Good all Around Mic

[charlie cash]

I know the "What's the best mic" question gets beaten to death, but some guidance would be appreciated. I'm looking for something for newbie recording. One mic that can be used to record guitar and bass amps, acoustic guitars, and vocals. (Each seperately). Guitar amp is a Vibro Champ, so that will give you some indication of the volume. I sing softly (and badly) which may be a factor. A plus if it could also be used for live vocals also if recording improves my confidence in singing. I know that different mic would be better suited to each task, but I'd like to start with one that will work pretty well and maybe augment it with other mics down the line.
From what I've read, the SM 57 or Beta 57 may be the best choice and it is in the right price range. Would you recommend anything different? An inexpensive condenser mic? Also, what would you recommend as the next mic down the road and why? Thank for your help!

[Tim Armstrong]

The SM 57 is widely considered the most versatile mic, one if you could only own one, is the one to own.

I recently bought a Sennheiser e609 to use with my Princeton Reverb, and like it a lot. It'd probably work well for vocals, too

Condensers are pretty cool, but the truth of the matter is that cheap condensers often don't sound particularly great, AND most condensers are also VERY sensitive, you'll record your voice, your guitar, the folks in the next room, a dog barking down the street, and airplanes flying overhead. Really! It's happened to me!!!!

Tim

[Martin R]

Shure SM 57 now.

For later, SM 58's are the standard "live" vocal mic. They record well, too. We use an SM 58 and a Beta 58 for vocals. The Beta is better.

You can get some okay condensers for around $300 if you want to spend that much. You'll be getting plenty of suggestions.

Martin
E. Christina Herr & Wild Frontier

[telideli]

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...one?sku=271131

Been using this as my 'all-around' mic for 9 years in my modest 4-track home studio. Does the job well.

More reviews....
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r...AKG/C1000/10/1

[Old Cane]

Yeah, what everybody said. SM57. No cheap condensers. The one in the link above is a nice mic and as cheap as you'd want to go. The only other cheap one I'd recommend (well, ok, SM81 but that's a small D) is the MXL ME tube mic. It's a good one for $300. The next set of good ones is up aorund $1000. Sure, there are some in between those but a 57, well, if the government wants to mandate stuff they should pass a bill that says everyone has to get at least one. Ought to be a law.

[Hiker]

Is the Shure SM57 usually sold without an on/off switch, and if it's an option, is it better?

[Tele295]

57. Very forgiving for small guitar amps and wispy vocals.

[woodman]

if you want to spend a little more for a more detailed sound and more flexibility, i've found the Shure SM&B to be better than most condenser mikes at the same price point.

[Geoff738]

Originally Posted by woodman

if you want to spend a little more for a more detailed sound and more flexibility, i've found the Shure SM&B to be better than most condenser mikes at the same price point.

The SM7 that Woodman recommends is a great mic.

I find the smooth top end especially pleasing. (Wait, this ain't a wine review, is it?)

Used in pro studios all the time on vocals and guitars. Works fine on bass amps (it's also used on things with a lot of low end like floor toms in real studios). As for Acoustic guitar? Probably will be a it dark - more Simon and Garfunkle than modern country. I'm guessing.

A Sennheiser 421 is in the same general price range and used on the same kinds of sources. Sounds a bit different than the SM7.

But, I'd still probably say go for a 57 as your first mic. Even if you go on to build a pro studio and own a kajilion mics, you'll still find uses for the 57.

One other thing - you said you sing softly. The first generation of SM7 mics were fairly low output. On quiet sources you therefore have to crank the gain, introducing more noise etc. I believe the SM7B (the current model) are improved in that respect. Just something to be aware of.

Cheers,
Geoff

[charlie cash]

Thank you for all the helpful responses. Something like a SM57 sounds like the way to go. I have a couple of follow up questions.
What is the difference between a 57 and a beta 57 (other than $30)? Is it a better version?

Tim and anyone else with exprience with both the SM 57 and the Sennheiser e609; If you could ony have one of those 2 mics, which would you rather have? Are they so close tthat it really doesn't matter?

[Old Cane]

Well, the law says you have to have at least one sm57. So, just go from there whether it's 12 sm57s or a mix of 57s and other mics.

[mudbean]

Originally Posted by Hiker

Is the Shure SM57 usually sold without an on/off switch, and if it's an option, is it better?

A regular SM57 does not have the switch. I would avoid it, only because it's another mechanical component that can fail (which will happen at the most inopportune moment).

mud

[woodman]

Originally Posted by woodman

SM&B

yikes! thanx to Geoff for interpreting my grievous typo, which i didn't even catch til today. i did indeed mean to say SM7B ... sorry for the flub!

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by Martin R

Shure SM 57 now.

For later, SM 58's are the standard "live" vocal mic. They record well, too. We use an SM 58 and a Beta 58 for vocals. The Beta is better.

You can get some okay condensers for around $300 if you want to spend that much. You'll be getting plenty of suggestions.

Martin
E. Christina Herr & Wild Frontier

There is virtually no difference between a 57 and an 58 in terms of electronics.

I'd go for an Audio Technica 2020 (or a 4040 if you can afford it).
Then get something like a Sennheiser E906. For guitars.

[charlie cash]

Octatonic,
Would you recommend the AT 2020 and the Senheiser insted of the 57? If I were only to get one mic, which would you go with?

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by charlie cash

Thank you for all the helpful responses. Something like a SM57 sounds like the way to go. I have a couple of follow up questions.
What is the difference between a 57 and a beta 57 (other than $30)? Is it a better version?

Tim and anyone else with exprience with both the SM 57 and the Sennheiser e609; If you could ony have one of those 2 mics, which would you rather have? Are they so close tthat it really doesn't matter?

The beta mics use a neodymium element. I haven't used them, but we have a buncha AKG D9000 mics that we use live that are supposed to be very similar. They're a little crisper than the SM57 and SM58 mics we've used.

I like the Sennheiser just fine, but if I could only own one mic, it'd probably be an SM57, not because it's GREAT for any particular purpose, but because it's GOOD for SO MANY purposes!

Tim

[66d35]

Whatever you do - do not buy one on Ebay. It is stuffed full of (very realistic looking) outright Chinese fakes. 58's, 57's, Betas, etc. I would ONLY buy one from a genuine, pro audio store and full Shure dealership. You will pay more - but at least you will get a real one. Here's an article I wrote up on this a year or two back:

http://www.bluegrasswales.org/FakeMicrophonesOnEbay.htm

There are a lot of Sennheiser fakes too on Ebay.

Andy

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by charlie cash

Octatonic,
Would you recommend the AT 2020 and the Senheiser insted of the 57? If I were only to get one mic, which would you go with?

I think most people here know me well enough to know I would never have just one mic. :-)

The AT2020 is a very useful mic- I would definitely choose a condenser over a dynamic if I just had one choice.
A 57 is small change really- you can pick them up used for $30 or so if you are patient. Everyone should have a 57 and a 58 but they are not my favourite mic by any stretch of the imagination.
I have the same amount of love for 57/58's as I have for stationary.
Meh... they are here, I have 2-3 of each, I use them when needed but let's not get over excited about how useful they are.

Steve Albini has something wonderful to say about them on his Electric Audio website that I absolutely agree with:

"Piece of **** dynamic mic some people are inexplicably crazy about, so we bought one. Sounds equivalently good on everything from snare drum to electric guitar. Unfortunately, not a very high standard of "Good." If you need to record something and there's no microphone available, this will do, I guess."

Taken from http://www.electrical.com/class.php?page=microphones

This sums up my attitude to them pretty much.
That website is a very good.
Use it :-)

Given the parameters of the question then yes an AT2020 is streets ahead of a 57 in terms of detail and usefulness.
I would caution you to be aware of the limitations of a condenser- they have no proximity effect, like a dynamic does, so isolating signals is difficult.
Dynamics are great because you can close mic and reduce spill.
There are different situations where each are necessary- this is why 'one mic' is impossible.
I'd venture that you need 1/2 a dozen to do anything remotely considered professional work- even a good demo is made more difficult with a single mic.

Another mic worthy of consideration is the Josephson C42.
They are around $450 but seriously guys they are one of the most detailed, crisp sounding SDC's going. Great as a stereo pair on overheads.

http://www.mercenary.com/josephsonc42.html

57/58's are so popular mainly because they are essentially disposable.
Designed for the rigours of touring more than anything else.
They don't sound particularly good but people keep buying them- mainly because they are disposable and can be easily replaced and also because people buy what they see used.
That said- I wish I had a penny for every 57/58 that was sold.

All imho of course.

[Old Cane]

"but I'd like to start with one that will work pretty well and maybe augment it with other mics down the line. From what I've read, the SM 57 or Beta 57 may be the best choice and it is in the right price range."

Reread this and then tell him to get a bunch of mics. It looks like the price range is $100 right now. Wanna change your comments any? The question wasn't about having only one mic in this lifetime. It's about having a $100 mic today.

[Telesavalis]

You can get by with a 57....but if you can bump up the change a bit look at an SM7
or a Sennheiser 421. (best all around mic in my studio) They're pretty inexpensive on the used market...check Ebay.

[Mr. Esquire]

Originally Posted by charlie cash

Tim and anyone else with exprience with both the SM 57 and the Sennheiser e609; If you could ony have one of those 2 mics, which would you rather have? Are they so close that it really doesn't matter?

I owned both a year ago. I kept the SM57 and I sold the e609 Silver on eBay. The SM57 has a real classic sound for electric guitar cabs because it has been used for that purpose for so long (20+ years). It has a lot of midrange though -- perhaps too much. I have to reduce 2K about 2 or 3 db when I record my Esquire with the SM57. Still, it's a fairly smooth mic.

The e609 Silver has a much more aggressive sound. Not classic sounding at all, IMO. The midrange is quite scooped and the treble is more forward and harsh than the SM57, IME.

If you need one mic for both vocals and electric guitar, the SM58 is a decent choice. When you unscrew the ball end/pop filter from the SM58 it sounds more like an SM57. I've gotten really decent results using this technique with the SM58 on guitar cabs.

Having said all that, I cannot recommend an inexpensive dynamic mic with an acoustic guitar. The AT2020 has been talked about quite a bit in this thread and I own one of those, too. It's a great mic for the money. It shines on vocals. And I Bet it would be pretty good on acoustic guitars. It's not as smooth as the now discontinued AT3035 I also own -- but that's to be expected. The AT2020 is made in China, while the AT3035 was Japanese made.

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by Mr. Esquire

The e609 Silver has a much more aggressive sound. Not classic sounding at all, IMO. The midrange is quite scooped and the treble is more forward and harsh than the SM57, IME.

Try the e906.
It has a switchable presence filter that gives you vintage, neutral and modern tonalities.

My absolute fave from Sennheiser is the original MD409 but they are difficult to get a hold of.

[pjam]

I'll add a vote for a condenser.

I've got a SM 57 but I do like my Se2200 A, check the reviews you'll see what I mean.
I use mine mainly for vocals.

Like Charlie Cash up there I too have a Vibro Champ XD, I've been using the line out to record, I am missing a trick here?

I don't want to wreck this interesting thread, give me a reply and we'll get back to it!

[charlie cash]

Pjam,
I have an old vibro champ, not the XD so I don't have a line out. I would be placing the mic in front of the speaker.

There is alot of useful info in the responses. Thank you very much. I'm still in the undecided stage. Acoustic guitar is the biggest gray area for me right now. I've got a small bodied guitar that has a really nice high end sparkle for fingerstyle. I would like to capture the clarity without it sounding brittle. I also have a dreadnought that has pretty powerful bass that I don't want to sound too woofy, and a resonator guitar that I am gussing presents its own difficulties.
Would the SM7B be better much better for the diversity of sources, or will it be a little more specialized than the 57 ie much better for some, much worse than others? Also, will it be less forgiving of the room and extraneous noise, like the condenser mics? Thanks again.

[Tim Armstrong]

Might be time to consider buying more than one mic. A good vocal/amp mic (and a good dynamic mic will be cheaper than the equivalently good condenser), and perhaps a condenser of some kind for the acoustic guitar.

An inexpensive small diaphragm condenser mic that I get GREAT results for acoustic guitar (and mandolin and as drum overheads) is the MXL603s.

Tim

[wetland10]

In my experience, I think an SM57 is the right choice for a first mic. You can record most, if not all, instruments with that. I don't particularly care for it for recording vocals though. A dynamic mic on a vocal recording doesn't really do it for me.

I've had nice success though with the MXL 990, which is a cheap condensor mic. If I didn't tell you it was cheap, you wouldn't know. It records nicely for vocals and acoustic guitars. I run it through a Behringer tube preamp and the results have been outstanding.

Wayne

[charlie cash]

Thnank you all again for the help. I've given much consideration to all the responses and thought you may like to know the result of your advice. I'm going to get a 57 and use that for a while to get the feel of things because it is versitile and forgiving that will be good for learning about mic placement and recording technique. I considered getting a second mic, but I think I should get some experience with one first. I figure getting two mics will add more variables too soon, and this way I will have a better idea of what to look for to supplement the 57.

One other question. I have read some good things about the Audix i5, which is an instrument similar to the 57. Made in USA, similar to a 57 but maybe a bit warmer with better bass response. Does anyone here have experience with it and would you recommend it over the 57? Or is it better to stick with the "standard" as a starting point?

[slowpinky]

Just read this thread - I have several mikes including a 57. To be honest i never use it - the only dynamic mike I use in the studio these days is an M88 - If you want a cheap condenser I'd recommend one of the Studio Project mikes. I havent been let down at all by any of mine - I think the B1 cost me just under 200 AUD new- but im sure its probably half that in the US in US bucks, and I use it for guitar, snare,vocal and trumpet and its crisper, warmer and more even, particularly in the mids, than my 57.

Many of the sound guys I have worked with in the last year or so seem to be using i5's for general purpose where previously 57's were used - and the unanimous verdict is positive for the i5 - Its hard for me to comment as my own personal amp mike is a sennheiser 609e when Im gigging or an m88 at home.

[slowpinky]

Originally Posted by wetland10

In my experience, I think an SM57 is the right choice for a first mic. You can record most, if not all, instruments with that. I don't particularly care for it for recording vocals though. A dynamic mic on a vocal recording doesn't really do it for me.

I've had nice success though with the MXL 990, which is a cheap condensor mic. If I didn't tell you it was cheap, you wouldn't know. It records nicely for vocals and acoustic guitars. I run it through a Behringer tube preamp and the results have been outstanding.

Wayne

x10!

Ive just borrowed a pair of these and used them for overheads in a trio recording recently - fantastic result IMHO - they come with a great shockmount and a hard carry case too. Im curious as to how their stereo condensers are - does anyone have one?

[flipside]

Originally Posted by slowpinky

Just read this thread - I have several mikes including a 57. To be honest i never use it - the only dynamic mike I use in the studio these days is an M88 - If you want a cheap condenser I'd recommend one of the Studio Project mikes. I havent been let down at all by any of mine - I think the B1 cost me just under 200 AUD new- but im sure its probably half that in the US in US bucks, and I use it for guitar, snare,vocal and trumpet and its crisper, warmer and more even, particularly in the mids, than my 57.

I agree with all of this. Anyone that thinks you can't get a top-notch mic for under $300 isn't looking very hard. That B1 is fantastic. Another great mic that used to run around a hundred bucks was the Oktava MK012. They're almost exactly the same in sound as a Neumann KM84 at a fraction of the cost even though they've gone up in price quite a bit now to around $250. The MXL V63M was another very inexpensive mic that was heaven on male vox.

There's a great mic blindfold shootout that Transom did a couple of years ago here:

Mic Shootout

You'll find the key to the shootout telling you which mic is which at the bottom of the page. I'll give you a hint though. The very first mic is a B1, and for my money it's the 2nd best sounding vox mic in the bunch, and this is against mics costing well over $2000.

[wcap]

I have virtually no experience with recording yet, but a condensor mic that has been recommended to me by a number of different people on a different home recording forum is the Rode NT1-A. It is supposed to be a very high quality mic with just about the lowest background noise of any microphone. B&H Photo in NYC is selling it for just under $200, and Rode has a rebate deal going till the end of the month to get a second mic (not a second NT1-A though) for one Australian dollar.

[Ben Harmless]

+1 on the '57.

If I could only have one mic, it would be a dynamic. In my experience, a quality dynamic mic can work all right on anything, while a condenser will work great on some things, and horribly on others. At work, I sometimes record bands when the normal guy is out (I usually mix the house) and he'll spec AT4033s on the guitar amps. About half the time I'll pull 'em and substitute a '57 or a Sennheiser, and they work better.

My very favorite dynamics are a little more expensive - the SM7b is one, the EV RE20 is another. Both are fantastic.

I have a Beta 57a that I've used to get some pretty darn good acoustic guitar sounds. It isn't as flattering on my vocals given the same settings as a regular '57 though.

I've got a Sennheiser 906e, and I'd choose it up close on guitar amps over any condenser most of the time. IMHO, the sensitivity of the average condenser doesn't do any favors in a close-micing situation. I tried it on vocals once, but only for a second, and only for kicks. It didn't immediately sound good on my voice, so I moved on - but I don't like my voice, so that means very little. I know Pink Floyd used to use its predecessor, the 409, on their vocals quite a lot.

In terms of condensers, I'll also +1 the Studio Projects B1. I don't own one, but a buddy uses it in his studio over several more expensive condensers, and it works wonderfully. Vocals and instruments. I also like my pair of MXL 603s on acoustic guitar, but they're not what I'd call great "all-arounders."

[Old Cane]

I'm with you, Ben. I use condensers on guitar amps but from about 6' away and not ever live. The SM7, RE20, 421 and I'm really liking the Heil PR series, all great choices. The Cascade ribbons are great for the money. And how can you not love a 4033?

One thing a lot of guys aren't taking to consideration on the condenser thing. If you start with a $100 condenser and go to a $300 condenser you will just be amazed. So they are better. But some of you forget a lot of us have been using mics that today would sell for $5-15,000 and been doing it for years. So that $300 mic just ain't that great when you comapre going that direction in price. To put it another way, when I lived in the woods and had no other women around I thought my wife was just perfect. Now I have cable and know better.

It's all about perspective. If you have $300 you can do ok. If you have $3000, sorry, but the $300 one won't get used much (in a one mic or the other situation). Maybe 10 of the $300 mics would be better for some folks.

[flipside]

Originally Posted by Old Cane

One thing a lot of guys aren't taking to consideration on the condenser thing. If you start with a $100 condenser and go to a $300 condenser you will just be amazed.

I disagree. MXL and Oktava in particular make EXACT knockoffs of mics in the $1500 - 2500 price range and sell them for under $300--sometimes under $150 depending on the distributor. Now if you're talking about the list price, then I would agree with you. An Oktava MK012 for instance lists for $325, but you can certainly get them much cheaper. The absolute best cabinet mic I have ever come across in my 50 years is the inexpensive Cascade Fat Head Ribbon mic. I'm not generally a big fan of ribbons because of their fragility, but this mic can be had for around $160 street and will outperform Royer, Beyer, vintage RCA mics or any other ribbon mic I've ever heard on a guitar cab. Yet it's so inexpensive you don't have to worry too much if you drop and break it.

And the only thing I've been amazed at in going from a B1 to a mic 5 or 10 times its cost is how much better it sounds on vox than most of the costlier ones. I'd really encourage you to look at that Transom mic shootout I linked to and listen for yourself. This will give everyone a chance to hear several mics they may never be able to afford pitted up against mics that are very inexpensive. Quite honestly I think the Shure KSM44 is the best sounding vox mic in that shootout. It lists for $700. Neither the $2600 Neumann U-87 nor the $1300 Schoeps P48 sounded as good to me. But even the KSM44 didn't sound that much better than the B1. And the B1 sounded better to me than the U-87 and the P48.

[Dan German]

If it were me, I'd get an SM57. I have the predecessor to the SM58 (I'm too forgetful to remember the # and too lazy to go check), and it's never let me down. 30 years and counting...

[Old Cane]

Ok, well, we're getting off track here. We've gone from SM57s to U47s and C12s. I'm not talking u87s either. They were never what I wanted in a vocal mic but they are ok. I've had 2. I personally just don't think an Oktava-mod or MXL (the tube ME model sounds goo though) sound better than a U47 or C12. If you do you are lucky. You just saved yourself the price of a new car. But again, I don' think any $300 mic will keep up with a U47. I wish there was one that did! I'd buy a dozen and give you a couple!

You know you guys got me thinking the other day. If you put someone that makes hit records in a room full of 57s I bet he'd still make hit records. What do you think? It's just all personal tastes. But for the OP all we are saying is a 57 is a good place to start. If you don't like them you don't like them. But you're going to feel like Custer on his last day. You're severly outnumbered.

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by Old Cane

Ok, well, we're getting off track here. We've gone from SM57s to U47s and C12s. I'm not talking u87s either. They were never what I wanted in a vocal mic but they are ok. I've had 2. I personally just don't think an Oktava-mod or MXL (the tube ME model sounds goo though) sound better than a U47 or C12. If you do you are lucky. You just saved yourself the price of a new car. But again, I don' think any $300 mic will keep up with a U47.

You know you guys got me thinking the other day. If you put someone that makes hit records in a room full of 57s I bet he'd still make hit records. What do you think? It's just all personal tastes. But for the OP all we are saying is a 57 is a good place to start. If you don't like them you don't like them. But you're going to feel like Custer on his last day. You're severly outnumbered.

Again, I agree completely!

Tim

[flipside]

Originally Posted by Old Cane

I'm not talking u87s either. They were never what I wanted in a vocal mic but they are ok.

I agree, and I thought it was a poor choice to include in a vocal mic shootout. It's a fine mic but not for vox.

I personally just don't think an Oktava-mod or MXL (the tube ME model sounds goo though) sound better than a U47 or C12.

Although I think both Oktava and MXL make some outstanding mics, I didn't like the particular ones they chose here either.

I don' think any $300 mic will keep up with a U47. I wish there was one that did! I'd buy a dozen and give you a couple!

Hmm...well it's a great mic for sure, but I think with a little EQing I can mimic it quite well with a few different sub-$300 mics to the point where it would be very difficult to tell the difference. To me, the age of $2000 + mics is over. Same with expensive boards. I remember a time when a single channel ripped from a old Neve console sold for $2000. I can buy both pres and mixers with built-in pres that sound darn near as good nowadays for a small fraction of the cost. I'd feel silly spending a lot of money on a mic or a pre either one at this point.

BTW, here's how that cheap MXL V63M sounds. I've seen this mic sell as cheap as $50. I have a rather muddy voice, and this is a very clean mic, so it works well for me--much better than any of my more expensive mics to the point where it has become my main narration mic. It probably wouldn't be very good on a woman though.

This first sound file is flat.

This 2nd one is from a documentary I used it on and is EQ'ed for television/theatre, so a lot of bass is rolled off which also makes the narration sit in the music bed better.

[slowpinky]

I read on another thread - (concerning monitors of all things) that if you dont have the wallet - do the very best with what you have. An industry standard like the SM57 has been the best that most people could afford for a helluva long time - so its going to have alot of fans -
I'm newer to recording I guess and I'm not one of them.
I agree with Ben about the real usefulness of good dynamic mikes in the studio - thats why I use an M88 but as he's pointed out,the M88's, SM7's and Re20's are in a slightly different league. As for U87's, and Schoeps condensers- I have recorded acoustic guitar with them with other guys doing the sound and the results have never been as good as when I record myself using a B1 or C1 or an NT1a - I cant see me spending 2000 bucks on a mike in this lifetime but I know that great recordings have great mikes in the picture somewhere - they happen to be in the hands of great engineers too.
Is it reasonable to suggest that maybe two mikes might be a better idea if the budget can go there? - if you have to get a 57 -make sure its a real one and try for a B1 as well - I think I saw one for $75 bucks on eBay recently.

p.S. I recently recorded for a friend of mine where he used an Avenson Audio pencil mike - I dont know how pricey they are -but it sounded expensive...amazing.

[Old Cane]

Originally Posted by flipside

I can buy both pres and mixers with built-in pres that sound darn near as good nowadays for a small fraction of the cost.

Sorry, I didn't listen to any shootout but you made my point for me. That darn near as good as a u47, darn near as fast as the other driver, darn near as many points as the other team........that's what matters. It may not matter to you. That's fine. You may like mp3s for all I know.

If you think the days of $5000 mics and $100,000 boards are over you must not shop the same places I do. Trust me, it ain't over. They're out there and still being used.

Do you need a $5000 mic to record? NOOOOOOOO. So that kind of brings us full circle back to the 57, right? I think I'm done here. I've said all I can and still haven't convinced you that a C12 sounds better than an MXL. Ok. I'm not going to convince you. Ok. Is it good enough? Probably. Will it work? You bet. Will a U47 make me sound like a great singer. Not by a long shot. So it always depends on what you're doing and what you expect. I've used a lot of U47s and love them but I will never buy one because I'm not doing anything critical enough for one to be appreciated or the price justified. So, is my mic as good? No. Does it work for what I'm doing? Sure it does. Does it make me sound like a great singer......mmmm, I need to let that one go. There really is no magic dust is there?

But every player needs a 57. They just do. Mic your amp, sing through it, throw it in the bass drum, mic the snare/tom/ leslie/sax/harp, poke a drunk in the eye, take it home and record a demo of a song you just thought up. Should you do all your recording with 1 mic? ANY 1 single mic? Probably not. But it's a start.


Sleepy now.......