I really couldn't believe the results from this mic I never would have
predicted its performance. Just wow! You asked for a budget condenser mic
comparison and today I deliver. I've got five mics you requested
right here and I have tested them all for vocals, acoustic guitar, and spoken
word. I've even added a mystery mic. So which one is right for you? Let's find
out.
(Sanjay C singing in his gorgeous voice ;)
These mics range in price from $80 to $129.
I chose condenser microphones because they're more sensitive and work really
well for many vocalists. I tested one dynamic mic the Shure Sm58 and although
it's an industry standard, it was so different in sound I chose to leave it
out. The five mics in this roundup are all cardioid in pattern which means they
pick up sound from mostly one direction. This is great for vocals, guitars, and
most home studio applications. You'll need an audio interface for these microphones.
And if you're looking for a budget interface check out my video here. At the
end of the video you can listen to full sample recordings of vocals, acoustic
guitar, and spoken word (don't miss Only1Dharti's short poem) so you can compare them side-by-side. If you're new
around here, I'm Sanjay C. I have tons of videos to help you choose the best gear
for your music studio, consider subscribing if you haven't already.
Alright let's do this! For now let's do a blind test of vocals.
Make a note of your favorites and I'll reveal them after.
Show me how you do that trick the one that makes me scream she said
(Show me how you do that trick the one that makes me scream she said)
Alright did you pick your favorites? Next I'll reveal
which is which and then give you some more details which you will need
before making your final choice.
(show me how you do that trick the one that makes me scream she said the one
that makes me laugh she said and threw her arms around my neck show me how you do it and I
promise you I promise that I'll run away with you
I'll run away with you)
So which mic would you choose just from the sound? Let me know in the comments.
Here's a little more info of each mic and I'll tell you what I think of each
one and what or who they're good for. If you want to listen to the acoustic
guitar and spoken word samples go ahead and forward to that point and come back
from my opinion. But wait! What's the mystery mic? Well it's the Focusrite mic
that comes included with the Scarlett bundle. That includes headphones and an
audio interface as well. And I'm also going to do a quick test of the next
level up mic the AKG P220. I'll share my thoughts on both of those later in the
video. But for now, let's get to the main contenders. If you want to learn how to
process your vocals to get a modern sound I'll add a link to my tutorial in
the video description. Let's talk about the most popular mic
first. The AT2020 is the quietest of all the mics here. I mean when blocking out
background noise, almost silent. It sounded good enough but sometimes a
little thin. You'll hear that in the spoken word recordings. The fullness of
the lower frequencies didn't come through as much but for your voice that
may be a good thing. In fact I would really recommend this for vocalists my
acoustic guitar recording sounded great too although not as full as the King Bee.
To my surprise in blind tests the AT2020 came out lower every time because of the
competition. The AT2020 has the highest MAX SPL, which means the mic can take
some loud sounds. Belt it out with this mic without worrying about distortion.
This mic also has an excellent reputation for durability. The
King Bee by NEAT is the most sensitive mic of all these the original recording
was the loudest. But not in a bad way. I felt it brought more low end to the
table. It does have the widest frequency response of all the mics here even
acoustic guitar recordings and spoken words sounded fuller the King Bee scored
second place for a vocalist and almost all the blind tests I did with myself
and other listeners. But upon repeated listens I dropped it to third place. This
mic seems to have the most durable build quality of all the mics in the roundup
it's heavy and the materials feel top-notch. Now the look of it may not be
for everyone but I kind of like it it also comes with its own shock mount
you'll need it because of the square shape I know the box isn't that
important but WOW the presentation on this mic is amazing! They even give you a
little toy Bee. It was fun opening up this mic. If you're finding this information
useful hit the like button and leave a comment if you have any questions. The
MXL 770 is a very quiet mic. Silence sounded well silent and it scored top
marks on most of the blind tests! It's super smooth and I didn't really find
any problem frequencies with my voice or the guitar recordings. I really couldn't
believe the results from this mic. I never would have predicted its
performance. Just WOW! It's almost like it neatly hid all the problems and just let
the most beautiful sounds come through. This mic is a great value considering
you get the shock mount included as well. I love this mic and I have a feeling
I'll be using it again and again. The AKG P120 performed very well after hours of
listening blindly, I started choosing it over others in this roundup. Once I added
effects to my vocals I could hardly distinguish it from the MXL which
scored top marks in this roundup. Guitar recordings and spoken word sounded full.
Bass and treble were clear and separated. AKG has an excellent reputation and
has been around for a very long time. If you want to be safe with your choice
this is the mic to choose. The Samson C01 was pleasant but sounded boxy at times and that boxiness was more
evident in the spoken word recordings. It sounded a little like a radio at times
but it has a very nice build and comes with a nice hard case, surprising at this
price point. This is the cheapest mic in this roundup but don't let that fool you.
It sounds more expensive than it is and sounded good when I recorded my acoustic
guitar. Other mics from this list beat the sound quality of the Samson but if
your budget is $80 this is a great mic to buy... your friends won't know the
difference. So what about those mics that are
included in bundles? well, I tested the Scarlett Solo bundle
mic and well, it was pretty good. It was a little thin in sound compared to the
others. I missed some of the fullness of the
King Bee and the quietness of the Audio Technica but it's totally usable.
( Sanjay C and his beautiful voice)
It's a good enough mic to start with but you'll eventually want to upgrade.
The scarlet solo bundle is $219 and it comes with an audio interface and
headphones. It's a super popular bundle so what do you get when you level up to
a $149 microphone? Well I tried the AKG P220 it's a bump in
price at $149 but not that much. The P220 has a lot of clarity and even some
high-end Sparkle. Really nice Sparkle! It wasn't a huge difference from the $99
P120 but it was noticeable when it comes to clarity.
I really liked it for my vocals if you've got the extra money to
spend you'll be happy. And it comes in this handsome box as well. So which one
of these would I choose?
Well for my voice I really liked the AKG P120 and
the MXL 770. They both brought out the best in my voice and the acoustic guitar
recordings were good too. When choosing a mic, buy what you can afford.
You've got some great choices here. Also trust your ears with the audio samples
I've included in this video. You don't need to agree with my
assessment choose what sounds good to you. If you have any questions about any
of these mics, leave them in the comments below and if you've got a mic that you'd
like me to test in the future, let me know as well.
Keep Making The Music You Love.
And I'll see you again in my Saturday NEWS (#SanjayCNews) reports for some free
plugins, the latest news, and the best music year deals.
( Only1Dhart's POEM)
In the midnight sky she flew across the horizon
dust sparkles behind her tail
falling down then across and up
as she swooped and glided into the moon
(Sanjay reciting excerpt from a Pablo Neruda poem)
Don't go far off for a day because because I don't know how to say it a day is long and
I will be waiting for you
( Sanjay C plays guitar)
(Sanjay C covers The cure)
Show me how you do that trick the one that makes me scream she said the one
that makes me laugh she said and threw her arms around my neck show me how you do it
and I promise you I promise that I'll run away with you I'll run away with you