AETHERPHON, global theremin family

--- On Thu, 8/28/08, Philip <kmg5443@...> wrote:
> Can you recommend a decent setup for recording? 

What is your budget?  

As you found, a very cheap mic/da/usb combination sounds very cheap. 

It is not Dynamic vs. Condenser that is the problem.  

That is like saying watercolor paintings look worse than oil paintings.  There are good and bad in both, and neither looks exactly like reality.  

I have a pair of large diaphragm dynamic mics (electrovoice RE20) that are the reference standard in the radio broadcast industry, and they make my voice sound richer than any mic I have ever recorded with.

Cheap mics sound cheap.  Dynamic mics do 'typically' have a lower output level than condenser mics, thus requiring more gain in the mic preamp, and it needs to be very low noise gain.  If you are recording a loud vocalist with their mouth on the mic, or the bass drum with the mic inches from the drum head low output level and hiss is not a problem.

Microphones, like most audio/electrical tranducers (phono cartridges, speakers) are never perfect (even the ones costing thousands of $), are thus full of compromises, and likely the weakest links in the recording chain.

Modern manufacturing methods, low cost overseas labor, and cheap electronic components provide us with more good sounding low cost mics today than ever before.

In the 1970's a large diaphragm condenser mic cost thousands of dollars.  The best Danish and German made condenser mics still do today.

 The B1 mic recommended (is that right?) looks like it costs about $100.  The reviews I read were very positive.  It is a large diaphragm condenser mic at a price unheard until the chinese started making condensor microphone diaphragms and complete microphones.  Now they make many million of these mics.  This has been good for the home recordist.

These are usually cookie cutter mics, meaning they come from OEM manufacturers that design and manufacture them, will sell these to anyone, and will put your brand name label on them.  They stamp them out like cookies.  With a little money anyone can sell these mics under their brand name.

One low cost, high quality mic maker that stands out from the pack is RODE.  These are made in Australia.  They make some of the quietest (self noise) mics, with excellent polar patterns, high reliability, and wonderful sound at a very affordable price.

The RODE NT1-a is an awesome mic, for about $200.
http://usa.rodemic.com/microphone.php?product=NT1-A

This is the anniversary version of a mic that has been getting great reviews for several years.  

My brilliant nephew, Nick Yulman, records a vast variety of acoustic instruments from drums, guitar, vocals, sax, banjo, violin, along with electromachanical-acoustic instruments of his design and he has 1 mic, the RODE NT1.  Listen here, these are real instruments recorded only with the NT1:

Stream (upper left) or download (lower right)
http://www.luvsound.org/release/luv017/
Photos of some of his homemade instruments
http://www.nysoundworks.org/SecretClubhouse.html
Myspace
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=154989024

All mics have self noise.  The signal output level (with respect to a standard input pressure), along with the self noise determine the signal to noise ratio of the mic.  The sound of this self noise differs from mic manufacturer and design, it does not all sound the same.  It may sound like hiss, or rustling sound, or like a rumbling wind.   

I record nature sounds, and correspond with others that do the same.  This requires mics and preamps with very low noise, because we are often recording very soft sounds.   Rode mics have a proven track record in nature recording due to their low self noise, high fidelity and reliability for a very reasonable price.  The only other superior choice for (non parabolic) nature recording is the Sennheiser MKH line of RF mics costing thousands of dollars (5-10x $).

Don't skimp on the mic.  

Mic preamps are the next difficult thing to do in the signal chain, but they are easier to design and make at low cost than mics.  Again, there are so many great low cost choices these days, many combined with D/A converters.  Many come bundled with useful audio recording and editing software.

What is your budget?  

bret