How to choose a mic?

[david0001]

I've been mainly recording direct, but bought a Beyerdynamic M201TG a few years ago. I have a DAV BG-1 preamp. I've recently gotten into the singer/songwriting thing, and have tried recording myself singing and playing acoustic guitar at the same time with the M201TG.

I know there's umpteen different ways to record the singer\songwriter, including with multiple mics for low spill and\or stereo, or multi-tracking. However, for now I'm really only wanting to use a single mic for a mono one-take recording.

I suppose the sensible mic choice is a multi-pattern LDC, but having read and listened to a few mic reviews I'm drawn to a wide variety of different mics!

Budget comes into it - I'd prefer something around £1,000 or less, but would consider something around £2,000.

I suppose the room is a major factor. I don't have any treatment where I've been recording, but there's enough junk around me that it doesn't seem too lively. However, I'd like to experiment by recording in different spaces, most of which will be larger, and which could have more 'natural' reverb.

Using a single mic I'd need the mic to be at a greater distance than if I were using close mics.

Obviously there's polar patterns to think about, along with the type of mic (dynamic, ribbon, condenser).

This is where I'm stuck - there are so many options, and I don't know where to go. Presumably it's not that easy to get mics on demo. I thought about renting some studio time, but I've been waiting for a year to get into a particular studio within traveling distance of me and which has a large selection of mics. However, the studio has now closed for the foreseeable future.

I'll mention some mics which have crossed my radar:-

Audio Technica 5045
Extinct Audio BoRbon
AEA KU5A
Roswell K87
Schoeps (SDC but also the V4 if I decided it was worth splurging for)
Sennheiser MD441U
Electro Voice RE20
Electro Voice 635a

As you'll see, that's quite selection, and doesn't include some of the usual suspects!

I'm just wondering about how I should pick one. I'm also wondering if it's worth just sticking with my M201TG.

[James Perrett]

You are right when you say that the room is one of the most important factors - particularly as you will be recording vocals from a distance if you want to only use a single mic. Our ears are very sensitive to room ambience on voice and it is difficult to remove it once it is part of a recording.

I would also ask what do you feel is lacking with your current recordings? The M201 is a decent mic and should be capable of reasonably good results if the room and performer are up to it.

[Aled Hughes]

As James suggests, the M201 is a very good microphone. You're not guaranteed better results by spending more on something different - at the very least I'd really try and hire/demo a few mics before spending, as you may find the 201 to be their equal in your situation.

[Sam Spoons]

Coming from the live sound side of the business my recording experience is mostly of live performance recordings. However I have used single and stereo pairs of mics for recording acoustic performance and I (not unexpectedly) agree with JP, the room will have a much greater impact on the recording than the mic. I'd stick with your M201 and both experiment with different spaces and try some improvised acoustic treatment in the form of a couple of duvets hung over mic stands or cloths driers in you usual room. Spending £2k on a new mic is unlikely to bring the improvement you seek.

[ajay_m]

You may want to risk the risible sum of less than £100 on the AT2020 condenser mic and just try that first too, as, while obviously a high-end microphone might be a little better, you would be amazed just how good this mic is, which is probably why Audio-Technica have been making them for so many years. It's a bit like wine. £5 will buy you something that hopefully won't poison you. £10 will give you something with probably a bit more fruit and flavour. £20 and you're looking at a fairly classy bottle. After that you rapidly get into diminishing returns. I have tasted wine at £500 a bottle and yes - if you're a wine connoisseur, you can taste some of the nuances that aren't there in a cheaper wine - but if you aren't a Master of Wine or have many years tasting experience, you're likely to think 'Is that it?'.
Same with high-end gear. Yes - it's better. Is it stunningly better?. I don't believe so, and sometimes its better to buy more modest kit and see how it suits you - if you find a condenser mic suits your style, then having purchased a cost-effective mic, you can buy something a bit more expensive and now you have a mic for your voice and one for your guitar.

[david0001]

Thanks, everyone.

I'm quite happy with the M201TG. From what I've recorded so far it seems quite natural, and it's made me realise the main priority is to perfect the performance!

I placed the mic at around ear level and pointed it down so that it's maybe aimed somewhere around my chin. The blend between voice and guitar seemed okay, and plosives and sibilance didn't jump out at me. I have the Oktava shock mount and pop filter for the mic, but it disintegrated. I've bought new O-rings for the suspension, but the pop filter needs to be re-attached somehow. I may end up buying a Rycote.

I suppose I'm just thinking that another mic might be better! Also, the M201TG seems to be used on snare drums rather than what I'm using it for. However, without some experience trying different mics I have no idea what they would do for me.

I suppose the other thing with the M201TG is that it has a hypercardioid polar pattern which could be helping me. Going for something more open (or a figure-8 ribbon mic) might introduce more problems rather than giving me a 'better' sound.

I was thinking a ribbon might give me a pleasing sound, but then I've read that tracks recorded with ribbons can often need quite a bit of EQ'ing, which I might struggle to do.

The AT 5045 is said to be good on acoustics instruments ('as though you're in the room') so I was thinking that perhaps that might be a sensible choice. Again, it would need me to be on top of my game, but then perhaps it wouldn't sound too different from what I have.

[Drew Stephenson]

Also, the M201TG seems to be used on snare drums rather than what I'm using it for.

I think you can point an M201 at pretty much anything and get a good result from it.

[Tim Gillett]

Actually these days we're spoiled for good mics. Various mics can be used on just about any source with good results. I agree that the performance the mic hears is all important. A good mic will capture a good performance but will not fix a bad one.

[Arpangel]

As James suggests, the M201 is a very good microphone. You're not guaranteed better results by spending more on something different - at the very least I'd really try and hire/demo a few mics before spending, as you may find the 201 to be their equal in your situation.

201 used all the time here, great versatile mic, I'll be using it on vocals today.

[david0001]

Thanks! It's reassuring to know the M201TG isn't a bad choice of mic. In fact, it may even be helping in my particular recording space...

[Sam Inglis]

I applaud you for exploring what can be done with one mic before jumping in and trying to combine different mics! It's one of those cases where the cure can be worse than the disease.

Having said that, if you want the best of both worlds, a single-point stereo mic can be a good option for recording voice and guitar at once. Because the two capsules are coincident you don't tend to get nasty phase stuff when you combine them, but you do get some control over the relative levels of the two sources, and you can keep them each on-axis to one of the capsules.

There are a few good stereo ribbon mics around at the moment but not many capacitor mics that I know of, which is a shame. The only one that has crossed my path recently is the Vanguard V44S which I liked a lot.

[Hugh Robjohns]

There are a few good stereo ribbon mics around at the moment but not many capacitor mics that I know of, which is a shame. The only one that has crossed my path recently is the Vanguard V44S which I liked a lot.

There's also the Avantone CK40, which has multipattern capsules, one rotatable against the other — like the classic Neumann's SM2/SM69/SM69fet/USM69i and AKG's C24/C422/C426 variants.

And the B9audio CSM88 which is a single bodied mic with two fig-8 capacitor capsules fixed at a 90 degree mutual angle for Blumlein or MS stereo.

And there are many three-capsule MS-format end-fire mics with stereo outputs (some with adjustable image width) mostly intended for video production applications.

[david0001]

Thanks for the additional information, Sam and Hugh. I'll have a look at the stereo mics.

I'm still going to carry on and experiment with my single mic for now...

I saw someone mention that a particular Shure foam windshield works well to stop plosives on the M201, so I've just ordered one of those. I noticed that plosives aren't too bad because I have the mic at a fair distance, and not aimed directly at my mouth. However, one song I attempted to sing contained the words, "..The Prettiest Place on earth..." which came out with slightly more force than desired!

I may also buy a compatible Rycote shockmount to replace the Oktava one which seems a bit unreliable.

I also have my eye on a decent microphone stand which will make it easier to dial-in the mic position. After that, I'll probably make or buy some sort of portable isolation panels\booth, and then by then, with a bit of experience under my belt, I might be ready to try a different mic and/or a two or three mic configuration...