Quote:
Originally Posted by jervi
I'm thinking of buying a mic for recording acoustic guitar and some vocals.
My local store has got the following:
Shure PG57/PG58/SM58-LCE (dynamic mics)
Behringer C1/C2/C3 (condenser mics)
So...
Are the Shure mics good, and what are the differences between them?
Do I need some sort of amplifier, or can i plug them straight into my soundcard(audigy 2)?
Are the Behringer ones better, and if so, how do I used phantom power?
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Shure makes good mics, I've never seen great quality from anything made by Behringer. Condenser mics are good for acoustic guitar and vocals, but they all require some form of external power. Some will just use a battery, but the good ones usually need phantom power. Mics that need phantom power will have a XLR tip on the end of the cable (big 3 prong thing). You'll need something like a PA or a special audio interface for your computer. I use an M-Audio MobilePre USB interface and it supports phantom power. There are others more expensive and a few less expensive out there.
If you're using a dynamic mic you can just plug it in to your computer (you might need some adapters to get the connection right) but it's not going to sound as good as it could if you used a pre-amp of some kind. Depending on what you're using on the computer to record you may be able to sweeten it up after the fact, but I prefer to start with the best recording possible.
My advice would be to get a Shure SM57 (
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...Mic?sku=270102 ). It's the best bang for the buck and a good investment. You'll buy more mics but it will never be that old, crappy first mic that you don't use anymore. And since it's a dynamic mic you won't have to worry about phantom power.