Stichman Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 I'm looking to buy a versatile mic to record guitar/vocals straight on to my laptop. A nice balance of cheapness, reliability and decent sound quality is what I'm after.Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 you'd maybe be better buying a sound interface and avoiding plugging straight into your laptop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooms Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 agreed.but surely you'd need some kind of sound interface anyway.however, in terms of a good all round microphone, that is reliable, robust, industry standard, cheap and good at recording guitars and vocals, i'd say go and get yourself an SM 57. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooms Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 to further my point, there's a thread around here somewhere about home recording solutions I am sure.What kind of recording are you trying to accomplish? what software/hardware do you have or think you want to get this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unbroken Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 buy a condensor mic, dont bother with an sm57. for what you wanna use it for, get a condensor mic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam 45 Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Behringer C1 should do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooms Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 buy a condensor mic, dont bother with an sm57. for what you wanna use it for, get a condensor mic.cheap? ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooms Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 in fairness i'd probably tend to agree but like i said before not really sure what application you're going for here.maybe an AKG C 1000 S as a fairly cheap condensor mic good for many things? more around the 100 mark though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stichman Posted September 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 I've got an SM57, but it won't plug into my laptop. Basically, I just want to be able to record guitar and vocals without it spiking to the max. Something that can give a listenable end result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterpump999 Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 The problem with and SM 57 is that being a moving coil mic the output is very low, but no phantom power is required. With a good low noise mic pre the results can be excellent, unfortunately good mic pre's cost. Condenser / electret types are higher output but can be more limited on dynamic range, EQ'ing may be required for the best result.Remember that quality (and some cheaper) condenser mics require a power source. Some use a small battery in the mic handle, some require full 48v phantom power. A mic pre delivering 48v phantom is always useful. And 48v will give a much better headroom for loud sounds!Note that the SM 57 is insensitive to 48v powering so can be used with a mic pre delivering 48v without damage, although it is better to operate it without if you have that option.Unfortunately 'cheap' solutions usually give cheap results, so buy the best you can afford and a bit more!best wishes,D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundian Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 I've got an SM57, but it won't plug into my laptop. Basically, I just want to be able to record guitar and vocals without it spiking to the max. Something that can give a listenable end result. Why don't you get a cable that'll allow you to do that (or is there not a mic in socket)? At least that way you can try it out before you splash out on a mic pre-amp and decide if the quality is good enough for your needs. If you don't have a mic-in then you need a pre-amp. Surely you can put a compressor/limiter on the input and adjust the gain with whatever sound recording software you're using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatHand Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 I'm considering getting something like this for on the move and recording interesting sounds:Yamaha Pocketrak 2G | Dolphin MusicThis would probably be a good buy for what you want to do. A little more expensive than a mic on it's own but cheaper than a mic plus an interface. Also appears to have compatability straight in with cubase... again very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 I've been mucking about with a Samson C03-U USB condenser mic, and it's actually not bad. Cheap too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavster Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Definitely get as good an audio interface as you can afford and an equally good condenser microphone. Everybody uses SM57 and SM58 and they are ok for guitar but gutless for vocals. Also I would have to say I am a grerat believer in using electro acoustic guitars a la Tanglewood/Crafter/Ovation as the sound is brilliant and background noise and mic thump are eradicated permanently:)Just use mics for vocals, not guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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