Topic: Need a Cheap Open Mic Solution

[Aman]

Hi fellas,

These are some impressive forums! I've learned much from only the few minutes I've been reading here. I hope to become an active member!

I have a question about taping my band's shows. We have access to an MR-8 (I know, I know) that we can record to, and we have access to one or two mic stands. I am just wondering what the best way is to go about recording our shows in stereo to this digital 8-track. We'd like to keep the mics and all the other equipment on the stage if it all possible, and we'd also like for the cost of these mics to be under $200 if at all possible. We simply cannot afford any better on our current budget.

I am not really looking for an audiophile-level solution here. We just need something that will record decent sound that will assure us that we will be able to hear our performances. We recorded with two very cheap mics (I think they were vocal mics!) once and we ended up hearing the most distorted and compressed sound! It was truly unlistenable.

Are there any solutions to our specific situation? I know that this is crude and very entry-level, but it's the best we can do for now. Thanks in advance for any help in answering my question! It is greatly apprecaited!!

-Andrew

[thegreatgumbino]

Hey Andrew.  If you can pony up another 30 bucks you can grab these used Studio Projects C4's in the Yard Sale.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=57382.0 

Great mics for the price!  If you do some searching around on this site you'll find that they have phenomenal sound for a low cost entry level mic.  FYI, I'm not affiliated with the seller.

[stigs]

i second the c4's 

[admkrk]

not to dis the c4s, but i have a set of nt5s i was going to put on ebay. they don't get much respect around here, but they do sound nice. i can post an mp3 from a couple weeks ago if you want a listen.

[jimi56]

If neither of those work out, i picked up a set of Sampson C02s for 80$ from Sweetwater.com.  They have been working surprisingly well.  If you want to hear those check out...

http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=33318

[shaggy]

http://www.superlux.us/smalldiaphragm.html

SMK-H8K are the Chinese Schoeps CMC64 knockoffs....145 a pair!

[SparkE!]

http://www.superlux.us/smalldiaphragm.html

SMK-H8K are the Chinese Schoeps CMC64 knockoffs....145 a pair!

I've got a pair of these and I like them a lot.  They don't have quite the bass response as my omnis, but that's to be expected from cardiod mics.  They come with a case and an ORTF bar with shock mounts and wind screens.  For the price, they are very hard to beat.

[momule]

I can vouch for the Samson Co2's aswell.  Like others have posted they can be a bit thin in the lowend.  But for less than $100 they will bring a listenable tape home. 

The Samson CO2's and SMK-H8K are the same mic's just rebranded.

Here is a small sample from a blues show I taped Sat evening wiht the C02's >Dmod UA-5>Jb3

[momule]

Oh and +T Jimi56 for taping some Derek.

 

[smokydays]

Nice Nick, I didnt know you had picked up some C02's.  They sound really good!

[shaggy]

The Samson CO2's and SMK-H8K are the same mic's just rebranded.

Is this true, they look like the same mics.  For $80 a pair, that is sick!  How well were they matched?

[momule]

Nice Nick, I didnt know you had picked up some C02's.  They sound really good!

I have had um for a couple years now.  Like I said they can a bit thin in the bottom end sometimes But I think they are hard to beat for the price.

[momule]

The Samson CO2's and SMK-H8K are the same mic's just rebranded.

Is this true, they look like the same mics.  For $80 a pair, that is sick!  How well were they matched?

I have held both and they are the same Body. They may have some different guts But I doubt it by the sound and freq respose listed. They dont come with the HM-32 shockmount but they do come with the HM-30 and you can snag the Hm32's for like $6 a piece. The pair I have is matched MUCH better Than a buddys Ck61 caps that he jsut got last summer.



 

[SparkE!]

Here's what the insides of the SMK-H8K mics look like:




Is that what the insides of the CO2 mics look like?

[shaggy]

Well, Schoeps knockoffs they ain't....