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Best budget microphone


bonzodog
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The OP was talking budget mics, and as I said earlier, I could hear no discernible difference between the Behringer and teh Shures, I was skeptical about them when I bought the first set, but once I started using them, I immediately sent off for another set.
For me, and a lot of other people on here, they are very good mics for the money.

It really depends on the OP's funds, we all have different budgets and needs, some people buy Wals and other high-end basses, while others are perfectly happy with Squiers and the like. :)

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[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1426880201' post='2723147']
The OP was talking budget mics, and as I said earlier, I could hear no discernible difference between the Behringer and teh Shures, I was skeptical about them when I bought the first set, but once I started using them, I immediately sent off for another set.
For me, and a lot of other people on here, they are very good mics for the money.

It really depends on the OP's funds, we all have different budgets and needs, some people buy Wals and other high-end basses, while others are perfectly happy with Squiers and the like. :)
[/quote]

Yes exactly. We happily use 58s and I wanted a low cost mic that may well end up staying in our kit bag forever.

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[quote name='jensenmann' timestamp='1426878408' post='2723111']
Being a microphone nerd and having app 150 microphones at my disposal it really hurts to read people seriously recommending cheaparse mics.
[b]There´s a german saying: if you buy cheap you´ll buy twice[/b]. Anyway, your shop is right to not recommend the PG series. These have nothing common with all the attributes of a SM58 except the brand name. Get another used 58 or a SM57 which gives you another sound option if necessary. In case you want to go more versatile then have a look at a Beyerdynamic M88. These are the very best bang for the buck most versatile dynamic microphones ever. Besides being a great vocal mike it´s fantastic for drums (yes, kick, too), bass guitars, guitar, brass, etc. That mic would be my desert island dynamic microphone.
[/quote]

It's a British/English saying too!

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I bought cheap from a well known, large german instrument supplier, an acoustic bass for £36 to be precise, and was so impressed with what I received that I bought another.
So I'd agree with that saying, I bought cheap and bought twice :P

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I wouldn't buy a back up mic with different vocal characteristics from your main mic.

If you're used to the main mic and have PA and foldback all set for it then suddenly plucking a different one from the kit bag mid gig because it's failed could seriously effect your sound out front, cause feedback problems on stage or simply not suit your vocal style because you've got used to mouth placement/proximity etc.

Buying a decent used one that matches the main one would make sure you can swap seamlessly between the two.

Also it doesn't have to just be a 'spare' swap the two around between gigs and prolong the life of each :)

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I've been checking mics a lot. A few years back I had the Samson Q7, Behringer XM and an SM58 together. As everyone said the sounds are fairly similar and if anything the Shure is the very slightly weaker sounding, the other two being very slightly more open sounding, but you wouldn't notice this if your PA is less than fairly high end. In which case you ought to be using better mics anyway. The Shure has the worst feedback rejection of the three (just) but the best handling noise (again only just) They really do sound very similar. The SM58 is a cardioid and the other two are super cardioids so the SM58 is better if you don't have good mic technique or can't keep still like me. I've had to resolder a couple of Behringers as the internal wiring is poor, a simple fix if you can solder but would cost you as much as the mic if you had to pay someone to do it, no problems with the Q7.

I've A/B checked the SM58 against the AKG D5 which is a whole lot better and equally as well built at about £60 it's a great mic, I bought a second. Well worth £30 extra. Again it's super cardioid so better feedback rejection but more demanding of good technique and a strong proximity effect. you might need to move your monitors if feedback is a problem. With a cardioid you need the mon's in line supers you put them off line at 135degrees.

Yesterday I checked out the D5 against the Shure and the Sennheiser E835 (£60) and the E935 (£140) and the EV ND967. The d5 has a more open sound than either of the Sennheisers, I didn't think the E835 had much to offer over the Shure really other than being nearly half the price. The E935 doesn't sound as good with my voice as the D5 but has good detail in the mids and a nice rounded sound noticeably an upgrade from the Shure but more expensive. It's going to replace the D5 for me though, because it does sound nice and it is much less demanding of good technique. I move around when I am singing and playing bass which is a problem with a tight pickup pattern like the D5. The EV is a step up again in sound, if i sang lead rather than a few backing vocals I'd go for that but I don't have a great voice and no-one needs to hear me that clearly, in any case it is too expensive for your needs.

If you want something cheap and cheerful go for the Q7, if you know someone who solders the Behringer. If you want to sound better and don't jump around like a Jack in a box then buy the D5 and relegate the Shure to being a spare, it really does have a great sound for that money

Edited by Phil Starr
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On the basis of some of the Basschat comments and some interweb reviews I've bought a Samson Q7 to replace a very very low level mic I was using. I only sing some sparse backing vocals on half a dozen songs we do. £19.99 delivered from an Ebay seller and seems to be very good value for that money. Going to use in anger this Friday.

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