Reasonable Mic Selection, Choosing a mic priced to match your gear Options

[Hugo Cole]

I've been looking at the mic postings and I've seen some names bandied about - Behringer B1, Studio Project B1 and C1, Rode NT-1, and of course Shure SM57 and 58 (which I understand aren't condenser mics, but I'm including them anyway), among others. I also realize that many believe that one mic shouldn't be used for everything. That having been said, I am looking for a mic that does everything, particularly (from quietest to loudest) acoustic guitar, vocals and horns. I will be using an imac g5 with a presonus firebox.

My question is, with my setup, is it worth it to purchase something like a rode given the quality of the preamp, or should I just stick with something cheaper, such as the studio project or even the behringer? I have seen it proposed to get a really good mic and then upgrade the rest of the gear later, and my funds aren't THAT limited. Any advice? Or any other product recommendations?

Thanks

[keefer.k]

When buying microphones, consider that your audio can never be better than the mic it comes in through. The useful lifetime of microphone is decades at minimum, in a recording studio, and "a pretty long time" on stage.

Because of this long life and being the limiting factor for acoustic audio capture, I will go out on a limb and say that spending a months pay on a microphone will begin to get you a model that you will want to keep for the rest of your life. If you do decide to sell a high-quality model in 5 years, you will get somewhere between 50-200% of your money back, depending on condition (and the deal you made to get it). A 5 year old computer is worth how much? A 5 year old car is worth what?

There's nothing "wrong" with an SM57/58, but it's at the bottom of the acceptable-quality range, not the top (and a good value, imho). The next step up is a good textbook on microphones, like one by John Eargle.

Summary: spend as much on microphone as on your pre-amp/mixer or recorder. Don't let the microphone be something of an afterthough in the budget.

Cheers.

Karl Keefer
Portland Oregon

PS: I have had a few of my microphones since I was 12 years old (25 years!). The little old AKG's and Shure SM-61 still work fine.