Samson C01

No matter who you are, you can use the Samson C01 microphone. A few of us at the store own one of these and find it very useful and economical. For around $140 you could use a pair of these to get a great stereo recording. This is a condenser mic, so it requires phantom power to give you great articulation and sensitivity. There is also a cool blue led that lights up on the front side of the mic when phantom power is present, and it comes with a nice case.

Buy the Multi Pattern version of the C01 Microphone (above), called the C03. It gives you cardioid, omni-directional and figure 8 pickup patterns for more flexibility.

SHURE SM57

Shure SM57 is, without a doubt, the most common instrument mic used today in live performance, but it is used equally in the studio. Very rugged and great sounding, it is everything you need from a road-ready mic. more info

SHURE SM58

Shure SM58 is without a doubt the most common vocal mic used today in live performance, but it is also great in the studio. Very rugged and great sounding, it is everything you need from a road-ready mic. more info

An ideal solution for any 5-piece drum kit, the handy drum 5Kit Drum Mic Kit from Samson features one Q Kick mic for bass drum, one Q Snare, three Q Tom mics, rim clips and a road case.

If you want to step up to a nice vocal mic which offers Shure's quality, but at a reasonable price, the KSM27 can fit your bill. more info

This cardioid condenser mic is equally at home on stage or in a studio. It works well for drum over heads, and has a max SPL of 145dB. more info