I second AT4060 and Rode K2. Yes U87ai works great through a 737- Lots of mics do. TLM103 is a perfectly good mic, but a tad overpriced-you're paying for the little red diamond and the Neumann name. The real problem is that vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit, or they don't. A vocal mic has to fit the material, the room, the voice, and the preamp. There is *no* vocal mic and pre combination so good that they won't make somebody sound real bad. If you're compromising, at best, a real good mic/pre combination might make 65% of sources sound good.
For the material you are doing, my compromise would probably go for a tube mic. Hence my choices-AT4060 and K2. Studio Projects T3 or Rode NTK wouldn't be bad choices, either. What the hell? If you like the Neumann and the Avalon, they're a pretty good combination. Just don't be surprised when you find that man or woman that sounds better on a $100 Oktava MK319 plugged into a Joemeek. There is no one-size-fits-all vocal mic. One thing you usually get with mid to high level mics is- You know they'll be good for recording *something*. There's no guarantee, however, that that will be the voice you want to record *today* Get over it. Over time, you build a box of tools for recording vocals. It doesn't really matter what perfectly good mic you start with , unless you are only recording one person. If you are, find the mic that works for that voice, the shoe that fits
that foot.
The original poster is really asking a question that has no answer....
" I'm buying a pair of shoes, and I only get one to fit everybody. They'll be used for basketball, mountain climbing, and disco dancing, and *nothing else*. I've heard that Gucci's are real good. Should I get them? And what socks should go with them, if any?"
That's why you get the answer- "Those shoes are only going to fit certain feet. I'd recommend a less expensive good pair of cross trainers, say-Reebok, about size 10. And get some good socks that don't clash with the shoes. I love those Gucci's. Thay go well with silk Armani socks. They're great for high-rolling at Monaco."
No, I'm not making fun of the original poster. I'm trying to help him or her out of a pit that we all get stuck in when we are learning about mics. Yes, there are better and worse mics. But- there is also the *right* mic and the *wrong* mic. Sometime the wrong mic is a perfectly good expensive mic, and sometimes the right mic is a less expensive mic that was in the right place at the right time.
It was suggested above that this forum is really about inexpensive mics. Bull. There are plenty of people on this board who have thousands invested in their mic cabinet, and quite a few pros, semi-pros, and former pros who can speak intelligently about the mics they've used, but do not currently own. Remember that some people are envious, and will bust your ass for asking about high-end gear. They will say- "you're just learning- what are you going to do with a Newmann or an Avalon?" (Why don't *I* have one????!!!)
The terrible truth is- you can learn just as well with high end equipment as you can with less expensive gear. I would not tell someone not to buy a Neumann or an Avalon or whatever. In the end, it may not be the Swiss Army mic they wanted, but that TLM103 may be the bomb for the guy's sister, and they both win a Grammy. Who knows? Just try not to waste the money. You're doing the right thing-asking questions. Will a TLM103 do what you want? No one can answer that question. What we can tell you is it is an "OK" mic with a big brand name on it which will definitely be perfectly good for recording *something*. Best of luck.-Richie
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