Hip Hop Microphone Advice

[cky4987]

ok well i've been looking at mics for a little while now and i think i have pretty much narrowed it down to an Audio Technica AT 4060 or a Peluso VTB any recommendations or which one you would pick keep in mind it will be used for strictly hip hop vocals. also any other mic recommendations that aren't those 2 let me know. thanks

[ido1957]

Both high quality - either mic will be a good choice....

[PhilGood]

I saw a shootout with the VTB and a Sony C800G on another site. The VTB didn't really fair too well, but it could have been the preamp that was used. It sounded kind of boxy.

Still trying to understand what is supposed to classify "hip hop" vocals as requiring something different than other vocal timbres.

Shouldn't it just be based on the tone of the voice that's being recorded as opposed to the genre?

[cky4987]

well the tone of my voice is pretty much middle,its not high but its not low so i guess that would be the tone, and the other main person i would be recording has a lower voice. i would just be rapping and then maybe occasional singing on a chorus here and there. also if anybody here has a sample of either of the two microphones with rap vocals could you post it.

[kidvybes]

...for hiphop vocals (you've probably heard this before) I'd say go with an SM7B and a good quality mic pre, rather than spending too much on the mic alone...

[cky4987]

yeah ive read that but seriously like does it really put out quality. i mean what is it $200 i just really cant see something that cheap putting out good quality.

[Mixteco]

Originally Posted by cky4987

yeah ive read that but seriously like does it really put out quality. i mean what is it $200 i just really cant see something that cheap putting out good quality.

Thats not what David Banner said when he recorded tracks with it

[cky4987]

i have about $1200 to spend so i really dont think i wanna buy a $200 microphone. like i really doubt that im gonna get the right sound with that.

[KineticSound]

Had Quincy Jones thought that, he wouldn't have recorded Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album on an SM-7.

That said, if the budget was $1,200, I'd be testing a Shure KSM-44 and an FMR Audio RNP.

[cky4987]

god knows what kind of pre amp and compressor they used. anyway forget the sm7b. im looking for a mic in the $1200 price area.

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by cky4987

god knows what kind of pre amp and compressor they used. anyway forget the sm7b. im looking for a mic in the $1200 price area.

...been there, done that...if you don't do it now, you'll do it later...more hit records were made with 2 mics than any others...the U87 and the SM7...there's a reason why it still smokes most of the competition more than 30 years later...do your thang bro...I promise I won't tell ya I told ya so...

[Metal Marc]

Originally Posted by kidvybes

...for hiphop vocals (you've probably heard this before) I'd say go with an SM7B and a good quality mic pre, rather than spending too much on the mic alone...

Word to your legal guardian.

[cky4987]

alright fine well anywhere i can hear a sample of it. not thriller or david banner, someone on here who has recorded with it. if its that amazing lets hear a sample from someone.

[kidvybes]

...I think you're missing the point...first and foremost, learn your craft...a mic (any mic) is just a tool...no mic is miraculously going to make your tracks sound world class...it's the combination of quality tools in the hands of capable craftsmen that give birth to great product...when you can make quality tracks with meager tools, that's the time to contemplate upgrading your tools...to do so prematurely will only lead to disappointment (and you'll blame it on that damn overpriced mic!)...

[cky4987]

ok well this is just getting off subject now all im looking for is some mic recommendations. ok ill put the sm7b down as a possible option. any others or anybody here have a set up for hip hop that they like?

[PhilGood]

My question is serious! What are you looking for in the "qualities" for hip hop? What is the defining sound that everyone in rap and hip hop comes here looking for? We always get these generic questions "what is the best mic for hip hop?" and I still don't know what that means! What do all these rap & HH artists expect? Are you looking for a big bottom end with high end sheen? A compressed sound? More midrange? What?

There's no such thing as a "hip hop" mic! There are only "microphones".

Hip hop, as far as I know, does not require anything in recording that other genres do not require also! If someone has a spitty sibilance problem, you give them a mic that doesn't have a bright high end! If someone has a thin voice, you want a mic that accentuates the bass frequencies. If someone has a bit of a rasp that sounds good, you want something breathy, like a C12.

So, again, what defines "hip hop" or "rap" vocals?? What does that mean????


Good God, this question gets seriously old and irritating! Do you somehow think there is one mic that works on everything "hip hop"?

I'm not dissing the art, just annoyed at how often this pops up! There are probably 50-100 different mics used to produce hip (God I get tired of typing this) hop!

Its sort of like asking "whats the best mic for acoustic guitar?". WHAT KIND of acoustic guitar?! There are all kinds! Thin body, dreadnought, small body, semi acoustic...Not everything works on the same guitar and there is not one mic that works for everything!

Please! Define you question so that it isn't exclusively about a _______ setup and we'll go from there.

No one comes here saying "what's the best mic for Emo?" because there is no such thing! No two human voices are exactly the same, so what defines a "hip hop" mic?

[PhilGood]

To be specific, do you think the mic that Missy Elliot uses would work on Tone Loc? Do you think a mic used on Lil Kim would sound good on P Diddy?

See what I'm saying?

[cky4987]

allllright, jesus christ man you dont gotta go freakin insane i was just asking a question. like i said my voice is mid tone not high not low, the other main person i would be recording has a deeper voice, no sibilance problems, im looking for something that'll give a nice warmth to the voice.the first question i asked was what do you think would be or sound better for hip hop vocals an at 4060 or a peluso VTB or which one would have a more warm full sound to it?

[PhilGood]

Just go with the 4060. I think its miles above the VTB, from the samples I've heard. I've used the 4060. The 4060 is a well respected mic that definitely defines warm.

If you were a contributor on this forum, you would eventually go a little insane too after trying to answer the same ignorant dumbass question every other freaking day!

Inane leads to insane. Maybe you can turn that into a rap hit.

[cky4987]

alright, im leaning toward the at4060 just wanted some other opinions on it or other microphones in that price range. but if something really makes you that mad, then just dont answer to it.

[PhilGood]

I expect 2.5G a week if it hits.

That'll about double what I make now.

[PhilGood]

It didn't make me mad, its just a bewildering question.

Its like saying "what's the best spice for soup?"

What kind of soup??

[PhilGood]

I got one! Look at the Mojave MA-200. Seriously, seriously good mic for under $1000.

Very versatile too! Sounds good on a lot of sources! much like a U67.

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by PhilGood

I got one! Look at the Mojave MA-200. Seriously, seriously good mic for under $1000.

...good recommendation...IMHO better than the 4060...but, coming from a guy who produces Reggae (dancehall is very close to hiphop in terms of musical dynamics) I gotta say, there's still one mic that gets the nod more often than my MA-200...care to guess which mic I'm referring to?...yeah...you got that right...

[PhilGood]

Does it have Kel and a 7? Or a Shure and a 7?