One LDC for home studio.

Hey Danny. There are plenty about and it's all pretty subjective. I have an AT2020 which is far better than my playing or singing. If you have a few more coins to throw at it Rode do some good entry-level mics that won't blow the budget. The NT2A also has the ability to change patterns and a pad when you stick in front of loud things:
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/rode-nt2a

 

AKG 414.

 

Right. My first two LDCs were silver 414EBs. I got lucky, and they both had C12 / CK12 capsules. One eventually had to be repaired.

I don't have the expertise to give you a rundown on all the various 414 models out there, but I can tell you I also own a 414EB with the nylon capsule, and it also sounds very good, and they're usually a lot cheaper than the ones with the gold capsule.

I vaguely recall (this was years ago) that a cap or resistor had to be clipped out of the circuit. I don't recall the details, but it is relevant if you get one of those old microphones. If buying used, it's usually already done, but good to check into it.

I now have and use a dozen reasonably good microphones, and the 414s are the only LDCs I own, YMMV.

I wish I knew more about modern re-creations, but I can only share what's worked for me

 

The LDC I have that I like is the Miktek MK300, which works great for guitar or vocals.

I've seen good reviews and recommendations from folks I've heard do good recordings with the new version of the RODE NT1. A smoother top end than many of the LDCs in that price range, or even higher. it has low self noise and a pretty good max SPL too.

I would not bother with an outboard preamp at all.

P.S. (Edit) multi-pattern is only important if you can use it, and you really must have a good space to make use of figure-8 and omni patterns. So, before spending $1k on microphones, plan to spend a fair amount on treatment, is my serious recommendation. I've got a pretty well treated space, and I don't use anything but cardioid, because in our house, there's always noise coming from somewhere, so the only thing I want entering the mic is what I'm recording, and that means cardioid.

 

The Miktek is well-liked around here. Hav linked a post by Woodman.
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/another-day-by-randy-walker-mix-content.1055396/#post-10273283

 

I like the AT4050 but there are so many great options...

 

Warm Audio ... https://warmaudio.com/wa47jr/ ($299)
MXL ... http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/Revelation-Mini-FET/ ($229)

 

Pretty sure it was Woody's discussion of that mic that prompted me to get it a little over 3 years ago. It works better for my vocals than the C214 I was using (which I still like for acoustic guitar), though lately I've decided an SM58 is often just fine, when I'm in my more typical gravel road range these days .

 

Big a$$ topic.

I tend to lean toward what others say is good when buying stuff I don't know much about, but at the same time LDC mics all seem to have a personality, and it's possible you get better results from 2-3 used ones that are all a little different.
Home studion budget mics are very trendy! A new good one will get lots of excitement, then the next new one dominates internet discussion and the last one is no longer hot, yet is still a good tool.
Tons of very good LDCs out there on the used market, that have been used by enough better home studio and lesser pro studio recordists.

Old GT mics, MXL, Oktava, ADK etc.

Follow ebay auctions and google the models that are up for auction.
You can easily get 2, 3, 4 or even 5 LDCs for $400, all of which will sound a little different but deliver good recorded sound in a home studio. Mics work best in multiples!

Again though, google each one that comes up and make sure it's been discussed and is a good serviceable mic.

 

Lots of right answers to this question.

After all these years, decades actually, I still use my sm57’s and sm81 most frequently.

Any LDC is going to capture your fridge and the neighbors dog.

Of course, the 57 and 81 like to be paired with a good preamp and generous compression.

And I like the 57 for any attempts at vocal recording.

 

Check out the TechZone Audio Stellar X2 and X3

https://techzoneaudioproducts.com/

 

Wow, yet another high quality budget option. There are so many to choose from. Good luck, OP!

 

IMHO, the differences between good LDCs are a lot more subtle than speakers. There may be a few that stretch things a bit, but by and large, if they go too far from what a good mic of that type should sound like, they're not going to last in the market. I like and keep the mics that make my life easier, but I've also figured out that most things can be fixed, often by simply learning how to use mics and placement with certain kinds of input, but also with EQ and things like de-essers. Still, if I have the choice to use a mic that I know will reduce the amount of sibilance I get in a vocal track, that's the one I'll pick. Unfortunately, you really don't know that until you have used a few mics on different voices. So, that's why buying used, good mics are a nice option because they almost always have either uses or can be resold without problem.

Audio Test Kitchen is a site where they let you listen to hundreds of microphones to see how their response sounds with different inputs. It can help you lose some angst over picking the wrong mic, because for my old ears, it's hard to find a clunker. (But what I do listen for, beside the vocal and acoustic guitar samples, is whether I can listen, repeatedly, to an entire mix that uses that same mic, and how that feels.)

https://app.audiotestkitchen.com/sessions/default/frequency-curves

Sweetwater also has a mic shootout page that can also be illuminating (or dumbfounding... ): https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/the-ultimate-shootout-roundup/

Good luck. Don't spend to much time in the rabbit hole. Just get a good mic or two and start pressing the red button (or "swinging the hammer" as Woody might say).

 

These are real good and affordable

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/B1m--behringer-b-1-large-diaphragm-condenser-microphone

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...o-dual-diaphragm-condenser-microphone/reviews

 

I would look at Shure KSM Series and Audio Technica 40 Series.

Good solid mics, not too much personality (which is good for an all-rounder, and a nice step up from the entry level Chinese stuff.