I doubt that you'll need anything over and above an SM58 at this stage.

SM58 for recording? Thought it was more of a live mic...or are you saying it is better suited for this voice

The 58 is a great mic. I have/had a few mics in the $700 range and sometimes I still prefer it on vocals.
With your budget and lack of any preamp at all, you should get a 58 or a 57 and spend the other $300 on an interface with built in pres. There are several in that price range.
Do you have monitors or headphones?
Don't limit yourself by buying a usb mic.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.musician…"]Audio Interfaces | Musician's Friend[/]="http://www.musician…"]Audio Interfaces | Musician's Friend[/]
Here are over 40 interfaces between $200-$300.

Hmm...so all I will need to get going is the sm58 and this? [="http://www.musician…"]PreSonus FireStudio Mobile 10x6 FireWire Recording System: Shop Pro Audio & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend
I[/]'ve got sennheiser HD555 headphones and not sure what you mean by monitor...this sounds dumb but yes I have a 22" LCD monitor lol

Yeah, that will work to get you started.
By monitors I meant speakers that are designed for the studio. Don't worry about that though because you'll be alright with just the headphones for now.
Your Sennheisers will be fine but they are an open back design so be careful how loud you have them turned up when you're singing.....if they are too loud the mic will pick up the music coming out of them......and because of that you definitely don't want to use a condenser as it will really pick up that noise.
If you find that you can't hear yourself good enough because of the low volume, you can find a pair of closed headphones for pretty cheap to use when singing.
Have fun and welcome to the addicting world of home recording:)

I was looking at the sm58 for quite a long time, but read something that made me lean towards the EV PL80c. The sound engineer that reviewed it used the sm58 as his workhorse for years, and when he tested the EV PL80a he was blown away and called the sm58 YUCK, and muffled in comparison. Do you know anything about that mic? I really want to start well here and cannot afford to mishit on this first investment.

No, but EV has been around for a while and they have a great reputation. In that same budget there's also the Sennheiser e835, and Audix OM2 and i5. I've used all three of those live and in my studio. The 835 was horrible on my voice (extreme sibilance) but some people LOVE them. The OM2 and i5 are more hifi sounding than the 58 and 57, respectively...but it really depends what you want to do with them and your singing style. If I'm singing in a smooth manner, the Audix mics (especially the OM2) sound great....more condenser-like than a 58. If I want to get a little grittier performance, the 58 or 57 will help add a little edge. Is one "better" than the other?...no. It just depends what you're going after.
A lot of these mics mentioned are very commonly used all over the place...see if you can borrow some and test them for yourself to see what sound YOU like.
And buy from a place that has a good return policy and you have nothing to worry about.

BTW, I just noticed you posted the same question in several of the forums. Just so you know, a lot of times if people see that it will detract them from answering you.

Thanks a lot for all your input. I see this place is not as active as I had hoped it to be. I admit I was in a rush to get to a decision after weeks of "due diligence" and getting nowhere...but maybe I'm closer now. It was more like I realized the initial places I posted were not the most suitable ones. Sorry about that, mods!

Based on my vocal style/source that I posted in the first post, can you give me some better advice as to the type of mic to match it?

Give the Audix OM-2 a try......if you don't like it send it back for an sm58.

Are you recording anything besides vocals?

Acoustic guitar, probably plugged in to the Firebox, and maybe keyboard through the mic

Keyboard shoud be recorded strait in, not miked. But yeah, give the OM-2 a try.

Shannon likes that better Pre-Sonus device that has more input and output flexibility. For $100 less you can get the Audio Box USB 1.1 unit for $150 US. So the money you'll save will pay for the SM58. By the way I recommend the SM58. If everything else sounded better, you would see everything else on everything else on TV. You don't. There's a reason for that. I don't care what any reviewer says, they're getting paid. If they're not getting paid, they get a free bag of microphones as an endorsement package to use. And while some folks like those AUDIX, the only one I like is their base drum microphone D6. Anytime people think a microphone sounds better, that's a purely subjective opinion. I happen to know that 58 can virtually be used interchangeably and sounds comparable to the + $3000 German-made Neumann 87's and all their others. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. And I've got the studio and the award nominations to prove it. Actually I don't have any studio... boo-hoo, sniff sniff, I used to. Now I just have a truck. A nice little truck. A simple little 25,000 pound Mercedes-Benz 1117 turbodiesel with a $150,000 control room inside the box. It would be great if there was any business for it these days??

I'll have to sell my Neve just to afford the diesel fuel... sheesh.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Wow, nice truck Remy, and thanks for the input. What if I get the Audio Box and go with an LDC like the CAD M179? Is my voice too loud for condenser mics? The videos I've seen on youtube with condenser vocals seem so clear and vivid...is the SM58 capable of such as well? I keep hearing "muddy", "muffled" and it's really bothering me

Anyone who makes an SM58 sound "muffled" isnt doing it right. There's a lot of mics. When you are first starting out its always a good idea to start with something that is tried and true. As your skills develop you can then look to alternative sounds and gear. But as a basic setup, the SM58 has no peers.

People listen to cheaply made condensers that are extremely hyped in the upper frequencies and then they think the sm58 sounds muffled by comparison. What they don't get is that all that high freq info makes their recordings sound terrible and thin because digital is not forgiving at all in the high frequencies.
I don't have a big mic collection. I have a few condensers in the sub $1000 range that are generally well received and I also like their sound. I also used to own some other well respected sub $1000 condenser mics that I liked but had to let go of because on my budget I have to have all starters...no bench. Being a singer/songwriter who generally only records himself, I don't need a lot of mics.
I would say 75% of my vocal duties are handled by dynamic mics. Most of the time, I use the Shure sm7b. It's a truly awesome vocal mic. If I want a little more edge and slightly less thick sound, I use an sm58. I don't own the Audix OM-2 but my one of my friends does. I had it in my studio for about a week and was impressed with it on vocals. But I wouldn't trade my 58 for it...because I have other mics that will do what I feel the Audix does better than the 58.
Very few times do I think the condensers I own out-perform dynamics on "MY" voice. When I think the song calls for something with quicker transient response, I'll use a condenser. For acoustic guitar I always reach for a condenser.
The m179 has been praised by many people for it's price/performance ratio....and for your acoustic guitar it will probably be better than a 58 (if you hang up some blankets to get rid of high freq reflections and make some homemade bass traps for the corners of your room). Condensers will pick up more of the room sound than dynamics...which is another reason you're better off starting out with dynamics.
You should listen to Remy and get the cheaper interface for sure. Even if you got the Presonus right now, you'll end up upgrading later. You won't upgrade a 58/57 or whatever dynamic you end up getting. There will always be a use for it.

I see. Is the Presonus then the best preamp in the class and price range? How about the

Focusrite Saffire Pro 14?

The Pre-Sonus devices indicate their microphone preamp is class A. This design philosophy generally indicates it will be smoother sounding and with its overload characteristics to be asymmetrical instead of symmetrical. That means it's producing more second order natural harmonic distortion than the third quarter or odd order version of clipped A/B Class amplifiers which is dissonant sounding an unflattering distortion. That sounds much like a car radio turned up too loud. Where the class A distortion sounds more like the overload of a classic tube guitar amplifier which is flattering sounding. Don't get me wrong, some of the greatest preamps ever made are class A/B, such as the API and plenty of Neve stuff. I actually have a client who I set up with that Pre-Sonus Audio Box USB 1.1 device. He also has a Mackie mixer. The Pre-Sonus sounds too smooth to him and he likes that edgier sounding quality from the class A/B Mackie. Which means he's slightly likes better the sound of that edgier quality as compared to the smoothness of the class A. So that's a judgment call based on personal preference. I use almost all strictly class A/B devices which are my Neve & API stuff. I actually had a class A Neve 1272 modified to a microphone preamp which sounds really fabulous. When you get into this stuff, you quickly realize that over driving a class A device has certain musical qualities that are different sounding from the slightly edgier quality of over driving a class A/B device, which can also sound bitchin'. Again, it's personal preference based upon what you are trying to achieve, sonically.

I don't play with the Focusrite stuff so I cannot advise you on that particular device. The design concept with some of their stuff was also based upon the time that Rupert Neve was involved with that company. So that could mean it's either class A, or class A/B? Either way, it's all good stuff. So there really isn't any best, only what you want. Being new at this, you can't possibly know what exactly you want until you begin to use it and learn from it. This will not be your first nor your last device you will own. It will simply be a long list of stuff you will be familiar with as you grow. Only then, will you be able to determine what is best for your needs. Many folks consider what we do to be more of a professional hobby than merely just a profession. And I think that would be somewhat of an accurate statement? It's really quite both. It's something we all have a huge passion for. So your next piece of equipment is just yet another piece of desert.

I like banana splits with all the stuff
Mx. Remy Ann David

Thank you for the education. I truly appreciate your help.

Although I am quite new to recording, I actually have an audience/fan base that like my songs. I want to get decent equipment that is budget, yet professional sounding, and preserves the tone/color/rawness of the voice.

I would say my budget right now for a mic+preamp is about $400.

Here's a simple thing I made just acapella...I'm sure as a pro you can see how terrible the sound is or how much room for improvement there is. I'll be doing a lot of multilayered tracks(?) with vocals, and some acoustic guitar and keyboard in the near future

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://soundcloud.c…"]Yesterday acapella snippet by rawsoul on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]="http://soundcloud.c…"]Yesterday acapella snippet by rawsoul on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]

The mic I used to make that is this:
[="http://www.labtec.c…"]http://www.labtec.c…
[/]
Specifications:

• 8-foot shielded cord with color-coded jacks
• Frequency response: 100 Hz - 16 kHz
• Sensitivity: -67 dBV/µBar, -47 dBV/Pa +/-4 dB
• Microphone power source voltage: 1.5 V DC
• Impedance:

class="xf-ul">

RemyRAD, post: 384987 wrote: The Pre-Sonus devices indicate their microphone preamp is class A. This design philosophy generally indicates it will be smoother sounding and with its overload characteristics to be asymmetrical instead of symmetrical. That means it's producing more second order natural harmonic distortion than the third quarter or odd order version of clipped A/B Class amplifiers which is dissonant sounding an unflattering distortion. That sounds much like a car radio turned up too loud. Where the class A distortion sounds more like the overload of a classic tube guitar amplifier which is flattering sounding. Don't get me wrong, some of the greatest preamps ever made are class A/B, such as the API and plenty of Neve stuff. I actually have a client who I set up with that Pre-Sonus Audio Box USB 1.1 device. He also has a Mackie mixer. The Pre-Sonus sounds too smooth to him and he likes that edgier sounding quality from the class A/B Mackie. Which means he's slightly likes better the sound of that edgier quality as compared to the smoothness of the class A. So that's a judgment call based on personal preference. I use almost all strictly class A/B devices which are my Neve & API stuff. I actually had a class A Neve 1272 modified to a microphone preamp which sounds really fabulous. When you get into this stuff, you quickly realize that over driving a class A device has certain musical qualities that are different sounding from the slightly edgier quality of over driving a class A/B device, which can also sound bitchin'. Again, it's personal preference based upon what you are trying to achieve, sonically.

I don't play with the Focusrite stuff so I cannot advise you on that particular device. The design concept with some of their stuff was also based upon the time that Rupert Neve was involved with that company. So that could mean it's either class A, or class A/B? Either way, it's all good stuff. So there really isn't any best, only what you want. Being new at this, you can't possibly know what exactly you want until you begin to use it and learn from it. This will not be your first nor your last device you will own. It will simply be a long list of stuff you will be familiar with as you grow. Only then, will you be able to determine what is best for your needs. Many folks consider what we do to be more of a professional hobby than merely just a profession. And I think that would be somewhat of an accurate statement? It's really quite both. It's something we all have a huge passion for. So your next piece of equipment is just yet another piece of desert.

I like banana splits with all the stuff
Mx. Remy Ann David

School is in session. Awesome stuff Remy!...thanks!

Well that is certainly a reasonable example you've provided from a $.98 microphone. That capsule really isn't much different from a $300 Crown condenser microphone since they all came from the same Taiwanese factory. What is different is any quality microphone will have a balanced output. When it's coupled to a balanced input, there won't be near the amount of hum your recording is suffering from, from that piece of crap toy microphone you are using. An entry level USB microphone under $100 will provide you with a world of improvement over what you are currently using. Plus, the microphone you are currently using is Omni directional which contributes to the pickup of overall room noise much more so than a Uni directional a.k.a. cardioid polar pattern microphone. It's sound pickup is then directed, directly towards the source of which the sound is coming from and less so from the surrounding environment. But then you also have to be concerned with what is known as " Proximity Effect ". This will provide a huge boost in the bass response which will sound great on headphones and like mud coming out of speakers. That type of microphone will require a low-frequency cut a.k.a. high pass filter, for proper tonal balance when you are working closely to it such as for vocals. You can get away with less low-frequency cut, the further away from the microphone you get. But then the problem of extraneous rooms sound will start to rear its ugly head along with yours. Not that your head is ugly but the sound can be. If you look as good as you sound, you'll have no problem. But those are technical blah blah things you must know about beforehand. And most of these entry level USB microphones are just that, entry level. Not horrible but not great either. Extremely convenient and simple. No other external audio cards or devices are necessary with those. But not all USB microphones also have bidirectional characteristics along with headphone outputs. With those, you are likely going to have to monitor the output of your built-in computer audio card/device. This brings up a secondary problem where he will not be able to monitor what you are doing until you are ready to play it back. And that's why so many people simply purchase a SHURE SM58 with a relatively inexpensive entry-level USB external audio device such as the Pre-Sonus Audio Box USB 1.1 or their slightly improved version with USB 2.0 connectivity. There are many other such devices by other manufacturers such as Lexicon, Sound Craft, others. And all of those external devices can be used with any kind of raw microphones of any type be it, condenser, dynamic and even ribbon microphones. With a USB microphone, you are generally locked into a condenser microphone which is not always going to be what you want to use. Condenser microphones do not indicate professional quality. They merely indicate condenser technology sound which differs from the sound of dynamic and ribbon microphones. So maximum capabilities and versatility is will be at with separate computer audio interfaces and different microphones.

You Sing very nicely. OK... Take 6 (they're great)
Mx. Remy Ann David

Thanks again for the in depth response. You are truly GREAT. I am ecstatic to hear you say that "An entry level USB microphone under $100 will provide you with a world of improvement over what you are currently using". I wasn't even sure it would...but hearing from you makes me convinced I need to upgrade my sh%$ lol! Alright...so my options right now are to get an SM58 + presonus audiobox. Let's just say I go the sm7b route, what preamp would I need to go with that? Will the Audiobox be good enough?

Thank you for the kind words...I know I need improvement, and lots of it. But I also do know what my strengths are. Are you saying my singing reminds you of Take 6? If so I'm honored.

The Pre-Sonus Audio Box is a marvelous little rig. Both versions, USB 1.1 and their $100 more USB 2.0. The microphone preamp is smooth and velvety. It goes great with velvety macaroni.

You really don't need to waste your money on a SM 7. It can be nearly identical sounding to the SM58 but comes closer to the Beta 58 in its current version and so it gets a "b" designator. I have an original SM 7 which comes closer to the SM58. The capsules are nearly identical. The real difference is how much further away you are from the capsule in the 7 as opposed to the 58's. And that's why I generally recommend that people stick on a large foam pop filter onto their 58's. Better still is to utilize one of those large lollipop like pantyhose filter, 2 inches in front of the microphone, which in turn places you approximately 3 inches from the lollipop pop filter. The 7 also includes a pair of switches which will cut the bbase built up from the Proximity Effect. It also provides for a flatter midrange response or its inherent built in presence enhancement which all of the 58's have. And that's a quality everybody loves. You can accomplish the high pass filtering a.k.a. bass cut in software instead of at the microphone directly. Plus the 7 is designed to be able to be screwed directly to a microphone boom without fear of the microphone falling out of the clip. If that's worth an extra $200 to you, I'd say go for it otherwise it's a waste of money. You would be better off taking that extra $200 and tossing it into a better computer audio interface within, say, the Pre-Sonus line. Although the microphone preamps will all be the same within that manufacturers line but other enhancements within their hardware will be obtained, such as real-time effects to monitor while cutting your tracks dry without them. The inexpensive Audio Box USB 1.1 isn't fast enough nor capable of providing that higher-speed CPU-based processing. Otherwise, no difference in sound until you move up to devices costing much more from other manufacturers.

Yeah, I love Take 6 and yes, your singing absolutely reminds me of them.

You are going about this the right way
Mx. Remy Ann David

Hmm so the audiobox 1.1 would be good enough to handle my vocals and acoustic guitar? The presonus firebox 2.0 doesn't improve it noticeably more? I never thought I would get for the sm58 but you have pretty much convinced me to do just that. I'm going to start looking for an sm58 + pop + stand + audiobox bundle...

Sorry for so many questions...I know out of your 5,967 you must have answered these questions countless times. How exactly do I accomplish the bass cut or high pass filtering through the software?

In most software, you'll go to your effects menu drop down. There you will find all the software is capable of. Of course for filtering, you would choose equalizer or filtering. They'll be submenus there and you will probably find out at the different types of filters available, most will have a preset for high pass filtering or a bass cut off of numerous different frequencies. And not all filters sound alike either. They may have similar function but through digital signal processing, they can do things not possible in the hardware world. Possibilities are exhaustingly infinite. Each piece of multitrack software out there all pretty much do the same thing. Some have incredible features others only have some features. Some come bundled with software that would have cost you more than $500 by itself. So when you can get a box for as little as $150 with a $400 software package, wow! The real differences between most software packages is simply in their GUI. And that's as personal as the underwear you wear. Whatever one speaks to you the best, the most intuitive for you, is the one you should use. Sometimes, that alone can be the decision-maker. All of these software developers all have trial versions for you to check out. When you find one you like, start looking for manufacturers that are offering versions of that in their bundle when you purchase their hardware. Sometimes though, you'll find a piece of hardware you absolutely want to have and don't like the software package. Well then, you have the option of buying someone else's software. Most of us use a multitude of different manufacturers software all the time. I've dropped just as much money on software as I have on fine studio microphones OMG! For instance though, I don't do MIDI. Everybody else does. I can even work my way around MIDI so I am a MIDIdiot. My shtick is live, studio, broadcast. So I too lack in certain areas. I'm certainly not an expert in everything but I am. There are limits on so much everything. Others not so much. I know that when I need to know something I don't know, I can come here. Though right now, I'm working on a documentary film that I didn't start. It came from Final Cut Pro. There are some things for which was done I don't understand? It's a technical thing. So I have to find a user group of Final Cut Pro so I can ask about these compressed QuickTime files? These don't appear to be the huge sized uncompressed files are used to working in. I think their proxy files? Which means they are lower in quality and highly compressed data. I think the uncompressed files are on a server that have been erased at the cable access joint from which this documentary came from? Which may mean the hundreds of hours of digital videotape may have to be re-ingested? Oy vey. I'm sure coming from New Jersey you've heard that line before. Oy vey. So that means all my editing will be in vain when it comes time to bump this up to 1080, 16 x 9. C'est la vie.

Back to the editing show or is that the show of endless editing?
Mx. Remy Ann David

just purchased everything, except I got the SM58S...I'm hoping the on/off switch doesn't make this model any different in terms of performance/quality...right?

Nope, no difference. Just a switch that a lead singer can accidentally turn off during a live recording. When I'm interfacing with a PA guy for a live recording and I come upon one of those, I first asked the singer if they need to use the switch? If they don't, I'll generally stick a piece of tape over the switch so as to eliminate that possibility of an accidental switch off. Otherwise, congratulations on purchasing one of the best microphones ever made in this world. There isn't anything you can't use this on. It even doubles as a poor man's Neumann U 87 which costs + $3000 US. So it's not only great sounding it's one of the worlds best bargains to be had. Also note that the SM57 is the identical capsule that you find in the 56 & 58. So if you have a 58 and need to stick it into a tight spot, simply unscrew the metal ball of the 58 and then you have a 57. Which makes it an even better bargain because you get 2-for-1. But make sure that you stick on a extra foam pop filter when recording vocals because it makes a big difference as the 58 still as the tendency even with its big metal ball and extra foam, to pop and blast. Of course you cannot always do that for a live recording especially one that includes video because it won't look good DA DA DA. So that's a scenario where you particularly want to switch on the bass cut/high pass filter on your preamp and/or console.

Looking forward to hearing your stuff again
Mx. Remy Ann David

One of the coolest little things about Shures with switches is the little shiny plate behind the switch, the one with the screw, can be reversed so the switch is always on. Those crazy Shure Brothers.....gotta love em.

RemyRAD, post: 385006 wrote:
You really don't need to waste your money on a SM 7. It can be nearly identical sounding to the SM58 but comes closer to the Beta 58 in its current version and so it gets a "b" designator. I have an original SM 7 which comes closer to the SM58. The capsules are nearly identical.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Remy, isn't there also a much better transformer in the sm7(b)? I know I hear a big difference between the two - even when the bass roll off and presence switches are engaged. To me it's much smoother and a little thicker sounding. If it wasn't I'd sell it in a minute....I could do a lot with $300.

rawsoul - congrats on the purchases. Hope you have a great time with them!

Thank you everyone...I am very excited. I bought the SM58S, mic stand, desk mic stand, xlr cable, presonus audiobox, behringer c-1 (part of the presonus bundle...lol now I can say I have both dynamic and condenser mics - hopefully it's not TOO crappy), foam pop, lollipop pop, new headset, and the Studio One software. All that for under $300...not too shabby right?

Rawsoul, No sir it's not, not shabby. Even that C-1, albeit Chinese, it's good you got that also, it'll come in handy. Are you going to have fun with that software. Perfect for what you're doing. It was designed for you and your musical genre.

Shannon, I believe the biggest difference you are hearing is the difference in where the diaphragm of the capsule is in the SM 7. It's halfway down that length of foam. So if you get tight on the seven and tight on the 58, you will not be the same distance from the diaphragm and so you will hear a huge difference in the sound because of that. Plus, the B series of the 7 in all likelihood indicates it has a neodymium magnet in comparison to the standard alnico in the original 7. So it will have a greater amount of output and a slightly increased high-frequency response in comparison to a SM58 where it comes closest to the Beta 58. Better transformer? Not sure? But is that really worth 200 more dollars to you when they are so much alike? Really the same tonality. Different form factor. Only you can make that decision.

HIT THE RECORD BUTTON! ROLLING! ROLLING ROLLING ROLLING RAWHIDE DA DA DA.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Oh yes! Every bit of $200 and more. And the thing is I have never wanted it to be my main vocal mic (I would feel much more inspired in front of a beautiful condenser than that big, ugly, radio station mic:) I actually even feel more comfortable in front of a 58.
It's not the proximity effect. I've pulled that foam windscreen off before so I'm aware of where the capsule is. I've even done shootouts with them and made sure the capsules were right next to each other. And when I record with the 58 it's always 2-3 inches behind a pop filter. I've also used the 58 with that overpriced foam windscreen that's specially made for it. But however I do it, the difference in tonality between the two mics is very evident. There is a family similarity, but the sm7b is very noticeably bigger, smoother, and more refined sounding. I like the 58 and still use it, but it's no sm7b.
Edit - I forgot to mention, the sm7b actually needs more gain than the 58. I do agree that the high frequency response is more defined on the 7b, yet the 58 still sounds brighter to me. I think the 7b must either be more rounded off up there, or the fidelity is just better in those highs to the point where it just sounds thicker up there.

All right, got all my gear last week, and made some songs already.

Quick question...

Is the sm58 this low? I've tried recording on both the C-1 and the sm58 so far, and sm58 is so much lower output.

Is it normal to "normalize" every sm58 recording (or any vocal recording for that matter) and is normalizing the same as just raising the volume of the recording manually? - NO PUN INTENDED

I've got the input dial on the presonus at about 3 o'clock (I think max is 5 o'clock) and recording from about 2.5 inches away from the mic with a pop filter in between.

Not sure if something's wrong or that is simply how things are done with especially these dynamic mics.

Here's one I made playing around yesterday:
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://soundcloud.c…"]Walking Away - Craig David cover by rawsoul on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]="http://soundcloud.c…"]Walking Away - Craig David cover by rawsoul on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]
Played around with simple reverb and some EQ, but that's about it...cuz that's all I explored so far lol

Also I would love some feedback about what you pro mixers/masters hear when you hear that...I feel like I'm improving at lightspeed each day, but still quite new to DAWs.
Sometimes I feel like vocals are too loud...at times I feel like it's the other way around...it's crazy.

Dynamics are always going to have much lower output than condensers. Wait till you one day try an sm7b.....the output on one of those is even lower than your 58. But loudness has little to do with goodness:)

Whatever mic you can afford that gets clean signal to your recorder. I've used everything from SM57's to Manley Reference Gold's and gotten good results from both...

Paramadman