Will be using it with PTLE at home mainly for acoustic guitar, vocals and some electric guitar. Is this a first decent mic or is there anything else around £100 i should look at?
Comments
While they both use the same cartridge, the metal mesh windscree
While they both use the same cartridge, the metal mesh windscreen on the 58 holds up better if and WHEN the mic gets dropped.I have seen too many 57's wrecked by the errant fall. In addition, that ball on a 58 results in better pop supression than a 'sock' on a 57. The only time that 57 would be better-suited is in a tight-mic'ing situation, like on a snare drum, and that wasn't one of the placements the poster stated. And even if it was, I'd suggest the Audix i5, which I have found to be superior to the 57 in that type of scenario. It has a smoother top end and a metal head than that plastic one on the 57. I don't know how much an i5 is (or even if it's available in Scotland), but that is a mic to be considered, as well. Here in the States, a 57 is $90, the 58 is $100, and the i5 is also $100. In Scotland, that 100 pounds is a good chunk of change ($180). Spend wisely!
moonbaby wrote: ....I have seen too many 57's wrecked by the err
moonbaby wrote: ....I have seen too many 57's wrecked by the errant fall....
They are pretty darned tough mics. Pretty much has to be a vicious, purposeful fall or a careless, boneheaded fall. Merely errant won't do it.
More seriously, I agree with Moonbaby about the relative advantages of the 57 and 58. 57 is good in tight places; 58 has the better pop filter and frankly just feels better to me as a vocal mic (though that might be habit). I use them both for live work all the time, so if you need live mics, you will keep whatever you buy forever. If you are just into recording, the 58 might stay in the drawer after you get a bunch of better vocal mics. (Though there are some voices that really pop with a 58.) I have not used the i5, the reviews here are pretty uniformly positive. There is pretty much no way to lose in this decision.
I should have said, "the errant DRUMSTICK"!!! Yes, the 57 is pre
I should have said, "the errant DRUMSTICK"!!! Yes, the 57 is pretty tough, but many of mine have gotten to look pretty ugly after MANY years
of being dropped on concrete, blasted into, and smacked around. With the 58, that ball can look pretty gnarly after time, too (all of mine have lipstick on 'em!), but replacing it is reasonably cheap ($15=32 pounds!) and easy. Kinda like my first wife...
Everything in the "rock" category on my acidplanet page was reco
Everything in the "rock" category on my acidplanet page was recorded with AT2020s. That includes the guitar cabs, drum overheads, and vocals. You can check out the songs here http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=327701& . Scroll towards the bottom for the rock songs. The 2020s were preamped by a little Behringer mixer and then straight into my soundcard. I did use plenty of effects on everything later including the Voxengo "voxformer" plugin.
Go for the 58...
Go for the 58...