i know the nt1-a is an amazing mic! unfortunately its a bit out of my budget haha. i think i'll go with the lewitt LCT-240, as MBC_Music recommended. looked it up, sounds amazing

 

i barely record acoustic instruments, vocals is my main concern. but yeah, definitely wont be able to record a guitar in my closet haha. my main priority is vocals so focusing on that.

 

Shure SM57, SM58
Audio-technica AT2020 (billie eilish's mic yah?)
Rode NT1, NT1A, NT2A....
AKG perception p120 (bit noisier, but it is the line between the most cheapest Rode above and streaming ones, good to start with, but after trying something better you might hate this akg more and more).
Oktava mk319
Very-very budget mics: behringer c1, streaming mics...

Couple days ago tested nt1a vs my nt2a.... Not too much difference, just cardioid, and slightly different frequency response (not so much). In my tests nt1a has slightly less noise (2dB or so), slightly less highs, slightly more mid highs, some very small difference in mids and lowmids..
Nt1a second-handed maybe year or two...
Nt2a second-handed too, and mine is more than 10 years in use... Maybe about 15..
Recorded into audient iD14mk2 at once in a dead silent room... I prefer nt1a above nt2a at cardioid, nt1a is a cardioid mic only (but I always record vox thru nt2a omni-directional mode, because it is less boomy, less harsh, smoother, better frequency response, more details.... But more pc noise, more background sounds, and more reverb from walls may be recorded).... Anyway more manual RX editing for comping, restoration needed.. And other processing (eq, compressors and levellers, spatial, saturation, exciters and preamp emus, deesser and dynamic eqs, auto spectral balancers maybe and resonance suppressors, gates, automations etc.)...

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025

>condenser mics in 2025

 

Have a look at Austrian Audios OC-16.
Its from the guys that were AKG before Samsung bought the company.
Its about 350 bucks and although this, as their cheapest and only model, is assembled in china, the capsule is made in vienna and sent so china for assembling. Its extremely versatile, It's my favorite on almost anything and I have Schoeps and Neumann stuff around.
(plus I love that it's just as big as it has to be. It's a little larger than a c414. I hate those huge bottles only being large for showing off)
https://austrian.audio/product/oc16/

//EDIT// I'm sorry, I didn't read the budget constraints...
Those behringer large diaphragm microphones are decent for their price, I would not go for a dynamic mike like sm57/58
Like the c1 is about 45 bucks and it's definitely not sounding that cheap.
It's a well built large diaphragm condenser based on a generic chinese capsule.
There is nothing wrong with that. You will have to do something about that little harshness it produces on the sibilances, but nothing that can't be dealt with.
Don't go for a small diaphragm on a budget.
To make a good small diaphragm mice is quite expensive, so the cheap ones suck more.

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2025

It's an industry standard for 60 years for a reason... if I could only use one mic for everything forever it's gonna be a SM57. Regardless of budget