Retro Thing

Budget "Vintage" Microphone In Classic Retro Red

My studio is dotted with some classic microphones. The Shure "Elvis" mic, an old Calrad mic that looks like a cold capsule, and more. I've been lucky to have most of my treasures while thrifting or hitting garage sales, because genuinely vintage mics often come at a price.

Not only are many old mics cool to look at, but they offer a signature sound that's hard to get any other way. Then again, some don't actually sound all that great after all these years, but a handsome mic will always find a home on someone's shelf.

Pyle is an audio gear company known for budget friendly microphones, cables, speakers, and the like. The product that caught my eye is their Retro Dynamic Vocal Microphone. Instead of yet another workaday looking microphone, the Pyle PDMICR40 takes a style cue from classic Shure microphones & other 50s mics.

The microphone comes in three colors - chrome, black, and even a burgundy! The body is plastic, which I've got to think is key in bringing this mic in around $40 - which also includes a mic cable! I'm not brimming with confidence over the XLR jack since it's also entirely plastic, and I fear that one fall would shatter the body of the mic... but at this price you've got to expect some shortcuts.

I bought The Pyle mic simply to use as prop in a video project, but the mic's performance is not bad, not bad at all. Obviously you're not going to get the classic 50s sound of a genuinely retro microphone, but if you like the look of a classic mic in a good day-to-day general purpose microphone, then the Pyle Retro mic is hard to pass up - especially at this price.

Help out Retro Thing when you pick up a Pyle Retro Styled Microphone on Amazon

Help Finish Lost Ark Tribute 30 Years In The Making

A few years ago, we introduced you to an amazing fan-made film; a shot-by-shot recreation of Raiders of the Lost Ark. These boys spent every summer from '82-'88 slavishly recreating Raiders on their VHS camcorder. This is one of the most notorious and beloved fan films of all time. What they were able to pull off in their parent's basement with no budget is amazing enough to forget that our protagonists sure seem to bounce around in age as the film progresses.

They've even been fortunate enough to screen the film for Lucas & Speilberg, have a book written about them, and are even seeing themselves as the subjects of a documentary. Yet one thing still bothers our adventurers. There's still one scene they've never finished. The amazing fight sequence against the backdrop of the Flying Wing.

The boys (okay, to be fair... grown men) have turned to Kickstarter to raise the funds to shoot this final scene, and complete the adventure. They're close to their goal with only three days to go. I hate an unfinished project as much as the next guy, so maybe we can think about throwing them a few bones and finally calling "it's a wrap" on a project that was started back when we all had more hair.

Please tell me that they're not planning on recreating the sequels...