I want to buy a professional broadcast quality mike, I've seen one particular mike on TV several times - people in voiceover booths, Mark Goodier doing the charts on Radio One, etc.
I think it's either an AKG or Audio Technica model, trouble is different models look pretty similar.
Does anyone have the definitive answer?
This is a big topic and difficult to answer in short and without more information particularly on your budget and specific requirements.
There are dozens of microphones of 'broadcast quality' ranging in price from under a hundred quid to several grand! One of the best known voice over/studio mics is the Neuman U87 - It's very expensive and superb but a similar type of large diaphram condenser mic made by Rode is under £150 and has been hugely succesful. Get hold of 'Sound on Sound' magazine. Check the multitude of ads and phone around.
Sum up the advice offered by the sales staff (mostly they are very knowledgeble, sometimes with a personal bias to particular kit, but will tell you all you need to know) and then make your own decision.
However it's not good practice (usually) to buy something because you've seen it on telly etc. It doesn't always mean it's suitable for you and big organisations can sometimes have more money than sense. Or Don't need to get the best quality AND value for the money.
Tunni
Cheers for the advice. I want the one I've seen on the telly, cos it looks good. ;)
Actually I'd better qualify that. Budget is around £500, I just did a quick websearch for that mike and came up with a page that has on it:
"What's the best piece of equipment in your studio? Neumann U87 Microphone, Pure Sex in a little cradle with bells on!
...and the worst? DALET ! (French bag o'shite)"
SOLD!
You dont say what you want a mic for - if its to use with a camera a Neuman (at around £1500) is going to look a bit silly on top !
If it's to use for V/O's the Neuman will be a complete waste of money without a good quality sound booth/studio to use it in!
If your set on a Neuman type mic check out the Russian 'Oktava' series - they are very well spec'ed for price.
Instead of buying something that 'looks good' buy a mic that can do the job you want it to do! (Tandy used to do a tieclip mic for around £16 that was used as a backup by BBC sound guys!)
A good 'all round' mic like a Sennheiser 416 (you see them on the telly - it's the ones with the furries on!) or a K6 with interchangable heads, usually available s/h if you look in the right places, will do location sound and voice over work if used correctly.
Just remember - good tools alone don't make you a professional, you have to know how to use them.
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Dave Farrants
Producer/Editor
Fox Video Productions
[This message has been edited by foxvideo (edited 12 August 2001).]
Not sure about the BBC but at one time quite a number of Audio Technica ATM4033 mics were used in the 'cat's cradle' AT8441 anti shock mount. I have seen a number of these on the anglepoise like adjustable desk mounts.
Richard
Thanks for all the advice.
It's primarily for use in a radio studio situation.
It might get used for the odd bit of V/O work, but it's not for use with the camera.
Armed with the info I've been gleaned from you guys, I've checked out the Neumanns, some ones made by Marshall Electronics (diff company from amp people) which Sound On Sound had a glowing review of.
http://www.sospubs.co.uk/sos/oct00/articles/mxl.htm
It's a highly rated Neumann look-a-like with a free shock cradle, check it out.
However, I've now settled on a RODE 'Broadcaster' studio condenser, £230
I'm now trying to find an online UK supplier for a 48v Phantom Power supply.
Any suggestions greatfully recieved.
Chris, Re phantom power supply.
Your best bet IMHO is to go for a budget mixer with a phantom power supply built in. You can get some for about the same price as a dedicated power supply. I use a Behringer Eurorack MX602A, which I got for about 90 quid at Sounds Live in Newcastle (check out their website [url=http://www.soundslive.co.uk).]http://www.soundslive.co.uk).[/url] You get 2 balanced mic channels with phantom power, two stereo input channels (plus 'tape in'), aux send and receive and loads of knobs to twiddle. A lot more fun (and use) than a phantom power supply in a box.
Funny, I was talking to a chap at a party last week who buys and sells professional kit for a hobby (he's retired). He goes to the odd specialist auction, but mostly he goes to local car boot sales.
Anyways, he was telling me that a few weeks earlier he found a genuine Neuman mic for £4! He sold it to a dealer for £350 even though it didn't work.
He said there are a lot of abandoned wives and girlfriends who sell off stuff left in garages etc. They usually don't know what they have. He got a £2000 short wave radio last week for a fiver!
I'm gonna pay one or two a visit and try to find a DigiBetacam!!
Cheers,
Perry, they had some digi betacams at the last car boot sale I was at, but the old widow wanted £8 for them both and refused to let me just buy one.
Had I known you were after one you could have sent me your four quid. 
Jim, thanks for the advice, I'd actually already done what you suggested, on Sunday I ordered a Midiman Mixim 10 from www.sub.co.uk after it dawned on me that I should get a mixer with phantom power as it was much more cost effective.