Help me decide on a new microphone, please!!

scottmusic22

scottmusic22

New member
I keep going back and forth trying to find the perfect microphone for my voice online, so I really need some help. I'm finding myself making a decent amount of money for an 18 year old lately, but I don't have the opportunity to try mics out really so it's just been a search with no ending point.
Right now I'm using an AKG Perception 220 for vocals and I can get great recordings and it's not ruining anything, but it sure is hard finding it's sweet spot. As someone else said it's great at bringing out the sounds you don't want to hear. It's a bit dull and brittle. The high end isn't incredibly prominent but the chinese sounding grainy artifacts sure are...

I'm a baritone/tenor with a tone that is very tenor-ish, but my range is more like a baritones range. People say I sound like Owl City and I agree, similar smoothness with just a tad more thickness so I don't exactly need a thick sounding microphone. I'm a sucker for some sparkly highs!

So I think I want a somewhat neutral but present condenser microphone that will cut through a loud mix, and still sound nice in a quieter mix.

Some that I'm considering: Shure KSM (32, 44a, 27), Blue Kiwi (may be in my price range in the near future), Rode NT-1000 (maybe I'm just looking for a nice present and bright sound, but I'm willing to spend more for an upgrade)

Some that I'm not considering are: SM7b (My voice sounds too dull through all dynamics I've tried), AKG 414 (I'm not the biggest fan. I tried one on my voice once and didn't really like what I heard), and U87ai seems a bit darker than I want.


By the way my room isn't treated, but I'm getting decent results and I'm buying a reflection filter soon to fix that temporarily since I'm recording in dorm rooms most of the time. So help me out!!!
 
If you are located near a major metro center you may be able to rent a few mics and try them out. Does the school you are attending have a recording studio? You might be able to audition and record some clips, maybe as part of a mic shoot-out for an AV guy that needs some extra credit. ;)

If you can rent a Kiwi by all means try it out.

PM Richard Monroe and he can tell you anything you want to know about the Kiwi. He loves his.

You don't say what mic pre you are using but that could be part of the problem/solution too.
 
You might want to consider the microphones here.

They are around 300-400, but from my experience with some of the microphones, they really do sound like the specific Neumann microphone they claimed it to be.

Also, they cut off the highs earlier than the Neumann microphones, so you won't get that painfully high-pitched sound whenever you hit the highs. ( If I am not wrong )

However , another thing to suggest: If you don't have a treated room, then Dynamic Microphones might be the way to go.
 
Scott - Have you ever tried a tube microphone?

And once again from an other poster ..... What do you have for a preamp?
 
I live in connecticut, so I'm probably not too close to anything like that, but my school has recording studios and an extensive mic locker. I'm a music production major and I don't have access to the studios myself, but I know some people who could probably get me in to try out some mics now that I think of it! They don't have the Rode or the Kiwi but I think I heard that one of the other students has a Kiwi (and he really didn't like it) so I'll try to test it out in the fall, because I've loved every sample I've heard of the Kiwi and think it might just be the mic for me!

How can I find him on here? I'd love to hear about it.

I'm using the built in pres in my MOTU Audio Express interface. They're getting the job done for me at the moment, but I'm planning on getting a nice and simple solid-state preamp soon like the True Systems P-Solo, mostly just to be confident that I'll be getting the full quality of the source.

I'm not all that interested in tube mics/pres, at least not in my budget.

By the way, DarrenVocal, those mods look interesting and I've heard good things about them, maybe something I should look into.
I would need a better pre to really get the full potential out of the dynamics, and even with all the flaws of the cheap ones, I much prefer the hifi sound of a condenser on my voice.

Thanks a lot for the help guys, keep the knowledge coming!
 
I love my Kiwi. It is very evenly responsive and very detailed mic. But like other posts, you have to try out several mics before you buy and have a completely open mind about it. What may sound best on your voice overall may surprise you. It may not be a Kiwi, may be an SM-7. I have never placed an SM-7 in front of a male vocalist and have it not be at least suitable. I have put my Kiwi or U87 ect up and have it not work at all many times.
Here are some samples, not sure they will help or not.
Kiwi
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton/indian-summer
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton/fairy-tale
U87
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton/for-you
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton/hum-road-song
C-414
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton/fall-down
Sm-7
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton/southern-belle
https://soundcloud.com/elton-clifton
 
Hi Scott,

The above are all great recommendations, but you mentioned you were on a budget. I know what that's like, and as such I would recommend you check out the Behringer B-2 Pro. It costs about $225 Cdn (180US?) and sounds absolutely incredible for the price. I used it when starting my studio, and lends itself really well to mid-side micing and vocals. Since you said you were a mid-bari you would find the coloring this mic has would benefit your voice as it has a slight boost around the 4k range. It is also the only mic in that price range that has 3 selectable pickup patterns. There is a lower priced C-3 but I would not recommend it.

If you prefer brand name mics. I would recommend trying the beta57 from Sure (it's what I use for singing and I'm a mid-bari to low-alto singer) It has great response and is forgiving in regards to mic control.

Cheers

Jeff
 
Just for everybody's amusement/education, Scott PM'd me, and I'm copying my answer here for any value it may have:

Yo Scott! The Kiwi, if anything, does have a little midrange boost, and it's simply a great mic. So- I have good news and bad news for you. First, the bad news- Vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit, or they don't. And- they have to be the right shoes for the job. The best pair of ballet toe shoes in the world suck for playing ice hockey. To make matters worse, we don't all agree on what sounds good. Ask ten engineers, and you'll get eleven opinions. You need to find not the *best* mic, but the *right* mic. The Kiwi is simply the shoe that fits *me*. For more gravely/bluesy stuff, I tend toward Rode NTK. Most of the women I work with don't care for the Kiwi, and prefer darker mics, like Oktava MK319, a cheap mic that simply works for them. I can't look at you and tell you what shoes will be comfortable on you, and ***clips won't help***! Descriptions won't help. Comparisons won't help. Frequency graphs won't help. The only thing that helps is singing into the damned mic, and playing it back.

That said, here's the good news- You live in Connecticut. I live in Framingham, Mass. I have a Kiwi and a pretty good room. I also have Rode NTK, Shure SM7B, AKG C414B-ULS, C2000B, B.L.U.E. Baby Bottle and Bluebird, Oktava MK319. Why don't we take this offline? Email me at: richie@bardwire.com, make an appointment and come on up and test the mic in a studio environment with monitors? Bring any recorded tracks or instruments you want, and we can mic you up and we'll see what you sound like through the Kiwi. You can take the time to play with the nine polar patterns, and try out some of my other mics, if you like. What do I want for this? You pay for the Chinese lunch (about $15). Before you spend a couple of grand on a main vocal mic, doesn't it make sense to try out the sucker first? Send me an email.
 
Richard Monroe said:
Just for everybody's amusement/education, Scott PM'd me, and I'm copying my answer here for any value it may have:

Yo Scott! The Kiwi, if anything, does have a little midrange boost, and it's simply a great mic. So- I have good news and bad news for you. First, the bad news- Vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit, or they don't. And- they have to be the right shoes for the job. The best pair of ballet toe shoes in the world suck for playing ice hockey. To make matters worse, we don't all agree on what sounds good. Ask ten engineers, and you'll get eleven opinions. You need to find not the *best* mic, but the *right* mic. The Kiwi is simply the shoe that fits *me*. For more gravely/bluesy stuff, I tend toward Rode NTK. Most of the women I work with don't care for the Kiwi, and prefer darker mics, like Oktava MK319, a cheap mic that simply works for them. I can't look at you and tell you what shoes will be comfortable on you, and ***clips won't help***! Descriptions won't help. Comparisons won't help. Frequency graphs won't help. The only thing that helps is singing into the damned mic, and playing it back.

That said, here's the good news- You live in Connecticut. I live in Framingham, Mass. I have a Kiwi and a pretty good room. I also have Rode NTK, Shure SM7B, AKG C414B-ULS, C2000B, B.L.U.E. Baby Bottle and Bluebird, Oktava MK319. Why don't we take this offline? Email me at: richie@bardwire.com, make an appointment and come on up and test the mic in a studio environment with monitors? Bring any recorded tracks or instruments you want, and we can mic you up and we'll see what you sound like through the Kiwi. You can take the time to play with the nine polar patterns, and try out some of my other mics, if you like. What do I want for this? You pay for the Chinese lunch (about $15). Before you spend a couple of grand on a main vocal mic, doesn't it make sense to try out the sucker first? Send me an email.
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That's a great answer. Always amazes me though how we all hear differently like you mentioned. 10 engineers and 11 opinions. I use the Kiwi on females all the time and love it. It has a much less hi mid bump than my U87. And to me sounds rounder than the Rode Classic 2 tube?!? But like u said, it's all relative. So great u offered up your place. Very cool.
 
Elton123 said:
That's a great answer. Always amazes me though how we all hear differently like you mentioned. 10 engineers and 11 opinions. I use the Kiwi on females all the time and love it. It has a much less hi mid bump than my U87. And to me sounds rounder than the Rode Classic 2 tube?!? But like u said, it's all relative. So great u offered up your place. Very cool.
Click to expand...

See what I mean? Mo Fleming-Mullins, one of the vocalists on my first album, a contralto, didn't like the Kiwi. She recorded her entire first album, "Dreamers" using a U87, and loves it. Mostly now, she uses Rode NTK. My wife (alto) didn't like the Kiwi, and wound up using Oktava MK319. Carolyn Pfeffer-Johnston, the mezzo soprano of the group, didn't like the Kiwi, and did fine with AKG C2000B. No one could have predicted any of that without a real world mic shootout. There is absolutely no substitute for using the mic. And if you want a clean pre, Scott, that won't be a problem. I've got an Avalon AD2022, one of the cleanest solid state pres on the planet. The Kiwi isn't for everyone, like they say in the drug commercials. No vocal mic is. It's just what works for me.
 
I can't get into the mic locker and studios (except during class) but I have friends on studio staff who have access to it whenever.
 
Richard Monroe said:
Just for everybody's amusement/education, Scott PM'd me, and I'm copying my answer here for any value it may have:

Yo Scott! The Kiwi, if anything, does have a little midrange boost, and it's simply a great mic. So- I have good news and bad news for you. First, the bad news- Vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit, or they don't. And- they have to be the right shoes for the job. The best pair of ballet toe shoes in the world suck for playing ice hockey. To make matters worse, we don't all agree on what sounds good. Ask ten engineers, and you'll get eleven opinions. You need to find not the *best* mic, but the *right* mic. The Kiwi is simply the shoe that fits *me*. For more gravely/bluesy stuff, I tend toward Rode NTK. Most of the women I work with don't care for the Kiwi, and prefer darker mics, like Oktava MK319, a cheap mic that simply works for them. I can't look at you and tell you what shoes will be comfortable on you, and ***clips won't help***! Descriptions won't help. Comparisons won't help. Frequency graphs won't help. The only thing that helps is singing into the damned mic, and playing it back.

That said, here's the good news- You live in Connecticut. I live in Framingham, Mass. I have a Kiwi and a pretty good room. I also have Rode NTK, Shure SM7B, AKG C414B-ULS, C2000B, B.L.U.E. Baby Bottle and Bluebird, Oktava MK319. Why don't we take this offline? Email me at: richie@bardwire.com, make an appointment and come on up and test the mic in a studio environment with monitors? Bring any recorded tracks or instruments you want, and we can mic you up and we'll see what you sound like through the Kiwi. You can take the time to play with the nine polar patterns, and try out some of my other mics, if you like. What do I want for this? You pay for the Chinese lunch (about $15). Before you spend a couple of grand on a main vocal mic, doesn't it make sense to try out the sucker first? Send me an email.
Click to expand...

Hey man, thanks so much for all of the info and the offer!
I live pretty far from Massachusetts, and about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Framingham, so it would be quite the trip but I really appreciate having the option if I can't find another way to get my hands on a Kiwi!
The clarity just blows my mind!
I'm going to try to get someone from school to let me try theirs out (since I don't quite have the cash for one right now anyway), but if that doesn't work out or if I don't even end up liking it then I will definitely take that offer to try it out. Buying a $2k mic without trying it sounds like a terrible idea, so I'm not about to risk that. Keep in touch man, thanks so much for the help! And thanks Elton123 for the clips! Thanks for the help everyone, I'm definitely going to look further into this mic and try it out soon!
 
scottmusic22 said:
Hey man, thanks so much for all of the info and the offer!
I live pretty far from Massachusetts, and about 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Framingham, so it would be quite the trip but I really appreciate having the option if I can't find another way to get my hands on a Kiwi!
The clarity just blows my mind!
I'm going to try to get someone from school to let me try theirs out (since I don't quite have the cash for one right now anyway), but if that doesn't work out or if I don't even end up liking it then I will definitely take that offer to try it out. Buying a $2k mic without trying it sounds like a terrible idea, so I'm not about to risk that. Keep in touch man, thanks so much for the help! And thanks Elton123 for the clips! Thanks for the help everyone, I'm definitely going to look further into this mic and try it out soon!
Click to expand...

You know where to find me. Good luck.
 
moresound said:
I'll send the mud wrestling pool back - And cancel the order for 250 Lbs. of green Jello. :(
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No, Henry. Here, we play the Scottish Archery game. We start with a toy bow with suction cup arrows (real bows are right out for this game). We put the little target on a table. If both archers hit it, we move it 4" farther away and continue. If both archers miss, we move it 4" closer and continue. If one hits, and the other misses, the one that missed drinks a shot of single malt scotch, and we continue. Last archer standing is the winner.
 
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