recording vocals at home, Shure SM58 or Audiotechnica's AT2020

[1+1=you]

hi guys.need some help.thinking of getting a mic for recording vocals.

SM58 or AT2020?

[logicdroid]

Unless you're doing screamo, go for the condenser, it'll require phantom power.
Roy.

[alshit]

Go for the condenser...

[unholyernest]

RODE NT1A.. condenser... not recommended to get AT2020... for things like microphones.. u can't go wrong with "legendary" mics like NT1A.. but i know AT2020 looks so much better than NT1A..hahahaha...

if i can still remember..it should be $290 from hung brothers... i might be wrong..

[1+1=you]

thanks guys!

[haz_flow]

the $290 is concerning the NT1A or the at2020? coz if im not wrong the at2020 is a $150 at hung bros..

[unholyernest]

$290 is for NT1A.. it used to be like $250 to $270... now it might shoot up to $320 liao...

[sj2six]

Hung brothers still selling at SGD$279 before GST. So after GST would be around SGD$298 liddat.

NT-1A is in my collection. It's not the best, but general a good mic at an affordable price.
But you gotta be sure it suits your vocal. I did encountered recording a male vocalist with NT-1A and it didn't sounds very nice than the other mic that I used. However, bare in mind that the skill of the vocalist as well as your room acoustics is also important.

Furthermore, NT-1A performs well with a decent Mic preamp. My personal taste is that neither NT-1A nor AT2020 sounds good with those preamp on the mixers or FireWire/USB audio interfaces. Of course, everyone has got their own taste what is "good" and "bad". So judge with your own ears.

At the end of the day, if SM-58 vs AT 2020, I would go for AT 2020.
If NT-1A vs AT2020, I would get NT-1A.

[Ratboy]

A condenser mic might pickup alot of background noise

SM58 sounds not bad for vocals, and useful if your background is noisy.
Also great if you are doing pop or rock stuff

If you are doing airy vocals type .. then get a condenser mic.

[widdly]

Gotta agree with ratboy. In an untreated home studio in an apartment block, you are going to have a lot of background noise and pretty dodgy acoustics. In this situation a less sensitive mic like the SM58 used up close to the singer would produce better results.