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Microphone recommendations: USB or XLR?
I have been toying with the idea of getting a small, Champ-style tube amp. If I do that, I'll have to mic it to record. (Currently I use Tonestack, Bias FX, and Flying Haggis with an Apogee Jam.) I'd been thinking about getting a mic for vocals, so that wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen. But which microphone and what kind? A few months ago I read some reviews and settled on this, if and when I buy a microphone: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D6RMFG6. It's an Audio-Technica AT2035 Large Diaphragm Studio Condenser; I could plug it into my mixer or directly into my Focusrite Scarlett interface. The only disadvantage I can see is that it requires phantom power, so I couldn't use it in my isolation booth (a.k.a. walk-in clothes closet).
What do you think of USB-powered mics? Will I get better results if I stick to phantom power? If not, which mic or mics do you recommend? Feel free to recommend other XLR/phantom powered mics if you think my pick is a turkey.
Comments
Have the Apogee 96K and it works very well for both bellowing (my specialty) and podcast work also. Plenty sufficient and eminently portable.
You'll get better results if you stick to a (good) large diaphragm condenser mic that uses phantom power. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
That said, that doesn't mean you cannot get decent results with any of Apogee's digital mics, be it the 96K MiC or ONE's interal mic.
Oh, and if you're mainly into hip-hop, a Shure SM-58 (yes, a dynamic mic) probably will be the best choice: just hold it in your hand, as opposed to using a mic stand, and rap and swing like a MC doing the real thing live.
All the best!
Lol!
P.S.: > @dokwok2 said:
It's a turkey. Go for the CAD Audio M179!!
If you already have a Focusrite interface you might as well get an XLR condenser mic. You can easily make the setup portable by using a USB battery - that's what I do with mine. There's a how-to guide with pictures on the Auria forum, I'll post a link to it shortly.
As for the AT2035 I own one and it's good for the price. I would say it has a fairly neutral character which is great for recording acoustic guitar. For vocals I use an Oktava MK 319 because it has a warmer sound, so it really depends what kind of microphone you want, if you want a warmer sounding mic then @theconnactic's suggestion of an M179 would probably be a good choice, for a brighter/cleaner/more neutral sound the At2035.
Thanks, all who have responded so far. This is extremely helpful.
I've used all of the mics mentioned so far and I suspect you'd get good results from all of them for vocals. You'll figure out how to EQ each model to work best with your voice.
That said, it's absolutely true that different condensers can best match to your voice characteristics and/or the vibe you want to capture. If you give us more details about your voice and music, we may be able to give recommendations.
I get the two birds with one stone idea with mic'ing an amp, but I am not a fan of a condenser in front of an amp. You may get different results. After 30+ years of tinkering with tube amps and mics, I have happily concluded that the modelers are so good now that the perceived benefits of live mic'ing an amp in a home studio are psychosomatic. Still, just for pure enjoyment, nothing beats playing through a good tube amp--it is as God intended.
That's good to hear. In addition to our iPad modelers, I have a Fender Mustang amp, and I've been having a lot of fun with its Champ sim. I can't believe how quickly it breaks up without a pedal in front of it. Of course, my next thought is: if this is the sim, what must the real thing be like? So I've been looking at this Champ-style amp from Monoprice, which is really a rebranded Laney Cub 8: http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=611705. My reservations are: (1) will it be any fun to play except on high volume (my ears are still pretty decent and I'd like to keep them that way); (2) I won't have a ready way to record with it. But maybe, for this price, (2) is not important.