Well, it’s official–Santa wants to bring me a microphone, but he (she, actually) isn’t sure what is good overall value, etc. Assuming that the target price is in the vicinity of $100.00 (Santa and I are on fairly close terms and can discuss these things candidly), what might some good brand and model #'s be? And, if a few sheckels jump up in price would mean significantly better overall value, that would be fine as well.
Thanks,
Tom D.
I use the Shure SM57. I’m told it’s designed for amplifying accoustic instruments.
If you plan to use vocals and instrument, then the Shure SM58 was recommended.
In your price range of course.
If you get the SM 57, spring for the wind screen for a few extra bucks. If the mic is placed incorrectly, you can hear your breath. Wind screen takes care it.
Mike
The SM57 is the official podium mic of the “Idiot In The Whitehouse”.
True. 
I use a AKG C1000 condensator microphone for nearly everything. In general, I’d recommend condensator mics for whistle/flute recordings an dynamic microphones for reed instruments (i.e. pipes) since condensators make the sound of pipes kind of squeaky.
No idea what the AKG costs, but a Shure would be fine, too.
Hi, Tom: It is good to again make your acquaintance. I remember well - and treasure - our communication and your photographs, post 9/11/01. I re-visit them from time to time, and simply reflect…
I have owned and operated a recording studio for 40 years. We have access to mics ranging from $200 to many thousands of dollars. For all around general recording, it is hard to beat those designed and built by Audio-Technica. In your price range is the AT2020, a relatively new condenser mic that belies its price of $99. If you double the price, the AT3035 is a wonderful mic. We own a number of these, and it is simply amazing how warm and full a sound they print to the hard disc.
Please note that each of these, being condenser mics, need a 48 volt power supply. That can either be privided by your pre-amp or mixer, or can be provided by an outboard device costing only a few dollars…
There is nothing wrong with a good dynamic mic, such as the Shure Beta 57, and a host of others. However, if recording with full frequency response and a sweetness in sound quality is your goal, the above mics will not fail you.
Should you need USB capability, your choices for the moment are limited to a device built by the Samson Corporation. It is not in the same league as the afore-mentioned equipment…If I can answer direct questions, please ask…
Be well, my friend.
Byll
I own a recording studio. I recommend and use Shure SM58 over SM57 for flute recording, same cost plus or minus $10 but you get a warmer sound and better for vocals too. SM57 for other instruments not flutes.
I do not recommend a condenser over dynamic because they are too sensitive, mostly, and pick up breath noise too easily. For home studio needing fantom power may be a problem as well with condensers.
I’m in complete agreement. 58’s are very tolerant of breath-noise, require no pop-filter (in most cases), and one doesn’t need to worry about phantom power or batteries like condensers.
I usually don’t recommend 58’s for stage use, because AudioTechnica and Sennheiser make very similar mics that have better gain-before-feedback, causing fewer sqwawks and hassles for amature soundmen on live gigs. Pros are so used to 57s and 58s that this is not a problem for professional gigs. Either a 57 or 58 will last for decades with proper use.
Now, let’s talk preamps!
Tom, you don’t say what you’re going to be recording to: do you already have studio equipment or will you be recording to your computer? If it’s the latter, be sure to check out the Samson CO1U, which is around $80 and connects directly to the computer via USB. You’ll still need Audacity or some other program to record onto your computer, but this mic is the simplest solution I’ve seen for home recording direct to computer with reasonably good sound quality. No need for an external device like MBox or a preamp; you plug the mic directly into the computer and you’re up and running. Works automatically with WindowsXP and Mac OSX. I’ve got one and am very pleased with it.
If you already have recording equipment (including preamps) then look at standard performance/studio mics like the Shure or AKG ones mentioned above.
Brad Hurley Wrote:
Tom, you don’t say what you’re going to be recording to: do you already have studio equipment or will you be recording to your computer?
I am currently using a SONY ECM-MS907 Electret Condensor Microphone, connected to a Behringer 802 Eurorack UB mixer, which boosts the mic signal nicely into Cakewalk Music Creator 2.2 . The computer is my Dell, which has a SoundMAx Digital Audio Stereo Sound Card. Actually, the config works fairly well for my essentiually limited use and need, which is to record to see where my numerous weaknesses and deficits are. Now and then, I end up with a semi-decent track that I more or less immediately burden a handful of C & F friends with.
Someone who’s opinion I trust suggested that the SONY mic. may not be the best way to go if, down the road, I want to record for more serious purposes. One day, for example, I would like to put something up on the clip site affiliated with C & F (the former Clips & Snips).
I got the Behringer mixer precisely because, no matter what I did with the computer settings, the SONY mic, which is powered by one AA Battery, produced a signal that was much weaker than any tracks I might import to ‘play along with’, such as a guitar or mandolin recording.
I’m fairly happy with my ‘config’ at a total cost of about $170 (mic = $80; Cakewalk= $40.00 and Mixer = $50). The current microphone quest is an ‘improvement project’.
I very much appreciate the suggstions that have made, both in this thread and in a few PM’s. I note that opinions can run fairly strong, both for and against certain models and types. The membership of C & F is (are?) a great resource, for sure.
Tom D.
I have found this guy Tweak to be very helpful if you are going beyond a simple recording set-up. http://www.tweakheadz.com/recording_studio_accessories.html.
He has a phenominal amount of info. on this site.
That’s a tough question that I myself been asking. After some research and talking to the local digital recording store, whose technical advisor is also a sound-recording professor at the local university, I settled for an M-Audio MobilePre USB box (about $180 USD) and two Behringer C-1 condenser microphones (about $50 USD each). This device plugs directly into your computer USB (laptop or desktop, doesn’t matter), you don’t need a sound card, no need for external power and zero lag monitoring is possible. I don’t know how well this setup is going to work, I haven’t received it yet, but it may be worthwhile for you looking into it. What I have found is that for every good advice I got, I found another just as good advice that contradicts it (e.g. condenser vs dynamic is a good example). That is telling me that there is no right answer and the sky’s the limit (how much you can afford / willing to spend is the only limit). As for the breath noise, that isn’t much of a problem as far as I am concerned. When you’re breathing, well… you’re not playing. It’s therefore easy to go back and mute all the breathing noise after the fact. 
The breath noise I was referring to is as you are playing, the unacceptible excess air that makes the noise, not when breathing in which is a quite acceptible noise, well mostly it is.
The breath noise I was referring to is as you are playing
Interesting, I am certainly axious to get my condenser mics to give this a try and report on it, tx for the clarification I’ll pay particular attention to it. Actually my biggest concern is more the computer noise (the fan that is). I read that it can be a problem, although strategic mic placement can reduce it. Have you had some experience with that? I am thinking that I may have to build a sound isolating box around it.
The shure SM 57,58 that many have mentioned are good choices. In that price range I have an Audix I-5 which is yet another $100 dynamic mic (there are a bunch, and everybody has a favorite!), and I think it does fine. I have others I use more, but they also cost more.
I did a little trial with my microphones a while back. Spoke and played flute into all of them from the same position (as best as I could). The similarities were more striking than the differences. These were mics that have street prices from $100 to $300.
The Behringer is a decent mic preamp, but if this is their smallest model it doesn’t provide phantom power. You’ll need to verify that before you go and get a condensor mic. The dynamics mentioned don’t have this issue.
I’m hearing some good things recently about the Audio Technica AT3031 condensor mic. This is more like $170.
I agree the 57 & 58 are both good all-round microphones, but generally I prefer the 57 for vocals and the 58 for wind/brass. I also agree about condenser mic’s, I find you have to keep very still to avoid too much variance in volume, the Shures are a bit more forgiving in this respect.
Computer noise is a real issue that has to be taken care of, placed in a cupboard or a home made sound box is a start. Newer ones can be specified with quiet fans. But the over-riding issue to me is reliability, computers glitch too often and seemingly always in the middle of recording a song. So after many years of this I have gone, last year, to hardware in my case a multi-disk recorder, a Korg D16XD which can take 16 mics. and never quits in the middle of a recording session. Smaller recorders are now available and can easily be transported to gigs or sessions as well as used at home (my Korg is too big and heavy for that) they can give really good results if you worry about mic placement etc. I have found that mics and pre-amps, and mic placement and room acoustics etc. is more important than what medium you are recording onto, the front end is my major concern not the recorder, but I have to worry about reliability as well because I am running a studio with paying (well sometimes) musicians which is why I have abandoned computers, after 15 tears (sic) of the damn things.
A recording tech friend of a bandmate told him the Shure SM 57 and SM 58 are really the same mike with different covers over the ends. I looked on Shure’s web site and looked at the frequency responses of both and they are virtually identical. I have two 58 vocal mikes I’ve had that work great, (one has got to be thirty years old, dented and worn looking) and I had been thinking of getting a 57 to mike some acoustic instruments in some quieter settings but I’m led to believe the 58 would do just the same. Any thoughts?
Lisdoonvarna
Web-sites selling these microphones list the SM57 as an instrument mic (that can do vocals too) and the SM58 as a vocals mic, with no reference to instruments.
Can anyone else comment on the post quoted here before I take a plunge on either one of these mic’s? I’m recording whistle High and low, Steel string guitar and in the future vocals. Probably will go line in on guitar though.
Also I’m looking at a M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB Audio Interface to connect mic to.
Many thanks!
You are entering the realm of esoterica…you may not be able to tell the difference between the two.
get one of each
I’ll first point out that this thread is half a decade old… 
But as to the question at hand – the 58 has a ball with a pop filter and a wind screen while the 57 does not. The ball prevents the vocalist from getting too close to the diaphragm as well.
The other part of the quoted post doesn’t really make sense. Sound falls off according to distance – it’s physics. NO microphone can compensate for that.