That´s prolly not going to happen

If you save up another $250 you´ll be able to buy a good used C414. It makes very little sense having a budget as low as $500 for a good mic - much bette strategy is to saving up a little more and get the very best imho.

 

c'mon man we all know only a Neumann U87 will do for the human voice. its not like people ever made recordings with shitty little Sony or Behringer mics.

for most of what people record, most of the time a $ 100 usd microphone is more than adequate as it will be the acoustics and the technique of the singer that is a bigger issue. with modern microphone modeling, eq and room modeling things can be manipulated to the producer's desire.

With Autotune etc, the original dry recording is not that important as long as its not clipping doesn't have a loud fan buzz and the singer doesn't have his "p"'s popping all over and bobbing his head a inch from the mic and then a foot away, screaming and whispering etc..

Mic snobbery is for people who don't have an expensive car or airplane to waste their money on. just get it done with what you got and move to the next thing and save your consumer hard on for the next Iphone with AI and self regenerating battery.

newer, better,faster is a treadmill that will never get you to the finish line, cause you ain't really moving forward on a treadmill.

my 2 cents worth. a big mic selection of name brand mics, is something a studio needs if it is renting time to clients, to help attract clients. a home studio has no such need. a mic or 2 or even 3 that you know how to use well is more important than constant experimenting and upgrading. It doesnt need to be expensive a few hundred dollars can provide some very good mic's for the average producer and singer.

listening to microphones on youtube etc isn't going to help, the sound has been processed and compressed for streaming. always love it when the presenter says " you can't hear it, but it sounds different" and tweaks settings and the audio stays the same cause of streaming codecs etc..

in the end, buy what makes you happy, its your money and if you think its giving you magic, maybe it is, at least for your ears.

 

The 440 pure is one of the lowest self noise mics you can buy, I have one, they're great mics well on par with higher end mics, they have a self noise of only 7db, the C214 is a great mic as well, it's just basically a stripped down 414.....

 

Sometimes, if shopping on a budget and trying to find an affordable option; people fall for scams. Find the thread on here about the Chinese fake Shures on here. They are much better fakes than I would generally expect to see. I bet some people are probably still using them.

If you are unsure about the actual mic you want, buy it from a retailer with a good return policy.

 

Rode NT1, not NT1a, is a great mic for the price

 

Yes I was going to suggest to the OP to look at the RODE range. The general consensus for the greater part on many of the reviews seems to say that they are the best low price Neumann style mics around.. if that is what the OP is after. I have an NT-1 and no complaints. It is as good and better than some of my AKG's for acoustic instruments with a wide dynamic range. It can't beat the 414 as a room mic but is equal as a vocal and better for acoustic instruments for me.

 

Last edited: Dec 14, 2024

https://www.thomannmusic.com/rode_n...LCJjdXJyZW5jeSI6NywibGFuZ3VhZ2UiOjJ9&reload=1

 

Finally!

 

I heard great things about the Aston Spirit, currently $356 USD new. Austrian oc18 if you can stretch to $800 or the Oc16 at $400. Can't go wrong with the sm7b though. Or Blue Baby Bottle for like $150 on Amazon if you want a cheap condenser

 

https://groupdiy.com/threads/why-you-should-never-use-multi-pattern-mics.81157/

p.s. this thread is a mere conirmation to a thesis that one should never ask audio gear recommendations from consumers (specifically uneducated ones)

they will just try to sell you whatever they bought themselves, seeking the reassurance of their own purchase worthiness...

 

Last edited: Dec 15, 2024

Vocals mics are very specific to the voice singing into them. It really is one of those things that require patience and testing. If you don't have a great space to record vocals in, even the nicest most expensive condenser microphone on the planet can be a real problem. So I recommend not ruling out looking at dynamic mics and ribbon mics.

My suggestion? People will say you can't get one for under 500 usd, but I recommend looking for a Sennheiser MD 441. They sound great on so many things and they also are good on a wide variety of voices.

If you are insistent on getting a condenser, these are good times for that. Look into an Australian (?) company called BeezNeez. A terribly cringy name, I know, but they are quite good. I believe you can find something that is in your price range.

An old very, very inexpensive solution is to find an Octava MK319. I bought two a really long time ago and I've kept them even though I have far more expensive mics.

I really have not loved a lot of Rode microphones I've tried. Too bright and in just about the worst ways possible, i.e. can't eq it out. I see some are recommending them- just offering a different opinion. Shure SM7's are excellent and take equalization like a champ. You need a nice amount of gain though for these- but they do sound pretty nice on vocals. I hope this helps.

 

slate ML1 hands down

 

Last edited: Dec 15, 2024

Based on my limited experience, choosing and finding a microphone is highly personal and can sound different depending on the settings. Because each person’s voice is unique, even two similar-sounding individuals can produce recordings that differ significantly when using the same mic. I don’t believe there is a “magical” microphone that will automatically make anyone sound amazing. Microphone technique and the competence of the user are also significant factors. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting singers who sounded unimpressive on ribbon mics but incredible on dynamic mics. This is often because they spent most of their professional careers, or let’s say their “singer lives,” using dynamic mics. They developed excellent technique for dynamic microphones, but ribbon mics are a completely different kind of animal.

If you can, before purchasing a microphone, borrow one from a friend or rent one, and spend time experimenting with it. Test it on your settings and with the actual people who will be using it.

In general, I’ve found that a microphone with as flat a response as possible, without any inherent characteristics, is a great starting point for vocals. Flat response mics are almost always a good foundation. If you have hardware, that’s great—you can start adding analog warmth. If not, don’t worry! There are plenty of amazing plugins, channel strips, preamps, and tube simulators available. You can even simulate different microphone types, models, and brands. For example, Universal Audio offers three vintage microphone emulation plugins that do a pretty decent job. Antares has a plugin, which can emulate classic mics. With this, you can start with a reference mic like the SM58 and simulate other microphones. The plugin offers an impressive list of microphones. Companies like Antelope, Slate Digital, and IK Multimedia also have fantastic plugins. In particular, IK Multimedia’s “Mic Room” goes beyond just microphone simulation.

Slate Digital also offers a specific mic called the ML-1, which is calibrated to work with their Virtual Microphone System. If I’m not mistaken, there’s currently some sort of deal on it, so it’s worth checking out. A friend of mine also recommended looking into Antelope’s modeling microphones, though I haven’t had the chance to explore them yet.

I’m a strong advocate for modeling technology in general. Why not use Axe-FX or Kemper for guitars? With only a marginal trade-off, about 90% of listeners won’t notice or appreciate the difference. In return, you gain the advantage of consistent sound every time and everywhere (assuming the player has consistent technique :P). Why limit yourself to one or two pieces of analog hardware when modeling can provide virtually unlimited options?

In this era of bits and kHz, sticking exclusively to analog hardware often feels like a fetish or obsession to me. Of course, under the right circumstances, digital technology cannot fully replace or replicate analog gear. One is based on sampling, no matter how many bits or how high the sampling rate, while the other produces a perfect mathematical sine wave. But realistically, how often do we have the “right circumstances” unless you’re working with a world-renowned A-lister? Even then, you’re likely to face different constraints.

Ultimately, everything you record will end up in a 24-bit, 48 kHz format For 90% of listeners, the difference between a Behringer XM8500 and a Telefunken 251 will go unnoticed. In the end, it’s about whether you feel satisfied. My advice: find a microphone you’re comfortable with and roll with it. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, give mic modeling a shot!

Just my two pennies.

 

A few vocalists I know or have gotten tracks from use the WA-87 Warm Audio u87 clone and it sounds really good vs the price. It's not a Neumann but is in this general budget range so I would add one to the list of "to test". I think it would be a little surprising if you haven't heard one and known what it was. You've likely heard it on many tracks already.