For the Studio (not stage) which DYNAMIC mic under $130

[Tweak]

If you could only get one dynamic mic under $130, and had to use it for all your tracks that required a dynamic, which would you prefer?

Shure SM57

Shure SM58

ElectroVoice ND267A

Sennheiser e835

Sennheiser e840

ElectroVoice ND767A

[Blue Bear Sound]

A heckuva lot can be done with a 57 (and a good pre... without a good pre, it's a complete crap-shoot!)

[bilco]

A heckuva lot can be done with a 57 (and a good pre!)

I just found out how true that is. I got an RNP finally and my 57 with a pop screen through the RNP into PTLE sounds better on my voice than an SM7, KSM27 and Rode NT1a do. The 57 also sounds pretty decent on an acoustic through a Behringer board, so now I want to try it through the RNP. It is virtually indestructible too, which has not been my experience with the breakable plastic sleeves on the EV mics.

I also like the fact that it rejects off axis sounds like computer noise, yapping Corgis, passing trucks, etc. The LD condensers pick up great detail, but they also pick up all kinds of unwanted noises and flutter echoes in my untreated rooom.

The preamp made all the difference though. The 57 through the Behringer board, Audio Buddy or Digi001 mic inputs was pretty good sounding, but 1 dimensional compared to how it sounds now.

bilco

[Tweak]

I have to agree here. I can't hardly believe how good an sm57 sounds on a nice preamp; it's a huge difference.

[vampire06]

and... how it sounds the sm57 with a "lesser" pre.. let´s say...a DMP3?

Im owner of an sm58 (well, it´s my only mic) and it´s great, even trough the crappys IMP´s.
but... imo, the 58 its a live performance mic.

[octopi.mzk]

ppl, hi. ermmm. lets see, i know this might have already been asked and answered a thousand times, but havent found what im looking for so far...

i have so far not met the need to mic anything, not seriously, so ive been doing with some cheap radioshack mic worth $30 and the preamp on my m audio fast track pro. now ive been recording a lot of folk music at work and finally decided to put in some of that into my music (nylon string guitars, quechua-style woodwinds like sikus or so, charango, etc), as well as vocals. i've been thinking of getting a shure sm57 as a multipurpose mic, since i cant afford a condenser yet (tho i can use the u47 at work). but for some reason im tempted towards a sennheiser e835 instead. never used one, never tried one, never even heard something recorded with those either.

has anyone a/b'd them? any ideas? i'm just looking for the best dynamic cardioid possible within that price range, and if possible, an idea on why to choose one over the other.

now thats question number one.

number two: once possible id like to get some nice preamp. i guess i can do for the moment with my fast track pro, but i will need to get to something better if im thinking of getting serious. i'd love to get a rnp, but its simply impossible: the thing is im in argentina, and prices are trippled here, so i guess the most expensive piece of equipment i could get would be just a piece of junk. any ideas on the bestest possible two channel preamp in the $200 price range?

thanks to you all
cheers!

[SlickCentral]

If your radioshack mic is the silver one... That thing is remarkably nifty for vocals.

And I love the SM57 more than a great many other things in life. As for preamps, I just use the ones on my mixer (cheapo for the win).

[bilco]

and... how it sounds the sm57 with a "lesser" pre.. let´s say...a DMP3?

Im owner of an sm58 (well, it´s my only mic) and it´s great, even trough the crappys IMP´s.
but... imo, the 58 its a live performance mic.

I liked the way my 57 sounded through my Digi001 preamps and Behringer preamps before I got the RNP. I can't put my finger on what the exact difference is, but the 57 sounds better for recording my voice than my old beat up 58. The 57 needs a windscreen though to keep from popping.

[bilco]

ppl, hi. ermmm. lets see, i know this might have already been asked and answered a thousand times, but havent found what im looking for so far...

number two: once possible id like to get some nice preamp. i guess i can do for the moment with my fast track pro, but i will need to get to something better if im thinking of getting serious. i'd love to get a rnp, but its simply impossible: the thing is im in argentina, and prices are trippled here, so i guess the most expensive piece of equipment i could get would be just a piece of junk. any ideas on the bestest possible two channel preamp in the $200 price range?

thanks to you all
cheers!

I have not heard one, but the M-Audio DMP3 gets a lot of votes for being a great value preamp. It has 2 channels with Burr Brown Op Amps and DI.

[vampire06]

Hey! octopi.mzk, glad to see another "Argento" around here!

[octopi.mzk]

hehhehe hi vamp
well, thanks ppl. i guess ill be considering all this. for the moment i think im gonna go buy the 57 right away, and some real long cable. hope this buddy copes with my intentions of sampling weird bird squacking. if not ill start saving up for some multi LDC (rode nt2a maybe? could never afford something better anyways, not here). as for the preamp, does any of you know the ones on the fast track pro? any ideas? should i go get an outboard preamp right away or are they decent enough? i guess i'll start realizing once i get a proper mic (no, the radioshack crappie thing i got is black. cant tell the model # rite now, i borrowed it).
anyways, once again, thanks ppl
cheers!


oh. ps: has any of you guys A/B'd a sm57 with a sennheiser e835? i guess my mind is made up already, but i'd still like some comparative opinions
cya!

[chris319]

My first choice would be the Shure SM48, which is a few bucks less than the 57/58 but sounds clearer and more distinct, possibly due to the lack of an output transformer.

Then comes the SM58.

[Blue Bear Sound]

...first choice would be the Shure SM48, which is a few bucks less than the 57/58 but sounds clearer and more distinct...

ummm... no.

Then comes the SM58.

uh - you do know that the 57 and 58 use EXACTLY the same capsule, right?

[chris319]

What don't you like about the SM48?

uh - you do know that the 57 and 58 use EXACTLY the same capsule, right?

They use the same capsule as the 48 or the same capsule as each other?

[Big Tim]

The same capsule as each other. The very slight difference in sound comes from the contruction of the casing and the ball end on the 58.

[chris319]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the 48 used the same capsule as the 57 and 58.

[Blue Bear Sound]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the 48 used the same capsule as the 57 and 58.

They are not... the capsules are completely different between the SM48 and the SM58....

The SM58 and SM48 use different cartridges. That is to say, they have different frequency responses, different off axis responses, different handling characteristics, different transcient responses, etc.

[chris319]

Funny, a Google search did not turn up that passage on Shure.com:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&as_qdr=all&q=sm48+sm58+%22different+cartridges%22+site%3Ashure.com&btnG=Search

I have A/B/C'd the 48, 57 and 58 and think the 48 sounds the best of all.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Funny, a Google search did not turn up that passage on Shure.com

I pulled it right off the FAQ on the Shure.com website, skippy....

You are aware that NOT EVERYTHING on a site gets indexed by Google, right?

I have A/B/C'd the 48, 57 and 58 and think the 48 sounds the best of all.

Well then all I can say is maybe you need a better monitoring chain,
or perhaps your ears need further development for sonic detail....

[chris319]

I pulled it right off the FAQ on the Shure.com website, skippy....

No, you found it at shure.custhelp.com.

So far you haven't stated exactly what you don't like about the SM48. You've established that it has a different capsule from the SM58 and that's about all. Have you ever used an SM48? Have you A/B'd it against any other mic under controlled conditions and if so, would you care to share your impressions with us?

[stvfetterly]

I pulled it right off the FAQ on the Shure.com website, skippy....

No, you found it at shure.custhelp.com.

So far you haven't stated exactly what you don't like about the SM48. You've established that it has a different capsule from the SM58 and that's about all. Have you ever used an SM48? Have you A/B'd it against any other mic under controlled conditions and if so, would you care to share your impressions with us?

shure.custhelp.com IS where shure redirects you when you look for information. You would probably know that if you had bother to look for information before spouting your (incorrect) opinion about the mic capsules. People will often be less than nice to you when you pretend to know what you're talking about and try to pass off lies as the truth. Especially when you contradict yourself even in your opinion (first saying that you think that the SM48 is a better sounding dynamic mic than an SM58, then say that it probably uses the same capsule and thus has a nearly identical sound). I'm not sorry if people (like Blue Bear Sound who is both helpful and knowledgable on this forum call you out) some people are here to learn about recording, and your type of misinformation makes that harder.

[chris319]

you contradict yourself even in your opinion (first saying that you think that the SM48 is a better sounding dynamic mic than an SM58, then say that it probably uses the same capsule and thus has a nearly identical sound)

Here is what I said:

sounds clearer and more distinct, possibly due to the lack of an output transformer.

Nowhere did I say it has "a nearly identical sound" due to having the same capsule. I said it has a better sound, possibly due to the lack of an output transformer. No contradiction there. If you're going to restate my previous posts, please do so accurately.

[THE DIO]

you guys are funny but blue bears opinions are as close to fact as you get the guy knows his stuff

[Steven mc.]

Interesting.
I Though the 48 sounds great on stage, it didn't hit me as obviously worse then a 58. I never actually took time to shoot it out though, I don't own one. But it is cheaper and doesn't have the same capsule. I doubt it's got Better sound, Because your first person I've heard say that Over thousands of Live audio guys and engineers who stick to 58's for years. Cheers.

[nanashiwanderer]

Chris319 likes to argue he does it quite a bit.