Vocal Mic

Y

Y-man

New member
Hi guys I'm looking to purchase my first microphone. Any recommendations on whats good for price and quality.

People suggested :
- Blue Snowball
- Yeti
- Rhode NT1 ( is this one any good in particular )

Would it be better to get a USB mic or XLR (I don't have a audio interface).
 
How good are they in terms of quality. Would a get better quality using a audio interface or is it just the same as USB.
 
XLR if you're serious, USB mics are for podcasting. I guess all the mics you listed would work for what ever you need in the beginning. Rode NT1 is a great mic but unless you're going to build a vocal booth or treat your room I wouldn't get it. That mic is going to pick up every little sound including your neighbor sneezing. Pick up a good dynamic mic like a Shure SM58 or 57, lots of artists in the past have used those two mics for vocals and I honestly think every studio should have at least one of those. Very versatile and can be used for lots of different applications.

Finally, for the price of the NT1 you can buy the Shure mic and have money left over for a decent interface like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.
 
Y-man said:
I will be using it for vocals mainly. If I do purchase the RODE NT1-A would a mobile vocal booth be acceptable as a set up to get studio quality sound.
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If "studio quality" meant cheap mics and mobile vocal booths, yeah :) You'll get a perfectly decent sound out of that setup, however. A mobile booth - depending on what kind of setup it actually is - probably won't take the room totally out of the equation, but it'll reduce its effect.
 
Cheers guys. I purchased the RODE NT1 today. Just one last hurdle, what would be the cheapest way to connect XLR to USB (Macbook Pro). I dont really want to spend much on an audio interface unless its under £50. Also are the XLR to USB adapters any good, would they do the exact job as an audio interface. Phantom Power ?
 
Y-man said:
Cheers guys. I purchased the RODE NT1 today. Just one last hurdle, what would be the cheapest way to connect XLR to USB (Macbook Pro). I dont really want to spend much on an audio interface unless its under £50. Also are the XLR to USB adapters any good, would they do the exact job as an audio interface. Phantom Power ?
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Theoretically those XLR-to-USB things are small audio interfaces (phantom power and all - they would be pretty pointless without). Haven't used any of them, though, so can't comment on the quality. I've heard that they can be pretty noisy, though - annoyingly noisy or noisy but workable - dunno. But the fact is that you're not gonna get stellar quality by cutting corners. This ain't a cheap hobby :)
 
okay out of these audio interfaces which one would you recommend to use with the RODE NT1-A.

-Tascam US122 MkII USB 2.0 Audio & MIDI interface
-Alesis iO2 Express 24Bit USB Audio & MIDI Recording Interface
-Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface
 
But since the OP says that he already purcahsed the Rode mike, I would suggest the Shure in-line XLR-to-USB adaptor (I forget the model number, but Google it). Fairly inexpensive, Shure stuff is generally built to last, and even when you graduate to a more standard interface, you'll find uses for it or be able to sell it without it's value going out the window.

GJ
 
rhythmgj said:
But since the OP says that he already purcahsed the Rode mike, I would suggest the Shure in-line XLR-to-USB adaptor (I forget the model number, but Google it). Fairly inexpensive, Shure stuff is generally built to last, and even when you graduate to a more standard interface, you'll find uses for it or be able to sell it without it's value going out the window.

GJ
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Why? For $50 more he gets an audio interface that he's gonna need anyway, and can later add another mic if he chooses. Additionally, the Scarlett also comes with the plug in suite and Ableton Live Lite 8. There's no point in spending money for a quick fix now only to have to sell it for a loss (minimal loss since it's a Shure but that's not the point) and then go and spend more money on something you should've just gotten to begin with.
 
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rhythmgj said:
But since the OP says that he already purcahsed the Rode mike, I would suggest the Shure in-line XLR-to-USB adaptor (I forget the model number, but Google it). Fairly inexpensive, Shure stuff is generally built to last, and even when you graduate to a more standard interface, you'll find uses for it or be able to sell it without it's value going out the window.

GJ
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Actually, I think it's especially this Shure unit (the X2U) that I've heard the "noisy" complaints about. No 1st hand info here, and I suspect a lot of the users might just be very inexperienced recordists to begin with (and the SOS review doesn't mention any of this), which might unnecessarily contribute to the amount of complaints. Still, what remains a fact is that it only records 16-bit. Not that this was a problem back when "everything" was predominantly 16-bit, but nowadays when most everything offers 24-bit...I'm not so sure it's a good investment. The CEntrance MicPort Pro would offer a similar form factor & 24/96 operation, but of course it costs almost $100 more (at which price you can already get a "proper" entry level interface).
 
Rode NT1A is very good for some things, and not very good for others. It is very hot and may pick up much that you don't want, like a lot of room noise. If you want a warm sound for your vocals, price-wise I would suggest something more in the line of an APEX 460 tube mic.
 
Re: Rode and unwanted sounds/room noise-- _Any_ condenser will pick-up lots of sound; they are designed that way and that is one of their sought-after qualities as awesome microphones. If you want less room tone in your recordings, treat your vocal room/area and/or use a more directional mike and/or a dynamic.

Re: The various objections to my inexpensive interface suggestion, I concede; you guys obviously have more up-to-date information on pricing for available gear. I agree with Krushing, however; I'll bet the "noise" complaints re: the Shure unit are mostly unfounded.

GJ
 
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