# Mic for home studio



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Figured I would see if anyone has an opinion on this.
Im looking to buy my dad a new mic for his home studio, which is a small bedroom full of music gear and .. certainly acoustically imperfect.
Im looking to get home a mic that is mostly for vocals, and some acoustic guitar. Im thinking a Shure Sm7b, as it seems like a good choice for this, but any other advice or opinions about what would be a good match?
(lets say keeping budget around $600 or so)


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Blue Yeti. Astoundingly cheap and versatile.






Yeti - #1 Best-Selling USB Microphone - Blue


Produce studio-quality recordings and streams with Yeti, the #1 best-selling premium USB mic for podcasting, YouTube and Twitch, now with Blue VO!CE.




www.bluemic.com


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Shure SM7B

Right now this is on sale at long and Mcquade for $469. Everything I have read says if you are buying this mic you must also buy a Cloudlifter. I think the mic is pretty quiet and this is like a preamp. The Cloudlifter is $199.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

That SM7b is a good choice. It is a versatile mic and can be used almost on anything. Hard to beat it at it's price point. There is a reason why its used almost everywhere, podcasters, livestreamers, even Dr Phil uses it in his shows. LOL


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Chito said:


> That SM7b is a good choice. It is a versatile mic and can be used almost on anything. Hard to beat it at it's price point. There is a reason why its used almost everywhere, podcasters, livestreamers, even Dr Phil uses it in his shows. LOL


Oooo the dr Phil tidbit is a good selling feature

im also thinking the UA sd1 Which seems similar but comes with some ua software.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Do you need a bunch of other stuff to get the sm7b working right. I seem to remember something about that when I was looking for microphones.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Wardo said:


> Do you need a bunch of other stuff to get the sm7b working right. I seem to remember something about that when I was looking for microphones.


It seems depending on your interface and the preamp in it. Seems to be much back and forth, I’m not too worried as he isn’t a quiet singer, but there seems to be less of a need for one with the ua sd1 From my brief reading.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Wardo said:


> Do you need a bunch of other stuff to get the sm7b working right. I seem to remember something about that when I was looking for microphones.


I have one and the only thing it needs is a lot of gain. But I have never needed anything else for it. Done some recordings with it too.


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## Kitten_shark (8 mo ago)

My sm7b is fine through the stock pres on my Apollo, but I did have a hard time getting enough gain out of my old presonus interface with it. It's a great mic, wouldn't be my first choice for acoustic guitar, but you can definitely get good results if you play around with mic placement. Since your focus is for vocals it would be a great mic. 

You could always rent something like an AT4033 and see how a condenser sounds in the room, might give you a bit more flexibility for recording both guitar and vocals.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Is the studio for playing, or recording, or both? That could influence the choice.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

I took my laptop, my interface and a large diaphragm condenser to the cabin this summer. Can I streamline the set-up with the right USB mic? Interesting thread!

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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

DaddyDog said:


> Is the studio for playing, or recording, or both? That could influence the choice.


good question I should have specified I suppose. Looking for a mic for recording.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

A friend swears by Ear Trumpet mics though they might be pushing the price range a bit.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I think a Rode NT-1A is a great all around mic. I have the RodeNT2A which would still be under your budget. I got that instead of the 1A for the extra features but I never really use them.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

What is he plugging it into?
Because if he has an input device that provides phantom power, get a condenser microphone. They kick ass way more than any dynamic (in my experience) for vocals. You will not regret it.

I rarely recommend items made in "Chahner", but I do recommend MXR microphones. I have two that I bought used and they are wonderful. But they are also over ten years old.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

2N1305 said:


> What is he plugging it into?
> Because if he has an input device that provides phantom power, get a condenser microphone. They kick ass way more than any dynamic (in my experience) for vocals. You will not regret it.
> 
> I rarely recommend items made in "Chahner", but I do recommend MXR microphones. I have two that I bought used and they are wonderful. But they are also over ten years old.


so he has an interface with phantom power, the issue is that in a small room, not acoustically ideal, and full of instruments and things that could cause some back ground noise, I would worry a condenser mic may pick up some unwanted noise. 🤷‍♂️


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

RBlakeney said:


> I would worry a condenser mic may pick up some unwanted noise.


A valid point where I cannot provide any input. My music room was roughly 12 by 11 feet and I didn't have any issues, but usually a condenser mic's pattern is cardioid, so it should only pick up what's in front of it.
Besides, if you buy it new, and it ends up not liking it, I believe some stores a have a return policy.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

I recommend you post your question on the former gearSLUTZ, (yes I liked their name before), now known as gearspace.
These people are very knowledgeable, insightful, and a tad bit "hupé" when it comes to talking about microphones and shit.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I see TLM 102s used in the 650 - 700 range.


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## desolation_angel (2 mo ago)

As mentioned, SM7s need gain… which, of course lifts the noise floor, which in an untreated room can cause issues. You can use 'em with mic pre's that have a lot of gain, changeable input impedance, or with an inline amp like a Cloudlifter or SE Dynamite. 

You mentioned vocals AND acoustic guitar, those two things generally have different microphone needs. The received wisdom is to use a small diaphragm condenser for the acoustic guitar, large diaphragm condenser for vocals. Things get more complex if you’re trying to record them both at the same time. Generally you're looking at cardioid pattern microphones that are used close up with significant "nulls" (so quite directional). 

The world of microphones is a deep, deep rabbit hole… and just like amps/pedals there are many flavours, many originals and many clones (sooooo many clones). You can spend a LOT of time researching mic types and makers. 

But if you’re just looking to get started with something low-ish cost you could look for the now discontinued Audio-Technica 4040SP (there’s one on Reverb in Kelowna). It’s a 4041 small diaphragm condenser and a 4040 large diaphragm set. I had the 4041 as "my first SDC". I don't know any other companies that make an SDC/LDC set but there may be some. (Actually Audio-Technica still make the lower cost AT2041SP which is at L&M and only $259 for the pair). It's a good way to get started without spending a lot of dough. As you start to recognize what works and what doesn't, for your dad, and your dad's space, then you can go up from there.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

guitarman2 said:


> I think a Rode NT-1A is a great all around mic. I have the RodeNT2A which would still be under your budget. I got that instead of the 1A for the extra features but I never really use them.


I also had good results with the NT1A and I used it for vocals and acoustic guitar. Good deal for the money, I paid $279 at the time for the package, but I think it's gone up.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

Get this:
AKG C214 on Kijiji AKG C214 | Pro Audio & Recording Equipment | Calgary | Kijiji

Message him right now and as him to ship it to you.

And then take $500 and set it on fire and then break your own foot with a hammer. And you’ll still be better off than buying an SM7B.

I will literally give you my SM7B just to stop you from buying one. But then I’d feel like a piece of shit for the rest of my life for letting it happen to another person.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Always12AM said:


> Get this:
> AKG C214 on Kijiji AKG C214 | Pro Audio & Recording Equipment | Calgary | Kijiji
> 
> Message him right now and as him to ship it to you.
> ...


Im not counting that out on the grounds that... that is the one I have.
also if you are selling your hated sm7b let me know


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

Does anyone else here thi


Always12AM said:


> And then take $500 and set it on fire and then break your own foot with a hammer.


I am not quite understanding what the 500$ has to do in the context of breaking one's foot. Also the breaking of the foot was something that does not help me understand why it would help the OP not like the AKG. 

upon re-reading, I believe I have it in reverse... You are not a fan of the SM7b. IT does, in revenge (hijacking a french term here) have a large diaphragm, which in my mind can allow it to be in the same room as a condenser microphone. At least, a large diaphragm one.

Have you had a bad experience with an SM7b while haveing a broken foot, perhaps?


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

RBlakeney said:


> Im not counting that out on the grounds that... that is the one I have.
> also if you are selling your hated sm7b let me know


SM7B brand new in box with cloud lifter. Trade for a C214 any day of the week.


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## kirk1701 (Sep 14, 2007)

If I had the cash, this would be my choice. This is a Canadian company that makes excellent, affordable versions of classic studio mics. This one is a Neumann U67 clone. I don't think they get better than this. The owner is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.









Shop CM67se Advanced Audio Professional Microphone Online


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## desolation_angel (2 mo ago)

kirk1701 said:


> If I had the cash, this would be my choice. This is a Canadian company that makes excellent, affordable versions of classic studio mics. This one is a Neumann U67 clone. I don't think they get better than this. The owner is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Advanced Audio is great. I almost posted about Dave's mics in my post but felt like I'd already waffled on enough...


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I like my Aston Spirit. The Aston Origin is also reported to be good value - less expensive but also less versatile.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Always12AM said:


> SM7B brand new in box with cloud lifter. Trade for a C214 any day of the week.


I’m not getting rid of my microphone, just buying a microphone for the old man!


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

RBlakeney said:


> I’m not getting rid of my microphone, just buying a microphone for the old man!


I highly suggest the AKG C214.
The Rode NT1A is also a great all purpose begginers mic. The Audio Technica 4040 is good too. Or spring for a Royer R10 🌶.

Anything beyond that price point. I’d suggest Neumann TLM49, C414, Royer 121 or 122 etc.

Beyond that, I’d suggest stealing an RCA Ribbon from a museum or an original Sony and then charge people 2k an hour to record on it and tell them that it was used by Clapton to mic his amp for the “woman tone”. 

The SM7B is a great radio / podcast mic for capturing vocal bass.. And when I say “great” I mean that it’s not as good as the RE20 or any condenser mic ever made. You 100% need a cloud lifter or one hell of a preamp in order to get any audible input. Both present a good amount of unwanted self noise (think putting any amp on 10). An unacceptable amount of noise for my uses (music).


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## desolation_angel (2 mo ago)

Always12AM said:


> The SM7B is a great radio / podcast mic for capturing vocal bass


it's interesting how the SM7 has become 'the podcast' mic regardless of who is behind the mic. Justin Hawkins (of The Darkness) has a a very entertaining YouTube channel and he uses an SM7. For me, when he's talking, the low end heaviness of the SM7 makes it sometimes hard to hear what he's saying. But when he sings a little falsetto intro/outro bumper on each episode it sounds great. Proving once again that mics are finicky bloody things. Microphones might be the ultimate "YMMV" device.


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## whyarecanadiangirlshot (2 mo ago)

RBlakeney said:


> Figured I would see if anyone has an opinion on this.
> Im looking to buy my dad a new mic for his home studio, which is a small bedroom full of music gear and .. certainly acoustically imperfect.
> Im looking to get home a mic that is mostly for vocals, and some acoustic guitar. Im thinking a Shure Sm7b, as it seems like a good choice for this, but any other advice or opinions about what would be a good match?
> (lets say keeping budget around $600 or so)


dont know if this has been posted yet but heres a page comparing 50 different microphones Vocal Mic Shootout | Sweetwater 
my personal favorites are the AT4047 and AT4040 from this list.
I don't own any of these lol just thought I'd share this page to show what different microphones sound like. I just own an SM57 and a CM25. 
here's another page comparing different vocal mic preamps 
Vocal Mic Preamps - Can You Hear a Difference? (sweetwater.com) 
people definitely underrate the effect a good preamp can have on your sound.


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## whyarecanadiangirlshot (2 mo ago)

RBlakeney said:


> so he has an interface with phantom power, the issue is that in a small room, not acoustically ideal, and full of instruments and things that could cause some back ground noise, I would worry a condenser mic may pick up some unwanted noise. 🤷‍♂️


just have to experiment, i say buy the condenser mic you want and if it doesnt sound good sell it, im sure you could get most of your money back if you only used it for like a week.based on what ive read online and also seen in lots of beautiful youtube covers, plenty of people use condensers in bedrooms and living rooms just fine and get a better sound than they would from a dynamic. you have to remember that large beds and couches help acoustically treat the room.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

desolation_angel said:


> it's interesting how the SM7 has become 'the podcast' mic regardless of who is behind the mic. Justin Hawkins (of The Darkness) has a a very entertaining YouTube channel and he uses an SM7. For me, when he's talking, the low end heaviness of the SM7 makes it sometimes hard to hear what he's saying. But when he sings a little falsetto intro/outro bumper on each episode it sounds great. Proving once again that mics are finicky bloody things. Microphones might be the ultimate "YMMV" device.


Because the SM7B has such a brutally low default input and requires a brutally high gain in order to capture. You have to choose between having a mic you can use properly 1-3 feet away and listen to the hiss or hum of the preamp… or you can set the gain low and stick your mouth 1inch off of the foam. This is what creates that bass response that is in many cases not great.

It is definitely usable for vocals, but the inherent flaw of its lack of volume coupled with the amount of work needed to use it, makes it not a mic I would suggest.

The fact that so many people use it and praise it despite these flaws pushes me from indifference to anger. Anger because I would hate to see someone who is starting out spent their hard earned money under the pretence that it is a great mic. I am lucky in that I have a few and a reference point.

If I had to start from scratch, I’d buy a matched pair of C414’s and a quartet of C214’s.

I actually don’t currently own either. The C414 is going to be my next mic. I’ve used many and they were always fantastic.


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## whyarecanadiangirlshot (2 mo ago)

Drake uses the AT4040 as his secondary mic, if its good enough for him its probably good enough for most people


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## desolation_angel (2 mo ago)

I don't have any skin in the game with SM7's, I looked at the specs, the characteristics, and realized it wasn't something I needed. I don't think it's a bad mic, it's been used on hundreds of vocal recordings. I'm surprised that the RE-20 didn't dominate the podcast world though–from what I've read it has less proximity effect then the SM7–but it is more expensive I suppose... There are others coming up on the rails in that space, too, like the Røde Pod Mic etc.

Also, related to the microphone shootout Sweetwater links, above, Warren Dent at Zen Pro Audio has been building a huge library of comparative gear references in his "Clipalator". Nice thing about it is you can download various clips, stick 'em in your DAW and shoot 'em out yourself.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I could never get the Rode NT working for me; too warm or something and I have a loud bass baritone. Tried lots of mics and found the 102 to fuckin awesome compared to anything I’d used before.


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

For your budget consider the Shure KSM32 Cardioid Condenser mic. If you can up the anti consider gravitating towards the Shure KSM42 or KSM44a. I have the KSM44A in my mic locker and for the price of just over $1,000 it competes with similar mics that I have in the $2,000+ range. These mics deliver a silky smooth vocal recording that is warm and robust.

























Here is a sample of the KSM44A on the vocal of a recording that I did for a client years ago. The KSM32 would have similar characteristics.

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https://soundcloud.com/rolltape-1%2Fso-did-you


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Another option to look at is the Rode NTK Valve Condenser mic. It is a little brighter sounding than the Shure KSM series but also delivers high quality vocal recording. I attached a couple examples of recordings I did for clients with this mic being used on vocals. The first is a simple recording with guitar and vocal and the second a full production. You may notice some difference in the resolution between the two tracks as the second was recorded with studio gear of a significantly higher quality.















































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https://soundcloud.com/rolltape-1%2Fshadow


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https://soundcloud.com/rolltape-1%2Fact-of-distraction


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## puzz (5 mo ago)

I like the AKG C214 for a simple condenser and the Senn 421 for dynamic but a Senn 906 if pretty great too.


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Here is a great comparison video for mics in your budget range. Detailed information on each mic with each one being auditioned by a very good player in a proper recording setting.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Sennheiser MK 4 - Condenser Microphone For Professional Studio Recordings


MK 4 - Condenser Microphone For Professional Studio Recordings - Sennheiser Discover True Sound - Top-quality products and tailor made solutions - sennheiser.com



en-ca.sennheiser.com





Been considering one of these for a while. The brand has never let me down.


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## desolation_angel (2 mo ago)

I was just photographing an Aston Origin, I'm not sure if the brand has already been mentioned here, but it's a very good, very affordable, general purpose cardioid mic. For a bit more dough you can get the Spirit, which has multiple patterns...


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Looks like the AV Shop has some kinda big ass mic sale:



https://www.avshop.ca/specials?fltBrand%5B0%5D=41&utm_source=fb&utm_medium=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&utm_campaign=Holiday+Promo+2022+-+AV+Shop


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I ended up finding a good deal on a warm audio wa87 and bought that For him. First I bought an Aston stealth also, but I’ll just keep that one for me With the akg c214.


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## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

Seeing really good reviews of the SE V7x for acoustic guitar because of the pattern, spl and dynamic range which rivals the much more expensive old studio standard MD 421s but less boomy with more focus on the upper partials so accordingly it is slightly more bright in sound but has punch all the way down to 20 hrz the same as an MD 421. The beauty of going dynamic mics is the pattern does great noise rejection and if you close in with it there is much less proximity boom effect. The other cheap mic that is great is a condenser pair from Rode the M5s. They rival the similar 2000 dollar per pair Neumans and some say are just as good at doing a great job of getting a warm accurate reproduction of guitars and other musical instruments. I use a single M5 and am very happy with the sound. My second is a large condenser at distance if I am in a big room, but I am considering switching over to a combo of the SE V7x on one track and the M5 on another track unbalanced then do a balanced mix of the two in post. The V7x mic that I have tried is brighter and has much better background noise rejection at about 17 inches away slightly above the 12th fret aimed on an angle towards the sound hole from above. So the final mix will be warmer sounding bass accentuated on the left channel and more punch in the highs on the right like an orchestra setup.😎 NOW on to convincing my spouse that some moving blankets on the walls and especially on the door in my music room will help keep the heating bills down this winter.😕 I need all the help I can get with that one!


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

RBlakeney said:


> I ended up finding a good deal on a warm audio wa87 and bought that For him. First I bought an Aston stealth also, but I’ll just keep that one for me With the akg c214.


 Excellent choice. Warm Audio manufactures great bang for the buck products and hold up nicely against the Neumann line of mics. Their preamps, compressors and equalizers are also well engineered to compete with the top of the line vintage pieces of gear.

Your father will be very pleased with the level of performance with the WA87 Fet Condenser.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

RBlakeney said:


> I ended up finding a good deal on a warm audio wa87 and bought that For him. First I bought an Aston stealth also, but I’ll just keep that one for me With the akg c214.


Congrats! Seems like a great mic!


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