MXL 1006BP

I am a singer-songwriter, and have been playing guitar for 15 years and singing seriously for much less than that. I purchased this microphone on a budget, for voice and acoustic guitar recording, and it is used as part of a DAW setup.

Even an inexpensive large-diaphragm condenser microphone like this one is a big step up in quality compared with just about any dynamic. I have used it plugged into a Focusrite preamp/compressor for recording vocals and acoustic guitar, and the sound is much more open and natural compared to say my SM57. The SM57 is certainly not a bad sounding mic, but it is the difference between sounding like someone singing into a good mic, and simply sounding like someone singing - the MXL1006 just sounds that much more real and convincing.

For a home-recording setup, I would prefer to settle for a less expensive mic, and spend the money on a good preamp. Also, it is worth putting some effort into a good recording environment - for example, a large wardrobe with clothes in it can make a good makeshift vocal booth.

I probably wouldn't buy this microphone again as I would prefer to move up to a higher-end mic next, but I am certainly happy to use it for the time being and will keep it as a second mic when I do upgrade.

On a budget, this is certainly one to consider for recording. There are quite a few decent mics available now, and it is certainly worth checking some out as there are good deals to be had. If the choice is between this and a dynamic mic, it's a no-brainer.

I've been playing guitar and singing for 36 years in various types of bands from Blue Grass to Heavy Metal.
I don't really have a whole lot of professional recording experience but have been involved in the recording of several different songs thru the years.
I record at my home now thru my Computer using the Cakewalk Music Creator 2003 program.I record also using an old Akai Reel to reel recorder 2 track stereo with Sound-on-Sound capability.I also record using a Aiwa CD Player with Karaoke capabilities.
I primarily listen to my recordings in the CD player in my car because I'm on the road a lot. I commute 34 miles one way each day to my job.

This is a large diaphragm condenser mike, cardiod pattern.I've used the mike on a Peavey PA system for live performance and also recorded with it thru a CD Recorder/Player by Aiwa and also a Akai reel to reel recorder and also my Computer's Sound Card using the Cakewalk Music Creator 2003 program.
I considered several other mics before choosing this one and I chose this one because of it's versatility.It can be used with 48 volt Phantom power or it's own 9 volt onboard battery and it works equally well either way.Also price was a factor at $99.95 it was a steal because the quality is great.It is constructed very well and the onboard batteryis very east to change and lasts a good while too.
I highly recommend this mike to anyone who needs to make quality recordings and needs a mike for live performance it works well for both.Its pattern picks up so well it could be used by a Blue Grass band as the sole mike to pickup the entire band.By simply moving toward or away from the mike as each member takes a solo.
The recording quality of this mike is wonderful,I've used other quality mikes in the past such as Shure,Cad etc. and this performs as good and better than some. I wish I had run across a mike like this years ago, I would probably have started recording more often back then but now that I have it I'm in a recording frenzy.I've played some of my recordings to friends and they are amazed at the quality some have even said that the recordings sound professional.