Famous Singers and their Mics

dr.colossus

New member
Does anyone know of a comprehensivee list of singers and whish mics they use? I found one in "Audio Technology Magazine" (Australian) by Joe Chiccarelli, which was quite insightful but somewhat short; perhaps you can add too the list. I know its a little difficult as most singers would probably not use the same mic for every song, but it would help with some perspectivve of their sound i suppose anyhow:

From interviews I've read;

Julian Casablanca (The Strokes) - AT 4033A (clean)
- Peavy amp mic'ed with a TLM103 (distorted)
Craig Nicholls (The Vines) - Neumann U87 (modded)

From a list compiled by Joe Chiccarelli

Elton John - Neumann U47 Tube
Carol King - Telefunken 251E
Allison Moyet - Neumann TLM170
Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo) - Neumann U47 FET
Etta James - Neumann M49
Tom Cochrane - Shure SM7
Taylor Hanson - Shure SM7
Mandy Moore - AT 4060
Tori Amos - Milab VIP50
Beck - Neumann U47 Tube
Frank Zappa - Neumann M49 (I thought U47?)
Don Henley - Neumann U67
Gladys Knoght - Neumann M269
Annie Lennox - AKG C12
Johnny Mathis - Nuemann U47 Tube
Joan Baez - AKG C24
Pat Benetar - Telefunken 251E
Michelle Branch - Telefunken ELAM 251E
Melissa Etheridge - Telefunken ELAM 251E
 
(Bluegrass/Acoustic)
Ricky Skaggs - Telefunken U47 - Vocal
Ricky Skaggs - Sony C-37A, RCA 44 - Mandolin
 
Thom york uses an re20 in the "in rainbows" live from the basement.

Stevie nicks supposedly carried a sennheiser 441 in her purse. (Guess you never know when you might stumble into a karaoke bar?)
 
Bon Iver- Justin Vernon used just one SM57 for recording his whole song for album "For Emma, Forever Ago....
Ben Howard- SM7B
 
Isn't this all largely academic?
The artists are not going to use an LDC for live work? Then often you use what you are given! Then there are freebies.

There is of course the infamous picture of the amp stacks "flats" ! Not nearly so much work to put the guts of one mic in another!

Dave.
 
Just interesting I think, maybe also serves as a way to help find a flattering mic for a given voice, "hey this guy is a bit like bono so maybe try an sm58" kind of thing.

(Oh yeah, if it hasn't been said, bono reportedly favors sm58 in the studio)
 
I tried to figure out which mic Garrison Keillor uses, but it just looks like whatever hand-held dynamic mic they had in the house.
 
Just interesting I think, maybe also serves as a way to help find a flattering mic for a given voice

Thats true enough. Anthony Kiedis is said to have used to 7B because it was kinder to that lisp thing he's got going on.
I'm sure plenty of other dynamics would have been just as effective, but that's the one he used.
 
Thats true enough. Anthony Kiedis is said to have used to 7B because it was kinder to that lisp thing he's got going on.
I'm sure plenty of other dynamics would have been just as effective, but that's the one he used.

Sennheiser 421's are good as well for people that have any sort of dental/nasal thing going on with their voice. I've auditioned people trying out a U87 first, and heard little dental or nasally characteristics that were overemphasized by the 87. Put a 421 on them, and things cleared right up.
 
I read the SM7 was used because MJ wouldnt stop tapping his feet...the u47 Bruce Sweeden tried kept picking up what his feet were doing...so the SM7 was the solution...you can add the pearl jam singer Eddie Vedder for the SM7...
 
Sennheiser 421's are good as well for people that have any sort of dental/nasal thing going on with their voice. I've auditioned people trying out a U87 first, and heard little dental or nasally characteristics that were overemphasized by the 87. Put a 421 on them, and things cleared right up.

Picked up two 421's at an auction for $125...nice...Elton John...Stevie Nicks...etc...
 
Okay, Garrison Keillor is not a singer, but I DID find a shot of him in the studio using an EV RE27N/D. That is more impressive than Rush Limbaugh's gold-plated EV RE20...Rush sounds like he is on AM even when he is on FM.

By the way, I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh...a fellow I go to lunch with has Rush permanently on his radio.
 
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