which mic to buy

[Jamie]

I need to purchase a good mic for vocals. Does anyone have any recomendations? I'm looking for somthing that works well with female vocals and my price range is around $300. but I can go a little higher if anyone thinks it will make a big difference between mics. One that was recomended to me was the Pacific Pro Audio LD-2UBE. Anyone have experiance with this one? I'm looking to buy somthing this week so any help would be great. Thanks!

Jamie

[chessparov]

It's a smart idea to pick up two or three vocal microphones IMHO,
even for the same singer-different keys/varying material, etc.

Here are some further questions to narrow things down more;

1) What mixer and/or mic pre are you using?
(does it have "phantom power" for condensers?)

2) Just for recording use, or also live performance?

3) What kind of sound are you aiming for? (rock/pop/country etc.)

4) Is there a local dealer nearby, where you can try them out?

Chris

P.S. There is no direct correlation between the cost of a
microphone and how "good" it is for you-voices differ.
Bonnie Raitt likes to use an EV RE20 for major studio tracks,
and Madonna uses "her" SM57 a lot.

[Jamie]

Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 2260 RE: "a good mic"

It's a smart idea to pick up two or three vocal microphones IMHO,
I'm using the M- Audio Tampa Pre Amp, which does have phanton power, that is going into a MOTU 828 which also has phantom, then into audio desk program on my laptop.

I'm aming for a pop/rock sound mostly.

It will only be for recording.

There is a dealer sort of near by.

[OnTheBlackRock]

ok well...
Marshall MXL2003 - 149.99 great mic for your buck. has Db switch and pad switch. sounds great on vocals - cuts through the mix, only drawback is it's very "poppy" you'll def. need a pop filter maybe two... also it can sounds somewat glassy. but with a decent pre amp it can sound as good as some 500 $ mics i've heard.

audio technica AT4040 - awsome. great for vocals and cruncy guitar amps. can handle screaming punk too... (thats what i mostly record)

octava mk319 - great for money... quality control issue another thing but mine is good... use as color mic for most females. so this may suite your style... you gotta try it. but I like it and i tend to use this almost 90% of the time i record a female.

[Gidge]

Marshall MXLv77

[chessparov]

My only reservation with the condenser choices so far is that,
as mentioned, the Oktava's have quality control issues.

Other choices (under $100) would include the Studio Projects B1,
and the Marshall V67.

With the other $200 portion of the budget, here are some other ones
to try, and you can buy them used to save $$.

1) Shure SM57
2) Electro-Voice 635a omni
3) Electro-Voice RE15 (or RE16 which has an internal foam pop screen)

The last two listed above are easier to use for a singer who isn't
that experienced with proper mic technique BTW.

The Beyer M88 or Sennheiser 441, for example, can sound terrific
but they are hypercardiod (narrower pattern), and demand a higher
level of technique as a result. The positive aspect of this type will be
they'll reject ambient noise at home well.

As a generic vocal toolkit, IMHO, the SM57 and one of the EV's listed
here, along with a nice condenser, will work excellently for most singers.

Chris

P.S. If you don't have an outboard parametric EQ unit yet, it would be
a smart idea to take $100 or so out of the budget to get something
like a DBX 242, to have available during mixdowns.

[DJL]

What mic did you get Jamie?

[Jamie]

I am about to purchase them now. So far I went and bought the v57 from musicians friend because I saw the post on the other thread and figured what the heck.. But I am also leaning tword getting the Audio technica AT 4040. And I have a bid out on ebay for the electrovoice 635. Anyone have any last minture sugestions? thanks

[DJL]

Originally posted by Jamie
I am about to purchase them now. So far I went and bought the v57 from musicians friend because I saw the post on the other thread and figured what the heck.. But I am also leaning tword getting the Audio technica AT 4040. And I have a bid out on ebay for the electrovoice 635. Anyone have any last minture sugestions? thanks

I think your AT4040 choice is a good mic.

[chessparov]

Good luck on your e-bay bid on the EV 635A.
The 635A is the improved version of the EV 635 BTW.
It will have a mellower top end compared to most modern condensers sold today, like the Marshall V57, so it should be a
good complement.

The AT4040 is reputed to be an excellent vocal mic on many singers, and smoother than the AT3035 (also a good mic).

Keep in mind, however, there are a larger number of Beyer M88 (or M88TG) microphones for sale on e-bay right now, more than is usual. If you search for them, be sure to try both "Beyer microphone" and "Beyerdynamic microphone", in addition to "M88". There are also some Sennheiser 441's too, try "441 microphone" and "MD441 microphone".

The great thing about these microphones is that if you buy one in good shape used, they retain their value, and sometimes go up in
value due to their desirability.

Chris