Subject: mic/preamp

I am planning to buy a mic (I'll probably go with the Shure SM58) and I have an Edirol UA-3FX audio interface. My question is am I going to need a preamp? I checked some other forums and it seems that this may be necessary. Thanks.

chip

First, as a suggestion, shure SM58's bass is too much,if you have enough money, try shure newer models. And you don't need preamp for mic I think, specially if your soundcard has canon or banon plug in input.

See page 37-38 of the Edirol manual. You won't necessarily need a preamp, but you will need an adapter, since the cable from the Shure SM-58 is an XLR connection, and the Edirol UA-3FX only has 1/4" inputs. Whether or not an SM-58 is a good choice for a mic is a matter of personal preference and depends on what you will be recording. SM-58 is a very good live performance vocal microphone, and is a standard for gigging out. Not necessarily the best mic for recording but a good general purpose mic at a good price.

Thank you both for your helpful answers and suggestions. I'd be curious to know what most people here use for vocal recording at MJ's. I may consider buying a more expensive mic, but I guess I would need to be convinced that it was necessary. Thanks again for your help! Much appreciated.

chip

I use a Shure SM58, and I'm very happy with it. This is just based on my own experience. I don't know enough about mics (or anything to do with recording really!) to offer any kind of expert opinion. But it works for me. Hope that helps. Peace.

used one forever and sometimes i think i liked the results better than my condenser mic i'm using now.