Help chosing a very basic microphone ?

[Narsil]

Hi all, I am just hoping some more experienced folks here might give me some helpful suggestions.

I want to make my first recordings of my feeble attempts to make music. My tablet and smartphone sound truly awful when trying this.

I have a decent computer with a basic sound card (Asus Xonar DX ). It has a 3.5 mm mic input jack.

My set up is incredibly basic: just me, an acoustic guitar, the Audacity program and a chair...... but I need a microphone. I don't want a junky computer-mic meant for Skype and online gaming. But I need to keep the cost as low as possible, as I'll never get to the level of serious recording. I just want it to accurately reproduce the sound of my poor playing. LOL !

I actually don't even know all the terminology / various types of mics....yet. And, given my extremly simple needs, I don't know exactly where to begin.

Could someone please suggest a few things I should be looking for when I browse my local Long & McQuade store ?

Any and all advice & suggestions are very much appreciated.

Thanks !

[muscmp]

you probably have usb ports so you may want to look in that area. quite a few manufacturers and, if you do a search, there are quite a few threads about that subject in this subforum. you still may need an audio interface tho.

play music!

[Rodger Knox]

There's probably better mics these days, but this used to be one of the best instrument mics around.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...ment-vocal-mic

[Narsil]

Thanks .

I hadn't looked into a USB mic....my sound card doesn't have a USB port. I guess I assumed that I have to use the 3.5mm connector on the sound card in order to take advantage of the card's processing power, rather than through Windows. Looks like I have some MORE reading to do !

That Shure mic looks very nice. However, in Canada it retails around $130. I was thinking of a VERY basic (cheaper ! ) version of such a critter. Something like an Apex 940 ($26. CDN) Apex 950 ($25.CDN, or Audio-Technica ST-95MKII ($31.CDN) up to the Shure SV100 ($39 CDN) VERY basic.

But seeing that Shure SM57 suggested is a "unidirectional" and "dynamic" type is a big help. Thank you.

[runamuck]

You don't need a USB port on your soundcard. You plug a USB mic into any USB port on the computer you're using - unless what you're saying is that computer doesn't have a USB port.

[Narsil]

Yes, my computer does have some USB ports I could use.
What I meant is I was guessing that plugging a mic with a 3.5mm connector directly into the 3.5mm jack of the sound card would be "better" than going though a USB port first . ( The sound card has no USB port.) Even if that means I might need an adapter for a 1/4'' mic cord down to 3.5mm.

If running a USB mic through a generic USB port and THEN into the sound card for processing has no ill-effects, I can easily expand my search for a ultra-basic but decent mic. USB connector mics were something I wasn't looking at.....until now. Thanks.

[MikeBmusic]

A USB mic will do what you want the simplest way - however it won't allow you to expand in the future so decide now if this is as far as you want to go (1 mic recording, limited monitoring if you want to multitrack).

With mics you really do get what you pay for.
I wouldn't go any lower than the Samson C01 USB: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C01UPro

But saving a bit more cash for the AT2020 USB would be better (I have heard good things about it, as a USB mic): http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2020USBP

The advantage of using a standard mic and a USB audio interface is that it allows you to use any mic (upgrading in the future) or multiple mics (assuming you get an interface with multiple mic preamps).