[legoman]

I want to buy a mono microphone for my portable MD recorder, but don't really want to spend the $100 for the usual suspects and don't feel like I want to do the DIY that was discussed here and on various MD sites. I don't need anything fancy, mostly for hobby audio-documentary type stuff, gifts for friends etc., but it should be decent.

The Giant Squid Audio Lab microphones seem great, for 50 bucks I could get their little plug microphone and the clip on microphone delivered. Soundprofessionals and Microphone madness also have small $30 microphones that could be augmented by a clip and an extension cable.

I am looking for people that have experience with those microphones and could tell me whether I am penny pinching at the wrong end or if the quality is decent or whether I will have excessive "popping" or stuff like that.

I am grateful for any info you can give me.

Legoman

 

[kwkarth]

If you want something small that sounds relatively great for the money I've been very pleased with the Audio Technica AT-831.

It's a Cardioid Condenser and the pigtail version can be had for around 60-80 bucks.

For a more substantial mic both in size and sound, I've found the AKG-C1000S to be unbelievably good, and versatile too. You can snag those for well under 200 bills.

I buy virtually all of my mics from these guys:
http://www.capitalcommunications.net/default.asp
and have done business with them since the very early 80's. Great folks. I bought my Beyer DT-250s from them too.

 

[Matt]

...the Darren dude from GSAL was a complete ********* arsehole to me. I ordered a battery box from him and when it arrived, one channel was out. I immediately e-mailed him, telling him I wanted a refund and how should I send it back? First, he tried ridiculing me into keeping them ("it's probably just a short, you can fix it. Man, if you send it back, I'm just gonna use it myself," etc.)

What a ****. I won't ever go "cheap" again.

Let me give you some sincere advice: Sound Professionals is THE way to go. Bonnie and Chris are the nicest people you'd ever want to meet and I have purchased the Croakie mounted mini binaurals, the hi-end cardiods with clips, and a brilliant battery box with CLEAN-ASS bass roll-off that worked RIGHT OUTTA THE BOX, damnit!

Every time I got something from them, I felt absolutely compelled to write them a testimonial e-mail stating that their products, their service and their kindness gave me "warm fuzzies" (direct quote).

Besides, if you cut out Giant Squid as an option, they are the cheapest.

Hope this helps.

- Matt