Best budget microphone

[bonzodog]

Can anyone recommend a decent budget all round mic?
Me and other singer use SM58s and in my ongoing obsession with having backup gear for everything I want to buy a cheapish mic that will probably never get used but there just in case. I read that PG58s were good and only £40 incl cable but the guy in my local PMT shop put me off saying they werent too good and tried to flog me something double the price.
Thanks

[Telebass]

My backup was a Samson Q7. I did get it trade at the time, though. These days I use an AKG D5 as my main and only mic. Shop around for these, they are good, tough, and lots cheaper than a 58. If I needed a spare, I'd buy a second D5.

[Hobbayne]

+1 for the AKG D5. Its well made and has a nice deep sound to it.

[Skybone]

When I had my recording setup, I used both PG58's & PG57's for vocals & mic'ing cabs. They sounded perfectly good to my ears.

[Chrismanbass]

nothing wrong with the PG series of mics

used one of the drum sets before for some recording (the pg56's and 57's are the same capsule as the 58's)

and they sounded great just make sure you use a registered shure dealer there are a lot of fakes around at the minute

mainly sm58s but they're now starting to imitate the entire range

I use AKG D5's quite a lot with various function bands and they sound okay for the money.

They feel a bit cheap to me and are subject to A LOT of handling noise so they're fine to keep on stands

but i wouldn't give one to a lead singer

Edited March 19, 2015 by Chrismanbass

[Lozz196]

Behringer XM8500. Less mid-biased than the SM58, but it may be possible to see what it`s based on......

Oh, and for £20 these can`t be beat. I sold my SM58 as I prefer the XM8500.

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/behringer-xm-8500/1062?gclid=CjwKEAjw56moBRD8_4-AgoOqhV4SJADWWVCcYWdDbJfTvYjcHSwS9IC0fZPrBKNUNT46IDQPKcNdshoCc6zw_wcB

[blue]

Why not buy a used 58 for$25.00- $50.00?

Blue

[Maude]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1426804635' post='2722295']
Behringer XM8500. Less mid-biased than the SM58, but it may be possible to see what it`s based on......

Oh, and for £20 these can`t be beat. I sold my SM58 as I prefer the XM8500.

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/behringer-xm-8500/1062?gclid=CjwKEAjw56moBRD8_4-AgoOqhV4SJADWWVCcYWdDbJfTvYjcHSwS9IC0fZPrBKNUNT46IDQPKcNdshoCc6zw_wcB
[/quote]

I bought three of these in a decent case with clips and adapters for £35, can't remember where now but they are fantastic for the money, heck they're fantastic without the price coming into it.
Had them a few years now and no problems.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Maude

[bonzodog]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1426805748' post='2722310']
Why not buy a used 58 for$25.00- $50.00?

Blue
[/quote]

Most decent used 58s go for around £60 on ebay which is a bit more than we want to pay for a mic we may never use.
XM8500 looks interesting.
Thanks as always

[BassBunny]

We use Samson Q7's, in fact apart for the main singer who has a Shure wireless mic, we all use them and have retired our SM58's.
Actually prefer the Samson's.

[tauzero]

The packet of three Behringers are the XM1800S - don't know how they compare to the XM5800 but we have them and have used them as the main vocal mics with no problem. £32 for the three.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-XM1800S-Ultravoice-Microphone-slightly/dp/B000NJ2TIE"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-XM1800S-Ultravoice-Microphone-slightly/dp/B000NJ2TIE[/url]

[Raslee]

T-Bone on Thomann do a great 3 pack SM58 equivalent, surpringly good too

[thebrig]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1426811091' post='2722367']
The packet of three Behringers are the XM1800S - don't know how they compare to the XM5800 but we have them and have used them as the main vocal mics with no problem. £32 for the three.

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-XM1800S-Ultravoice-Microphone-slightly/dp/B000NJ2TIE"]http://www.amazon.co...y/dp/B000NJ2TIE[/url]
[/quote]+1
I have TWO packs of these which I use with my Zoom R16 recorder, I have compared them side by side with my Shure SM57 and SM58 with vocals and instruments including my acoustic guitars, and the is no noticeable difference that I can hear, they are as sturdy and reliable as the Shures, so if you can get past the name, you wont regret spending between £25 - £30 for THREE of these superb mics.

Unbelievable value at less than a tenner each!!!

Behringer XM1800S Dynamic Mic 3-Pack

[url="https://www.soundbasemegastore.com/2306-behringer-xm1800s-microphone-pack.html?gmc_currency=3&gclid=CjwKEAjwiq-oBRC9gvHCsvDdn2cSJACV3DFRvQ05CnUNxIZwSoA2tWB-GtcYrCvN0xMWNnyzKn_IJBoCq2zw_wcB"]https://www.soundbas...n_IJBoCq2zw_wcB[/url]

[url="http://www.dv247.com/microphones/behringer-xm1800s-ultravoice-dynamic-vocal-microphone-3-pack--15816"]http://www.dv247.com...e-3-pack--15816[/url]

[Paul S]

[quote name='Raslee' timestamp='1426812144' post='2722372']
T-Bone on Thomann do a great 3 pack SM58 equivalent, surpringly good too
[/quote]

That was the one I was going to recommend. Accurately projects my low rumble.

[charic]

I've found that 58s REALLY don't suit my voice. My condenser sounds... less bad

[stevie]

I've also used the Behringers. They are pretty good and unbeatable for the price.

[leonshelley01]

Another Beringer user here, great microphones, especially for the price!

[bonzodog]

Just ordered the 3 pack of behringers xm1800s for £29.00 including case and free delivery. Cant beat that and also some great reviews on amazon as well as here.

Cheers guys

[thebrig]

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1426851552' post='2722667']
Just ordered the 3 pack of behringers xm1800s for £29.00 including case and free delivery. Cant beat that and also some great reviews on amazon as well as here.

Cheers guys
[/quote]You wont regret in Bonzodog.
They include the three mic stand adapter clips that are worth £10/£12 on their own, and they all fit nicely into a neat little case.

[spacey]

You have to remember the SM58 is a 50 year old design, they do the job, but microphone design has moved on since, to see what is regarded as best, look what those who can not afford to get it wrong or experiment use in film and TV and they switched from Sure, to Sony and now its seinnheiser across the board as industry standard.

Edited March 20, 2015 by spacey

[barkin]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1426804635' post='2722295']
Behringer XM8500. Less mid-biased than the SM58, but it may be possible to see what it`s based on......

Oh, and for £20 these can`t be beat. I sold my SM58 as I prefer the XM8500.

[url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/behringer-xm-8500/1062?gclid=CjwKEAjw56moBRD8_4-AgoOqhV4SJADWWVCcYWdDbJfTvYjcHSwS9IC0fZPrBKNUNT46IDQPKcNdshoCc6zw_wcB"]http://www.gak.co.uk...cNdshoCc6zw_wcB[/url]
[/quote]

+1

I bought a couple of these as backups, and threw them in the kit bag with everything else. Singer grabbed one by mistake once, and now uses it all the time, rather than the SM58 she used previously.

[KevB]

Just as a price check which Sennheiser model is now the vocal 'industry standard' mic?

[John_P]

I bought a superlux 58 style mic from thomann, to stick in my bag as a spare, the other week - very impressed with the quality.

[jensenmann]

Being a microphone nerd and having app 150 microphones at my disposal it really hurts to read people seriously recommending cheaparse mics.
There´s a german saying: if you buy cheap you´ll buy twice. Anyway, your shop is right to not recommend the PG series. These have nothing common with all the attributes of a SM58 except the brand name. Get another used 58 or a SM57 which gives you another sound option if necessary. In case you want to go more versatile then have a look at a Beyerdynamic M88. These are the very best bang for the buck most versatile dynamic microphones ever. Besides being a great vocal mike it´s fantastic for drums (yes, kick, too), bass guitars, guitar, brass, etc. That mic would be my desert island dynamic microphone.

[cameltoe]

[quote name='jensenmann' timestamp='1426878408' post='2723111']
Being a microphone nerd and having app 150 microphones at my disposal it really hurts to read people seriously recommending cheaparse mics.
There´s a german saying: if you buy cheap you´ll buy twice. Anyway, your shop is right to not recommend the PG series. These have nothing common with all the attributes of a SM58 except the brand name. Get another used 58 or a SM57 which gives you another sound option if necessary. In case you want to go more versatile then have a look at a Beyerdynamic M88. These are the very best bang for the buck most versatile dynamic microphones ever. Besides being a great vocal mike it´s fantastic for drums (yes, kick, too), bass guitars, guitar, brass, etc. That mic would be my desert island dynamic microphone.
[/quote]

But he's looking for a back-up mic, in case his sm58 breaks down. Hence budget is king.

We use a JTS NX7 (SM57 clone) to mic lead guitar and it's pretty good, can't really hear much of a difference over a standard 57, also heard good things about the 58 clone, the NX8. Worth a look.

Edited March 20, 2015 by cameltoe