[Vocal] Rode NT1 or Shure 55SH?

syrianrue

New member
[Vocal] Rode NT1, Shure SM7B, AKG c214?

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? :)
 
Last edited:
The NT1 and 55SH are two totally different beasts. Both good microphones in their own respect.

The NT1 is a condenser with a pretty broad frequency response and a peak in the highs. It was one of the first really successful budget condensers. It's not a Neumann by any means but its a solid mic for the price.

The 55SH shares a lot in common with other mics with unidine capsules such as the SM57 and SM58 which are rolled off on the extreme highs and lows and have a peak in the high mids. 57's are very standard on snares and guitar amps which often benefit from the boost and would need a roll off anyway. When it comes to vocals I think 55SHs and SM58s are better for live work. My go to choice for vocals would be a SM7 which is essentially a more refined variation of the SM57.
 
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