Question about recording vocals

AndyDenyer said:
I don't really want to spend money on a LDC for two reasons: one is that I'm not a singer and won't really use it myself. Also, I will be going to uni at the end of the next school year, so again I won't be using it much.
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In that case I would go for the SM57 it's a great dynamic mic that you can use for pretty much anything providing you have the knowledge on how to.
 
AndyDenyer said:
Ok, I want to buy a T Bone SC400 and a T Bone micscreen. Are these items any good?
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Never heard of it.

[RANT]

One thing I'm having a hard time understanding with a lot of people -- You can have one of the most popular, flexible, solidly-built microphones of all time for under $100 - Yet, some people will be looking for a "T.Bone" instead.

I'm not aiming this at the OP necessarily, but I mean... Come on...

Will the 58 give you the best vocal sound ever? Probably not -- It was designed to be a ridiculously durable and "pretty darn good sounding" mic that you can hammer nails with and then put vocal dubs on the biggest selling live album of all time (Frampton Comes Alive) or some of the biggest selling studio albums of all time (ask Bono, who uses them frequently in the studio).

It's not a SM7b, it's not a RE20 - But if you can't get a good vocal sound through a 58, you aren't going to get a good vocal sound (and it's not the mic's fault). It's much more forgiving than most of the overly-sensitive "flavor of the month" LDC's out there (a few of which can actually sound pretty decent on sources where an overly-sensitive condenser would be a reasonable choice) and it'll last you damn near forever.

Nipping the "you use condensers for vocals in the studio" types in the bud, well, that's really for another thread. But let's just say that it's not necessarily the case (as much as the marketing guys seem to be convincing people that it is).

Get the 58 and you have a mic that you'll find in literally every single professional studio on the entire planet. Get some no-name LDC with a 3-micron diaphragm assembled by a robot in Cheapmikistan and I can almost guarantee you'll be regretting it as soon as you start developing your listening skills.

[/RANT]
 
Massive Master said:
Never heard of it.

[RANT]

One thing I'm having a hard time understanding with a lot of people -- You can have one of the most popular, flexible, solidly-built microphones of all time for under $100 - Yet, some people will be looking for a "T.Bone" instead.

I'm not aiming this at the OP necessarily, but I mean... Come on...

Will the 58 give you the best vocal sound ever? Probably not -- It was designed to be a ridiculously durable and "pretty darn good sounding" mic that you can hammer nails with and then put vocal dubs on the biggest selling live album of all time (Frampton Comes Alive) or some of the biggest selling studio albums of all time (ask Bono, who uses them frequently in the studio).

It's not a SM7b, it's not a RE20 - But if you can't get a good vocal sound through a 58, you aren't going to get a good vocal sound (and it's not the mic's fault). It's much more forgiving than most of the overly-sensitive "flavor of the month" LDC's out there (a few of which can actually sound pretty decent on sources where an overly-sensitive condenser would be a reasonable choice) and it'll last you damn near forever.

Nipping the "you use condensers for vocals in the studio" types in the bud, well, that's really for another thread. But let's just say that it's not necessarily the case (as much as the marketing guys seem to be convincing people that it is).

Get the 58 and you have a mic that you'll find in literally every single professional studio on the entire planet. Get some no-name LDC with a 3-micron diaphragm assembled by a robot in Cheapmikistan and I can almost guarantee you'll be regretting it as soon as you start developing your listening skills.

[/RANT]
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Very well put! Thanks for that.
 
Thanks -- A lot of the time, I end up regretting "rants" of this sort -- But I just read it again and I stick to every word.

Heh... "Cheapmikistan" -- That was funny.
 
+100,000 ^^^

My rant is that people think nothing of spending thousands on a guitar but want to record a full band for $200, including mastering...

If you're not going to use the mic, get the person who is to buy it...
 
Armistice said:
+100,000 ^^^

My rant is that people think nothing of spending thousands on a guitar but want to record a full band for $200, including mastering...
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...and don't even get me started on the reaction you get when you mention "room treatment". :eek:
 
Massive Master said:
But if you can't get a good vocal sound through a 58, you aren't going to get a good vocal sound (and it's not the mic's fault).

Cheapmikistan
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Cheapmikistan. I feel like crap, and this made me laugh.

If it doesn't sound good with a 58 (or beta 58a) it doesn't sound good. Period.
 
Yeah I agree, if I get anything it would be an SM57/SM58. But, like I said, I'm getting acceptable enough results from my overhead mic+pop shield+blanket behind singer arrangement.
 
You should pick up the new book on Recording the Beatles, which outlines much of the gear and technical end of what was used in recording the Beatles. It was sold out last time I checked, but worth getting from what I hear.
 
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