The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Right now my only microphone is a MXL V63M condenser. I *had* an SM57 but.. my dog buried it in the yard somewhere, I think.

I always record electric guitar direct, I have no reason to mic an amp since my amps are all cheap things that sound much worse than what can be simulated with free VSTs.

I only use microphones for recording vocals, acoustic guitar, and very occasionally harmonica.

I can't currently envision playing live anytime soon except at places like open-mic-night where the sound guy provides the microphones.

Is there any reason I should get another dynamic mic?

I don't think so.

Why? Are you looking at Musician's friend?

Get a decent sounding guitar amp... then get another dynamic mic.

Ross wrote:I don't think so.

Why? Are you looking at Musician's friend?

Well I was thinking I'd like to try micing an acoustic with two mics at the same time. And was wondering if it made sense to have "one of each" instead of two condensers.

You can record vocals, acoustic guitar, and other instruments with a dynamic mic. I do it all the time. I find I get a very "rock" acoustic guitar sound when I do. I think you can hear it on most of my tracks, but the first was "Zero to Phantom" which I think is a great acoustic sound. I feel like Tom Petty when I use a dynamic on acoustic. I've also been using dynamic mics on vocals for Berkeley Social Scene. The way we record, using a dynamic works really well since I don't need a giant vocal sound, and a dynamic is actually easier to get to sit in a dense mix. I think you will find that a dynamic mic doesn't have the shrill top end that many inexpensive condenser mics give you.

Anyway, my advise to you is that you don't need to have any particular mics, but I do encourage you to purchase a nicer mic than the MXL M63M whether it is a dynamic or condenser. I know it may be tough, but since you have a $99 mic, you first step up would be a $300 mic. Here are some suggestions:

Shure SM7 - classic broadcast mic used on vocals, acoustic, and snare more often than you'd think. You can see Anthony Keidis and James Hetfield rocking this mic, and I saw Chris Martin singing through one at that Clooney Telethon for Haiti thing a few nights ago.

Heil PR30 - a better cheaper version of the SM7. This mic will become a classic someday.

Telefunken M80 - I bet this mic is awesome.

Karma K58 - this is a nice mic most people probably haven't heard of. I have the FET version, and while sounds really good, I kind of wish I had bought the tube version instead.

MXL V69ME - I trust this mic is as good as it looks. I have yet to use one, but it is on my list of mics to try/buy.

Good luck!

Be well,
Ken

I have an Audio-Technica ATM-41HE dynamic mic that has a clear, open sound. In general, dynamic mics sound more transparent and natural than condensers (in my opinion anyway), but they are less forgiving and require more attention to proximity, volume, and formants from the singer.

The ATM-41HE is in a lower price range than ken's suggestions. Because it's a handheld hypercardoid, it's useful for stage or studio. I find the directional pattern helps eliminate the slight noise coming from my new recording PC.

Ken, you'd be great to be in a band with with. You seem to have an endless supply of equipment and knowledge to put on the best possible show.

jeff robertson wrote:

Ross wrote:I don't think so.

Why? Are you looking at Musician's friend?

Well I was thinking I'd like to try micing an acoustic with two mics at the same time. And was wondering if it made sense to have "one of each" instead of two condensers.

For what it's worth, this is how I record my accordion.

I now have both...again.

I started the move to condenser mics about 5 or 6 years ago and shortly after went back to my SM57s and 58s dynamic mics. But at that time I was 99% live on stage and dynamics just seem to be perfect for that.

Now being 99% studio, it was time to give condensers another try. I've only had my SP B1 since Xmas and I haven't recorded anything yet other than test pieces to try all the db and high pass settings this thing has. I'm very impressed! BUT, now I have to think about acoustics and other sounds in my music room. This is where a dynamic mic is great. It picks up what's right in front of it. Then with a mild gate, you have a pretty clean vocal track. BUT it's a little muddy and lacks clarity, so the right amount of compression and reverb and it's pretty damn good and sits well in the mix of the average amateur home studio guy.

Tests so far:
Vocals = I like the B1 condenser clarity better than my SM58 dynamic. But not lovin' all the tweaking that goes hand in hand with the condenser mic.

Guitar cab = I like my SM57 dynamic better than my B1 condenser. But I'm determined make the B1 work because I'm told that with the right settings on the mic and tweaks, it will be better sounding in the end. We'll see.

Acoustic guitar = I like the B1 condenser MUCH better than my SM57 and SM58 dynamics. I am going to try putting the B1 between the 12th and 16th fret and an SM58 off towards the bridge pointing towards the sound hole to test this. I heard the mix is fat and crisp. We'll see.

jeff robertson wrote:Well I was thinking I'd like to try micing an acoustic with two mics at the same time. And was wondering if it made sense to have "one of each" instead of two condensers.

Yep, that's exactly how I record my acoustic. You can hear an example here and decide for yourself if that sounds kosher. I reckon it might sound better if I had a better condenser.

Here's a pretty good article about stereo micing an acoustic guitar: http://www.humbuckermusic.com/acguitrectec.html