microphone for making demos at home

[sky]

hi, id like to start trying to record rough versions of songs ive written, at home. id really like to start a band, i tried asking in my unis music group but nothing came of it so I was thinking if i had some basic recordings of a few songs would be good to add onto an advert.

so i was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a microphone would be a decent all rounder for guitar bass and vocals, it would mostly be doom metal so bass and guitar with alot of distortion and id like to try and learn how to sing distorted.

ideally something affordable that id be able to get used, hopefully £100 or less that would do an ok job at everything, it doesnt have to sound perfect just ok for demo ey type things. i was thinking about a shure 58, but not sure if it would be better to go for something different thats more instrument focused, ive heard good things about audio technica stuff too.

 

also any recommendations for an affordable interface and whatever other things id need to start recording would be appreciated as well as any advice on programming drums.

 

thanks in advance, leo : )
 

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, sky said:

hi, id like to start trying to record rough versions of songs ive written, at home. id really like to start a band, i tried asking in my unis music group but nothing came of it so I was thinking if i had some basic recordings of a few songs would be good to add onto an advert.

so i was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a microphone would be a decent all rounder for guitar bass and vocals, it would mostly be doom metal so bass and guitar with alot of distortion and id like to try and learn how to sing distorted.

ideally something affordable that id be able to get used, hopefully £100 or less that would do an ok job at everything, it doesnt have to sound perfect just ok for demo ey type things. i was thinking about a shure 58, but not sure if it would be better to go for something different thats more instrument focused, ive heard good things about audio technica stuff too.

 

also any recommendations for an affordable interface and whatever other things id need to start recording would be appreciated as well as any advice on programming drums.

 

thanks in advance, leo : )
 

 

Look no further than the Superlux E205 (£39 from Thomann, plus £10 shipping...). It'll do voice, guitar, bass, kazoo, drums, bagpipes (OK, no bagpipes, but you get the idea...). Any downside..? only one : it will need 'phantom' powering (which won't be a problem for just about every audio interface, but you can't just plug it into a PC...). We use them for recording, and have done for years. Excellent value for money.

 

https://i.imgur.com/DGsm47z.png

[sammybee]

As a first mic, id recommend a Shure SM57, you should be able to find one new under your budget. It is really easy to get a good sound (unlike a cheap LDC) and can be used on most instruments and vocals alike. It's a dynamic mic, which won't require phantom powering. The SM57 has the same capsule as a SM58, just in a more versatile package. Most Pro studios have at least one SM57 in their mic cupboard - they are like the Swiss Army knife of mics! 

 

For an interface, i'd really recommend something from Focusrite -> not just because their quality is top notch, but also the support of their products, they really do set the bar for taking care of their customers. The 2i2 model seems very popular (or one of the bigger interfaces if you need more inputs). 

 

Edited April 20 by sammybee

[Bassistclem]

Have to agree with sammybee re the equipment choices. The SM57 is the most used mic in the world of recording and for good reason. Only thing I'd say is that it won't record the low end of the bass well, that said if you combine a 57 on the cab with a DI signal you can get great results. A mixing tip is to use the low from the DI (everything below 200hz) and the high from the mic (everything above 200hz) especially for a distorted sound. Another tip would be to record the DI signal clean as you might find it doesn't benefit from too much distortion, you can always add in the software later to taste. As for the software, if you're on a Mac then Garageband is a great starter software, very intuitive, if you're on PC then think FL studio is free, or cheap. 

[BigRedX]

Personally I wouldn't mic up a bass rig for home recording unless you have an excellent acoustic space to put it in and can turn up to gig volumes without annoying anyone.

[fretmeister]

I'd use plugins for guitar, bass and drums and only do the vocals the traditional way.

Workflow will be far quicker, the results will be far more consistent too.

 

 

[Ramirez]

If you think this is something you'll want to build on in the future with more equipment, more mics etc. then I'd suggest it's worth spending a little more to get a properly good all-rounder - I'd suggest a Beyerdynamic M88. It'll do a good job on pretty much anything, and it'll always be useful even if you buy more nice mics in the future. A cheap mic, on the other hand, will probably have no use when you have better options, and will have next to no resale value if you want to sell it! 

 

I do agree with @fretmeister though - I'd be tempted to go direct with any electric guitar/bass recording and use plugins. I often do this out of choice in the studio as well, despite having a wonderful, large controlled recording room, nice amps and lovely mics! 

[Dad3353]

3 hours ago, Ramirez said:

... Beyerdynamic M88...

 

Surely overkill, given the OP's brief..? A splendid mic, I've no doubt, but there's a long way to go in home recording before its qualities come to the fore, I'd suggest. If money's no object, fine, but is it the case here..? 

[Bassybert]

I use a Rode NT1-A (bought from this very parish) with a Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 and they work great, both are highly regarded in the home recording industry.
 

The Rode is a condenser mic that excels at vocals and both acoustic/electric guitars. For electric and basI i do go direct into the 4i4 though, find it much easier and the results are way more consistent in my smaller studio room. 

Edited April 29 by Bassybert

[Ramirez]

7 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Surely overkill, given the OP's brief..? A splendid mic, I've no doubt, but there's a long way to go in home recording before its qualities come to the fore, I'd suggest. If money's no object, fine, but is it the case here..? 

 

I agree to a point, but my post only suggested this if the posted saw this as something long term. And if he decided to sell, they'd make a good chunk of the money back on an M88 (especially if they bought used!)

 

A good budget all-rounder is the Rode M3. I'd lean towards a small-diaphragm rather than a large-diaphragm as their off-axis colouration are usually much better, so any spill/room reflections will not sound as nasty. Also they are inherently more accurate/neutral sounding, so can be a good fit for a variety of sources.

[pete.young]

I agree with @fretmeister, just record vocals and run everything else direct into a DAW such as Reaper or Garageband, through an interface.

 

For value it's pretty hard to beat the Behringer XM8500, these are on a par with an SM58 and 1/5th the cost.

 

For an interface, there is a lot of second-hand choice. Focusrite and Presonus are popular.

[lurksalot]

I’ve got a Rode NT1-A I don’t use it a lot as it’s normally in a drawer , but an SM58 is always on its stand for when inspiration strikes , and with my voice any subtleties in recording quality are kind of irrelevant 😂

[Jack]

I've got an SE Electronics S1S that is superb in the 'recording only' category and fits almost within your budget. However, if this is a first mic and you're new to this then I'd recommend the Prodipe TT1 Pro. I have two that I use for vocals on stage and they are superb. Google them and see what the reviews and the professionals on ProSoundWeb say about them. £40 for a microphone that you'll never outgrow.

[Stub Mandrel]

Great thing about an SM58 is that if you move on to more specialised recording gear,  you still have a vocal mike that will last a lifetime and you can use on any stage in the world without being criticised, with the added bonus that it will serve in almost any other role.

 

The advantage over the SM57 is the rubber capsule suspension which reduces handling noise and will also help if recording at home where you may have to deal with things like less than solid floors or stands.

 

Not many other mikes offer such flexibility.

[Elfrasho]

On 23/04/2024 at 12:19, fretmeister said:

I'd use plugins for guitar, bass and drums and only do the vocals the traditional way.

Workflow will be far quicker, the results will be far more consistent too.

 

 

 

 

This. live tracking on a budget is more hassle than its worth ive found.

 

You're on a budget so download Amplitube. The starter pack is free, and i think they randomly give away free packs here and there, you'll have a great sounding guitar and bass with zero outlay.  And the extra packs arent that much, just buy what you think you'll utilise. If you've got guitar and bass sounds you want to use externally, you can plug your set up into the Audio interface and then use amplitube purely for the cab sims and room sounds. So many options for the guitars and bass these days! and easily done for free

 

I might be wrong but dont death metal vocalists tend to use dynamic mics for recording? If so, just get an sm58, and you can use that live when you get to that stage - some folk dont mind but if you need to get up close and personal with a mic, you might not want to be sharing a mic with 3000 other folk! 

 

Interface-wise; honestly anything is quite amazing these days. I use a roland Rubix22 and you can get them 2nd hand for £50 and it sounds and works brilliantly. I've used it for remote recording sessions into professional studios and I've had multiple comments saying that the audio I'm providing is excellent, so one of those would do you nicely.

 

Drums: for free midi drums, I've tried all the free things and I think the best one is the Steve Slate drums. dead easy to use, and lots of control- only limited to the actual drum samples that you get which might not suit death metal.