Topic: Good condenser mic to use with TASCAM DR-40?

[Graeme]

I am really new to recording at home.  I am thinking about getting a Tascam DR-40 and was wondering what are some reasonable external condenser mics to use with it?  It would primarily be for spoken word.  Also it has a pre amp and I was wondering the value in getting an external pre amp as well?

[LikeASong]

Getting an external preamp depends on how much quality you want to have from your recordings. If you're recording spoken podcasts or speeches I think that you'd rather want a low ground noise level, which maybe will be tough to reach with the recorder's own preamps, so maybe getting an external preamp would help. Nevertheless, that would bring your budget significantly up...

Regarding the mic, Shure's SM-58 is widely regarded as one of the most reliable and best quality/price mics out there for recording voice. Keep your eyes peeled and be careful for there's a lot of Chinese fakes out there

[geequeue]

Regarding the mic, Shure's SM-58 is widely regarded as one of the most reliable and best quality/price mics out there for recording voice. Keep your eyes peeled and be careful for there's a lot of Chinese fakes out there

The OP asked specifically about condensers. The Shure SM-58 is a dynamic mic, almost certain to sound mediocre with the DR-40 internal pre-amp.

Graeme, Soundprofessionals has some great ideas for use with the DR-40. I've built pretty much this exact setup through them:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-TAPERS-BUNDLE-1

[F.O.Bean]

My cousins bought an Audio Technica stereo shotgun mic for $100 but it has an 1/8" stereo connector not an XLR connector. I would buy something smaller ala the Sony PCM-m10 or Roland r5 or a Tascam dr2d(cheapest option) and run the stereo shotgun directly into the mic input of one of those recorders. For $100 it sounds pretty damn good for what it is. Paired with a Tascam dr2d, that setup would run you around $200

[LikeASong]

Regarding the mic, Shure's SM-58 is widely regarded as one of the most reliable and best quality/price mics out there for recording voice. Keep your eyes peeled and be careful for there's a lot of Chinese fakes out there

The OP asked specifically about condensers. The Shure SM-58 is a dynamic mic, almost certain to sound mediocre with the DR-40 internal pre-amp.

Graeme, Soundprofessionals has some great ideas for use with the DR-40. I've built pretty much this exact setup through them:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-TAPERS-BUNDLE-1

Whooops, I missed the condenser bit! Sorry :X