I'm looking for a microphone (or two, if a must) to record an acoustic guitar and to record vocals. It will be for some indie/alternative style of music.

It doesn't need to be anything crazy expensive as it's just for a home studio for demos, but something affordable, budget friendly, and still gives good results is what I'm looking for.

The cheaper the better, and more looking for the budget side of the spectrum.

 

Audio Technica AT2020 Condenser microphone - 88 €
www.audio-technica.com/en-gb/at2020
www.thomann.de/de/audio_technica_at2020.htm

 

Last edited: Jul 5, 2025 at 9:57 PM

SM57, AT2035, sE Electronics V7... Could really be anything, to be honest. I think the SM57 is really versatile for instruments, and I would get an Audio Technica for vocals. Everything else can be done in mixing.

 

Topping CL101, about 150€, incredible value.

 

Lewitt LCT-240 Pro. If you live in the US check Alto Music as the price can go down to $80 including a shock mount every once in a while.

 

I really like the AKG C1000 for acoustic guitars. And in my opinion, it can also be used for vocals that don't require much detail.

 

Thumbs up for the Lewitt one, If you dug AKG you could consider an Austrian Audio OC16.
I love these as those are from the OG guys that were AKG before they were bought by Samsung.
It is about 350 bucks though. Absolutely worth it, but not that budget friendly any more.

 

Bunford and indie/alternative is a surprise to me, is this job or hob?

 

3Uaudio for LDC (Teal or Black CM1-SE); NoHype/Line Audio for SDC (CM4 cardioid):
http://www.3uaudio.com/chanpin.asp?dh=1
https://www.nohypeaudio.com/lineaudioproducts.htm

Gearslutz 3Uaudio mega-thread for reference:
https://gearspace.com/board/low-end...hone-multiple-voicings.html?highlight=3uaudio
Email the 3Uaudio owner, Guosheng, directly for a good quote.

*I don't dislike the Lewitt Audio LCT-240 recommendation.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2025 at 12:05 AM

Do you have a proper treated recording room? If not I would stay away from condensers.
I still love my Sennheiser 421 cardioid dynamic, It's just so versatile. There's even a smaller, cheaper 'compact' version available these days.

 

large diagraphm condenser mic will prove most versatile, something like for ex. sE 4400 is fine,
from dynamic mics, Sennheiser 441 is great but pricey

 

If you find a Gefell m930 used it would be a great mic at a good price to capture an acoustic guitar and vocal (I think I recorded both at the same time with judicial mic placement) and even harmonica...like I did doing a slower, non-banjo cover of Neil Young's For The Turnstiles.

https://whyp.it/tracks/293085/for-the-turnstiles-cover

 

Agree.

If you want something cheaper than sE 4400, then I would recommend Rode NT1: https://rode.com/en/products/nt1

 

Came here to say the same. If you can afford it, it's probably the best in it's price range, even beating more expensive models.

 

I advice you to get two time the same mic (not stereo matched pair, because they tend to be small diaphragm for this price).

It is going to open a whole world for recording.
They will serve you forever

You can :
-record guitar with 2 mic (one rosace, one neck)
-record guitar and vocal at the same time, close
-record anything from any room in stereo (even a full band for live stream, demo ...)
https://producelikeapro.com/blog/fundamental-stereo-miking-techniques/

Any good mic, like Audiotechnica, for under 100 euros new, even less second hand, will do the job.
For less than 200 euros, you get a couple

You can start with one and buy another like it later.

 

I would definitely recommend looking at used mics. As long as they seem like they're in good shape and you can trust the person that owned them to have treated them nicely and kept them away from smoke and stuff like that they should still last a long long time for you.

 

I don't know about their availability anymore, but a Rode NT3 has become one of my workhorses. A condenser and fairly directional so you have to take some time placing it, but man it can pick up sound like nothing else. Good for acoustic guitars, vocals, percussion, and hihats.

For acoustic guitars I've gotten good results with one fairly omnidirectional mic a bit of distance from the sound hole, and something like the aforementioned NT3 aimed roughly at the 12th fret, slightly off-axis, to pick up the finger noises and the "twang". Very lively sound that way.

 

Give us the actual budget, much easier to come up with suggestions then. People have different ideas as to what constitutes a budget microphone.

What I will say is, going by some of the suggestions already made is:

Audio Technica AT2020 - Terrible mic, looks the part but sounds more like something you'd get in a kids karaoke machine.

Audio Technica AT4040 - Versatile, decent mic for certain voices, doesn't work with all but then what does? Ok for acoustic guitars but can be a bit thin and lifeless, depending on the instrument.

SM57 - Quite possibly the worst choice out there for an acoustic guitar, unless you want it to sound like it's made of cardboard. Occasionally good for vocals but very limited to specific circumstances.

SE V7 - Not suited to recording in my opinion, designed specifically for live vocal work.

AKG C1000 - Interesting suggestion. Not used one in quite a few years for anything but overheads but can be quite good with acoustic guitars, particularly in pairs. Can't say I've ever even thought about using one on a vocal; never had much luck with small diaphragm condensers on vocals personally.

Sennheiser MD 421 - Good versatile mics, always happy to use them. Useful in most situations. 441's are better but I think we can truly say we've left budget territory well behind there. Both can be accused of being "boring" sounding out of the box but lend themselves to EQ very nicely.

SE4400 - Another good all rounder with lots of options for polar patterns and HPF. Nothing to complain about but one of those that generally needs some EQ help as it's very clean and flat.

Rode NT1 - Nothing to write home about, definitely in the budget category by anyone's standards but not terrible.

Quite a few mics here I've no experience of: Topping CL101, Lewitt LCT-240 (never even heard of these two), Austrian Audio OC16 (never used or heard but looks potentially quite a good mic), Gefell m930 (I'll have two thanks but not on a budget).

It has to be said, even with the best mics, that the room and particular instrument/voice will make a huge difference to the choice of mic. There's never a single mic that will work in every situation as they all differ in some way, occasionally it turns out that the U47 sucks and it really is the SM57 that's the best choice. It's the reason that engineers often end up as microphone junkies.

Generally, I'd advise to go with a large diaphragm and stay away from small diaphragms. Condensers will, in most situations, give better results than dynamics. Dynamics can be ok but very cheap ones will be disappointing. Dynamics can be a good choice in bad sounding, boxy rooms but a bit of thought around the recording position with condensers will mostly be better.

Others to consider:

Aston Origin - Don't personally own one but quite impressed with this for a budget mic from recordings I've heard recently.

Shure SM4 - Can be ok in some circumstances but also terrible in others. Not bad for soft intimate vocals. Inherently slightly dark sounding so not the best if brightness is something you're looking for. I'm not a fan personally.

Shure SM7B - Kinda similar to the SM4 but more refined. Warm, rather than dark. A quite capable mic.

Rode NT1000/NT2-A - different mics but both quite serviceable. NT2-A has a good amount of options for polar pattern and HPF (A friend of mine regularly uses a pair of NT2-A for acoustic guitars and his recordings are very good (he is a highly qualified acoustics engineer however and does have a treated room so that obviously makes a huge difference on the outcome).

Neumann TLM102 - Probably heading out of the budget range here but a great mic that works with almost anything you throw at it (apart from beer). Quite possibly one of the cutest mics ever made (now you know for sure I have a microphone problem).

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2025 at 6:24 PM

I see a few recommend the Lewitt 240. What about the Lewitt 440, which is the large diaphragm version?

 

Forgive me for asking, because I want to be supportive, but if your mindset is "the cheaper the better," why bother to ask us, and not just go to a store and buy the cheapest?

If your answer is you asked because you still care about quality, then maybe "the cheaper is NOT the better."

The good news for you is that there are much better cheaper options now than ever. But I saw someone recommend a cheap mic here that West LA once offered me for free (yes, for free - for keeping me waiting a little too long for my taste). I just laughed in their face, and told them what I thought of it. Let that sink in: I turned down a free mic that someone here (above) recommended.

Cheaper is not the better. If you want to save money, go on Craigslist, or Reverb, or eBay, or ask your local music stores for second hand options. They will be cheaper, and likely better - if not cosmetically - than many of the recommendations above.

Note: I've nothing against the Shure SM57, AT2020, Rode NT1, or the Lewitt LCT-240 Pro, if that's what you're leaning towards.

I'll just mention for anyone else interested in budget mics: the newish CAD E100Sx (youll be surprised) tops my list of budget mics. And the perennial MXL brand always delivers solid sounding if not outright sexy looking mics. Take your pick of these. And good luck to you.