List of upto £150 mics for the mic cupboard : some choices from SoS.

[tea for two]

Ah! Up to £150...

As you were...

For charity store thrift store shoppers as myself.
Although I dare say could pick up a bunch of yummy mics from this SoS forum recommended mics list.

[djangodeadman]

When you find an SM7B (that doesn’t come from China) for under £150, please let me know.

[tea for two]

Aaaah There's fakes of Neumann mics fakes of Shure mics.
I'd say avoid £150 Shure SM7B being sold as new.
I've seen couple used genuine SM7B sold around £170.

[djangodeadman]

I've seen couple used genuine SM7B sold around £170.

I’ll keep my eyes peeled, in that case.

[tea for two]

I should been clearer.
New and Used upto £150.
Although a few on the list are upto £200 used.

SoS : forumees, mods, staffs mic recommendations upto £200. Several of these mic recommendations can be had new under £100 and around £100-£150 used.

[Sam Inglis]

I haven't used most of the new mics on your list, but if you're patient, you can often pick up some good deals on older mics on eBay and the like, as long as you don't mind the inevitable element of risk.

AKG C451 / CK1 combos do sell for around £150 or less sometimes. There's a lot of them about! The AKG D202 and 222 are very nice dynamic mics that should be affordable within this range too.

Some of the classic Beyer models also tend to be good value. You'll be lucky to find an M88 or M160 for £150, but you might well pick up an M67, M69 or M201. Those are all good mics. I love the Opus 65 kick drum mic too.

Calrec capacitor mics are worth a look and can be good value. Avoid the 600-series models that need a dedicated PSU, though, and be aware that some of them are 'speech cardioids' with inbuilt low cut on the capsule.

There are various Sennheiser and Grundig mics that are supposed to have the same capsule as the classic MD409. It's a bit of a minefield but you might get lucky.

Also don't ignore the humble Shure Beta 57...

[tea for two]

For recording nature sounds on my last week acquired Fostex fr2le
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/fostex-fr2le
I was briefly searching for low cost omnis.
I stumbled upon this article. Has photographs.
https://mindful-audio.com/blog/best-mic ... ife-sounds

The author utilises Sound Devices MixPre in :
Amazon Rainforest, Namib desert to record sand dunes with Senny MKH8020, MKH8040;
Borneo Rainforest with DPA 6060;
active Volcano, Borneo Rainforest, rain drops on leaves with Lavalier omni mics Lom mikroUsi,
Clippy Em272 lav for other nature recordings.
Author summarises pros cons for these different mics at end of article.

Author's conclusion.
"What’s the answer though?!
My answer is most of the time Lom mikroUsi (if you can get them) or Clippy EM272. Once you’ve outgrown these and can afford to upgrade, it’s worth looking at MKH8020s, MKH8040s, an 8060, a Telinga parabolic maybe."

::

I couldn't find for sale the authors recommended omni lav Lom mikroUsi €90, looking up its specs I found omni lav Movo Lv-xlr1 has stated better specs for SNR 80dB as well as sensitivity -24dB, than Lom mikroUsi.
From Movo Lvm-xlr1 I'm not expecting the earth, reading their stated specs with a pinch of salt.
So yesturday I purchased online for £10 each brand new a pair of Movo Lvm-xlr1 omni xlr lavs.
https://www.movophoto.com/products/lvm- ... al-lav-mic
They have generous 9ft cable, their own LR44 battery an attraction even though they'd consume lesser power.
Movo have other xlr omni lav Lv-6O, Lv-8D, Lv-11C, Lv-110D, however I wanted to gingerly tread without going overboard.
Movo have various mics including multipattern Vsm-7, wireless, usb, smartphone mics; handy accessories.

[Arpangel]

SM57, find myself grabbing that for lots of things lately, and not even noticing after I've recorded stuff.

[tea for two]

Lavalier :

Dpa 6061 Core omni lav £449 each.
https://www.pinknoise-systems.co.uk/dpa ... l-ta5.html
Stated specs : Self Noise 26dBA, SNR 68dB, Sensitivity -44dB, Dynamic Range 102dB, SPL 144dB, 20Hz-20kHz.

Movo Lv-xlr1 omni xlr lav £32 each (I paid £10 each brand new in box).
https://www.movophoto.com/products/lvm- ... al-lav-mic
Stated specs : Self Noise 14dBA, SNR 80dB, Sensitivity -24dB, stated specs better than DPA6061 although I'm taking Movo specs with a pinch of salt.
Movo Dynamic Range 105dB & SPL 119dB I'm guessing these two, 35Hz-20kHz.
Movo arrived chuffed it on Fostex Fr2le.

Clippy Em272 omni xlr lav stereo matched pair £137.
https://micbooster.com/clippy-and-plugg ... phone.html
Stated Specs : Self Noise 14dBA, SNR 80dB, Sensitivity -28dB, Dynamic range 105dB, SPL 119dB, 20Hz-20kHz.
These Clippy Em272 better stated specs than Dpa6061, apart from SPL better on Dpa6061 and bandwidth being same.

Compared to Line Audio Omni1 £135 each.
https://www.pinknoise-systems.co.uk/lin ... omni1.html
Stated specs : Self Noise 18dBA, SNR 76dB, Sensitivity -42dB, Dynamic rage 115dB, SPL 133dB, 20Hz-20kHz.

Numbers aren't everything. Dpa6061 probably has a smoother richer sound tone. Still ....

[ajay_m]

I recall years ago a live Sound on Sound session at one of the music shows where they recorded a female vocalist with a few mics ranging widely in price. The AT2020 which, as the presenter said "costs less than the VAT on some of the other mics here" produced a lovely airy recording which was widely preferred by the audience.
I still have mine and it's a great mic that also doesn't look cheap.