[openminded]

I've got a budget of $1000 and I'd like to get the best mic for the money.

I've been reading about the Neumann TLM 102 and AT4047 being quite good Are those the best I can get or is there even better?

 

[TwelveTrains]

Neumann is definitely a juggernaut when it comes to voice recording. The Neumann U 87 is probably the most widely used studio microphone in the world, but at $3600.00, it's a bit out of your range.

 
I haven't done much research/can't necessarily vouch for their lower end products,but I know their high-end stuff ain't junk!

 

[Oklahoma]

Try taking a look at the Blue mic lineup.  Blue makes a very broad selection of mics and I not yet come across one that was bad.  Also, many of their selections are under 1k so it can get you pretty much any of their mics with the exception of the top end mic.

 

[ABPHOTO]

Hi Openminded,
 
Do you already have a recording room and a preamp ? I'm asking because this will make a huge difference on your recording when using large diaphram mic. Usually, TLM102 and AT4047 are not the "to go" mic for voice "speech".
 
If you want to record mainly voice over, I would go with Shure SM7 (380$CAD) or ElectroVoice RE20 (480$CAD) or Shure SM58 (160$CAD). These are usually what you would try first and are 99% of the time what work best. Also, with these mic, the pickup pattern is narrower than usual vocal mic, making it easier. 
 
With these mic, if you don't have a preamp or room treatment, you are left with a nice budget to play around. If you don't have a preamp or room treatment but do have a soundcard with on board mic preamp, I would buy one of those mic then get use to the sound and once you "know" the mic, then you can look into a nice preamp and a SE reflexion filter if you dont have room treatment these are great to work with.
 
Hope it helps
Alex B

 

[openminded]

  Hi Openminded,
 
Do you already have a recording room and a preamp ? I'm asking because this will make a huge difference on your recording when using large diaphram mic. Usually, TLM102 and AT4047 are not the "to go" mic for voice "speech".
 
If you want to record mainly voice over, I would go with Shure SM7 (380$CAD) or ElectroVoice RE20 (480$CAD) or Shure SM58 (160$CAD). These are usually what you would try first and are 99% of the time what work best. Also, with these mic, the pickup pattern is narrower than usual vocal mic, making it easier. 
 
With these mic, if you don't have a preamp or room treatment, you are left with a nice budget to play around. If you don't have a preamp or room treatment but do have a soundcard with on board mic preamp, I would buy one of those mic then get use to the sound and once you "know" the mic, then you can look into a nice preamp and a SE reflexion filter if you dont have room treatment these are great to work with.
 
Hope it helps
Alex B

The TLM 102 and AT4047 aren't good for voice overs?
How come?

 

[ABPHOTO]

It's not that they are not good, is just that they are usually not the go-to mic for VO.
 
TLM and AT404X are LDC (large diaphram condenser) and LDC usually have bigger pickup pattern, so they pickup more ambient sound. If you have a recording room, these could work.
 
Using a Shure SM7b or RE20 which are dynamic mic, they have a narrower pickup pattern and it is easier to isolate your subject from any noise in the room.
 
If you don't have a dedicated recording room, it will be easier and  more fun to record with a SM7B IMO.
 
Just make sure that you buy a good mic preamp because the sm7b need more gain. So a good preamp with clean gain will help you a lot. In either case, you will need a good preamp to enjoy the TLM or the SHURE or any other mic ... Don't forget a good preamp, stand, pop filter in your budget.
 
Make some research, you'll see that the SM7b is appreciate by a lot of people for VO.
 
Regards
Alex B.