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Need Microphone advice quick!

mattsk42

mattsk42

Supporting Member
Oct 28, 2004
1,386
18
Salt Lake City, UT by way of Pierre, SD
www.petzl.com
#1
I'm going to ask for one for Christmas, and it has to be ordered before Christmas.(small town, no stores) I only want ONE mic.

I want it to use as a "vocal" mic for an online shooting game (counterstrike) so that I can talk to my teammates in the game.

I want it to be able to be used for band practices for the singer(s) through a PA.

I have around $145 to spend on it, not much more at all.

Suggestions?
 
#2
Shure SM-58. The standard by which all live vocal mics are judged. $100. Or you can get the Shure Beta 58 for $150 or $160, but I prefer the SM-58 because the Beta has too much of a high mid hump for me.
 
#4
All you need for a Shure SM-58 is a low to high impedance transformer and the right adapter to go into your sound card. You don't need phantom power with it, and you don't need a preamp to use it as a game mic.
 
#7
mattsk42 said:
Yeah, it was a good point to bring up on how to get it to my computer. I figured I could buy what I need to hook it up after I get it. Any other opinions? That Shure is at the top of my list now.
Click to expand...

The Shure is great, it would get lots of use! The thing though, is you need some sort of preamp if you want to use it with your computer. Also, what soundcard do you have and what kind of audio inputs do you have on your computer?
 
#8
geoffkhan said:
The Shure is great, it would get lots of use! The thing though, is you need some sort of preamp if you want to use it with your computer.
Click to expand...
Yeah, if he's recording vocals he needs a preamp. But he said at the top of the thread that he'll use it for online gaming thru the computer, so a preamp is definitely not necessary for that.
 
#9
By all means get the SM58 for use with the band, but don't waste it on online gaming. It's total overkill, quality-wise, for that purpose, and it won't be exactly easy to use, as you'll have to put it on some kind of stand and dangle it over yourself like a drummer/vocalist while playing.

With your proposed budget, after you've got your SM58 you should have more than enough pennies left over to get yourself a nice computer headset with built in mic. This will be much more comfortable to use for gaming, and you won't need any fancy impedance matching transformers. In fact, you can even get USB versions now.
 
#10
Yeah I know it will be overkill, but I don't care how high of quality it is. I want it for band stuff, and then it can double. I don't want to wear a headset because they're annoying to put on and I don't like headphones.

I've used cheapy radioshack mics (and others) by just going directly in to my soundcard's microphone in input and they worked great. That's why I'm thinking it will work. I don't mind putting it on a little stand.
 
#11
STOP!
Ok, for CounterStrike or any FPS multiplayer, or ANY multiplayer game for that matter, buy these or something similar.
Headset.
Shipped they'll still be less than $45.00 and the Shure 58 online is only $99.
Life will be better for you if you get both.

Coming from a veteran gamer (20 years or so) you want headphones for online chatting etc. Nothing like having your own sound system pumped back into your mic for all your teammates to enjoy. Trust me, your teammates and fellow players will thank you for not doing that. Secondly, headphones offer the best listening for an enemies movement. If you do ever get online I'm usually at this server 209.160.67.229:27015 (Regular) or this one 8.2.122.233:27015 (GunGame). I'm under the name RubberFist (If you need to ask, DON'T).
 
#13
I agree that it's "better" to use headphones, but I'm very very rarely that serious. I have a headset I can use, but I get really annoyed having them on for games. I like to talk to people and watch tv between rounds and during down time during the game. I WILL look into that headset, it looks nice.

The reason I'm thinking of this, is because right now all I use is a stupid computer mic that came with a 1997 Gateway. It doesn't feed back at all, and is OK quality, but if I can upgrade to something that I can also use for band practice, it sounds like a good Christmas present. Maybe that headset, too. :D
 
#14
JimmyM said:
But he said at the top of the thread that he'll use it for online gaming thru the computer, so a preamp is definitely not necessary for that.
Click to expand...

A preamp IS most definitely necessary for that.

Even if he gets the necessary adapters to plug an XLR mic into a 1/4" or 1/8" input, the volume is going to be very weak, and the signal will be very noisy. That's why he would need some sort of preamp.

Your best bet would be going for the headset, IMO. They're designed to work with your computer without having to buy extra equipment. If you need a mic for your PA, get the SM58.

EDIT: The audio going through the game is going to get compressed a lot. So if you used a 58, that'd be overkill.
 
#15
I don't necessarily have a reference for the gaming side of things, but I just started using a Sennheiser 935 mic as a replacement for the SM58 I have been using for years and years. The Sennheiser cost me $140 at Sweetwater because I bought some other recording stuff. It is usually $159, but they also have the 835 for about $100. I am floored by how much better the Sennheiser stuff is to the Shure.
I have been using 57's and 58's live for years, but the Sennheiser is much fuller in the lower end, smoother and has way more output. And, no feedback even with the monitor right by my feet! It is an awesome live vocal mic for a dynamic.
 
#16
geoffkhan said:
A preamp IS most definitely necessary for that.

Even if he gets the necessary adapters to plug an XLR mic into a 1/4" or 1/8" input, the volume is going to be very weak, and the signal will be very noisy. That's why he would need some sort of preamp.
Click to expand...
I don't seem to have that problem. I have a preamp but I don't have a problem occasionally plugging into the sound card for some quick and dirty recordings.
 

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