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Mic suggestions

M

Misty Mountain

Apr 17, 2012
228
3
Jackson Hole
#1
We need to get 3 vocal mics and one instrument amp mic. Looking to stay as inexpensive as possible (I'm cheap) while getting good sound. I take care of my gear, so it doesn't have to be bomb-proof, but of reasonable quality. I'd be happy with the SM58 and 57, but I think the price for new ones is a little high for what you get.
What does everyone else use and/or recommend? I haven't had to buy a mic in 14 years, so I don't know everything that's out there.
 
#4
Misty Mountain said:
We need to get 3 vocal mics and one instrument amp mic. Looking to stay as inexpensive as possible (I'm cheap) while getting good sound. I take care of my gear, so it doesn't have to be bomb-proof, but of reasonable quality. I'd be happy with the SM58 and 57, but I think the price for new ones is a little high for what you get.
What does everyone else use and/or recommend? I haven't had to buy a mic in 14 years, so I don't know everything that's out there.
Click to expand...

What you get with a 58 is a mic that will still be working 25 years from now. If you are seriously too cheap to spend a $100.00 on a mic maybe you should find a new hobby.:rolleyes:
 
#6
Hi.

No matter whatever anyone (salesperson or inexperienced ;)) tells You, Sm57 & Sm58 are by far the best there is in their ~$100 price-range.

IME the 57's are a bit more fragile than the 58's, but if handled like a mic should be handled, both will outlast any other mic in that price-range.


Granted, there are "better", and perhaps cheaper mics out there, but there's also a very good reason why these two workhorses are still strong sellers after several decades.

Their resale value is also excellent, something that can't be said for most of the other brands.

Regards
Sam
 
#8
If the asking price of a sM57-8 is too high, then go to a pawn shop and buy one used. They are the industry standard for a reason, and buying used, you are going to get most of your money back if you decide to sell later.
 
#9
Maybe it's just my old age, but I remember when 58s were in the $70 range. I'm not saying that they are not good mics, but the cost of technology is supposed to go down over time, and Shure got the ROI a long, long time ago. But I was just wondering if anyone else had mics with equivalent performance for a little less. I don't mind paying $100 for a mic if it's for me, but looks like I'm going to be stuck supplying them for the entire band (the 57 would be for the guitarist's amp for example), so the less money I have to lay out the better (a new mixer and class D amp are on my PA shopping list, too, not to mention more bass gear.) Seems to me AKG had some well-regarded mics with an attractive price point out back in the day, but don't know if that's still the case. I appreciate (almost all of) the opinions, keep 'em coming!
 
#10
just for everyone else here who seemed to miss it, OP needs 4 mics. SM57/58 (new) at +/- $100/mic = $400. a bit expensive.

that being said, you cant go wrong with 57/58's. industry standard for a reason. buy used. good advice.

or

AKG is good. they make cheaper stuff that will work for sure but they also have a spectrum of cheap through expensive (better) gear. also digital reference makes a decent mic. audio-technica as well. most of these companies make a ~$50 mic vocal or inst.

digital reference links for gc
Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed

audio-technica links
(3 pack w/stands and cables)Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed


i have an AKG and a digital reference mic and they both work great. i gig with the digital reference as i do some background vocals. has never let me down. if your good to your gear most of the time it will be good back.
 
#11
Misty Mountain said:
Maybe it's just my old age, but I remember when 58s were in the $70 range. I'm not saying that they are not good mics, but the cost of technology is supposed to go down over time, and Shure got the ROI a long, long time ago. But I was just wondering if anyone else had mics with equivalent performance for a little less. I don't mind paying $100 for a mic if it's for me, but looks like I'm going to be stuck supplying them for the entire band (the 57 would be for the guitarist's amp for example), so the less money I have to lay out the better (a new mixer and class D amp are on my PA shopping list, too, not to mention more bass gear.) Seems to me AKG had some well-regarded mics with an attractive price point out back in the day, but don't know if that's still the case. I appreciate (almost all of) the opinions, keep 'em coming!
Click to expand...

I have a 1981 music emporium catalog here that lists a sm58 for about $135.00. I know the going price was around $150.00 for years until the beta 58s came out. It then dropped to a $100.00 for a standard 58. Never seen them for $70.00. A drummer i play with bought one of these about 6 months ago. Invalid Link Removed It sounded like ass from the beginning and now it doesn't work at all. So much for ROI.:( These are pretty good mics. One of the guitar players in my band uses one. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/sennheiser-e835-dynamic-microphone-3-pack
 
#12
QC on new Shure lo end mocs like the 57 and 58 sucks... The Audix I5 smokes the 57 for similar money and it is built like a tank. My OM5's and OM7's completely rip 58's to shreds.

Only reason people atill buy 58's is due to pictures of Robert Palnt and Roger Daltry swinging them around with reckless abandon. If you A/B these mics unless you have stone ears, you won't be buying low end Shures.

IMO mics are the last place you want to cheap out. Your whole vocal presentation is dependant on getting a good, clear signal right up front...
 
#14
4Mal said:
If you A/B these mics unless you have stone ears, you won't be buying low end Shures.
Click to expand...
I agree, but 57's and 58's are not the low end of the Shure mic line. They aren't Rolls Royces but they aren't Kia's, either. More like a Buick.

I have a bunch of 548's, which Shure doesn't make any more. They are AFAIK the only Unidyne IV mics they ever made (57's and 58's are Unidyne III's), and I really like them.
 
#15
IMHO - anything under the Beta's (not that I like all of those either) is low end... Not sure about the car analogy but from a construction and QC stand point - they are built like low end mics and sound samples vary widely, body to body. Not worth the dough, on that point I'm in agreement with the OP.

I have a closely matched set of 57's from years ago. I hang onto them as I will get a call that specifies a 57 on a guitar amp... I occaisionally take on a sound job... I would vastly prefer an I5 or a Senn e-609 on a guitar cab but sometimes a 57 is what is asked for...

More and more folks are getting hip to the OM-7 as a vocal mic. Not cheap but it is near in a league of it's own as far as transparency, dynamic range and feed back rejection. Fabulous mic! I stopped singing on my 421 due to the Om-7...
 
#16
For guitar cabinets I'll take s Sennheiser E-609 over a 57 one hundred times out of a hundred, same price range. I like it even better than the Audix I-5 which is a great mic too.

If budget is a major factor on the vocal mics, and it sounds like it is, get the best mic you can afford for your lead singer and go super budget on mics for the backing vocals.
 
#17
4Mal said:
I have a closely matched set of 57's from years ago. I hang onto them as I will get a call that specifies a 57 on a guitar amp... I occaisionally take on a sound job... I would vastly prefer an I5 or a Senn e-609 on a guitar cab but sometimes a 57 is what is asked for...

More and more folks are getting hip to the OM-7 as a vocal mic. Not cheap but it is near in a league of it's own as far as transparency, dynamic range and feed back rejection. Fabulous mic! I stopped singing on my 421 due to the Om-7...
Click to expand...

609's are great, presence peak at 4k as opposed the the 2.5k peak on the 57 so, it's really about where you need the sound to sit in the mix.
OM-7 is great if the singer sings loudly, directly into the mic
at the same distance without variation... an important aspect to know about this mic because it definitely won't work for everyone.
If buying an om7, i'd try the "r" version (dave rat version) as these are supposed to be more consistent sounding from mic to mic due to a couple minor design preferences.
Another thing to keep in mind is the om7 requires a lot more input gain than most mics.
Transparency is actually an issue I had with audix as an endorser. I was given a whole compliment of their mics for foh touring work, but found them so clean in the low mid and bottom transients that i'd be pushing amps hard before realizing it, and getting frequency buildup that was only apparent when multiple mics were open. I still use a bunch of their mics, and the d6 is a perfect example of this extreme cleanliness- if I need a mic for ultra attack/ metal kick drum sounds, this is my go to.
I currently have a sennheiser deal, but it's not exclusive as I prefer other vocal mics- it's really for the drum mics and wireless iem systems. My current clients are using telefunken m80's, which have been great- they do have an extended top end like a condenser which can be problematic in close quarters, but otherwise deliver a very detailed sound.
The one company which I love, and have not been disappointed in a single mic yet, is beyerdynamic. But they are rather expensive, at least in the states.
The beyer m201 is the 57 and 609 killer imho.
 
#18
Misty Mountain said:
Maybe it's just my old age, but I remember when 58s were in the $70 range. I'm not saying that they are not good mics, but the cost of technology is supposed to go down over time, and Shure got the ROI a long, long time ago. But I was just wondering if anyone else had mics with equivalent performance for a little less. I don't mind paying $100 for a mic if it's for me, but looks like I'm going to be stuck supplying them for the entire band (the 57 would be for the guitarist's amp for example), so the less money I have to lay out the better (a new mixer and class D amp are on my PA shopping list, too, not to mention more bass gear.) Seems to me AKG had some well-regarded mics with an attractive price point out back in the day, but don't know if that's still the case. I appreciate (almost all of) the opinions, keep 'em coming!
Click to expand...

Well in 1990 gas was $1.08 / gal, stamp was $0.25 , milk was $2.15 and the average car price was $9400. $70 up to $100 sounds about right. I don't think $100 for a mic that has served 1000's well is too much to ask. :)
 
#19
Misty Mountain said:
We need to get 3 vocal mics and one instrument amp mic. Looking to stay as inexpensive as possible (I'm cheap) while getting good sound. I take care of my gear, so it doesn't have to be bomb-proof, but of reasonable quality. I'd be happy with the SM58 and 57, but I think the price for new ones is a little high for what you get.
What does everyone else use and/or recommend? I haven't had to buy a mic in 14 years, so I don't know everything that's out there.
Click to expand...

The price is high for what you get? $100 for the industry standard microphone? If you had bought an SM58 14 years ago, it would've amortized out to about $7 a year, and it'd still be working fine. Buy once cry once.

There are going to be a lot of people here who try to steer you to Sennheiser, Audix, Heil and a slew of others based on some esoteric personal preference of their own. But next time you're watching a concert on TV, check out the mics they're using. Nine times out of ten, it's going to be Shure mics, and most of those are going to be SM58s. Do yourself a favor and pop for the most widely-used microphone in the industry, by far. At $100, it's a steal.
 
#20
Misty Mountain said:
Maybe it's just my old age, but I remember when 58s were in the $70 range. I'm not saying that they are not good mics, but the cost of technology is supposed to go down over time, and Shure got the ROI a long, long time ago. But I was just wondering if anyone else had mics with equivalent performance for a little less. I don't mind paying $100 for a mic if it's for me, but looks like I'm going to be stuck supplying them for the entire band (the 57 would be for the guitarist's amp for example), so the less money I have to lay out the better (a new mixer and class D amp are on my PA shopping list, too, not to mention more bass gear.) Seems to me AKG had some well-regarded mics with an attractive price point out back in the day, but don't know if that's still the case. I appreciate (almost all of) the opinions, keep 'em coming!
Click to expand...

I really don't understand your rationale. First, have you not noticed the economy-wide inflation over the last 20 or 30 years? Everything costs more now. Second, what do you mean ROI? It's not like they paid a whole bunch of money up front and now it doesn't cost anything to produce microphones. Their costs for labor, materials, and overhead have gone up just like everyone else's. I don't really care what brand of mics you end up with, but do you want to trust your sound to cheap mics? If price is your only driving factor, then I'd recommend the Invalid Link Removed. Sounds like it will meet your needs.

"The all-purpose Nady StarPower 1 Microphone makes a great stage and recording mic. The StarPower 1 delivers clear, transparent sound across the audio spectrum. The StarPower mic's rugged construction and internal shockmounting yield reliability and low handling noise. The Nady microphone's powerful neodymium element cuts through with minimum distortion, even at high sound pressure-levels. If you're looking for real value in a microphone, the Nady StarPower 1 brings a stage-load of it."
 

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