The Newbie Mic Kit

[grandwheatgrass]

Hello Y'all,

Just getting started on RecordingReview and I had a question.

I am very interrested in recording and have been looking to purchase equipment that I can have fun with. After receiving feedback from others on this site it have settled in on buying a FP10 as an interface to record music to my MacBook Pro with garageband or Logic Express.

The next step...the right mics.

Most of my recordings will be acoustic guitar and vocal duets (2 people on guitar and two people singing). I am looking for mics that will be good for capturing the acoustic guitar in stereo (may need two mics and mess around with placement techniques for each guitar) and mics that can capture voice. They don't necessarily need to be the same mics.

If I can afford it I think it would be good to have 4 guitar mics and 2 vocal mics, but is this the best arrangement? What would you guys suggest for me? I have read up on the SM58 and SM57 and I also am looking at condensor mics.

I found this deal:
Buy Shure SM57 and SM58 Microphone Package online at Musician's Friend (is this good?)

$700 total max is what I'm looking for for mics.

LAST THING I PROMISE:
What would be a good set of studio headphones under $200?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...any help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Grandwheatgreass

[maestoso]

i would try to go more with monitors as well as headphones because there is a difference when you mix down on headphones vs monitors. headphones sound awesome and make you adjust stuff you may not want to. monitors don't give you much color just the audio you have! you can get a useable pair for 100$ that would suffice. everyone on this forum has great advice so i am just lending you some of the same advice i got!

[thesilentdrummer]

Alright, I would suggest you get as many different crayons as possible. This Would include an SM57, a large diaphragm condenser, a small diaphragm condenser, and a ribbon of some kind. They don't have to be uber (yes, I just said uber) expensive, but don't get cheap on yourself. Make sure you account for at LEAST 20 (over 30 may be overkill, depending on your setup... give your self some slack!!) foot cables. Those should set you back about $100 right there ($20-$30 a pop). The 57 is $100. A SDC should be around $100 for a single (Looks like the AKG Perception 150 is a pair for $160). Large Diaphragm Audio Technica's are pretty popular, and the 2000 series sells right in the 100-200 range. I own the Nady RSM5 Ribbon mic ($70), and it has varied my pallet of colors to work with... it works well for what it does (sounds pretty good on guitar).
Lets see, whats that add up to:

• Cables and Stands: >$150
• SM57: $100
• Small Diaphragm Condensor: ~$160
• Large Diaphragm Condenser: ~$175
• Ribbon Mic: <$100

_________________________
=$685

Wow, thats close. Include Tax and you are just over (everything here is at or above what you probably could get away with). This is strictly something to give you an idea. By no means should you go out and buy exactly what I have written down. I do, however, hope it is helpful.

I read a stellar review of the Audio Technica ATH-M50's. They are right at $150, if you would like that. They are said to be completely reference quality, and very comfortable: "[the reviewer] put them onto [his] cranium and the ear cups wrapped around ]his] ears liek leather seats in a Cadillac."