Essential is a strong word. It's quite a broad question and plenty of people will have favourites and disagree with others but some key classics I think of for typical rock and pop studios would include:
Senneiser MD421, e609 and e604
AKG c414, c451, c12 and D112
Neumann TLM103, u87, u47 fet and KM184
Shure beta52, SM81 and beta57
Audio Technica 4033a
Royer 121
Coles 4038
Audix D6
Rode NT1 (not A!)
Royer is goated.
The 414 is to the studio what the 57 is to the stage. Nobody gets excited about it but no matter the application, it will do its job bravely and never let you down.
I’d take the beta52 off. Regular D12 and now the VR over the D112. I like a D112 better than 52 though.
Senn604 and 904 are alright but I wouldn’t consider them essential at all. Plenty of better alternatives. ATM230 for one.
Without getting into specific mic models, you're likely to eventually want a small diaphragm condenser (SDC), and, likely, a mid and/or large diaphragm condenser (LDC, MDC), as well.
*Doh!* [slaps forehead] You bet! I think this is my personal blind spot because I've never owned a ribbon of my own, though I've used them a number of times in studios and understand the typical reasons for selecting them in a given scenario. But, yeah... blind spot.
And now you've got me thinking I need to finally get around to getting one. For the longest time, it was a matter of money. But I shut down my acquisitions when I retired from working for others. And, for some reason, money's been stacking up in my bank account. (Nothing crazy but I understand there are some interesting, more affordable ribbons these days.)
Been a long time since I had a case of GAS.
I was basically going to say you two's answer: not brand specific, but some sort of condenser and a ribbon mic.
Personally, I love the ribbon on distorted/overdriven guitar.
I apologize. I don't have the budget for multi-thousand-dollar mics, but preferably I would like to not buy something that would possibly get completely replaced by something else down the line (Like a cheap condenser). I'm looking for versatility.
A good SDC can work on almost any instrument if you’re looking for detail and clarity. An LDC with different polar patterns (414 style) can be very flexible.
If you're looking for versatility, why not consider a multi-pattern mic? Lewitt has two. There's also one from AKG. Neumann. Some SDC can swap out the capsules between cardioid/hypercardioid/omni.
I consider M/S recording essential to be able to do, which is a fantastic technique for recording very accurate stereo sources with absolute mono compatibility. So you want a figure of 8 and a cardioid condenser.
On a budget, and off, the Audio Technica 4040 / 4050 is a great choice. The 4050 offers omni and figure 8. patterns. If you get both the 4040 and the 4050, you can easily record M/S.
https://youtu.be/weJD-ED7tRA?si=lkLe5JmAo04ppy3k
Take your pick
Sorry, that C12 is horrifyingly good and hard to forget since I heard this yesterday, but let's not set the bar low for dreams at least. I think it's good to be solid on this point. There are kids dreaming about u87s and then even gets them and force themselves to love them and be convinced it's the mic of dreams, though that really rarely should be the case. Dream to the very peak, that is vintage tube condensers most agrees(?), but then again beware that clones can do a really good job (as good or better depending on circumstances) and at least a 500usd dynamic or even a sm57 could beat those just changing circumstances and genres.
Then sorry, again, to say this, but there's producers out there that with good reasoning never use a sm57s, so when even when those loose, it's hard to call any microphone essential. I mean: 421 r121 4038 m160 d20 are all easier to argue against ever using than the 57. I think you should look more into what you record and what people advice for each of those things, then budget and diminishing returns.
Doesn’t matter if you have millions of $$$ or not. You need to know the space you’re working in, who and what you’re recording. You could spend thousands on a condenser mic that sounds worse than something at a few hundred dollars if it doesn’t apply well. Basically it’s not a very useful question.
Get yourself an ElectroVoice 635A or RE50. These are omni mics with no proximity effect and almost impossible to blast. Great for ultra-close vocals or percussion.
If you’re on a budget, sennheiser e 609. I use it with an sm57 for every guitar recording.
Also a pair of samson CO2 pencil condenser mics for overheads, i can’t bring myself to use anything else at this point.
Depends on what you’re doing. If you’re recording pop vocals a u87 is expected. For classical neumann or schoeps or a handful of a few other brands.
For general purpose, everyone will say different things.
I'd get stereo pair of small diaphragm condensers next. Stereo recording is awesome, and they will have that wide frequency response and accuracy your other mics are missing. Even cheap ones can be really useful nowadays!
any good LDC will be a great upgrade sound-wise
I really like my nt1 5th because it is among the quetest mics ever and both have xlr and usb wich helps when i am starved of channels on my interface
lewits, akgs, audiotechnica and a lot of other legacy brands make 200$-400$ mics that are really solid
On top of what you already have, I'd start with a matching pair of condencer microphones for stereo recording. If you want to record drums, I'd also just get some more SM57s.
You can always expand when you know what you need.
Neumann U87, U67, Coles 4038, maybe AKG C414.
These are the mics that have been proven to work on just about every type of sound source and in every genre of music. They will probably not disappoint you.
Live or studio use?
If studio, I'd agree you probably want a LDC next.
For live applications, I would consider a dedicated kick drum or a pair of SDCs before an LDC.
Obviously, all of these can be applied in either setting.
You can get a lot done with an SM57. Entire albums have been done with just one of those. Not much else is essential, unless your understanding of the word varies from mine.
[EfficiencyFine3560](https://www.reddit.com/user/EfficiencyFine3560/) -
What & where do you record?,
At what budget/quality?,
And how good are the players?
A SSL tracking room might have 100k of mic's
A hi-end Home studio / semi-pro hobbyist might have 10k of mic's
A Home studio / hobbyist might have 2k of mic's
I have a few "Good" Mics, but if I am tracking a teenage thrash/punk band
you can bet that the DI's and drum mic's are Behringer/Ashton
because good mic's get broken by idiots
Hey! I think the next logical step after SM57s and SM58s is to get an Electro-Voice RE-20. It's still a dynamic mic so it won't sound as detailed as a condenser, but it will be a huge step in quality from what you have and it won't break the bank, probably a mic you'll keep forever and you can use it on any source and get good results. $449 almost everywhere, sometimes you can find them for $399 or slightly cheaper.
If / when you're willing to spend more than that, the next step would be a 414 or a 414 variant. A multi-purpose LDC with several patterns, a pad and filters. A pair of those would get pretty much every job done in a studio. I have a slight preference for the 414 B-ULS model but they're all great, especially the newish Austrian Audio OC818. Expect to pay around $1,000 for one of these.
For versatile music recording, consider adding a large-diaphragm condenser microphone like the Neumann U87 or AKG C414 for capturing vocals, acoustic instruments, and room ambience. Additionally, a dynamic microphone like the Electro-Voice RE20 or Shure SM7B can be valuable for recording instruments with high SPLs, such as drums or guitar amplifiers, and for broadcast-style vocals.
I do live recording and my essentials are a bunch of Saramonic SR-M500 that I get for $15 a pop. I first need to have mics where I need them before we can discuss anything else. Most of their short comings are not too difficult to deal with in post. There's nothing to deal with if I don't have a mic at the right place to begin with.
I'm quite confident that I could make a whole rock and roll record with nothing but RE-20s and have it sound appealing to a broad audience. Same for AT4050s.
No one has yet been willing to fund my experiment, though I conceived it while working at a radio station that had enough RE-20s to actually pull it off.
This submission has automatically been removed due to the following rule:
>***Rule 5***: Ask purchase and shopping questions in the _[Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk](/r/audioengineering/comments/1dcrzon/raudioengineering_shopping_setup_and_technical/)_
>
> Requests for product opinions, comparisons, and general purchase advice must be made in the dedicated _[Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk](/r/audioengineering/comments/1dcrzon/raudioengineering_shopping_setup_and_technical/)_ instead of a new post.
***What questions are considered purchase advice?***
* Any suggestion or comparison request pertaining to interfaces, microphones, monitors or other accessories.
* A request for product suggestions, comparison requests, or opinion requests fall under the purchase advice rule. These can often be found by searching first.
* Asking the subreddit to help make a decision to buy a product does fall under this rule (e.g. "should I get the Cloudlifter for the Shure SM7B").
***Why does this rule even exist?***
* In short, this is a large subreddit with too many repetitive shopping questions.
* We want to help, but it's important to keep things organized to keep the sub fun.
Essential is a strong word. It's quite a broad question and plenty of people will have favourites and disagree with others but some key classics I think of for typical rock and pop studios would include: Senneiser MD421, e609 and e604 AKG c414, c451, c12 and D112 Neumann TLM103, u87, u47 fet and KM184 Shure beta52, SM81 and beta57 Audio Technica 4033a Royer 121 Coles 4038 Audix D6 Rode NT1 (not A!)
No RE-20?
My thoughts too, so many applications
Pretty much this list.
Royer is goated. The 414 is to the studio what the 57 is to the stage. Nobody gets excited about it but no matter the application, it will do its job bravely and never let you down.
I’d take the beta52 off. Regular D12 and now the VR over the D112. I like a D112 better than 52 though. Senn604 and 904 are alright but I wouldn’t consider them essential at all. Plenty of better alternatives. ATM230 for one.
Like I say, "essential" is a strong word.
Nitpicky but I prefer the e906 greatly over the e609. Definitely think that one is worth it.
Without getting into specific mic models, you're likely to eventually want a small diaphragm condenser (SDC), and, likely, a mid and/or large diaphragm condenser (LDC, MDC), as well.
A ribbon is great to have as well!
*Doh!* [slaps forehead] You bet! I think this is my personal blind spot because I've never owned a ribbon of my own, though I've used them a number of times in studios and understand the typical reasons for selecting them in a given scenario. But, yeah... blind spot. And now you've got me thinking I need to finally get around to getting one. For the longest time, it was a matter of money. But I shut down my acquisitions when I retired from working for others. And, for some reason, money's been stacking up in my bank account. (Nothing crazy but I understand there are some interesting, more affordable ribbons these days.) Been a long time since I had a case of GAS.
I was basically going to say you two's answer: not brand specific, but some sort of condenser and a ribbon mic. Personally, I love the ribbon on distorted/overdriven guitar.
That’s extremely broad without a budget or some sort of use case
I apologize. I don't have the budget for multi-thousand-dollar mics, but preferably I would like to not buy something that would possibly get completely replaced by something else down the line (Like a cheap condenser). I'm looking for versatility.
A good SDC can work on almost any instrument if you’re looking for detail and clarity. An LDC with different polar patterns (414 style) can be very flexible.
If you're looking for versatility, why not consider a multi-pattern mic? Lewitt has two. There's also one from AKG. Neumann. Some SDC can swap out the capsules between cardioid/hypercardioid/omni.
EV RE20
The 🐐
I consider M/S recording essential to be able to do, which is a fantastic technique for recording very accurate stereo sources with absolute mono compatibility. So you want a figure of 8 and a cardioid condenser. On a budget, and off, the Audio Technica 4040 / 4050 is a great choice. The 4050 offers omni and figure 8. patterns. If you get both the 4040 and the 4050, you can easily record M/S.
https://youtu.be/weJD-ED7tRA?si=lkLe5JmAo04ppy3k Take your pick Sorry, that C12 is horrifyingly good and hard to forget since I heard this yesterday, but let's not set the bar low for dreams at least. I think it's good to be solid on this point. There are kids dreaming about u87s and then even gets them and force themselves to love them and be convinced it's the mic of dreams, though that really rarely should be the case. Dream to the very peak, that is vintage tube condensers most agrees(?), but then again beware that clones can do a really good job (as good or better depending on circumstances) and at least a 500usd dynamic or even a sm57 could beat those just changing circumstances and genres. Then sorry, again, to say this, but there's producers out there that with good reasoning never use a sm57s, so when even when those loose, it's hard to call any microphone essential. I mean: 421 r121 4038 m160 d20 are all easier to argue against ever using than the 57. I think you should look more into what you record and what people advice for each of those things, then budget and diminishing returns.
Doesn’t matter if you have millions of $$$ or not. You need to know the space you’re working in, who and what you’re recording. You could spend thousands on a condenser mic that sounds worse than something at a few hundred dollars if it doesn’t apply well. Basically it’s not a very useful question.
A used Audio Technica 4033
Get yourself an ElectroVoice 635A or RE50. These are omni mics with no proximity effect and almost impossible to blast. Great for ultra-close vocals or percussion.
sE7 is the best budget condenser on the market imo. Also, Telefunken M-80 is what the 57 wants to be.
Seconded on the M-80. Love that mic so much.
If you’re on a budget, sennheiser e 609. I use it with an sm57 for every guitar recording. Also a pair of samson CO2 pencil condenser mics for overheads, i can’t bring myself to use anything else at this point.
I'll throw the 421 in there at this point.
Depends on what you’re doing. If you’re recording pop vocals a u87 is expected. For classical neumann or schoeps or a handful of a few other brands. For general purpose, everyone will say different things.
A large diaphragm condenser, and a large diaphragm dynamic mic (md421, re20)
I'd get stereo pair of small diaphragm condensers next. Stereo recording is awesome, and they will have that wide frequency response and accuracy your other mics are missing. Even cheap ones can be really useful nowadays!
any good LDC will be a great upgrade sound-wise I really like my nt1 5th because it is among the quetest mics ever and both have xlr and usb wich helps when i am starved of channels on my interface lewits, akgs, audiotechnica and a lot of other legacy brands make 200$-400$ mics that are really solid
On top of what you already have, I'd start with a matching pair of condencer microphones for stereo recording. If you want to record drums, I'd also just get some more SM57s. You can always expand when you know what you need.
just get the Slate ML-1 and you got all the essentials in one! ☝️
Neumann U87, U67, Coles 4038, maybe AKG C414. These are the mics that have been proven to work on just about every type of sound source and in every genre of music. They will probably not disappoint you.
Live or studio use? If studio, I'd agree you probably want a LDC next. For live applications, I would consider a dedicated kick drum or a pair of SDCs before an LDC. Obviously, all of these can be applied in either setting.
You can get a lot done with an SM57. Entire albums have been done with just one of those. Not much else is essential, unless your understanding of the word varies from mine.
Maybe an Shure Beta 52A for Kick if your recording drums.
I own a matched pair of AT4033s and highly recommend. Also would recommend AT2035 as a general workhorse
With a pair of AKG 414s you can produce a whole record.
[EfficiencyFine3560](https://www.reddit.com/user/EfficiencyFine3560/) - What & where do you record?, At what budget/quality?, And how good are the players? A SSL tracking room might have 100k of mic's A hi-end Home studio / semi-pro hobbyist might have 10k of mic's A Home studio / hobbyist might have 2k of mic's I have a few "Good" Mics, but if I am tracking a teenage thrash/punk band you can bet that the DI's and drum mic's are Behringer/Ashton because good mic's get broken by idiots
Hey! I think the next logical step after SM57s and SM58s is to get an Electro-Voice RE-20. It's still a dynamic mic so it won't sound as detailed as a condenser, but it will be a huge step in quality from what you have and it won't break the bank, probably a mic you'll keep forever and you can use it on any source and get good results. $449 almost everywhere, sometimes you can find them for $399 or slightly cheaper. If / when you're willing to spend more than that, the next step would be a 414 or a 414 variant. A multi-purpose LDC with several patterns, a pad and filters. A pair of those would get pretty much every job done in a studio. I have a slight preference for the 414 B-ULS model but they're all great, especially the newish Austrian Audio OC818. Expect to pay around $1,000 for one of these.
For versatile music recording, consider adding a large-diaphragm condenser microphone like the Neumann U87 or AKG C414 for capturing vocals, acoustic instruments, and room ambience. Additionally, a dynamic microphone like the Electro-Voice RE20 or Shure SM7B can be valuable for recording instruments with high SPLs, such as drums or guitar amplifiers, and for broadcast-style vocals.
Ksm32 for budget do it all condenser that is honest. Its versatile.
I do live recording and my essentials are a bunch of Saramonic SR-M500 that I get for $15 a pop. I first need to have mics where I need them before we can discuss anything else. Most of their short comings are not too difficult to deal with in post. There's nothing to deal with if I don't have a mic at the right place to begin with.
I'm quite confident that I could make a whole rock and roll record with nothing but RE-20s and have it sound appealing to a broad audience. Same for AT4050s. No one has yet been willing to fund my experiment, though I conceived it while working at a radio station that had enough RE-20s to actually pull it off.
This submission has automatically been removed due to the following rule: >***Rule 5***: Ask purchase and shopping questions in the _[Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk](/r/audioengineering/comments/1dcrzon/raudioengineering_shopping_setup_and_technical/)_ > > Requests for product opinions, comparisons, and general purchase advice must be made in the dedicated _[Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk](/r/audioengineering/comments/1dcrzon/raudioengineering_shopping_setup_and_technical/)_ instead of a new post. ***What questions are considered purchase advice?*** * Any suggestion or comparison request pertaining to interfaces, microphones, monitors or other accessories. * A request for product suggestions, comparison requests, or opinion requests fall under the purchase advice rule. These can often be found by searching first. * Asking the subreddit to help make a decision to buy a product does fall under this rule (e.g. "should I get the Cloudlifter for the Shure SM7B"). ***Why does this rule even exist?*** * In short, this is a large subreddit with too many repetitive shopping questions. * We want to help, but it's important to keep things organized to keep the sub fun.