i need a good vocal mic

J

Joe O

New member
i need a good vocal mic at a cheap price.....

i have a audio technica 4033/sm and basically the quality isnt really that greats and im havng problems with sss sounds like eveyrone has a lisp....

could u give me some suggestions on a vocal mic.....

i am selling this audio technica....

and i dont have a preamp...

my sound card delta 66 with omni box has a phantom power built in and i dont have the money for a preamp ....

suggestioin would be greatly appreciated...

thanks
joe
 
MXL - 1006, if you're really tight on your budget (80-90$).
I love this mic, and didn't notice any silibance problem.

Oren
 
If you're having problems with siblances, then I would get something less colored and flatter in the higher frequencies. The Marshall V67 is good, but I am really intrigued by this mxl 2003. I believe it's also known as the v93 or something like that through Mars.

It's similar to the v67 but without the tranthformer. My underthtanding ith that it hath a cleaner, leth colored thound which could help with your lithping problemth.
 
Try a Studio Projects C-1. At around $224.00 it would be hard to find a better mic for vocals, unless you look at a Marshall V67 on the low end of the money spectrum. If you can come up with a few hundred dollars more then consider the SP C-3, or Rode NTK.
 
aight 129 doesnt sound that bad....

now is that good for hiphop vocals as well as singing too?


thanks joe
 
I just want to be the guy that goes on record as saying:

I'm SURE the mic is not the problem...selling a mic like that to buy something else (cheaper none the less) will not fix the problem...I guaruntee this.

Do what you must...I just wanted to have a clean conscience:rolleyes:




heylow
 
I think it very well could be the problem.

To my knowlege, the preamp he is using is very clean (Delta Omni). Not harsh-sounding at all.

Looking at the frequency response curve on the Audio Technica, you'll notice all of these funky bumps going on around 6-7 Khz, and another smaller bump around 10 khz. This can sometimes spell trouble with certain types of vocalists, and unfortunately the ones he is working with might be problematic in terms of siblances.

Quality-control will vary though, no matter how good the manufacturer. I would see if it's still under warranty, and maybe go that route first. Then I would look in to a mic with a flatter response in the higher ranges . . . and the marshalls do seem much flatter between that syblant 6K-12K range.

This really isn't about which microphone is better or more expensive, it's about what "kinds" of mics will sound better with the types of voices he happens to be working with. now
 
Right,

Point taken but with all due respect, I still don't buy it.

I have always had to watch the siblance in my voice...I can be quite prone to it. Yet I have the 4033 running through Mackie Pres and STILL never have a problem. With my NT1...yes. But never the 4033.

Why aren't we making sure he isn't setting his gain structure up wrong? Overloading the pre would be a sure cause for yucky siblance and even though he may set it up correctly, do we know he isn't overloading when he goes for the gusto on a track? Possibly he needs to set the gain lower or use a touch of limiting.

EQ set wrongly for "clarity" can mean utter devestation to ANY track.

I don't know...I may be absolutely wrong....but that's my guess:rolleyes:


Hope whatever you do workd out, though.



heylow
 
At the risk of appearing to take sides in a pointless argument, put me down for technique over gear. Truth is most inexpensive LD condensers have some EQ hype in the upper mids which makes them a risk for esses. If you hate the AT, by all means dump it, but don't expect another, especially less expensive, mic is going to cure your ills. Try angling the mic down toward the singer's neck from about eyebrow level, and try to make the singer sing forward, not up. Use a dummy mic, say a 58, straight on at mouth level, and tell them to sing to that. If they'll take it, coach 'em to sing in such a way as to ease up on the esses, possibly even flashing a hand across the mouth to cut the blast of wind.

I just hate the idea of not even making suggestions before sending you out to shop. FWIW, the V67 is good for rap as well.
YMMV, mine does.
-kent
 
Isn't this nasty thing siblance just a necessary evil? We hear it back on playback, but it's also there when we speak. And I know it can be lessened, but to get that crisp, airy sound we want--and pay lots of money for mikes/mics that give it to us, I don't think I've heard anything (that was crisp and airy) that was without it.

I don't think I own a professionally-made CD that doesn't have siblance, and most of it is very, very nasty. I've always maintained, though, that the average listener doesn't care or even realize it's happening. I don't, anyway, unless it's my own stuff. Shucks. I just realized I'm a hypocrite...damn.
 
You make a good point. I LIKE sibilance. I mean, Mick didn't sing "Can geh no 'ati-fashn'' now did he?

But POPS are a different story. Still, if you're editing digitally, you can EQ out the nasty pops and leave in the airyness.
 
no, no, no...

At the risk of appearing to take sides in a pointless argument
Click to expand...


Just for the record I wasn't trying to be argumentative at all. I just cringe at the idea of someone bailing a really nice mic and getting something else only to find the same problem and I would feel terrible if I had not at least mentioned some of the obvious.

I mean a guy sells a 300 dollar mic for used prices, gets maybe 200-225 back and spends it on a 175 dollar mic.....think of the economics...it's a loss just to find out that the cool new mic on the block has just as much (if not more) of the problem.

I've been there too many times.


Not arguing,

heylow
 
thank u all for all the help....

its not the gain at all....

acutally i have the gain as low as possible......

and with my mph 102 mic i have no problem with ssss at all....but it doesnt use xlr jack or use phantom power....

im getting a nady srm14 mixer soon....got it on a deal for 100 bucks......

when i record with the audio technica mic its not that i hear light sssss its like there saying fas instead of face

u dont hear the e at all....even with myself...

i have no idea how to work this mixer i am getting...but if that would help.....u know ill be back here asking more questions..lololol
 
I can't believe it's a problem with the 4033 itself unless it's something faulty with the mic itself. I've tested a few different voices on mine, and I've had no problems like the ones you describe.

Sounds, like something there is not quite right, 'cause it shouldn't be happening with your set-up. Could you try to get another mic to test out in your system b4 you sell the 4033? It seems like a shame to me if you have to.
 
BTW, this may sound like a dumb question, but are you using a pop filter, 'cause that help. Also, I'd take a look at this SOS article:

http://www.sospubs.co.uk/sos/1997_articles/mar97/vocalrecording.html

It's got a section at the bottom about plosives and siblance. It basically says that if you're getting this with your mic, then it's a case of vocal technique, mic positioning, inappropriate equalisation, or by a lack of headroom in the recording.

I'm sure that this is what is causing the problems, and not the mic itself. It's a quality mic, and you shouldn't be having problems if everything is set-up right.
 
Heylow, my comments were not directed at you. Reading your post and mine, I believe we are in agreement. We're both saying it's probably not the mic and don't just buy something thinking that will fix the problem. I did not mean to imply that you, or anyone other than myself, was being pointlessly argumentative.
-kent
 
Knownuttin....

Sorry,

I actually knew we were in agreeance but I was more concerned that Chess might sort of take it that way and things get out of hand.

I just wanted to clear it up because lately, there seem to be so many threads that just devolve into chaos and petty arguement and I wanted to try my best at keeping this one, on my part, thoughtful and informative.....or.........whatever:p



heylow
 
ive used the diffferent techniquest u guys suggested and it didnt help....

i dont use eq at all so thats not the problem at all..

and with my other mic i dont get the problem at allllll...

i think it just might be the mic...

im not really sure....

thanks for the help though
 
OK....

But at least do what someone said above and try to borrow something else to make sure before you bail the 4033. That way, if the problem goes away...cool. If not, you aren't out anything else.

Good luck.....

heylow
 
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