Appreciate tip on reasonably sounding & low cost cardioid microphone.

Hi all,

I have a somewhat urgent need for a not too expensive cardioid characteristic microphone - yet reasonably sounding especially on women's voices - and low noise. I should be able to connect it directly to my laptop's 3.5 mm/6.5 mm jack plug (thus no phantom power). I just did a search on ebay but didn't find something that seemed to be what I was looking for so I hope one of you here may have a good idea for such a microphone ... It is fine if it is second-hand.

Cheers & thanks for any help you may be able to give 

Jesper

I may very well be wrong, but sounds to me like you're looking for something related to what's called "unobtainium"

Or in fact, it reminds me of Hoffman's iron law regarding subwoofers (loud, low, small - pick any two); in your case it would be more like "reasonable sounding, phantom-less, cheap - pick any two".

Dynamics don't need phantom power, but they do need some gain (and i'm afraid the "no external preamp" part of the prerequisites means a *bleep*-ton of added noise). There are some electret mics out there that have provisions for internal batteries, but i'm not sure there are too many cheap models. I know AKG and Rode(?) have a few models.

Hi Khron,

& thanks for your feedback & considerations ... Actually, I was not aware of Hoffmann's iron law about subwoofers (could be a consequence of currently living in an apartment that is very "sound transparent") but I was hoping that there would be a microphone  of reasonable quality, cardioid, & which would also go directly into the microphone plug on my laptop (3.5 mm; 6.5 mm plugs). To my knowledge there is some kind of amplification inside the laptop that would help with dynamic microphones  ... or (?)

From looking at prices on ebay Rode (and maybe AKG) is outside the scope of this ... just need a reasonable, yet not too expensive microphone.

Cheers from Denmark,

Jesper

Well, that's part of the issue with your list of demands Both "reasonable" and "not too expensive" are quite arbitrary and/or subjective concepts

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but just might constitute a starting point:
http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/tag/battery-power

I see Rode M3's starting around 60gbp (~85eu); Shure SM94's around the same; AKG C1000 & Shure PG81 are a bit more.

And yes, built-in soundcards do indeed have some preamps, but laptops and such are most definitely NOT designed to have the quietest audio sections - that's what my noise comment was about, in my previous post

How about a lavalier mic?

That's actually a good point. Of course, we haven't yet been told anything about the intended application...

Rode NT1A. Not too expensive, good all round performance and very low noise.

Cheers

Ian

That's a no-go, 'cause it needs phantom power

ruffrecords said:

Rode NT1A. Not too expensive, good all round performance and very low noise.

Cheers

Ian

Click to expand...

Buy some used, battery powered, elctret condenser - like EV BK1, some audio-technica models are pretty ok too
Higher output, no need to use external phantom, low noise etc.

@Banzai:

Hi all,

- thanks for your many replies & suggestions  However, when reading Banzai's:

How about a lavalier mic?

Click to expand...

,

and ln76d's:

Buy some used, battery powered, elctret condenser

Click to expand...

... I was thinking "yes, of course", and so, unless one of you do say that I've missed something, I'll buy a couple of WM-61As from Panasonic and just hook it up to a battery and simple electronics and connect it to my laptop (it is all the quality that is needed in this context).

Cheers & thanks for pointing me in this direction 

Jesper

I didn't use WM-61As, but since so many people like it, i think you should try

One thing to note is that WM61's are omnidirectional, not cardioid. Just in case that matters, for your application

ln76d said:

I didn't use WM-61As, but since so many people like it, i think you should try

Click to expand...

Will try them out - have ordered two now.

Khron said:

One thing to note is that WM61's are omnidirectional, not cardioid. Just in case that matters, for your application

Click to expand...

I know but since I'll be chiefly/mainly be using the microphones in a small room I hope it won't make too much difference. I asked for cardioids because that probably would be optimal yet since the level of quality required in the first round is just reasonable I reckon omnis will work.

Thanks again for your feedbacks 

Jesper

Another suggestion...
You can buy this one:

http://es.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-Wholesale-New-Pro-Multi-Color-Condenser-Microphone-BM700-Set-for-Skype-MSN-Internet-Chat/1351458570.html

And change the mic capsule for this one:
http://www.jlielectronics.com/products/TSB%252d2555BXZ3%252dGP.html

Check out L. Lawson comment, at this instructable:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Modify-a-cheap-LDC-Condenser-microphone/

"I recieved my BM-800 donor mic and decided to try a direct switch out of the BM 800 capsule with the TSB-2555BXZ3-GP and it works fine. A huge difference from the original capsule which has a thin nasally sound. I was surprised the Chinese circuit could sound as good as it does."

Cheers!

HL

As noted by ln76d, I checked reviews on the mic on this same website, and actual reviewers confirm that mic requires phantom power and pre-amp to work. Thank you ln76d, and please discard my previows comment.

This is a quote from a reviewer's comment:
I must allso inform you all that I never got this to work with the cable that came with the mic (xlr -> 3.5mm jack) even thou it is said to work with computer and this cable.
HL

In case you choose to go that route, you'll very likely want to "de-noise" the circuit, as well

http://audioimprov.com/AudioImprov/Mics/Entries/2014/12/18_Another_Chinese_mic_Circuit.html

Yes, but all they need circuit change for battery supply,

If you want a real  chi-end electret +48V, go for:
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Free-shipping-baby-bottle-real-big-Diaphragm-condenser-microphone-for-studio-vocal-instrument-recording/410133_32266319701.html

Body is different than on the pictures - looks like BLUE Microphones Bluebird with black pipe.
Even pipe is made from brass.
It is probably the same factory as blue microphones, beacuse they sold also baby bottle without logo.
Electret sounds really good - after wires polarity change
For me doesn't looks so cheap as all the "gold", "karaoke", microphones.

homero.leal said:

This mic can work connected to a PC, or with Phantom Power to a pre-amp.

The cable that comes with the mic, is for connecting it to a PC. Just take a look at the pics.

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Did you ever tried to connect it direct to the PC?
Or do you only looking on pictures?
Chinese sellers often include this type of cable to any kind of microphone, even if there's no chance to work that way.
Last electret i bought, for donor body, had the same cable - guess what?
It doesn't work direct with computer, maybe becuase potential on the soundcard output is to low for microphone converter powering?
Usual microphone input inside PC is unsymetrical.
Don't judge anything by the pictures from chinese offers, because you can be really disappointed...

homero.leal said:

In the case of the Transound capsule, it's a Cardioid,  as gentlevoice1 told was needed first. It's the best and most expensive capsule of this type listed on JLI  (about 13 dlls). 

Cheers!

Click to expand...

"Bottle" mike capsule is really similar or looks similar (real capsule is a little bit different than on the alliex pictures )  and it's also cardioid.
When there's probably no option to connect both microphones direct to the computer, without external powering, i think few bucks more for better looking microphone isn't bad