Microphones

[opiate]

Hey yal... i need to buy a mic for recording bass guitar... my sound is basically lots of high mids and lots of bass and low end.

Now comes the tricky part... i have only 200 to spend.Please help me out.


Thanks in advance!

[projectMalamute]

Used RE20 or AT4033.

[JimmyM]

since you only have $200 to spend, i'd di and throw a 57 or 58 on it. cut everything from the di above 100 hz and have the mic take care of everything else. sweet.

[b4nny]

Since you speak of a rather scooped sound, a kick drum mic might be your taste. They always tend to have pleeenty of lows and also a crisp high end. Shure Beta 52 and the AKG D112 are both just under $200.

However, unless you already have a preamp or mixer of some sort to amplify the microphone's signal for recording, you might end up breaking your $200 budget slightly. In the case that you don't have any sort of preamp for the mic, I say get a small mixer with 8 to 12 channels used. For small mixers on a budget, I think Yamaha is a good bet.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by projectMalamute

Used RE20 or AT4033.

+1

I would also hold out for a used EV-RE20 on eBay. They are built like tanks, so no worries with a used one. You could probably find one used for around $200 give or take based and condition and shipping, etc...

[deliciouspesto]

re-20

You didn't say what mics you already possess...

The 2 that will do the most work are the ubiquitous Shure SM57, and SM58. Both of which go low enough to record bass, kick, snare, and guitar as well as vocals... That's why they are the "work horses" of recording studios and stages around the world. One of each will give you 80-90% of what you need to record a band (though obviously not all at once, unless you have quite a few).

If you already have those 2, and cannot afford the best bass/kick mic (EV RE20), the N/D868 is the "poor-man's version," and sounds nearly like the RE20 for bass and kick, but not as good for vocals or acoustic guitar (the RE20 was Stevie Wonder's studio vocal mic for years, and may still be). The RE20 is such a good vocal mic, it can even match some good condensers!

Other EV mics to consider are the EV RE10/11, RE15/16, though some are out of production. Used is a better price anyway, and they are all good for the above mentioned chores as well, and sound different than the Shures (some say "less box-y"). You can get a couple of these in your price range.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and advise against the cheap Chinese condenser mics. Their quality is irregular, and they don't "stack" very well (IME). It's better to save a while longer and collect the studio "staples" (EV RE20, Shure SM7, Sennheiser MD 421) and be happy with them! As you learn "how" to listen to your recordings, then expand one mic at a time into the more expensive mics.

Many great recordings were made with "so-called" low end gear like the Shure 57s and 58s. Enjoy the ride!

[Charling]

+1 for the Re20, and if you don't already have a shure 57 then I advice getting one, its a REAL workhorse.

If you are looking for one main mic then it pays to have one that sounds great for vocals and very good for everything else, Re20's fit the bill, and to a slightly lesser extent sennheiser 421's. There are MANY nice condensors that fit the bill, but generally speaking the most versatile ones cost a lot more than the equivalent dynamic mics.

If I had to record a record and all I had was an Re20, I'd be pretty ok with it, though its always nice to have choice!

[wetzelman1]

an SM57 will definitely go a long way. Much prefer the 57 to a 58 in recording guitars and vocals. I never recorded using a 57 (always DI) but I've been mic'd live with a 57 and it sounded really good.

A 52 or D112 will also be able to get more lows.

I've never been able to use a 421, but my recording engineer buddy loves those mics too.