Mic setup

Hey everyone,

After some research I am still a bit confused about microphone setup. I want to get a mic, stand, and amp for practice. I have read that sm58s are decent mics, but I can't find any info on an amp for the mic. I read some people use bass or guitar amps, and others use monitors (which I am not entirely sure of its definition) So what are my options? Also would I need a preamp at all? And why do I only find boom mic stands and not the straight ones with the swivel on the top, are they outdated now?

Thanks for the help.

Hi Mongoose. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to record yourself playing? Do you want this setup for live performances? Are we talking about an acoustic guitar? Electric? Do you want to run the microphone and guitar out of the same amp? A little more info and we can help.

Dan

+1 with dex ... give us a frame of reference. sounds like you're making things more complicated than they really are.

Hey,

I am setting it up for practicing/jamming. I will be using it while playing my electric guitar. Depending on how portable it is I will be using it where there will be another electric, a bass, and a drum kit. I would like to run it out of my guitar amp (randall 50watt solid state) but I seem to read a lot of articles stating that its a bad idea (poor sound quality).

Whenever I search for information about mics and amps I just get pages on micing a guitar amp or a drum kit.

So I guess the short of it is I am looking for a seperate amp, but am unsure what features/watts I am looking for.

Also are mic amps more expensive than guitar amps on average? I mean when I look at acoustic amps they are always more costly than just electric guitar amps.

Thanks

So I guess the short of it is I am looking for a seperate amp, but am unsure what features/watts I am looking for.

Also are mic amps more expensive than guitar amps on average? I mean when I look at acoustic amps they are always more costly than just electric guitar amps.

OK, the "official, proper, correct" way to do things is to amplify your guitar with a guitar amp, and amplify your voice with a P.A. (public address) SYSTEM.

Unofficially, many things will get you by. Depending how loud you need to be.

You can get cheap, tiny P.A. systems at the music store. You will probably get an amplifier with 4 inputs (good for up to 4 microphones), and 2 speakers. The newer ones work surprisingly well. They're just not very loud -- a typical rock band with a typical rock drummer would probably have trouble hearing the vocals, especially in anything bigger than a garage or living room.

The SM58 is a wonderful mic, and everyone should have one. If you try to plug it into a guitar or bass amp, however, you would want an impedance-matching transformer. Your guitar is high-impedance; the mic isn't. Don't panic; the transformer is cheap.

I've run mics into guitar and bass amps, and it usually doesn't sound all that great. Especially if you're trying to play an instrument through the same amp. HOWEVER, I did an outdoor gig once -- solo voice and acoustic guitar -- and we ran the vocal and the acoustic guitar pickup through a Fender tube guitar amp, with one 12" speaker. To my amazement, it sounded JUST FINE.

P.S. You can find the type of mic stand you're after; you just might have to shop a little.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/AudioChoice-by-SoundTech-C100A-Portable-PA-System?sku=630260

would this be considered a small, cheap pa system or can I find a better price/quality if I hunt around? If I can find used equipment I'm happy.

yeah, that one will get you through ... if they have pawn shops where you live, look there first.

What's your budget? How many mics do you want to run?

MF has a little Squier PA in the same size for a little more that's probably a better bet...

Cheers, Tim

http://www.bigdmc.com/MS-25.html

http://www.the-greatest-mic-stand-in-the-world.com/home.html

Unless your rehearsal space seats about 5000 you don't need to mic your 50 watt amp. Rehearsal should be just that. Don't try to blow everyones head off. Are you just wanting to be louder than the other guitar player? That's so rare I probably shouldn't mention it, right guys?:cool:

Get a small PA and a 58 (or better yet, a 57) and SING through the PA. Once you mic your amp, the other guy will, then the drummer.....the bass player sure won't want to be left out. Then you have a very loud band running trhoug what will probably be a very small PA. Been there, wasn't happy. :confused:

Unless your rehearsal space seats about 5000 you don't need to mic your 50 watt amp. Rehearsal should be just that. Don't try to blow everyones head off. Are you just wanting to be louder than the other guitar player? That's so rare I probably shouldn't mention it, right guys?:cool:

Get a small PA and a 58 (or better yet, a 57) and SING through the PA. Once you mic your amp, the other guy will, then the drummer.....the bass player sure won't want to be left out. Then you have a very loud band running trhoug what will probably be a very small PA. Been there, wasn't happy. :confused:

Great advice. A 50 watt amp is plenty loud for a small/med crowd. The only reason to mic would be if you were using 5 watt guitar amps and kept the stage volume at a whisper, controlling the out front balance through a robust and high quality PA. Even then, you have to run guitars back through the monitors so you can hear them. To take advantage, you'd need a sound guy out front. You can't really do that from the stage and be effective.

Don't mic anything but vocals, and maybe kick for some punch. Let air be your mixer