a really good vocal mic

S

stax

New member
hey there,

i'm about to invest in a mid-priced mic. right now i'm using an akg c3000 which has been very good to me. i'm looking to spend around $600. my primary focus is on a mic that'll enhance female vocals. does anyone know of any mic that's worth moving up from the 3000?

thanks

stax
 
And a very good point. Of course, we should never let the guys in Nashville dictate what we do though. We would them be doing the Boot Scoot Boogie and what not......LOL

Yes, the 4050 is a very nice mic. Although, it really tends to have a much more present 300-500hz thing to it. For a thin voice, this is very nice. For a fuller, richer voice, it tends to start getting a little thick. Because I record in digital, I tend to concentrate on clearing up upper mids and high end. I find that anything that emphasises the 200-500hz region tends to start making the mix sound like it lacks sparkle. I also use the ART Dual MP's, so I get plenty of warmth, which is really the advantage of the 4050 over the 4033.

Other things I have found about the comparison between these two very capable mics.

For overheads, the 4050 just doesn't do it for me. Since I tend to use overheads for mostly cymbals, and a bit of ambiance, I don't care for the 4050's tendecy to accentuate the lower mids, thus chewing up meter with things that I don't really need from them.

I almost always use a 4033 for recording an electric distorted lead guitar solo. I tried the 4050 for this application and found that it worked well, but again, the 4033 just gave things a bit of an high end edge that seems to be missing with the 4050.

But here is something that the 4050 really kicks the 4033's butt at. I recorded a singer one time who had no really control over his dynamics. The band was hard rock, so, the music had a dynamic range or maybe 10 db on songs with breaks in it (only one of those on this particular demo CD they did). After working with the singer for far too long trying to get him to play off of the mic, and smoothing out his dynamics, I tried something very drastic. I used the 4050 in omni directional mode. Wow! While the directness of the sound suffered over uni-mode, it really took away alot of the proximity effect of the mic. The singers dynamics smoothed out just enough to get through the project without resorting to heavy compression to tape. So, when I have a singer that just can't get it together, I like to use the 4050 for that purpose.

But, really, a variety of mics is what it is all about. So, buy both!!! LOL

Ed
 
Well, you can never go wrong with the best selling large diapham condenser mic of all time, the Audio Technica 4033. Going for about $400 right now. If you use proper mic techniques, I think that you will find that this mic will have a whole slew of applications. For the money, I really don't think that you can beat it.

Ed Rei
Echo Star Studio www.echostarstudio.com
 
I was hoping to get a reply from ED. :-)

Funny thing, I went with the AKG C4000B. It cost about the same as the AT4050. I have been very happy with it. Before I got this mic, I used an RE-27 because the phantom power on my Hill board was a bit odd. Ed, have you ever tried using it for vocals? Many people are supprised that a non condensor mic could sound that well. I plan to get an AT4050 sometime in the future.
 
I have a RE-27n/d. Wow!!! You are the first person I have ever talked to that has one also Fishmed. Cool.

I have used the 27 for vocals only in cases where a FM radio DJ voice was needed. Never used it for a lead vocal, but I am not surprised that it worked quite well. There is probably not another mix in the world that handles transients like the RE-27. If you are looking to smooth something out before you hit the pre-amp, or the recorder, this IS the mic!!! :)

I did one time though use it on a trumpet solo where the player was using a Harmon Mute. If you have ever recorded a Harmon Mute, you know that it can be a ear spitting experience. I started off by the way using the 4050 on this solo. I felt that the song required a much more smooth sound to it, but still needed the Harmon Mute sound. So, I suggested to the co-producer that we try the 27 with the high roll off engaged. HOLY COW!!! JUST THE SOUND WE WERE LOOKING FOR!!!

You know, I just reread the original post here, and for some reason, I missed the part about a mid-priced mic for "female" vocals..... :) I would have to say that the 4050 is probably going to be the best bet, unless of course you can steal a Neumann U-87 for $600.......LOL HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... :) :) :)....I am killing myself here.....

That extra mid presence in the 4050 has always, without exception worked to my advantage for female vocalists.

Hope this helps. And, Good luck.
Ed Rei
Echo Star Studio www.echostarstudio.com
 
Ed

I talked to my friend here in town, who is one of the best engineers around (killer studio). Anyway, I was asking him about the AT4050 & AT 4033. He said that the 4050 in cardioid position sounds just like the 4033. You are just paying $200 extra buck for additional patterns. i am taking his word for it, as I am not going to go out and buy each of them to compare for myself. Oddly enough, he favores the Rode NT2 over both of them.
 
Since you are in the analog section, I'll mention that if you can find a used Sure SM7 or SM7-A then get one. Its a dynamic mic, not a condensor mic, but it still has a good vocal sound.
 
Considering he posted on 10-5-99, I'll bet he's already bought something. I'll bet he just couldn't wait...damned impatient people. :mad:
 
I've been waiting 10 years for someone to legitimize my AT4033 vocal mic decision. I love the damn thing for vocals and acoustic guitar. The nice crisp high end gets smoothed right out on 1" tape but I guess I'll just wait a bit longer until the fans of all the other microphones either go away or die! :p

Cheers! :)
 
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