Marshall microphones for vocals....yay or nay??

R

ranalli

New member
I'm in the process of vamping up my crummy home recording setup to do lead vocals and backing vocals.

I tried doing some takes with an SM57 and well....the results were less than spectacular. I need a condenser mic I believe to help out with things....something more sensitive that will give me a more open lush sound.

I've been looking at the Marshall mics as they are very reasonably priced....but which one to get...if at all?? Is this brand good??

I was looking at the MXL2003 or the MXLV67G Studio Condensor Mic....not sure which one would be better though. I have a pretty strong voice kind of between a Bon Scott, Joe Elliot and Bach...but I need some clarity which the SM57 isn't giving me.

Any other suggestions that would be better in this price range if not the Marshalls??

Also would an Audiobuddy pre-amp be good for these?? I'm hoping all this will sound decent going into my generic soundcard....but who knows.

Thanks in advance
 
I've got a few Marshall mics, though not the models you mentioned. I'm pleased with all of them (except maybe the v93m which I find a little too bright for most of my applications). The only one I've used on vocals, though, is the v69me, which is a tube mic and is a little more expensive than most of the other MXL's. But I was very impressed with it, and the singer I recorded says he loves it. I've read favorable things about the v67 on vox.
 
I like the V67, but some people say it tends to get lost in a busy mix. I just record a voice or two with accoustic guitar, so don't have that problem. It has a notable proximity effect, which can be an advantage on a thin voice. The V93 is the same mic as the 2003. Stay away from the 990.

An audiobuddy would be ok, but the DMP3 would be better, from what I've read, though it costs more ($80 vs $160). Both have two clean channels, but the audiobuddy is a little shy on phantom voltage, though I've noted no problem with the V67. You'll likely be using the DMP long after the audiobuddy is gone - either in a box or on ebay.
 
I have a V67 and it sounds fantastic on some voices, but sucks on others. It's quite dark sounding.
And yes, it did tend to get buried in the mix until I bought a high-end preamp. Now it sits in there beautifully.

If you want something more neutral, try the Studio Projects B3.
 
Markd102 said:
I have a V67 and it sounds fantastic on some voices, but sucks on others. It's quite dark sounding.
And yes, it did tend to get buried in the mix until I bought a high-end preamp. Now it sits in there beautifully.

If you want something more neutral, try the Studio Projects B3.
Click to expand...


What kind of high end pre-amp are we talking???



Thanks for the replies folks!! Might consider a Studio Projects C1 too....
 
Markd102 said:
it's a Buzz Audio SSA1.1
Super clean and super fast.
Click to expand...


Looked up the price on that one.....ouch. I guess an excellent mic-pre could make alot of mediocre mics sound good.

Thanks for your input:)
 
ranalli said:
Looked up the price on that one.....ouch. I guess an excellent mic-pre could make alot of mediocre mics sound good.

Thanks for your input:)
Click to expand...

LOL, yeah, you are right, but it will also make a quality mic shine like it should.

I got an amazing deal on my Buzz second hand. Paid $1200 Aussie for it. That's only about US$840. I was deffinately in the right place at the right time there. They retail here for about $2200.
 
I have the V67 and V69. The V69 gets used on vocals much more than the V67; however, it totally depends on the voice. If possible, try before you buy.
 
You can get a very nice sound with an Audix OM5. Condensers are not always the best choice. I've got some of my best recordings with that mic. Another mic to try is the CAD M179. That mics is great for vox, drums, guitar and many other things. Other wise if your on a tight budget the SP B1 only $79.00 new on ebay and all of the reviews are once you use it you'll put the 57 on the shelf. http://www.mojopie.com/bseries.html


So here's my picks

1: Audix OM5
2: CAD M179
3: SP B1

You can put a Rode in there too.
 
ranalli said:
I'm in the process of vamping up my crummy home recording setup to do lead vocals and backing vocals.

I tried doing some takes with an SM57 and well....the results were less than spectacular. I need a condenser mic I believe to help out with things....something more sensitive that will give me a more open lush sound.

I've been looking at the Marshall mics as they are very reasonably priced....but which one to get...if at all?? Is this brand good??

I was looking at the MXL2003 or the MXLV67G Studio Condensor Mic....not sure which one would be better though. I have a pretty strong voice kind of between a Bon Scott, Joe Elliot and Bach...but I need some clarity which the SM57 isn't giving me.

Any other suggestions that would be better in this price range if not the Marshalls??

Also would an Audiobuddy pre-amp be good for these?? I'm hoping all this will sound decent going into my generic soundcard....but who knows.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
The general consensus would be the V67G for vocals. The 2003 is considered to be a 'bright' mic perhaps more suited to instrumentals. On the other hang I use the 2003 because my voice is already full of bass resonances so having a darker mic was not a priority.

You absolutely have to have a preamp so you can go in the line-in and not the mic-in of your soundcard. Even generic soundcards will do fairly well of the only thing you expect from the soundcard is digitizing the sound.
 
Im thinking of getting the two mics this guy mentioned too...prob not going to go with the 2003, but the other one.


do you HAVE HAVE HAVE HAVE HAVEEEEEEEEE to have a preamp?

I was under the impression all i needed was a mic and soundcard..
 
Check out http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/sessions.htm

You can hear many mics compared along with many MXL mics. I like the 2003,
V69 Mogami, Rode NTK the best for guitar on session 5. The 2003 doesn't sound too bright to me. Imo, it sounds warm like the Rode NTK and pretty accurate. (Although the NTK sounds better still heh).

You can hear some alternative/pop vocals on another session there which use the V69 mogami. The guy reminds me of the vocalist of B-52's heh.

Take care,
James
 
lyricist said:
Im thinking of getting the two mics this guy mentioned too...prob not going to go with the 2003, but the other one.


do you HAVE HAVE HAVE HAVE HAVEEEEEEEEE to have a preamp?

I was under the impression all i needed was a mic and soundcard..
Click to expand...
If you use the stock soundcard in your comp it will have a pre built in but it will sound pretty nasty. Plus if you want to use condensor mics (like the MXLs being discussed) you'll need phantom power which your comp won't provide.

So while you've got your hand in your pocket for a phantom power supply you might as well pull a few more notes out and get a dedicated mic pre (the vast majority of which have phantom power built in).

FWIW I own the V67G and really like it on some voices, alas I don't have a lot of experience with a lot of mics so take that for what it's worth.
 
lyricist said:
do you HAVE HAVE HAVE HAVE HAVEEEEEEEEE to have a preamp?
Click to expand...

Get the M-AUDIO DMP3. It is like $150 and I hear everywhere here that it is the best you can buy for the money.

James
 
chipwits said:
Get the M-AUDIO DMP3. It is like $150 and I hear everywhere here that it is the best you can buy for the money.
Click to expand...

Haven't A/B'd it with a DMP3, but I would say the Peavey PV8 mixer has the best pres for the money in the sub-$200 range, so long as you aren't set on balanced outputs. IMHO, it kicks the ass of the M-Audio FireWire 1814's pres (which admittedly probably aren't as good as the DMP3). According to the specs, it has nearly the THD figures of the DMP3, but for about a third the price per channel.

Also, the Peavey THD figures are probably for the whole signal chain, so it may well be better than the DMP3 when you take the signal from a channel insert like I do. Some of the noise figures for the Peavey actually exceed those for the DMP3 by a tiny margin. And again, a third the price per channel.

Just my $0.02.
 
If you're looking for a "decent" vocal mic that can do other things as well, and you have a limited budget, I would highly recommend the SP B1. Solid mic for the cheap price.
 
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