[Vocal] Rode NT1,NT2A, Shure SM7B, AKG c214, Neumann TLM 102 ?

syrianrue

New member
Hello,

I'm quite curious about the following Microphones for home recording, and was wondering if anyone could perhaps shed some lights on each of the mic's area of expertise is at and what type of vocal they're most suited for?

Rode NT1
Shure SM7B
AKG c214
Rode NT2A (is this just a slightly better version of NT1?)
Neumann TLM 102 (how does this compare to the others here? since it's at a higher price range ~$650)

The type of vocal I'm focusing on are similar to the following:


watch?v=arrzbQ2YFxs
watch?v=hnt2aHn0waA
watch?v=t0imaSCnSuA
*3 more example videos. however, due to site restriction, i'm only able to show 1 :(
to check them out simply type in youtube.com with a backslash followed by the above messages


Would Shure SM7B and AKG c214 be better for deeper/fuller voice vocal like these?
From some of the mic test videos I looked up on youtube, it seems these 2 mics are pretty perfect for such tones. Am I correct? But what's the difference between SM7B and AKG c214? it's so hard to distinguish between these two.

In some, I've found the SM7B seems to sounds better, yet in others, the AKG c214 seems to edge out SM7B.

*Another example video here
watch?v=kk-27jNoRsw

Then there's vocals like this one where the sounds are higher and thinner. Is Rode NT1 or condenser mics more suited for this job?

Most of the mics above are around the $350 range, while the Neuman tlm 102 is around the $650 range... is ths price justified when compared to the other great mics at a slightly lower price range? And does anyone any other mics you would recommend?

On a side note, what PC Audio Interface would you guys recommend? for a home studio/recording with the mics above?
A young talented youtube singer uses her Rode NT1 with TASCAM US-144MKII and seems to produce great quality recordings, would that PC Audio Interface be a good choice? or does anyone have any suggestions? :)
 
The Neumann tlm102 is a great microphone, not just for vocals as well, but acoustic instruments and saxophone e.t.c, as an all rounder the tlm102 is by far the most useful out the ones on your list. The SM7B is specially made for vocals, if you are ONLY recording vocals then it might be the better option..
 
I have a couple of these. The neumann and the akg. The neumann is an awesome vocal mic for me. It's very clear sounding and for my voice (higher voice) it works great. The akg isn't really a vocal mic but I had good results using it. Honestly they are both great mics, I think the neumann is better for my needs but they both have a place in my studio.
 
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