inexpensive recording mics?

[cbope]

I'm looking to get some recording mics for use during rehearsals and possibly small gigs. This is for recording a whole band, not individual instruments. Quality is important, but so is the price. I will likely record using a laptop and an external USB or Firewire audio interface. I don't have any preference of condenser vs. dynamic, but obviously this will probably determined by my budget. Are any of the stereo recording mics any good? I've seen a few Sony and Audio Technica stereo mics online. My budget is roughly 100-200 € total for the mics, whether that's two separate mics or a single stereo mic. I expect to get an external USB or Firewire interface for about 250 €.

This is not for professional use, but I'd like something that works good for a small-medium sized rehearsal room or for a small gig.

[davis_bass_player]

Home recording mics

This is a tough question to answer because given your use and budget, there are a great many mics available. Keep in mind that if you use a condensor mic, you must have phantom power either via the interface or external and that will add to the price.

My suggestion is to look at the Shure or Sennheiser mics that are specific to your application. Some are suitable for a wide variety of applications an are under $200. The Shure SM57 and PG57 have been widely used for live and inexpensive home recording use. And, they are regarded as very rugged. The KSM27 or KSM44 are excellent studio quality mics.

I have used several of these mics and had decent results. I would also suggest, if you have a guitar center nearby, checking the Rode mics (more money, much better mic).

Davis

[charvelguy]

Sm57 is in your price range. Its a timeless mic. You can still obtain them for 50-60 USD used off ebay if you shop. Sennheiser MD421 is also a pro audio workhorse as an instrument mic.
The Rode NT1 and NT2 were being blown out as they were discontinued..overall Rode mics have a good rep but I've heard some conflicting things on some of the NT mics. You may want to check out Harmony Centrals reviews on some of those and see if they apply to what you need for now.

Audio Tech makes 'ok' mics...they usually are in a budget oriented catagory.

[cbope]

The SM57 was one mic I was thinking about, but I wasn't sure it would work well in this application since it's an instrument mic. Please confirm if this mic (a pair of course) is suitable for recording a whole band, not just as an instrument mic.

That would be great if I could use SM57's, as they could be used as instrument mics (or mic'ing a guitar cab) when needed.

[charvelguy]

My bad.. as an instrument mic the SM is a winner...as a room mic you should consider the PG or KSM series as suggested by Davis. The MD421 is a better dual purpose mic that could work to overlap both applications. Same goes for the Rode NT1, NT1a, NT2. Gently used.. those mics should be in your ballpark as well.

I'm not sure what your looking at for a firewire/usb device but some of your budget for that seems it could apply to your mic budget.
I use an M-Audio firewire audiophile.. has two mic inputs.. think they're like a 100USD now new. The USB audiophile is about the same price.

[cbope]

The PG57 is pretty cheap, 59€ from the webshop that I usually buy a lot of audio gear from. The NT's and the Senn MD421 are definitely out of my price range (200-350€ each). I don't have much possibility to buy the mics used, as there is limited selection here in northern Europe and the prices are pretty high for anything music-related.

As for the USB interface, I've pretty much decided on the M-Audio Fast Track Pro. It takes mics and instruments. It runs about 220€.

[cbope]

A friend recommended the AKG C1000S. The price is a bit over my budget but I can still manage it. It's a condenser mic, but that's not a problem since the Fast Track Pro has phantom power.

[Inazone]

A friend recommended the AKG C1000S. The price is a bit over my budget but I can still manage it. It's a condenser mic, but that's not a problem since the Fast Track Pro has phantom power.

That would be a good choice. I just bought a C1000S for recording guitars, along with an Audix i5. Both are suitable for recording just about anything. With most mics, one of the big differences is frequency response, so I think you'd be better off getting two different mics than a single stereo mic, so that you can get a wider frequency range.

[cbope]

A friend recommended the AKG C1000S. The price is a bit over my budget but I can still manage it. It's a condenser mic, but that's not a problem since the Fast Track Pro has phantom power.

After a little more reading, I also found out that the mics can use a 9V battery for power internally, so phantom power is not absolutely needed.

[charvelguy]

ya know..just as a mention.. USB vs Firewire. Firewire will have a greater capacity to handle a load with less latency. Oh, I read the specs on the pro's hardware.. near zero latency. Even tho USB at its highest rate is 400 mps and firewire is 480mps..how they handle, communicate and delegate data flow is more flexible in firewire. The difference USB shows may be maddening to record with. Anything as little as a fraction of a second in an audio application can throw you off. Just something else to consider.

[jtr]

Go with a pair of condenser mic. Oktava 2500( guitar center blew them out for a $100 a year or so ago ) are great mic and come with there own power supply, MXL ,Nady ect. Go to harmony-central.com and checkout the data reviews on mic. Rememeber that Condenser mic need phantom power. Any thing that has firewire the mic preamp will have a phantom power. ( again check harmony central data reviews).

[cbope]

ya know..just as a mention.. USB vs Firewire. Firewire will have a greater capacity to handle a load with less latency. Oh, I read the specs on the pro's hardware.. near zero latency. Even tho USB at its highest rate is 400 mps and firewire is 480mps..how they handle, communicate and delegate data flow is more flexible in firewire. The difference USB shows may be maddening to record with. Anything as little as a fraction of a second in an audio application can throw you off. Just something else to consider.

I'm very familiar with Firewire vs. USB, but you got the transfer rates flipped. USB 2.0 is 480mbps and original Firewire (sometimes called Firewire 400) is 400mbps. Even so, in most cases Firewire will be faster than USB because it more efficiently uses the bandwidth available. Only problem is my laptop does not have integrated Firewire, but it does have USB 2.0. Firewire adapters are not cheap either and practically every device that has Firewire is just more expensive than the same device with USB. I believe that's one of the reasons why Firewire has not been used so much in the Windows world. I like Firewire technology, I just don't like the added cost. All my workstation PC's at home have Firewire though.

[cbope]

Go with a pair of condenser mic. Oktava 2500( guitar center blew them out for a $100 a year or so ago ) are great mic and come with there own power supply, MXL ,Nady ect. Go to harmony-central.com and checkout the data reviews on mic. Rememeber that Condenser mic need phantom power. Any thing that has firewire the mic preamp will have a phantom power. ( again check harmony central data reviews).

Oktava's are available here (made in Russia, which is right next door), but please keep in mind that not everyone on this board is from the USA. Saying that "GC has the best price" or "GC blew them out..." doesn't help those of us not living in the good ol' USA.

The place I just checked has the Oktava MK 012-01 MSP2 matched pair for 309€. That's a little bit less than a pair of AKG C1000S cost (336€ pair). I'll have to check out the H-C reviews... but I usually stay away from that place. I haven't found the average H-C user to be very informative... (being *very* nice here).

[Jackson-Charvel]

I'm looking to get some recording mics for use during rehearsals and possibly small gigs. This is for recording a whole band, not individual instruments.

Maybe I am misunderstanding his question, but to me it seems he wants a room sound recorded which would require an omni directional mic or PZM mic. Condensors and dynamic mics are for close recording or individual instruments and he said he didn't want to do that. Am I missing something here?

If omni directional the best bang for your buck is a pair of Behringers 8000 measurement mics. Flat response and a pair gets you a decent stereo sound. Get a pair under $100, done.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Chope, don't expect to get a pair of SM57's for recording a room sound, that's not what they were intended for. Great for vocals or close mic'ing cabinets and such, but for a room sound, it's not going to give you the results you are looking for trust me.