Microphone suggestions?

OK, got new PC installed & up & running, downloaded N-track and played with it a bit, now need to get semi-serious, so I can contribute to widdlefest 99 or whatever.

Anyone suggest a reasonably-priced microphone I can use for recording either voice or acoustic guitar? My crappy little Radio Shack mic can't hack it. I'd like to blend the EMG pickup & a mic for guitar, then use the same mic (yeah, cheapskate) for voice. I've got some birthday money burning a hole . . . .

Cheers,

.... and I just listened to Icarusi's 'Escalator Blues' and don't think I'll bother anymore. Buggerit. Nice one.

Shure SM57 as a budget -but-decent starter mic would do. I use one along with a condenser for my recording. I paid 90 odd for mine, but you can get them for less mail order and probably half that second hand.

Sure SM57, £70 from http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com

You can get cheaper mikes, but as a mate of mine says about the Sure 'it's the only $70 mic you'll find in every $1Million studio'.

If you go for the SM57 this is on eBay now, get 2 x SM57's for £114.50 inc. delivery http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem& item=2529143121&categ...

I have no affiliation with the seller, it just seems like a good deal.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. It looks like I could grab a couple of Behringers to mess around with at home, then move up to the SM57s if I start playing out again. That way I can do single takes with the EMG and one mic for the Armstrong, and one for voice.

Cheap at a fifth of the price

Cheers,

(snip ..)

I agree completely about the Behringer mics, I like 'em better than my SM58s. You told us about your new PC but didn't mention any other kit, Magnus. The microphones recommended here are unsuitable to plug straight in to a sound card, so if that's all you have, you will either need a mic preamp, or (better idea) a small mixer with mic inputs - again, look at Behringer .. the 'UBxxx' range.

Hi, If you're looking to experiment and get passable results cheaply then the combination of a dynamic mic like an SM57 or the behringer combined with the onboard pickup your acoustic has should work well. Another option would be to get one of the relatively cheap condenser mic's that are available (Behringer B1 or B2, Rode NT1, etc) most of these have the same innards made in a china so I don't suppose the brand is that important, but you would need to provide phantom power from your mixer. If you're recording onto the PC you might like to think about the JoeMeek MQ1 mic preamp/compressor/eq that sits inside the computer, I think they're quite funky and digital village are selling them of quite cheaply.

Cheers John P.

I heard there was slightly more output from the Behringer, but slightly more handling noise, and the quality control was a bit variable (may have improved). The sound is a good copy of the SM57/58 The suggestion was you try a few of them before buying to make sure you get a good one (or 2).

Thanks! Even I won't be doing anything like that again, but it does show you can use just Windows 'Sound Recorder' and a magazine CD backing, so long as you keep playing over the whole backing.

I've actually been looking at the Tascam US-224 (or 428 if 'er indoors will let me get away with it), both recommended by a mate, Bob Thomas, who used to play with Silly Wizard, and is now a senior engineer with Teac, so he knows his stuff. (and yes, I know Teac own Tascam). The alternative would be to find something with phantom power, as I'd like to try the chinese-made SE-1 condenser mic for guitar. Yeah, I know, I can feel the Visa card trembling in my pocket even as I speak. And I still haven't paid for the 3 new acoustic instruments I've ordered this year. Sigh.

Cheers,