Recording vocals: what're you using?

I have three go-to mics for vox, depending on the song and the vocalist: U87ai, AEA R84 ribbon, and an Avantone CV-12. Usually run the U87 into an Avalon 737 preamp and the others through a Universal Audio 4-710. While my favorite is the U87, the CV-12 at about 1/6 the price sounds almost as good on my voice (I'm a tenor). But I think my voice just lands in the Avantone's sweet spot by coincidence. On other people I've recorded, there's no comparison to the Neumann. Also, the CV-12 doesn't take EQ all that well, whereas EQing the 87 is like slipping between the sheets with a pretty girl. The R84 is my most recent mic purchase. Ribbons are definitely a different animal - which is why I bought it. I've gotten some killer takes, but it has taken me some experimentation to get it right.
 
the industry standard, imo, U87(top), U87ai(lower).....even for testing reviewing gearheads this is often the compare to mic for LDC's.
So I pulled up the charts from RecordingHacks and looked, wondering why? is it the flat ability to capture all the freq's without bumps? the ai is much hotter, but the capsule seems to be the flat ability.

edit> i overlayed all the MXL I could find, and my KSM27,44,32 fav's...and AKG, and Sennheiser...the best plot match was the sE 4400a.... so I added that below in the jpg.
interesting!
 

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just for fun...I'll add this "overlay" info.

I went through the list of each comparing to this elusive "industry standard U87/ai"
MXL V67i tube was closest of their line to the 87...but not as close as the sE 4400a
Shure KSM 32 closest but not as close as the sE 4400a
Rode..K2...but not as..etc..sE4400a
sE...2200a ...very close to 87 but not as close as the 4400a
AKG C 2000b..very close...maybe closer actually than the sE4400a
Senn MD441...close but not as...

note: dual diaphragm...oh yeah vocal dual's is noted. the sE4400a is dual while the AKG C2000b isnt, again in cardiod comparison but Ive often read the dual diaphragm reduces plosives and proximity.

that AKG C 2000b (20mv/pa) is equal to the sE 4400a in the overlay- cardiod- dual diaphragm U87 chart gearhead info.
add the AKG plot is closer to the U87ai (28mv/pa) than the se4400 but the cardiod is a single diaphragm while the se4400 a dual (14mv/pa)
 

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ok...GAS struck...I grabbed a AKG.... lol
my poor mans U87ai curve chart match for the day.
$148..to the door...why not?
Its specs to the 20mv/pa so closer to the U87ai.
The sE4400a were $350 and up..oh well! :listeningmusic:

Vocal example found on youtube - AKG C2000B
YouTube
 

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Went to buy an sm7b yesterday, but GC didn't have any Cloudlifters. Fine enough, I'll just wait. Don't really need it at the moment, with classes starting back up in a few weeks. But it's the last piece of equipment that needs the "first" upgrade pass-thru. :) Already updated guitars, guitar amp sims, bass, drums, and some plugs... lastly, need a new mic, I suppose.
 
ok...GAS struck...I grabbed a AKG.... lol
my poor mans U87ai curve chart match for the day.
$148..to the door...why not?
Its specs to the 20mv/pa so closer to the U87ai.
The sE4400a were $350 and up..oh well! :listeningmusic:

Bought a pair of the C2000b's back in 2013 when Sweetwater was blowing them out at $99 with case and shockmount. An old member here, Richard Monroe had high praise for them and pretty much why I bought them. I haven't used them for a while. I ought to pull them out and give them a try again to see how they pair up to my more recent preamps..
 
Went to buy an sm7b yesterday, but GC didn't have any Cloudlifters. Fine enough, I'll just wait. Don't really need it at the moment, with classes starting back up in a few weeks. But it's the last piece of equipment that needs the "first" upgrade pass-thru. :) Already updated guitars, guitar amp sims, bass, drums, and some plugs... lastly, need a new mic, I suppose.

You may have mentioned it before but I didn't catch it I guess. What are you using for your main vocal mic now?
 
You may have mentioned it before but I didn't catch it I guess. What are you using for your main vocal mic now?

Sterling Audio ST51 Condenser Mic ⋆ SoundReview

I mean, I think getting the mic upgraded would be the final touch on my mixes, aside from improving my abilities, of course. But as far as equipment is concerned, I think it's the last "um?" piece I have. Using a $1200 Gibson (when new), a $300 P-bass, Superior Drummer, 2i2, HS8's, and GNX3000 (pedal board/sim). Mic is the last piece to go. I've waited on it the longest because I usually get decent comments on my vocals. But this mic has to go. Time for something new, and the 7b is screaming my name :)
 
Bought a pair of the C2000b's back in 2013 when Sweetwater was blowing them out at $99 with case and shockmount. An old member here, Richard Monroe had high praise for them and pretty much why I bought them. I haven't used them for a while. I ought to pull them out and give them a try again to see how they pair up to my more recent preamps..

well Richard had about $8000 in mics i read once. ..dang...I only keep a couple at a time.

the U87 takes eq thing might make sense as its so flat per the spec. not that others sound great 414's arent flat, sm7 isnt flat...

i had the KSM27 and 44 an MixOnline mentioned he thought 27 was closer to the U87. My curiosity was the U87 is called their "standard" so often, as in the center line, the mid-center between darkness and light kind of thing.
they get compared to a lot! lol.... but maybe thats what 300yrs of making mics gets you? haha...

freq graph wise...its just one perspective, right? the mic and how it responds and all that.
its a place to start...but easy to go down the rabbit hole of age of capsules and which vintage year of what u87 capsule are they refering to as the "standard"?

anyway...I went through over 50 graphs overlays and this AKG C2000B really lined up to the U87ai freq response graph.....much more than my KSM Shures, though I love those things, built like tanks and have a nice crisp high end.

the AKG is in town today waiting for pickup. I found a U87 I could rent for $170 for a month...I might do that for fun. Just to hear it for myself and make some reference to the great- standard of mics.
 
Got the sm7b and CloudLifter today. Using it at the moment on a new track. Very happy so far and excited to see what this thing can do !
 
SM7 is one of those industry standards, its got all the shopping buzz out of the way because its a known product, thats what I liked about it. From Los Lonely Boys to Sheryl Crow to MJ and Metallica and on and on and on...its been there and done it.
now Im thinking, LA610 loves low output mics, then into a blue stripe 1176...?

ADD>>> this AKG C2000B showed up, mint shape from a cool new father selling some stuff. Worked perfectly. Holder is ok and Mic has good sound.. Thats not the point...this is Mic Nerd stuff here. :listeningmusic:

I put in a request for a U87 rental but no word yet if they'll do it. I cant justify owning the "BENCHMARK" U87 costing $$$$ but I can swing a rental price to see if this AKG and all its graphs and patterns sounds even close in a "Cardiod Only" mode in my Home Recording room?closet..lol. (I might never look at spec charts again after this test actually....if it s a bust.)

theres a lot of comparisons to the U87ai for a reason, I like the term Benchmark. Its a good point to start and the flat response and cardiod make it a great vocal mic makes sense. Then the AKG414 and all the others can be brighter or better or smaller or cheaper or warmer.

ADD> more finding> found, in the huge pile of Behringer mics and specs, an even more similar cheap LDC to the U87 Freq Spec chart comparison. It is the B2 PRO, and must be the "PRO" version which freq graph is identical to the U87 also. Its a multi pattern = dual diaphragm which is even more like the U87.
In a sense these mics are flat with the smooth bump per the specs. A lot of good praise on this specific Behringer. theres the B1, the B2....but the B2 PRO has the dual-diaphragm.

the disclaimer of course is how honest and real are the specs?
Behringer suposedly built a two story new Anechoic Chamber for testing, Neumann/Sennheiser has always used this. One manufacturing thing is per a tour the Neumanns get 100% tested and tuned, every mic.
Behringer $150 mics selling thousands of them would be lucky to have 10% I would assume as most Mfg goes for high volume stuff....so the old saying "if you get a good one" is the problem.
 

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