I have an untreated room which i am going to turn into a bedroom studio slowly. however i can't invest in acoustics because its expensive and i rent the place, so cant do much.
i need to be recording vocals and acoustic instruments, and i need a budget microphone
i was thinking of getting the shure sm57, however then i also saw the behringer sl75c, which is pretty much exactly the same as the sm57 after some eq.

should i get the sl75c or should i save up and get the sm57, there's also the PylePro PDMIC78 (my budget is extremely tight)

or should i get a completely different mic entirely? please help!

P.S. its my first post here!

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025 at 6:29 AM

If you can manage to find a good deal, I would highly recommend the Lewitt LCT-240 Pro (w/shockmount) bundle. Alto Music was selling them for $80 for a while.

I own an sm57 that i used with a fethead and the Lewitt mic was miles better than it for general voiceover work.

https://reverb.com/p/lewitt-lct-240-pro-cardioid-condenser-microphone

$115 used like new w/shockmount and pop filter -
https://reverb.com/item/84862319-lewitt-lct-240-pro-condenser-microphone-vocal-set

$100 pre order new (ships mid april) w/ shockmount and pop filter -
https://reverb.com/item/56112839-le...denser-vocal-set-lct240problack-make-an-offer

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025 at 6:25 AM

that's a condensor mic however, and i don't have a treated room. im afraid a lot of room noise will leak into the condensor mics, thats why i was thinking of getting a dynamic mic. i might be reading too much into it though? which one would you recommend based on my room conditions? thank you so much for your reply!

 

I also don't have a treated room but honestly I ended up turning up the dynamic mic enough to bring up the preamp noise floor to the point that, even if it would resist more background noise than the condensor mic, it wouldn't have mattered. That's why I got the fethead for the dynamic mic.

Honestly the sound quality of the voice (especially top end and less issues with proximity effect) with the condenser mic made me regret ever switching to my sm57 for voiceovers.

Your best bet would be to make a fake recording "booth" for your mic with blankets hung up behind you while recording vocals to reject extra noise from hitting the front of the mic while you're using it.

I've worked with quite a few rappers who had terrible audio quality and after telling them to hang up thick blankets or put a mattress with blankets over it behind them, it made a night and day different in audio quality.

Also, no problem at all

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025 at 9:19 AM

i see.
one other problem with my room is that its not just untreated, i live in a VERY noisy environment, traffic noise, i can hear my neighbours all the time etc. is the condensor mic going to be a problem? ideally i would have definitely gone for a condensor mic, its just that because of the problems in my room im considering a dynamic one.

 

Hmmm, that's definitely a bit more tricky. I would say it's even more important for you to create a fake booth or most ideal recording space regardless of which kind of mic you buy. To my ears, a large diaphragm condenser mic is almost always going to sound better (especially when dealing with lower end of mics).

Something like a car honking it's horn or someone mowing their lawn is going to be picked up by both kinds of mics.

Edit: the sm57 with a fethead could be a good option for you potentially. I got a new 57 on ebay for $45 and the fethead for $45 so it's in the ballpark of a Lewitt LCT 240.

consider checking Guitar Center used to see if there are any used sm57s near you for like $50-60. They have a return period so if there are any issues you could easily return it. New or openbox fetheads can be found on ebay for $50 very frequently.

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025 at 9:19 AM

that makes sense. i didn't even consider making a DIY vocal booth, i thought getting a dynamic mic would magically solve all my acoustic problems. i think for now, since i have a very tight budget, i should focus on making a small vocal booth in my room, and getting the sl75c. getting a condensor mic, and on top of that having to build a vocal booth might be a bit too much for my pocket at the moment. additionally the sl75c is just technically a shure sm57, which will last me many years, and i can always buy a condensor mic later on. thank you so much! you've given me some clarity. let me know what you think of my decision!

 

keep in mind the shure sm-57 is as close to bulletproof as any microphone you will come across. a behringer clone of anything will not be, so they aren't really less expensive in the long run. Cheaper, yes.

 

that makes sense. i think my budget is just that tight, that i can only focus on the audio quality at the moment. i will be treating my equipment like treasure so build quality isnt that much of a concern at the moment haha

 

You can throw an sm57 off your house probably a hundred times and it will be fine. The Lewitt? notsomuch

 

I recommend the Shure SM57 - 105 €.

The SM57 is not only the first choice for professional musicians; it has also been in service on the podium of the American President for over 30 years. Its exceptional qualities, legendary reliability, and versatile application possibilities make it the preferred microphone of musicians, producers, and sound engineers around the world.

 

that's very helpful. i just realized an hour ago that i can use my closet as a vocal booth. i tested it out, works wonders haha. i think i will go for a condensor mic now that i have a decent vocal recording space. definitely going to buy an sm57 later down the line someday though. thank you so much for your reply!

 

I purchased a couple of inexpensive large Troy Studio booths for vocals and overs during the pandemic.
Reinforced the structure with some cardboard and they've been great. My Whisper Room was too big to set up for my apt.
Throw a decent MIC in there and you're good to go.

 

This company offers high quality at an affordable price:

Rode NT1-A Complete Vocal Recording - 179 EUR
https://rode.com/en/microphones/studio-condenser/nt1a

Sales rank 1 in large-diaphragm microphones
www.thomann.de/de/rode_nt1a_complete_vocal_recording.htm

 

How are you going to record acoustic instruments in what sounds like a small closet? Vocals sure, but a guitar or something larger, youll most likely not be able? Beside the SM57 you'll enjoy the helpful extra 20+ clean extra gain of a Triton FetHead as I'm guessing you have a preamp in you're interface that gets noisy after a bit. Also, don't buy a used 57 because there are now hundreds of thousands of fakes floating around out there. Not only those, but expensive condensers like the Neumann U87 and AKG C12 VR are being bought by many now.

The Shure SM57 is a very good mic and you'll have it and use it even years down the line when you might have other more expensive tools. It's like a carpenter's hammer...the carpenter may have a band saw, sander and table saw but without that old hammer nothing comes together.

A FetHead around me is 60 bucks, in the USA a bit more. It's worth it.

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025 at 8:54 AM

That sounds like it will work well. I think you'll be happy with either kind of mic, but I'm still partial to condenser mics for vocals. Good luck with your recordings.

 

I owned an NT1-A and sold it, then replaced it with the Lewitt LTC-240. They have similar frequency response and both sound fantastic, but the Lewitt is better value imo because it's cheaper.

If I had the NT1 (not A) I think I would have kept it because it's not as bright in the HF range. The NT1 A is just a bit much for certain sources.

 

I've had a couple of SM58 for over 20 years and are great dynamic mics, just like the SM57 but without the round pop shield.
Just be aware of lots of fake/copies of Shure especially on eBay. Always buy from reputable seller

 

If you can use a condenser mic, you might consider the AT2035 or AT2020 for a sweetspot price and features.

I always use the AT2020 to record vocals in rooms that are not isolated and not acoustically treated in any way.
I can provide sample results if needed, so I'm not just talking.

And good luck to you!