Microphone advice please NSC

[gripper stebson]

OK I need to record some high quality audio straight into my desktop running Audacity.

Under under £100 recommendations for a mic set up?

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I'm sure others can give expert opinions, but I bought a mic for simple home music recording last week and paid £180. I know you can spend thousands on mics and there are lots of different types for different uses. I would pop along to GAK in North Road for advice from their pro-audio guys.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

What is your sauce?
If you can connect directly rather than use a microphone that will always help cut out background noise.

If its a voice / interview type thing, I use a cheap radio mic so that interview can be in soundproof-ish room - has a range of about 25 metres so computer can be in another room.

Without knowing situation, difficult to advise.

 

[Smeagull]

If its just for podcasts or something like that then a USB mic like the blue snowball would be a good bet.

If its for recording instruments or vocals then you also need to think about how your going to connect it to your PC as you'll need some sort of audio interface and if its a condenser mic it may need phantom power. £100 isn't a great deal in terms of music production but you could probably pick up something by rode, se electronics or audio technica which would be sufficient. Which model to get depends on what you would be recording.

 

[gripper stebson]

It is for some Voice Over for a TV pilot.

Cheers for your help so far.

 

[The Large One]

It is for some Voice Over for a TV pilot.

Cheers for your help so far.

Spooky.

We're looking for voice mics too.

 

[Titanic]

You can't go far wrong with a SHURE SM57 attached to a USB mixer... and as others have said, try and put it in another room (a 5m XLR cable will do the trick rather than wireless) to avoid background PC noise etc...

This sort of thing...

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/shure-sm-57/6389?gclid=CLKwruvzhroCFYyWtAodHxoAug

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/behringer-xenyx-302usb/47663

 

[The Large One]

You can't go far wrong with a SHURE SM57 attached to a USB mixer... and as others have said, try and put it in another room (a 5m XLR cable will do the trick rather than wireless) to avoid background PC noise etc...

This sort of thing...

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/shure-sm-57/6389?gclid=CLKwruvzhroCFYyWtAodHxoAug

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/behringer-xenyx-302usb/47663

Also, spookily enough, I spoke to a chap yesterday who knows very much about this sort of thing. Even though he's in London, he recommended going to the Guitar, Amp & Keyboard Centre for advice. Apparently, there's a room in there where you can try out equipment - plus, he says, they're possibly the best bet if you want to shop online.

Worth popping down to North Road, it would appear.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

When I was at University, a friend of a friend ran a pirate radio station from his room in halls. He'd spin some BIG TUNES from the old skool UK garage era.

He didn't have a microphone because he couldn't afford one, so plugged his headphones into the microphone jack on his mixer and shoted into the headphones. Sure his "BLAP BLAP BLAP GIMME A REWIND WHERE'S MAH HORRNNS CREEEW AT?" sounded a little distorted. But it worked.

Hope that helps.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Also, spookily enough, I spoke to a chap yesterday who knows very much about this sort of thing. Even though he's in London, he recommended going to the Guitar, Amp & Keyboard Centre for advice. Apparently, there's a room in there where you can try out equipment - plus, he says, they're possibly the best bet if you want to shop online.

Worth popping down to North Road, it would appear.

GAK is my favourite shop in Brighton. Have bought 2 guitars this year, plus a load of peripherals all from there. The online service in good, going into the shop is better. It makes a change thesedays going into a shop and the assistants can actually give you good advice, these guys know what they're doing (Anyone looking for a job, there's 2 warehouse posts going for Xmas, as I've just read).

I don't search prices, but I'm lead to believe they are usually competitive, if not cheapest too. What's not to like.

 

[Smeagull]

Another decent USB mic for your budget: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/akg-perception-120-usb-plug-and-play-microphone/39707
Review here: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/akg-perception-120.htm

Or if you went for a mic with an audio interface (like the Behringer one noted above) any of these would be OK:
http://www.gak.co.uk/en/audio-technica-at-2020/809
http://www.gak.co.uk/en/se-electronics-se-2000/51443
http://www.gak.co.uk/en/rode-nt1-a-...and-free-pop-shield-and-free-shockmount/31723


I'd also recommend getting a pop/wind shield for vocal work to prevent the 'sssssssssss' siblance from S's and pops from B's and P's. Although you could do what I did in my poor musician days and wrap some tights around a clothes hanger.

 

[Gary Leeds]

You can't go far wrong with a SHURE SM57 attached to a USB mixer... and as others have said, try and put it in another room (a 5m XLR cable will do the trick rather than wireless) to avoid background PC noise etc...

I can vouch for the quality of them, I have one too

 

[The Large One]

I can vouch for the quality of them, I have one too

Ah, but then you are one of the Walker Brothers.