Note that I didn't say there's anything wrong with
an AT2020, only that it can be built cheaply. And regarding frequency response charts, the scales used on them are often manipulated to make the response look flatter than it is. More importantly, the frequency output curve of every human voice is different. Therefore, every voice benefits from augmentation or attenuation in different frequency ranges. If there were just "good" and "bad" vocal mics, studios would only need one for everybody. If everybody had the same feet and walked on the same surface, we'd only need one universal shoe. And when the song changes, or the key, or the style, or the mix, what worked in one situation may not work in another. What you need is not the best mic, but the right mic, the shoe that fits. There is no vocal mic so good that it doesn't make someone sound awful. And- there is no vocal mic so bad that it doesn't make someone sound good. Furthermore, the major dips and bumps in the frequency response of mics are often in frequency bands that certain vocalists don't even produce. Do I care whether a vocal mic drops off at the bottom at 60 Hz or 80 Hz, when my voice has never produced any frequency below 180 Hz, even in overtones? No. On the other hand, if I was a Bass singer, I might actually care. The *only* way to know what mics make you sound good is to sing into them, and then listen. Most professional vocal recording artists can name mics that work for them, and ones that don't. And- every vocalist's list is different. Looking at frequency curves to select vocal mics is pretty much a waste of time. It's even worse when you realize that two singers who sound the same to you actually need very different mics, not just because of frequency curves, but because of differences in polar patterns, proximity fields, and sensitivity. This makes selecting vocal mics by listening to clips also a waste of time. In the first place, the mic they recorded the clip with affected the resulting frequency output, and then, it was probably made into an MP3, which deleted a bunch of critical digital information.
So- what can we do? We can recommend mics that work for us, or ones that work for somebody else. What can you do? Never pass up an opportunity to sing through a mic you've never tried. It could be your
Holy grail. That means it will make somebody else suck. That's the awful truth, and why most major studios have a dozen main vocal mics, or more.
