitivity some form of condenser mic.  I went for a single Oktava MK-012, and a pair of s/h cheapo Thomann TBone EM700 mics for/if stereo (never used 'em ) .

Live - I prefer a Sennheiser e835 for vocals, they seem clearer and more feedback resistant than SM58s

I must say the Rode M3 looks interesting .....

Snap

I got a SM58 ordered last night. It will mainly be for vocals, so I am sure it will do the job for her. 

pmg

I get by with an sm57 and a rode nt1a.  Good results and cost effective 

Wazmeister

Thanks for everyones input and thoughts; I really appreciate it !

I went with the NT1a as a kit, to get me started.

colourofsound

Was gonna say, get the NT1 kit - are you getting the newest one, I think its black? They moved production back to Australia.

If you have that kit plus an SM57 you won't want for much more.

Bron_Yr_Aur

Wazmeister said:

Thanks for everyones input and thoughts; I really appreciate it !

I went with the NT1a as a kit, to get me started.

Think I'll probably do the same... Thomann?

Wazmeister

Bron_Yr_Aur said:

Wazmeister said:

Thanks for everyones input and thoughts; I really appreciate it !

I went with the NT1a as a kit, to get me started.

Think I'll probably do the same... Thomann?

Andertons had 10 in... all sold now I think

pintspiller

I'd even thought of getting one. I will never get time to record again when Lockdown is over so I intend to make do with a stage microphone for vocals

lukedlb

An update on your mic/audio interface set up would be much appreciated, Waz. The SE reflection filter also looks like a good idea. I might go for the SPACE as there's one cheap near me.

Stuckfast

Personally I wouldn't bother with a reflection filter. You're better off hanging some heavy duvets behind the singer.

lukedlb

Stuckfast said:

Personally I wouldn't bother with a reflection filter. You're better off hanging some heavy duvets behind the singer.

I hoped the RF would do much the same as duvets without the hassle.

Stuckfast

No it doesn't.

The RF is behind rather than in front of the mic. Assuming you're using a cardioid mic, that's the area in which it is least sensitive anyway.

So what it doesn't do is block reflections from entering the mic. Instead it blocks the sound of the source from entering the room and causing those reflections in the first place. But the price of that is that they get reflected from the RF itself and you get weird comb filtering.