Suggestions for Female Voice (mp3's included)

T

tvanveen

New member
I've been reading this forum for a while, and I've bought a few mics off of your recommendations. If what I buy doesn't work on what I had hoped, it will usually work on something else.

Now I have a very specific need - a good mic for our singer. We have a few mics in the $100 range that work ok, but I want to find something that will work really well on her, take the next step iykwim.

So, with great embarrassment, I present some of our rehearsal recordings -

http://www.bigdayphoto.com/music/

The first one on there has the best recording of her voice, but they should all give you some idea of her style and range.

Given what you hear, what would you recommend? I'm shooting for under $300, but could go up to $400ish...ebay is definitely an option. Some recommendations I've seen and considered are Shure KSM27, KSM32, SM7, Rode NTK, EV RE20, AT4033, 4050 Baby Bottle, SP T3, B3....

Thanks for any help!

tv
 
The vocals sounds great as they are. My only suggestion would be to experient a little with effects, and if the technology is pretty similar among your choices of mics get the most comfortable to deal with on stage.
 
Shure KSM27, KSM32, SM7, Rode NTK, EV RE20, AT4033,
THese are the ones to look at espcially the dynamics.They can sometimes be better suited to heavy female dynamics and top frequencies.
 
What sort of effects would you suggest...we have sort of a record it dry, play it live attitude about recording but we're definitely open to suggestions.

Thanks for the input so far.
 
What Mic?

What mic is used on the first recording? From what I heard through my monitors it sounded a bit dark for her voice, and lacking detail. I would recommend you try to audition the mics that you listed as possibilities and also add the Rode NT100 to your list. I scored one for around $200 at Guitar Center and still think it's a great value. The Rode NTK would obviously sound "thicker," but with her voice I don't think that the coloration would be needed. The other thing I found lacking on the vocal tracks was compression and frequently the singer's voice "drifted" in and out with some words too soft to hear. Most popular recommendation? - RNC by FMR

Cheers, Jason
 
Last edited:
We sort of tested out an MXL 990, sm-58 and this Yamaha mic that looks like a cross between a 58 and 57 and ended up liking the yamaha best...it's at our rehearsal space, so i don't have it front of me to see what model it is.

One of the reasons I posted is because I can't seem to get her into a store to try out mics. I was kind of hoping one of you gurus would have a pretty good idea of what might work by listening to the MP3's...
 
Nt1000

Just to be clear... I have the NT1000 and based on what I heard on your mp3, I would recommend it for her voice.
 
I can't listen to your tracks because I'm at work. But we have a female singer in our band. We made her go with us to GC and test out several mics to find one that sounded good on her voice.

It was an eye-opening experience. We tried several from the $500 - $1000 range (brand-new). I thought the TLM 103 sounded the best and a Groove Tubes mic (can't remember the model) probably sounded the worst. We went with the NTK because for the price it sounded the best. We are getting some great vocals tracks now! I'm really digging it! We are running it through an RNP and RNC and wow!

Obviously, the NTK may not be the best choice for you singer. I think the only way to find out is to get her to try several and decide for yourself.

Just threaten her or something... tell her she's out of the band if she won't go test drive some mics. :D I'm only (sort of) kidding.
 
Unless you've got a good room (and baffling!), sticking to something along the lines of a SM7, RE20, RE16 (or RE15), or EV 635a would be a smart idea IMHO.

Those last three were staples for RCA, during the 60's, on female vocalists despite having 251's, U47's, and of course RCA(!) 77's, etc. in their mic cabinet.

Don't forget about the ubiquitous SM57 either, particulary if you can get an older "made in USA"/"Unidyne III model. Some singers, like Paul Rodgers,
sound terrific on them. Same goes for the Shure 545 series, the normal vox
mic for (Motown girl group) The Marvelettes. Also used for all lead vocals
on "Pet Sounds" (Beach Boys).

In any event, you'll minimize possible echo flutters and room mode issues
vs. a condenser.

Chris
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top