$1000( One grand) Vocals only Microphone

[kristian]

414 all the way. it will cover all things acoustic, including voice. and farts if you're drunk.

[creatura]

try NEUMANN TLM-103(989.99$us and worth every penny!!!) and check out the groove tubes line!!!!

[CyanJaguar]

Hi, I am into home recording as a vocalist and I would consider the microphone as the most important piece I need(well kinda),so Would anyone please recommend the best mic I can get for under a thousand. I have heard the AKG 414 uls and I think it sounds sweet, but I would like to know if there are any better mics out there for vocals.

I am also looking for info on the earthworks qtc1 at $855 but I have not heard it. I live in rural arkansas and the best mic for sale 300 mile of here is a shure stage mic.

thanks.

[Track Rat]

I second the Grove Tube. The AM-62 is a tube large diaphram multi pattern mic and it sounds phenominal.

[Tim Brown]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CyanJaguar:
Hi, I am into home recording as a vocalist |&lt;----snipped----&gt;| I would like to know if there are any better mics out there for vocals.

I am also looking for info on the earthworks qtc1 at $855 but I have not heard it. I live in rural arkansas and the best mic for sale 300 mile of here is a shure stage mic.

thanks.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Hi CyanJaguar,

How far are you from Nashville, or Memphis?
I'm going to suggest something that others might not:
Since you are a Vocalist, You need to figure out your exact BUDGET for the Mic, (If you can spend $1,000 can you go $1,250? or so)
In a minute you'll see why I'm asking.
What happens if you spend $1,000 on the mic, and decided that you hate it?!
Just because it's expensive doesn't mean crap.
I personally am not a big fan of Tube Mics on my own voice.
I have a very "Strong/Masculine" voice, and sometimes the tubes make my voice sound,well "thicker" than I want them to...I'm not sure if I can explain it.

I suggest you look around on the Internet for some Studios in Memphis and Nashville. I'm including the URL for Sound Kitchen.
I suggest Sound Kitchen studios, because it is the laresgt Recording Complex in the South. It's in Franklin Tennesse, which is right outside of Nashville. It's owned by Dino & John Elefante (John was the lead Singer for Kansas when Steve Walsh left in the early 80's).
They have a MONSTER Mic selection.
You could contact them, and possibly get into the smallest studio for say $100 or so, and do a litle "Vocal Shootout"; you'll need to have already made a lits-because their Studio's normally rent for $1,000 a day!!
Many times-studios will do this on an off day. I mean, there are local studio charging $75 an hour-and I can get in fr as little as $25.
Tell them exactly what you are doing-that you are a singer, and you're trying to find a mic in the $1,000 range that will be best for your voice-so you would like to try a few mics.
Look for mikes in the $1,000 range-and then look on their list and see what you come up with. That way you don't waste your time or theirs.

This way you'll find what you like, and what you don't like, And make your self some sheets up on the computer (to save time in the studio) with all of the Microphones listed, and a little area for any comments.
Also, make sure that everything is flat, No E.Q. no Tube Preamps (What good is the shoot out if you wun the mic through a $10,000 Custom preamp that you'll never see in your lifetime again?)

It might just be the best $100 to $250 bucks you'll ever spend.

Alot of guys will say, "Well, It's a $1,000 dollar mic! It will HAVE to sound great!! If it sounds great on acoustic guitar-Awesome, but you're a singer! You're not looking for a mic that sounds great on guitar, you're looking for a Mic that sounds great on your voice.

I like Ovation Acoustics (all attack, and no "body"-what if you like a real "Woody/honky" acoustic sound?
Are you seeing the point that I'm making?

Many professional singers have their own Mics that they take to sessions, because they find wat their voice works best with-and they get their own.
But many home recrding advocates will say-I spent this $1,000 so it Must sound good-when in reality they might hate it.

Go take alook a Sound kitchens mic Selection (man it's HUGE!!!), also look at their studio layouts.

When the Elefante's put this place together, they did it right.
http://www.soundkitchen.com/

Tim


ps. Check out the BIG BOY studio! It's awesome!

[This message has been edited by Tim Brown (edited 07-13-2000).]

[BigKahuna]

I agree with AKG C414. It sounds great on just about everything ... especially vocals. The Sound Kitchen has 12 of them!

[John Sayers]

I've always used a AKG414 all my life until the TLM103 came out!! I just did a demo for a friend and as I'm in limbo and don't have my gear with me I used my Proview Monitor Mike!! it worked fine - there's a lot of shit talked about mikes.

[Krystof01]

If your spending that amount of money on a mic-be sure to get the right one-make sure you get to try out a range of mics in the environment that you want-all voices are different and as Tim Brown said many proffesionals have there own mics that they bring to sessions because they feel they work with their voice-and all the proffesionals don't use the same mics.

Spending that amount of money I would not consider buying one unless I had tryed the range within that price. Only then can you compare.

[SirPimpAlot]

TLM 103

[Tim Brown]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BigKahuna:
I agree with AKG C414. It sounds great on just about everything ... especially vocals. The Sound Kitchen has 12 of them! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey Big Kahuna-They also havea RADIO SHACK PZM on the list! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I'm keeping up with The Jonses! hahahah
It's in the Dynamic Mic list.
Funny-I always thought that the PZM kind of fell in that "back elcetret" category.

Tim


[This message has been edited by Tim Brown (edited 07-15-2000).]

[CyanJaguar]

hi tim and everybody else

I agree completely with what tim said earlier. I have an compellingly strong lyric baritone/spinto tenor voice and I once did a recording with the "very warm" rode nt1 and my voice sounded like crap.

I can see that the generic winners are the
akg 414 and the tlm 103.

I might be going to tulsa soon, and if I have the chance I will go to a shop and try out some mics but if I don't, I think I will have to go with the 414, simply because I've heard it.

Thankyou everybody.

[Recording Engineer]

Check-out:
http://homerecording.com/ubb/Forum27/HTML/000403.html

Also add the Audio Technica AT4047/SV to that list.

[Dougie Johnson]

RE!!! You forgot your line!


[This message has been edited by Dougie Johnson (edited 07-16-2000).]

[Recording Engineer]

Just the "only" part... So... ONLY!!!

[CyanJaguar]

Hi guys,

I just heard a tlm 103 at work , with no eq and no reverb and I have one word to say

Daaaaaaang.

forget the sound module. I am going to spend the extra money and buy the tlm 103. In my opinion, it sounded better than the akg c414, a little bit better.

[CyanJaguar]

I was just searching on the internet about the tlm 103 and I found out that it like won a bunch of awards in 99.

I also read that the relatively(to 2000)new audio technica at4047 mic rubs shoulders with the c414 on vocals- if you need to save money.

[Recording Engineer]

As an "all-around" workhorse, I picked a matched-pair of 103s over 4050s and both available versions of the C414s.

But that's just me. I highly recommend you go compare them yourself.

Also I would throw the Soundelux U195 into the comparison mix with the others, now'a days. It wasn't around when I bought my 103s.