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View Full Version : Anyone know of a good, about $10-15 mic I could get?



DJ Maxed
06-30-2012, 12:16 AM
I'm only a teen, so this is all I can afford for a mic. I already have a hercules mp3 e2 and numarks hf125s with a dj cable.

mufutau55
06-30-2012, 05:51 PM
Behringer XM8500 Mic only $21.99 or less if you can search.. very nice Mic, I got three of that.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/215145-REG/Behringer_XM8500_XM8500_Dynamic_ULTRAVOICE.html

Mufutau


I'm only a teen, so this is all I can afford for a mic. I already have a hercules mp3 e2 and numarks hf125s with a dj cable.

Manu
07-02-2012, 07:45 AM
No such thing as a good budget microphone. Try sourcing a used Shure sm 57 or 58

Dave Daschofsky
07-02-2012, 11:36 AM
sometimes guitar center has sales on these mics for around $20
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Digital-Reference-DRV100-Dynamic-Cardioid-Handheld-Mic-105930713-i1532394.gc

I've got a couple that I use for karaoke because they sound good enough and for the price I don't care if they get dropped once in a while by someone with a slippery grip. One of them I bought almost six years ago and it's still going strong.

If you can afford it get a used shure sm58 though.

ampnation
07-02-2012, 12:31 PM
New: I've heard GTD audio has some good cheap mics
Used: Shure SM58 will run more than your stated budget and there's a fair chance you'll end up with a counterfeit. The SM58 retails new for about $99 and can be found used for 1/2er or more. They're built like tanks meaning you'll be introduced to the concept of buy once, cry once. This means you'll suffer a larger outlay now but you won't be going back to the store every few months to replace it. Even picky singers like Sting use the SM58. If you can buy new from an authorized dealer, you can be sure you don't end up with a counterfeit.

jayhwk
07-05-2012, 08:40 PM
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/electro-voice-pl80a-buy-one-get-two-free

Buy the pack, sell two of them for $60 each. Then you have a $30 mic. They're the best cheap mic out there - I have six and use them for live sound all the time. While I am a big fan of the SM58, these guys stack up nicely. They have a very tight pattern and sound wonderfully smooth.

It's easy to make a mic that sounds good on axis - if you try them out, the biggest things to watch for are off axis response (does it still sound somewhat natural on the sides), handling noise, and popping on "p" and "t" sounds.. Also, watch your mic technique- never cup a microphone, and hold it about an inch away from your mouth. Move it closer to sound bassier.

I wouldn't buy a used Shure mic unless it came with a receipt from an authorized dealer. There are a lot of fakes floating around out there.

Phil Noize
07-06-2012, 05:06 AM
A friend of mine runs a PA Hire Company in London. Shure mics have always been their main stock until the last couple of years. Then they discovered ...

JTS mics. They are better build quality, much better sound quality, made in the same factory as Shure, and have a lower price point for the same spec.

http://www.jts.com.tw/

If you can find a used one, it would serve you well!!

windspeed36
07-07-2012, 08:47 AM
I see SM58's used all the time for around $60 - and that's in Australia with a RRP of $130-$170.

windspeed36
07-07-2012, 08:49 AM
A friend of mine runs a PA Hire Company in London. Shure mics have always been their main stock until the last couple of years. Then they discovered ...

JTS mics. They are better build quality, much better sound quality, made in the same factory as Shure, and have a lower price point for the same spec.

http://www.jts.com.tw/

If you can find a used one, it would serve you well!!
That would be fine for a one off use, but people don't like hiring brands they don't know. I know of PA hire companies that went broke because they stoked the wrong brands for the area. The speakers may have sounded awesome but people wanted JBL and RCF.

Phil Noize
07-07-2012, 01:28 PM
That would be fine for a one off use, but people don't like hiring brands they don't know. I know of PA hire companies that went broke because they stoked the wrong brands for the area. The speakers may have sounded awesome but people wanted JBL and RCF.

Fair play, I'm not gonna argue with that.

However, these guys are going from strength to strength. Their lists of equipment don't even mention what make of mics are supplied, and people are pleasantly surprised when they get high quality mics & radio mics that perform better than the likes of Shure's SM58, which is afterall a 30 year old design, and sounds rather muddy by comparison.

The OP was after something affordable and decent quality, so that's what I suggested.

jayhwk
07-07-2012, 03:20 PM
made in the same factory as Shure

That's BS. As far as I can figure out, JTS is a Chinese company and has all its manufacturing there. Shure makes the SM58 in Mexico.

The "made in the same factory" thing is almost always a scam by a counterfeiter making you feel better about buying a knock off. It is, however, insulting and damaging to the brands being knocked off.

It does seem like JTS is an actual company, and not a counterfeiter (though their mics do look suspiciously like their Shure counterparts). They're distributed by FBT in the United States.

Phil Noize
07-07-2012, 03:24 PM
That's BS. As far as I can figure out, JTS is a Chinese company and has all its manufacturing there. Shure makes the SM58 in Mexico.

The "made in the same factory" thing is almost always a scam by a counterfeiter making you feel better about buying a knock off. It is, however, insulting and damaging to the brands being knocked off.

It does seem like JTS is an actual company, and not a counterfeiter (though their mics do look suspiciously like their Shure counterparts). They're distributed by FBT in the United States.

Production facility expansion
1982: Manufacturing facility opened in Wheeling, Illinois
1983: Phonograph cartridge manufacturing facility opened in Agua Prieta, Mexico
1984: Wired microphone manufacturing facility opened in Juarez, Mexico
1989: Juarez, Mexico facility expanded
1994: Agua Prieta facility expanded in 1994
2005: Manufacturing facility opened in Suzhou, China[7]

taken from ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shure

... you were saying?

jayhwk
07-07-2012, 07:04 PM
Production facility expansion
1982: Manufacturing facility opened in Wheeling, Illinois
1983: Phonograph cartridge manufacturing facility opened in Agua Prieta, Mexico
1984: Wired microphone manufacturing facility opened in Juarez, Mexico
1989: Juarez, Mexico facility expanded
1994: Agua Prieta facility expanded in 1994
2005: Manufacturing facility opened in Suzhou, China[7]

taken from ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shure

... you were saying?

Does it say that the "wired microphone manufacturing facility" in Juarez has been closed? Does that Wiki link tell you where they make SM58s?

I have a close relative that works for Shure, including dealing with all of their out of US offices and manufacturing centers - probably a more accurate source than Wikipedia. Yes, they do have some manufacturing in China. For instance, the bags that come with each microphone are mad in China. No, they don't make SM58s in China. SM58s are made in Mexico.

Phil Noize
07-08-2012, 12:25 AM
I think you'll find that the mics (inc 58s) supplied to Europe are manufactured in China, and have been for the last few years.

cooper
07-13-2012, 08:56 PM
Behringer XM8500

+1

Now my main backup to my wireless mic. Switched from a Shure SM57 (also a good choice, but way above the OP's budget)