Suggestions for a good budget Condenser Mic for basic home recording.

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by runamuck

One more thing: I've listened to your recordings comparing a low-cost AT2020 to a Schoeps and to my ear, the differences between them are minor and show how it's mostly the player, the instrument and the song that determines whether or not I like a recording. And that's with one solo instrument where any differences will be dramatically multiplied compared to the same instrument in a mix.

Yeah, that's the part we haven't told you about yet. Your ears may or may not wake up. If they don't, a 2020 will sound as good as a Schoeps. If they do, it won't.

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by Ty Ford

Yeah, that's the part we haven't told you about yet. Your ears may or may not wake up. If they don't, a 2020 will sound as good as a Schoeps. If they do, it won't.

I think a Schoeps sounds better but compared to other parts of what makes up a recording, at least in Doug's demos, not significantly.

If I'm impaired, and I could be, I'm not alone. My pro friends seem to trust my judgement but perhaps they are simply humoring me.

[Ty Ford]

Impaired is not a word I'd use.

We are all listening from somewhere on a spectrum. In fact, I'd say there are more than one; pitch, rhythm, harmonic, and others.

I know some folks who are much more critical with pitch than they are with noises and vice versa.

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by Ty Ford

Impaired is not a word I'd use.

We are all listening from somewhere on a spectrum. In fact, I'd say there are more than one; pitch, rhythm, harmonic, and others.

I know some folks who are much more critical with pitch than they are with noises and vice versa.

You're right. Impaired is not the right word, although I am 67 and have lost a bit of acuity and high freq. sensitivity. Unable to distinguish or uneducated would have been more appropriate to describe someone who isn't able to hear differences. But ****, I'm a very close and attentive listener, know a great recording when I hear one and am interested in fidelity second only to the song. And yet my opinion of my own sensitivity may be wrong.

PS - Here's a video from Fran Guidry comparing a $100 mic to a $1600 mic. If this recording was part of a larger group of instruments, I'd be skeptical that someone, such as yourself, would be able to guess which was which. Or am I wrong to be skeptical about that? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=Nj98niBSSTc

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

I’d suggest getting the 2nd generation if you’re getting a Focusrite Scarlett;
there is a difference. If you’ve got time and patience there are occasional deals on eBay. I found a 2i4
for my son at a good price.

Second the vote of confidence on the Focusrite interfaces . As recent as yesterday
I saw the Scarlett 6i6 drop to a price I bought mine for 2 years ago , that's a
cool thing to know .


There's a $20.00 difference between the 2i4 & the 6i6 at the online retailer I got mine through .
For $20.00 more you get 2 headphone outputs .

EZ :

HR

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by TenorGeetard

Looking to start recording some of my material at home. Very small basic setup. Condenser mic w/ audio interface with multiple inputs. Acoustic Guitar / Piano / and Vocals.

Looking for suggestions for a budget condenser thatll get the job done. Preferably something $100.00 and under. Also something that I could possibly use for voiceover on recorded video.

I was looking at the Audio Technica AT2020. What do you guys suggest?

Also i'm pretty sure for an audio interface im just going to go with the Scarlet Audio interface, that seems to be the most popular budget option at the moment. I see there are several models for sale i.e. 1st gen, 2nd gen. Is getting the first generation basic box alright?

Fran Guidry, a contributor here, has posted many thoughts on low priced vs high priced mics, you'd do well to check out his blog at Homebrewedmusic. com here:

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2014/...es-a-mic-make/

[Hurricane Ramon]

Originally Posted by runamuck

You're right impaired is not the right word although I am 67 and have lost a bit of acuity and high freq. sensitivity. Unable to distinguish, uneducated, yellow ear, rather than golden - all would have been more appropriate to describe someone who isn't able to hear differences. But ****, I'm a very close and attentive listener, know a great recording when I hear one and am interested in fidelity second only to the song.

I feel for anyone losing the High Hz or having them diminished , this is/would be a bigtime bummer if
it happened to me.

@ 68 "I have lost evenly across the normal human hearing range at an even resolution , I just need to
turn up the volume that's all .

In the past I have for others helped analyse recordings and recording from mono to simulated stereo for
people who rub shoulders with the RIAA . These sessions were for Playboy records , Warner Bros.
records and TADEO .

As noise goes , the C01 really is a quiet mic , very silent and transparent @ it's price point .

Now a days it's just for my own stuff , I am glad , fortunate and humble that aside from higher volume
it all works quite well and I can still cut it .

Back to the OP's question .

Most listeners who are targeted for sales of music are mostly users who use headphones primarily .

The headphone listener also has these days a Bluetooth speaker and most are small .

Another group is to target only a selected venue of listeners like family & friends . The mp3's they
listen to can't really do justice to a finely engineered recording . This is what most have available
and obviously these people don't really know what a fine recodrdiing is or sounds like .


If your target is to make demos then having the perfect spotless clean high end level isn't
really what potential acts are judged by .

What I have learned after I got the Samson C01 LDC is the others at the same level of
performance/cost were not built like the Samson's heavy thick metal housing , like a Shure ,
drop it and it most likely will work , the Samson I have has taken a few nose dives off a boom stand
more that I wanted and still is working . The video I posted gave a good showing of it
compared to the AT2020 .

The AT2020's housing isn't as robust as the C01 , and on the thin side , good mic @ the price though .

EZ :

HR

[Hurricane Ramon]

Not a bad video


EZ :

HR

[Hurricane Ramon]

This is cool , very nice side by side and simple to .



EZ :

HR

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Hurricane Ramon

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="4"]
This is cool , very nice side by side and simple to

I like the simple side-by-side, but this video illustrates how hard it is to do a fair comparison. The NT1 in this demo is several db quieter than the CO1 (in both performances). It only takes about 0.1 db, (or so I'm told) to bias a result and make you prefer the louder one. Fran's web page someone posted earlier talks about the importance of level matching, which wasn't done here. As a result, it sounds like the CO1 is bigger and fuller than the NT1 - it may be, but we don't really know that because the CO1 is louder. (and of course, every thing might change if you moved either mic by an inch)

[Hurricane Ramon]

$150.00 - and you get a pair of balance medium size condenser :



EZ :

HR

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I like the simple side-by-side, but this video illustrates how hard it is to do a fair comparison. The NT1 in this demo is several db quieter than the CO1 (in both performances). It only takes about 0.1 db, (or so I'm told) to bias a result and make you prefer the louder one. Fran's web page someone posted earlier talks about the importance of level matching, which wasn't done here. As a result, it sounds like the CO1 is bigger and fuller than the NT1 - it may be, but we don't really know that because the CO1 is louder. (and of course, every thing might change if you moved either mic by an inch)

I actually felt the NT1 was warmer, with something else that made it stand out but the Samson is pretty good also...I might be trading in my AT2020

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by CASD57

I actually felt the NT1 was warmer, with something else that made it stand out but the Samson is pretty good also...I might be trading in my AT2020

Everyone hears differently, and has different speakers, another reason that making sound judgements is hard. One of my learning experiences was years ago when I posted an A/B blind comparison of something on another board, and half the people liked A because it was "warmer" sounding, and the other half liked B because it was "warmer" sounding :-)

I didn't hear anything I liked with either examples, but it's probably not the mics. I'd guess either one would work fine.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Everyone hears differently

Isn't that the truth Everyone hears differently, listens differently and seeks different elements in audio. That's why my job can really stink some days.

I'm always fascinated how even really great, great musicians approach sound in various manners. Steely Dan historically always sweated the most insane minuscule audio details. Conversely Paul McCartney always said he didn't care much for equipment and specific sonic details. He wasn't much interested past the song itself.

Horses for corses I suppose.

[TBman]

None of my Google searches finds the self noise of the Samsung C01, even the Samsung manual doesn't. Odd.

So now I see the self noise of the NT1 is less than half of my at2035. Make it stop, lol.