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stephie1980
Location: USA
Posts: 4
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 Posted - Fri May 23, 2003 8:52 pm
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Hello,
I'm looking into buying a condenser mic. It will be used on my PC for vocal recording only. My question is how will I be able to hook up the mic to the sound card? Is there any condenser mics that are able to connect directly to a sound card? I have done some research in the forums about condenser mics and phantom power and if I'm correct I believe that you need a preamp to give the mic power or you could buy a mic that is able to use batteries. Is this correct?
I saw on a previous post someone was trying to figure out how to setup a studio or something like that and they said something about the mic being hooked up to a preamp, then to a mixer and then to the sound card. I don't know if this would be applied to my question or not but if I need a preamp and mixer than what one would I need? I have no idea on this sort of thing, excuse my ignorance. My only interest is for recording vocals with background music and I can't afford any expensive equipment. My system specs are:
Dell Dimension 8200
2.26 GHz Processor
256 MB RAM
Sound Blaster Live! Value Sound Card
Cool Edit 2000
If you need any more information then please let me know. Thanks for any suggestions!
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zemlin
Location: USA
Posts: 1156
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Craig Jackman
Location: Canada
Posts: 909
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Posted - Wed May 28, 2003 6:35 am
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You need something that will give you 48V of phantom power. Don't use a battry powered mic as it will crap out at the most inopportune time.
You can get a small notepad mixer like a Mackie 1202 or 1404, or a small mic preamp starting with something like the Presonus Blue Tube or ART Tube MP, and work up to the $1000+ exotic preamps. The choice is yours. A mixer gives you more flexabilty now (EQ, patching in external sources) and down the road. The pre amp would be a little cheaper.
You'll then need and XLRmale-XLRfemale mic cable to go from the mic to the mixer or preamp, and then a cable to go from the output of your mixer or preamp to the LINE IN jack on your soundcard (1/8" mini). If you choose a mixer, this cable will be stereo (2 connectors coming out of the mixer to the mini connector wired in stereo). If you choose a preamp it will be mono. The mono connection would be a balanced line cable, so it would not pick up external noise in poor conditions. Whatever you do, don't cheap out on your cables. Get good ones.
Do not use the MIC IN jack on your soundcard. It sounds horrible.
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Craig Jackman
Production Supervisor
CHEZ/CKBY/CIOX/CJET/CIWW
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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VoodooRadio
Location: USA
Posts: 3971
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Posted - Wed May 28, 2003 8:25 am
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Craig, you must not have checked all the links that Karl provided. He literally linked stephie1980 to every single thing that you mentioned. 
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I said Good Day!
Voodoo
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stephie1980
Location: USA
Posts: 4
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Posted - Wed May 28, 2003 11:09 am
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Thanks for the replies! They have been very helpful. I went ahead and got the Eurorack UB802 Mixer and a Shure BG4.1 Cardioid Mic with the proper cables. Has anyone used these equipment? They fit in my price range. I guess I'll have to try them out to see how it sounds, hey theres always the 45-day money back guarantee.
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Craig Jackman
Location: Canada
Posts: 909
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Posted - Wed May 28, 2003 2:40 pm
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The Eurorack is by Behringer, which makes copies of the Mackie stuff. So closely copied in fact that they've been sued by Mackie for copyright infringement. Behringer stuff is fine if unspectacular, and a tiny bit fragile. It'll do the job you need.
I haven't used that particular Shure mic, so I went to the Shure website. It's been discontinued, and replaced with something that looks like a SM-58. The response curve looks like a profile of the Alps. Not hearing it, I'm not impressed, though it could be right for your needs (doubt it though). It's a dynamic - not a condenser mic, which was your original question.
Hook it up and if it sounds like what you want, then use it. Personally, I'd keep the mixer, return the mic, and buy a large diaphram condenser mic. I have my personal, and expensive, favorites, but if you're doing it on a budget look at Rode and MXL which you can find at a good music store for about what you paid (maybe a little bit more) for the Shure.
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Craig Jackman
Production Supervisor
CHEZ/CKBY/CIOX/CJET/CIWW
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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stephie1980
Location: USA
Posts: 4
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zemlin
Location: USA
Posts: 1156
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Posted - Wed May 28, 2003 3:49 pm
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I wasn't able to find much info - good or bad - about the BG4.1. What I could find did not impress me at all. Even the SHURE documentation does not say it is for professional recording - they say you can get a good demo with it.
I just bought a Studio Projects C3 mic - it sounds quite nice! They also make the C1 which sells for about $200 - It is very simimar to the C3 but it's not a multipattern mic. I also own a couple of Oktava MK319's. Less money, but not nearly as nice sounding as the Studio Projects mic.
Regarding the Marshall mics - I've heard reports both good and bad about them. No experience with them myself.
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VoodooRadio
Location: USA
Posts: 3971
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Posted - Wed May 28, 2003 4:42 pm
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The Shure BG4.1 IS a condenser mic. I haven't used one in a recording environment, so I can't comment in regards to it there. I HAVE used them running "live" sound and they did a fine job. FWIW, I would take one of them over a SM58 anyday! 
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I said Good Day!
Voodoo
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DeluXMan
Location: Canada
Posts: 330
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Posted - Thu May 29, 2003 2:25 am
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I just had a look at the Studio Projects C3 and C1 mics. They look fantastic if you can believe the opinions at Sweetwater. I want one. 
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MusicConductor
Location: USA
Posts: 1524
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Posted - Thu May 29, 2003 11:04 am
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If third-hand information is of any value to you, a friend just mentioned to me yesterday that the C3 did very favorably in blind tests against more well-known condensers. Wish I could find the source of that for you.
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Craig Jackman
Location: Canada
Posts: 909
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Posted - Fri May 30, 2003 5:49 am
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| VoodooRadio wrote: |
| The Shure BG4.1 IS a condenser mic. I haven't used one in a recording environment, so I can't comment in regards to it there. I HAVE used them running "live" sound and they did a fine job. FWIW, I would take one of them over a SM58 anyday! |
OK I stand corrected about the BG4.1. However, you say you like it more than a 58 (who doesn't ...), but given the unheard choice, would you go for the Shure or something like a Rode NT-1 or either of the 2 MXL mic's that are linked above? I'd go with the MXL's, and probably the 1006 just to get away from the battery power of the other one.
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Craig Jackman
Production Supervisor
CHEZ/CKBY/CIOX/CJET/CIWW
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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VoodooRadio
Location: USA
Posts: 3971
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Posted - Fri May 30, 2003 10:07 am
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Actually Craig, I've heard (and used) all of the choices you mention. As with most things concerning mic choice, what your micing will help determine what mic to use. FWIW, (concerning condensers) for studio use, I would choose the Rode NT1 over the BG's. For live application I would go with the BG's. I've used both in this exact scenario, so I am speaking from experience. Karl (Zemlin) mentioned the Oktava's and (as you've probably seen in other post)... I'm a BIG fan. I consider them one of the best "bang for buck" mics today. Get em while the Get'n is good!! 
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Voodoo
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Condenser mic setup to a sound card
