Help me waste my money on Mics that I don't need.

[Forrest_H]

Hey guys!

So I'm not really digging the sound of my acoustic guitars through either their on-board EQ into my POD, or my Dean Markley soundhole pickup direct into my interface, and I want to be able to record dumb acoustic tracks. There are a few microphones that have seriously stood out to me, and I was hoping to get some advice

So far, I've picked these:

-Rode NT2A (for near the 12th fret and potentially vocals if I wish to go down that route again)
- Shure SM57 (industry standard I suppose , this would be for having a track for the neck and mic'ing up cabs if I ever regain the ability to record my amps without pissing off the neighbors)

Any thoughts would be great! Thanks guys!

 

[TedEH]

You'd probably do fine with that combo I think. The 57 is an obvious choice, but I prefer to use almost any condenser first. Last time I did an acoustic track, I put the 57 towards the 12th fret as you mentioned, but then hung my CADm179 above my shoulder close to my head to pick up "what I hear" and it turned out pretty good that way.

 

[Forrest_H]

You'd probably do fine with that combo I think. The 57 is an obvious choice, but I prefer to use almost any condenser first. Last time I did an acoustic track, I put the 57 towards the 12th fret as you mentioned, but then hung my CADm179 above my shoulder close to my head to pick up "what I hear" and it turned out pretty good that way.

I've been reading a lot about recording with the mic above/over the shoulder, this is definitely something I'll be experimenting with.

How do you like your CAD? It's so cheap I might pick one of those up first

 

[Clocks]

If you want a mic, get the 57 useful for everything. But if you want a mic for acoustic guitar specifically then get a condenser, large, small or both. Dynamics don't pick up the highs that acoustic guitar needs so don't produce amazing results imo.

 

[Forrest_H]

If you want a mic, get the 57 useful for everything. But if you want a mic for acoustic guitar specifically then get a condenser, large, small or both. Dynamics don't pick up the highs that acoustic guitar needs so don't produce amazing results imo.

So the NT2A would fit that bill then, right?

The only reason I'm stuck on it right now is because I love the fact that you can switch from Omnidirectional to Unidirectional, it seems like a fun feature

And yeah, I've found that to be the case so far, I've not used a dynamic I've liked so far.

Thanks man

 

[Clocks]

But that's not to say dynamics aren't great. They are a must for loads of other sources so its good to have in your arsenal!

Yeah the rode would suit, i've used the nt1a many times before and its decent for vocals and acoustic guitar so i guess this one would too.

Yeah omnidirectional is a nice feature to have, although i don't know how it would tailor for acoustic, i'd say cardiod is probably better in all areas, but here's where experimentation comes in

 

[col]

Beyerdynamic M201TG. Works on everything and sounds fantastic doing it. Sounds sort of like a blend between a condenser and a dynamic.

I've had some bad experience with Rode mics, I long ago picked three NT1A's and all of them eventually broke within 3 years. The sounds wasn't that good either, harsh overhyped top end. Honestly I wouldn't bother with condensers unless you're willing to pay $800+ for it, with one exception, the Shure KSM32. Sounds a bit like a condenser version of the SM7B imho.

Check out some cheap ribbon mics too! I love the thomann t.bone RB500 as a drum room mic. Cascade FatHead is one option too.

These seem to be getting pretty rave reviews as well:
http://littleblondie.com/

 

[TedEH]

How do you like your CAD? It's so cheap I might pick one of those up first

I found it surprisingly good sounding for the price. The label/sticker on the front comes off easily so I had to glue it back on... so maybe the construction leaves a little to be desired. But sound wise, it was good bang for the buck. I'm happy with it. Edit: It's surprisingly transparent, which is why I like it. A 57 has it's own sound, but the CAD (and maybe other similar mics) doesn't colour what it picks up very much at all, which may or may not be desirable depending on what you're doing.

Example done with the CAD and a 57:
https://soundcloud.com/somethingunnamed/openchappyacousticriff-1

 

[bostjan]

There are some GREAT dynamic microphones out there, but there are also some terrible ones.

Anyway, the SM57 is a real workhorse microphone. I prefer them for live sound. I have three or four.

For condensers, the Rode NT2 is a good choice.

 

[TheDepthsWillRise]

If you're looking for a really versatile but great condenser, look at the AKG C2000. They're not terribly expensive and they have thus far sounded pretty great on acoustic, spots for drums, high gain electric, and I'd suspect are passable on vocals although I haven't tried. They tend to be warm but articulate around the midrange and seem to be able to handle a fairly high spl from the guitar amps without clipping.

 

[Forrest_H]

But that's not to say dynamics aren't great. They are a must for loads of other sources so its good to have in your arsenal!

Yeah the rode would suit, i've used the nt1a many times before and its decent for vocals and acoustic guitar so i guess this one would too.

Yeah omnidirectional is a nice feature to have, although i don't know how it would tailor for acoustic, i'd say cardiod is probably better in all areas, but here's where experimentation comes in

The Rode is my first option for sure, good to hear about the NT1A

And yeah the Omni feature is more of just for me screwing around. Thanks for the help man

Beyerdynamic M201TG. Works on everything and sounds fantastic doing it. Sounds sort of like a blend between a condenser and a dynamic.

I've had some bad experience with Rode mics, I long ago picked three NT1A's and all of them eventually broke within 3 years. The sounds wasn't that good either, harsh overhyped top end. Honestly I wouldn't bother with condensers unless you're willing to pay $800+ for it, with one exception, the Shure KSM32. Sounds a bit like a condenser version of the SM7B imho.

Check out some cheap ribbon mics too! I love the thomann t.bone RB500 as a drum room mic. Cascade FatHead is one option too.

These seem to be getting pretty rave reviews as well:
Little Blondie Mics

Might have to give that M201TG a look! I had no idea about the harshness. More mic's too look at I think my coworker has the KSM32, I'll see if I can try it out. Thanks man!

I found it surprisingly good sounding for the price. The label/sticker on the front comes off easily so I had to glue it back on... so maybe the construction leaves a little to be desired. But sound wise, it was good bang for the buck. I'm happy with it. Edit: It's surprisingly transparent, which is why I like it. A 57 has it's own sound, but the CAD (and maybe other similar mics) doesn't colour what it picks up very much at all, which may or may not be desirable depending on what you're doing.

Example done with the CAD and a 57:
https://soundcloud.com/somethingunnamed/openchappyacousticriff-1

Good to know! Even more mic's to A/B Let me give that clip a listen Thanks buddy!

There are some GREAT dynamic microphones out there, but there are also some terrible ones.

Anyway, the SM57 is a real workhorse microphone. I prefer them for live sound. I have three or four.

For condensers, the Rode NT2 is a good choice.

I'm definitely gonna be picking up the SM57, thanks man!

What do you guys think of the sE Electronics sE2200a II? I got an offer from someone on here, super cheap.

Thanks everyone!

 

[tomsargent]

I can't speak about the sE Electronics sE2200a II, but I can help you 'waste' your money on some my favorite mics.

Let me be the umpteenth person in this thread to highly recommend the SM57. I love it for the same position you mentioned using on your guitar - right at the 12th fret. As others have mentioned, the 57 has SO MANY uses. Get one if you don't already own one!

TedEH mentioned the CADM179. I also own this mic and I love it. It has a variable pickup pattern selector which includes omni, cardiod, hcd, and fig 8. I use this mic for a technique called 'mid side recording' (check out tuts on youtube or google!). At just over $100 bucks, I think it has a phenomenal sound and a lot of application. If you end up liking reviews you read, you could save yourself some money from the NT2a.

That being said, a buddy of mine owns the NT2a. I love the way his vocal tracks sound and from my limited experience with that mic I would say go for it if you have the money (I would). The range of pads, polar patterns, and HPF on the NT2a are so helpful for getting a great sound from the source.

 

[Forrest_H]

I can't speak about the sE Electronics sE2200a II, but I can help you 'waste' your money on some my favorite mics.

Let me be the umpteenth person in this thread to highly recommend the SM57. I love it for the same position you mentioned using on your guitar - right at the 12th fret. As others have mentioned, the 57 has SO MANY uses. Get one if you don't already own one!

TedEH mentioned the CADM179. I also own this mic and I love it. It has a variable pickup pattern selector which includes omni, cardiod, hcd, and fig 8. I use this mic for a technique called 'mid side recording' (check out tuts on youtube or google!). At just over $100 bucks, I think it has a phenomenal sound and a lot of application. If you end up liking reviews you read, you could save yourself some money from the NT2a.

That being said, a buddy of mine owns the NT2a. I love the way his vocal tracks sound and from my limited experience with that mic I would say go for it if you have the money (I would). The range of pads, polar patterns, and HPF on the NT2a are so helpful for getting a great sound from the source.

I will definitely be picking up the SM57 once my paycheck comes in, it'll be with me for awhile

The CAD is going to be a mic I'll likely pick up somewhere down the road, actually, since I'm weird and like having tons of different variables to screw around with while recording. It's so cheap that I can probably go ahead and order/buy one now, but I want to look more into the NT2A/sE2200a II as I've found stunning clips for both.

I'm still seriously split on which one to get, but, after A/B-ing some clips of both the Rode and the sE, I might end up with the sE, since the deal I'm being offered is incredible.

Thanks for your advice man! The CAD will likely be added to my ever-growing arsenal of studio equipment I need a bigger room for

 

[Necris]

^ I have a Cad Trion 8000, it also has variable patterns (Omnidirectional, Figure-of-Eight, Cardioid). If you want a tube mic I can recommend getting one. I like mine a lot, and swapping the tubes actually makes a difference, I have a Jan GE 5654w in mine right now.

 

[Forrest_H]

^ I have a Cad Trion 8000, it also has variable patterns (Omnidirectional, Figure-of-Eight, Cardioid). If you want a tube mic I can recommend getting one. I like mine a lot, and swapping the tubes actually makes a difference, I have a Jan GE 5654w in mine right now.

Oh man, more mic GAS

Thanks for the advice man! I'll have to look at this one too

 

[Forrest_H]

UPDATE:

Picked up an SM57 today, posting NMD in a bit.

Still looking to get either the Rode NT2A or sE