Question for the sound guru's

[Leper]

Just wondering, what type of mic is best for recording vocals? I've been looking at prices and I foudn mics ranging from 20 bucks to 10,000 (yep, 10,000 dollars, omg) and I can't make a decision based on price (obviously) so what should I get?

[soniCron]

Depends on your budget and needs. For vocals, you'll really want a condensor mic. In the low-end-high-quality range, check out the MXL 990s (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-990s-Condenser-Microphone?sku=273103) (~$80) or the AKG Perception 200 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/AKG-Perception-200-LargeDiaphragm-Condenser-Microphone?sku=271243) (~$160.) Both are top rated for their price range and will give you superior results. However, be aware that with any microphone, you will need a microphone pre-amp, and with (pretty much) any condensor microphone, you will need a pre-amp with +48V phantom power output. (Most pre's come with that feature, but just check to be sure.)

Finally, and most importantly, do not plug any "real" microphone into the microphone port on your computer's soundcard - DOING SO CAN DAMAGE YOUR MIC!! You can use the line-in input on your soundcard, or buy a professional recording soundcard or interface. (Check out Echo Audio or M-Audio.) Oh, and the cables you use do make a difference. Mogami and Canare are top-quality cables that are worth the premium price - you'll hear the difference.

All said and done, you'll end up paying about $350-400 for an excellent starter recording setup. Any less and you're wasting your money - might as well buy a computer mic from WalMart.

[sound app]

In the low-end-high-quality range, check out the MXL 990s (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXL-990s-Condenser-Microphone?sku=273103) (~$80) or the AKG Perception 200 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/AKG-Perception-200-LargeDiaphragm-Condenser-Microphone?sku=271243) (~$160.)

i would personally go for the AKG but both are fine.
And while you're at it, don't forget to get a microphone stand (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/live/navigation?q=microphone+stand), it's simply amazing how much better one does sound when a vocal recording is made standing up.
Unless it's one of 'those' movies of course ;)

[Christian]

I was wondering, what kind of mics are good for recording sound effects?.

[soniCron]

i would personally go for the AKG but both are fine. I agree. I'd also like to add that he shouldn't confuse the 990s with the 990. The 990s has a pad and low-cut filter - great for vocal recordings.

I was wondering, what kind of mics are good for recording sound effects? Dynamic mics (the "other" mic,) are excellent for live performance and are much more durable, but condensor mics are really solid performers for recording most things. (Dynamic mics tend to have a high, "tinny" sound.) However, it's important to note that condensor mics are really sensetive to moisture, so keep it away from water and steam. In fact, it's really important you grab a pop filter (windscreen) for the mic - even your breath can damage the condensor.

[PoV]

Thanks to podcasting, you can get USB Condensor Mic's with built in preamps for a reasonable price. From $80 for the Samson (http://www.zzounds.com/item--SAMC01U), or $150 for a Blue Snowball (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blue-Snowball-USB-Microphone?sku=279015). You *could* spend more, but if you're new, it's tough to know where to.

I'm an AudioTechnica (http://junk.sykhronics.com/photos/SykStudio/April-2006/AudioView.jpg) user (http://junk.sykhronics.com/photos/SykStudio/April-2006/MixerView.jpg) myself.

As for what Mic's are good for effects, any will do really. It's more common though to make sounds on a computer somehow. Either through composed musical jingles, purchased sound packs, noise making/sythesis software (Stomper, Orangator, etc...), splicing them together, and or running filters on them.

[sound app]

I was wondering, what kind of mics are good for recording sound effects?.

well, do you mean recording sound effects (as in sfx, then every good mike as descripted above would do), or do you mean recordings of "natural" things (outside or inside, everyday events, natural surrounding sounds, etc) or re recordings for synchro needs (that would be foley work: a very talented person in a studio recreating especially specific sounds for synchro needs) ?.

if you seriously want to get into recording natural sound or for foley, i would advice to get a stereo microphone then. I know some ppl will debate whether stereo recordings are the real thing or not (and some might even be more vicious and debate 3.1 or 5.1?...) but stereo is what our ears are more used to right now when it's about decrypting recordings thru an artificial medium...There's no question the acquisition of a real scope around a stereo microphone gives a warmer, stronger, more natural "enveloppe" to the recorded sound.

imho and the one of my ears, of course.

[AnthemAudio]

But what good is stereo recording for positional audio, which the majority of SFX are when it comes to games?

Choose stereo if your end product will reproduce it. I just made a few stereo ambiences for a game using stereo techniques only to find they are making the ambience positional, so they get summed to mono at one way or the other.

Consider what you're recording into as well as with. If you have a crappy mic, you can save it with a decent pre-amp. But if you have a crap pre then even the best mics are poopers.

Sorry for all the digestinal references, but you get my point.

Tony

[Leper]

Some good advice here.. We're definately trying to get some better vocals in our recordings. We are currently using a Walmart Microphone that was about $10.00! I just dont want to get an expensive microphone and get the near-same results, ya know? You can listen to our stuff here (http://www.myspace.com/drylikwid).. (shameless plug) - co-produced music, and co-vocalized.


I think I'm going to go with the AKG Mic, along with a pre-amp, and then a microphone stand! Thanks alot guys. (especially for the line-in tip)

[sound app]

Choose stereo if your end product will reproduce it. I just made a few stereo ambiences for a game using stereo techniques only to find they are making the ambience positional, so they get summed to mono at one way or the other.


i agree but unless you'll position the sound very left or very right, you'll always will have the benefits of a stereo recorded sound: this very strong sense of space is lost with a mono source. But if that isn't the way the 'client' wants to use it, well...

[Christian]

Thanks for the ideas, i think im going to leave the microphones for a while and create sounds trough mixing free samlpes or pc generated sounds, its cheaper :) and also takes less time, im not sure about the results though...

[ManuelMarino]

The Modern and Medieval sound pack DEMO, that you can find here:

http://www.marinosounds.com/products.htm

has been recorded using an AKG D3700S, which is a very good solution if you don't have much money to spend. We use it for multimedia only.

While when we record singing we use Sennheiser e 945.