Mic advice for live

[Aware]

Our singer is looking for a new mic for live gigs , his sm58 has seen better days and to be honest never matched his voice, he has a low to midrange voice that doesn't cut through much, he does tend to sound a bit droney at times, so i figure he needs a brighter more cutting sound, something that will make his voice more cutting.

thanks for any ideas,

brands he's bee looking at are, audio technica and sennheiser but he's at a loss of what to try.

budget is £120-£150

thanks

[Big Kenny]

sennheiser evolution series 845
Beta 87
In His Name
BK

[johneeeveee]

shure beta 58
audix om7

peace - jv

[wilkee]

Have a listen to the Senn E865 if you have phantom power available.
It has a very crisp sound and best of all resists feedback very well.
The lower end has been tailored to suit close micing.

The Akg C900 is also another candidate but the extended lower end takes a bit of controlling, but again it has a lovely crisp sound.

[Big Kenny]

senn doesn't use phantom
In His name
BK

[Garry Sharp]

We have a couple of 58's, a Senn 845 and the AKG C900 which is a hand held condenser, for our live work.

The Senni is much nivcer than the Shure, and has a boost in the upper mids which may bring your singer's voice out better. The AKG is great for our fem vox (when we gig at places with phantom) but is muddy on a male voice, as wilkee indicated.

Try the Sennheiser.

[fazil]

Originally posted by Big Kenny
senn doesn't use phantom
In His name
BK

the E865 does, as it is a condensor mic
greetz

[Real Tones]

I agree with wilkee on the Sennheiser e865. You would need phantom power as it is a condenser. In a dynamic microphone the sennheiser e855 is worth a look.

[Aware]

Well thanks v.much for the advice, we're of to try out some of those ideas, we'll pay particular attention to the sennheiser 845, it sounds just the thing.

thanks again

[Garry Sharp]

Let us know how you get on.

[wilkee]

Originally posted by Garry Sharp

The AKG is great for our fem vox (when we gig at places with phantom) but is muddy on a male voice, as wilkee indicated.

Try the Sennheiser.

I don't think it is muddy, there is just too much.

When I use my digi mixer I call up a saved E.Q. that uses a High pass filter as well as a shelving filter that cures the problem quite well but I cannot get the same results on a standard mixer.

The Senn seems to have been designed much better for close Vox IMHO

Tony

P.S. Garry, how is the band progressing?

[Garry Sharp]

Wilkee (apologies to all for OT reply but I couldn't resist)

Doing OK, considering how tough it is for bands playing original material (but we're having a lot of fun) - getting quite established on the London indie circuit. Headlining the Hope & Anchor saturday week (very famous venue - likes of U2 have played there)and are promised a Saturday night at the Cavern in Liverpool probably in April.

It's all down to getting promoters to like you - we're lucky that a couple do

[littledog]

Most of the singers I work with on live gigs really like my EV ND series mics.

[bgavin]

The Audix OM-x series and Audio-Technica AT series both offer hypercardioid designs with good tone and high noise rejection. The singer will have to use good mic technique, or he will step outside the narrow pickup pattern.

[EddieRay]

Originally posted by littledog
Most of the singers I work with on live gigs really like my EV ND series mics.

I just saw an N/D457 in the local classifieds for $80. Is that a good mic/price?

[dirtythermos]

I liked the SM87 for vocals when the 58 was not cutting it. The AT41 is another alternative, but tends to sound better on women than men.

The 87 needs +48v, the AT41 does not.

[littledog]

Originally posted by EddieRay
I just saw an N/D457 in the local classifieds for $80. Is that a good mic/price?

Eddie,

If you don't want it, I'll buy it immediately. Please PM me with the details. Thanks.

[EddieRay]

Originally posted by littledog
Eddie,

If you don't want it, I'll buy it immediately. Please PM me with the details. Thanks.

Did you get my PM?

[noisedude]

i've got a fairly low/dull voice and i found the senn 845 to have that bit of 'presence' (though i'm not sure that's the correct use of the term) to bring my voice out. hunt around and you can get some great deals on the E series mics every so often.

i also like the EV 767, a bit more expensive but another that feels like it's gonna last for decades and seems to sound really good (though i haven't used it myself enough to make a complete conclusion, my drummer has a pair and is very fond of them).

Garry Sharp - next time you're up Leeds way my man, drop me a line and i'll come and experience your crew. get in touch with the cockpit/rocket or, failing that joseph's well or the new roscoe.

Nik

[littledog]

Originally posted by EddieRay
Did you get my PM?

Yes, Eddie. Thanks.

I e-mailed the guy but so far have not heard back.

At that price, it probably sold quickly.

[Sklathill]

I've been playing around with an Audio Technica MB2000 and I'm liking it on my baritone voice. Being cheap is a plus too...

[Paj]

The Sennheiser is nice. You also might want to try out an AT27HE. Tough mic, hot signal, great clarity, more bass output than an SM58 but easy to adjust. If you handle the mic a lot during performance, this one has great handling noise isolation. Costs about the same as an SM57/58.

Paj
8^)