Which mic should I choose for covers?

[solar garden]

I'm looking for a good microphone. I now have a Mozos MKIT-900PRO and a friend of mine lent me his microphone from Audio-Technica. It's much better than mine, so I decided to buy a good quality microphone. Price doesn't matter, but let's not exaggerate. I probably won't buy a studio microphone for a very high price. First of all, I need a condenser microphone (preferably cardioid). I'm debating between the Rode NT1-A and the Rode NT1 Signature. I really don't know which one is better. If you have a better microphone to recommend at a similar price, I'm open to it. I hope someone can help me
I love ya ~Kazun<3

[urban crater]

So this is the microphone I bought for quite cheap along with a pop filter of its same brand. It's a Fifine K669B cardioid microphone I bought a few days ago, and I also got the Fifine U1 Pop filter compatible with it, I can show you how the sound actually, well, sounds like if you want.

Here are the links for it on Amazon
FIFINE USB Microphone, Metal Condenser Recording Microphone K669B: https://a.co/d/7tRIVje
FIFINE USB Recording Microphone and Pop Filter Set, Condenser Computer PC Mic Bundle with Mic Pop Screen, (K669B+U1) https://a.co/d/4ErzRsB

[wide vigil]

They are both really the same microphone. The NT1-A is just a little brighter than the NT1 since it has a different frequency response. The NT1 is designed to be as flat and neutral as possible to make it easier to make changes to it yourself while the NT1-A is optimal for vocals since you need a lot of high-end in vocals anyways. I'd just get the cheaper NT1-A but you can decide for yourself!

[solar garden]

I have a USB mic... The sound card in my laptop is not the best quality and I would rather have an XLR mic, which requires an interface to it, but thanks for helping :3

[solar garden]

I thought that NT1 would be better than NT1-A to be honest. I don't know much about mics, so thanks for the advice!

[wide vigil]

yeah you could just get a cheap $50 one though. The one I usually recommend is the maudio mtrack solo since it's the cheapest you could get but which still does the job

[wide vigil]

The NT1 is more versatile while the NT1-A is specifically designed for vocals

It's not quite that simple but in a nutshell that's basically it

[wise locust]

just get a presonus revelator if you want usb, for xlr it depends on what you want out of it, I stay away from the nt1-a and the nt1 as I find the nt1-a too harsh sounding on the top end and the nt1 a bit expensive for how boring it sounds.

[wise locust]

I would say a behringer umc202hd is way better and around the same price range

[wide vigil]

The whole point of the NT1 is a natural and balanced sound which makes it more versatile. Sometimes boring is just what you need

[wide vigil]

I do not find the NT1-A sounding harsh but I guess it's pretty subjective and a matter of taste

[wise locust]

I'm an audio engineer and I found the tones coming from it quite unuseable for female vocals

it's just not a smooth sounding top end

[wide vigil]

Yeah I know you're the audio engineer and you probably know more ''audio magic'' than I do, and I can agree that on specially female vocals where there's already a lot of highs present it can sound a bit harsh but I do not think that applies to male vocals.

Now it just so happened that the person asking for advice is male. So I don't know why bringing up the harshness on female vocals is relevant

[acoustic peak]

Agree with this, my favorite mic from rode is the NTK which uses a tube. Have found it to hold up surprisingly well vs very expensive studio staples like Neumanns

[acoustic peak]

Get a used Rode NTK

[wise locust]

now this is a good mic

[acoustic peak]

Especially with a tube swap, they sound fantastic

[brittle pawn]

i wouldnt tell anyone to spend more than 100$ - 400$ on a mic theres so many good full range sounding mics - plus you can do a lot in post to make your vocals sound any way you want - u want a nutral flat sounding mic so that in your mix you can add all kinds of effects , sm57 , sm58 , mxl mics , ribon mics - anything aT 2020 AT 2050, ect ect , whatever u can get - just learn about frequicence spectrum to see how a mic sounds before buying it - look at the EQ graph of a mic

telling sum1 here to buy a Neumanns - thats like a car down payment thats crazy

there isnt 1 best mic - theres tons of mic options

a mid to cheap level condenser mic is prob the easiest to get a wide range of vocal sounds

[wide vigil]

I think you've got the wrong idea about frequency ranges. Sm58s only capture up to 15 khz while a lot of phone mics capture all the way up to 20 khz. Though the Sm58 is of course always gonna be better. It's not that big of a deal as you think

What actually matters is the frequency response curve, and even above that is just the general clarity and sound of it

[celest glacier]

https://youtu.be/aZLwnVw_h00?si=guBKtXGX9w7dWCH9

https://youtu.be/5uyBYnoZB5k?si=lT7m_aA5yAopZowN

I mainly use a Neumann KMS 105 but when I was mic shopping I was seriously considering the regular NT1

[dull hemlock]

also rode ntk used is like 200

nt1 signature is also hella good for the money

with that said i wouldn't get an ntk used

being introduced to the world of tubes early on is NOT my idea of fun

[acoustic peak]

I never said for them to buy a Neumann, they wanted a great mic and I recommended an option that’s affordable and has fantastic sound quality. Used rode NTKs are like 200-300 usd and get close to those sought after holy grail mics

[acoustic peak]

There’s plenty of info out there on them and it’s really not the maintenance nightmare it’s made out to be. It ain’t a C800G where taking it in for a service is half your monthly rent

[dull hemlock]

i think you're overestimating the willpower of the average beginner to learn and underestimating the impact of friction

like it's not OUTSIDE anyone's ability, but when you're starting out, what you want is stuff that Just Works

like imagine the first thing you have to do is open up your mic and get a tube replacement lmao

it's not HARD but if you're new it can be scary and demotivating