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I'm looking for a good mic for homerecording with my PC...I only need it to record vocals and nothing else.

I've looked around a bit and stumbled upon the MXL 990 and MXL DRK (that is as high as I can get with regards to my budget). From reviews the MXL 990 seems to have the best price/value, but as the DRK is targeted for PC home recorders (that's me), I was wondering which one is the best in quality?

Also, if I got it right I need to buy a preamp for the 990 (coz it's phantompower?), but not for the DRK? I'm not so familiar with all that, but is this right? can I just plug the DRK in the mic or line-in of my soundcard?

Or can you suggest any alternatives in the same price-category?

I'd be very gratefull to get some advice from you guys

sources on the net:
MXL 990 & MXL DRK: http://www.mxlmics.com/condenser_mic/condenser_index.html

if you want to take a look at the song I'm working on and which is in need of a decent mic for the vocals: http://www.electrobel.be/mediaview.php4?media=7460

hi, i recently had one of my inexpensive condenser mics die (a Samson) during a recording session. I needed something quick, and the only thing in the same pricerange at the music store was the Behringer B1. I was skeptical, as i had heard some negative comments about the B1 (and also heard that the B2 is much better) however i was very pleasantly surprised! The B1 kicked the Samson's ass! The Behringer has a wonderful boost in the top end, i mention it to you because i've found there is very little EQ required when recording vocals. There is a low cut, and a -10dB pad as well. It is large diaphrapm, comes in a cool case, and includes a good spidermount.

You don't technically need one for the DRK, but please buy some kind of a preamp. Or buy an audio interface which includes phantom power and balanced inputs. There are many 2-4 channel USB or firewire models which are not too expensive. Look for one that has reputable mic pres built in. (focusrite are fine) Just please don't adapt a condenser down to 1/8th inch mini, unbalanced. You may as well buy a 58 copy from RadoShack if you do that. At the very least, Behringer and ART make little boxes that provide balanced connections, 48v phantom, some limiting, and a bit of drive (distortion is a friend of condensers) for very little money. The Behringer Tube Ultragain is less than a hundred bucks.

I like the song, its coming along nicely. Interesting.

thanks for the reply! It so hard to get a clear image of all that stuff, I dont understand anything about the specs and when I check forums people contradict each other. For example I've read somewhere that the MXL 990 outperformed the Behringer B1 & B2...MXL doesnt seem to have a big reputation like a few other companies, but I dunno if I should take that into consideration.

Anyway, as for the preamp, I think I will follow your advice especially since I havent found one single review of that MXL DRK...

Anyone else wants to share their opinions?

The topic of vocal mics, or simply mics in general is one upon which volumes could be, and indeed have been, written. Ultimately, of course, as with all things audio what it really comes down to, if you're simply recording yourself, is: do YOU like the way it sounds? Does it sound as good when you're a foot away as it does when you're "all up on" it? It's a bit like buying shoes, you know: if you've got even the slightest misgivings about the comfort in the store, you know there's a chance they'll give you blisters on down the line. Also like shoes, investing more money in a good mic can really be worth your while. Unless it's for live performance purposes, it's really best not to go for the cheapest thing you can find.

As far as specifics go: I am gonna go ahead and second green on the need for a good preamp... I've got a little Digidesign MBox rig set up for my personal use, and I can usually plug straight into that. I am partial to Neumann condensers for studio vocals, but you know, see above. They can be a little pricey, too. Good luck, and, of course, have fun.

true, there is a whole lot of discussion going on and on about mics...I didnt know it would be that complicated.

by the way, I've found a site where you can listen to short fragments of different mics and pre-amps, it can be very usefull: http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/about.htm When comparing vocals on a studio projects b1 and b3 ,I've noticed that the b1 is a lot flatter on the midtone frequencies, but nothing I'd care for the difference in price...I mean: a little eq tweaking and you won't even notice

So after finally hearing some mics, I'm gonna go for a decent pre-amp and a cheap condensor mic, the MXL 990, which I can upgrade later if I need to.

cheers!