Myriad_Rocker
New member
This has been addressed.
I'm just not feelin' the 414 for some reason...too many mixed reviews.
I'm just not feelin' the 414 for some reason...too many mixed reviews.
blue4u
well that's just like you
Have you considered the Studio Projects T3? I bought it for my voice (male, rock style singer) and with a little effort have found it to be quite versatile. I put my wife in front of it and her voice sounds even better. Even though it's pushed up a bit around 5K it never comes across as too bright or brittle. Let us know what you end up with...
Rich
Rich
Myriad_Rocker
New member
I've had one of the SP mics and sold it a week after I had it. I didn't like it.
H
Harvey Gerst
New member
Did you try the SP T3, or was it another SP mic? I've heard Neumans and AKGs that I didn't like; that doesn't mean that every mic in their entire line is bad.
S
sound125
New member
I agree. I've worked in rooms with U47s and M49s and I find both mics are more versatile and overall better sounding on a wider variety of sources than the SM7 is, especially on vocals and acoustic sources. Don't get me wrong, the SM7 is an excellent mic for the price, but like the RNC is often parroted around the internet for being capable of much more than it actually is. But that's the way the internet is.
Myriad_Rocker
New member
It was a B or C. I forget which. It was a while ago. The reason I'm not considering much of these cheaper mics is due to the very reason posted above...they work on a more narrow audience. I'm looking for a mic that will sound good or great on most people, if not all that I encounter. I know that's asking for a lot, but those mics do exist.
B
billisa
New member
Then, would you please tell us which ones they are?
Myriad_Rocker
New member
If I knew, don't you think I would run out and buy one? Given it was in my budget, of course. The u87 comes to mind. Sounds good on nearly everyone.
H
Harvey Gerst
New member
I really don't understand the way you think. You tried a couple of SP's low end mics; you didn't like them, so you're rejecting their whole line. You heard that some of of MXL's low end mics are inconsistent in quality, so you're rejecting their whole line.
I don't think the U87ai is a particularly great mic for "nearly everybody", but I wouldn't reject the whole Neumann line because of it. I hate the AKG C1000 and C3000 mics, but they make some other mics I think are great.
Some people here have given you some good mic suggestions, which you rejected pretty cavalierly, mainly because you've tried one or two of their mics, and came up with an opinion that extends to their whole line.
R
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
Yo Myriad! You got a serious issue here. Yes, the SM7 is a perfectly good vocal mic. So is the NTK. They aren't working for you, and your singer. It sounds like the U87 *does*, but is a little out of your price range. First, I'm disturbed that in order to do this, you have to sell your SM7, being that it is a *very* versatile mic, even if it does not work for this singer. You have a perfectly good preamp with a little color and a lot of character, so I'm thinking that it is not the problem. The problem appears to be that you have some pretty good shoes that don't fit the feet in question.
So- what can anyone recommend? They can recommend mics that *don't* sound like an SM7 or an NTK, or they can recommend mics that *do* sound like a U87. Harvey is suggesting several versions of MXL, which are fairly inexpensive. You state that you would rather spend less than your $1500 max, but I'm getting the distinct impression that you feel obligated to spend a certain amount of money. You are looking for a mic that will sound good or great on whatever vocalist you put in front of it, but that mic does not exist. There is *no* mic so good that it will not make somebody sound like shit, and there are no shoes that will not fail to fit somebody.
My personal opinion is that you need to slowly expand your mic cabinet, not abbreviate it. But I also understand that you don't want a huge number of cheap mics. That appears to be Harvey's solution, and he appears to have a gift for finding the cheap mic that will work on any given singer. A lot of people have suggested the C414, but you're "not feelin' it" due to mixed reviews. All you're going to hear is mixed reviews, because any given mic only works on some singers. Over the years, engineers have tended, when they have them, to put up a U87, a U47, a C414, an RCA ribbon, and an SM7 or RE20, and expected at least one of them to work. Your problem, like everyone's, is that that is a ton of money.
If you are looking for a mid priced mic that sounds somewhat like a U87, you could do a lot worse than the U195 you listed above. Good choice. If you are looking for a midpriced mic that sounds a bit like a U47, I would choose AT4060. If you are looking for a midpriced mic that sounds like a C414, get a C414. If you are looking for a midpriced mic that sounds a bit like an RCA ribbon, consider AEAR84. There is no guarantee that any of those mics will do what you want for your singer, but every one of them work well for a large nomber of singers.
If you are looking for a mic that *doesn't* sound like an NTK or an SM7, there are lots of choices. B.L.U.E. Kiwi was mentioned above, which is my personal vocal first choice, but then again, I do pretty well with NTK, and a U87 invariably makes me sound like shit. Surprisingly, for a belter or a screamer (you suggested he'd blow out a ribbon) AKG Solid Tube often works very well. A modded Oktava MK319 also works for lots of folks.
In conclusion, I can't answer the unanswerable. Instead of trying to find the vocal mic that is good or great on everyone, (I believe you won't), you need to find a mic within your budget that works for the singer you've got. I would guess that one of the following will do it- B.L.U.E. Dragonfly or Kiwi, AT4050 or 4060, AKG C414 or Solid Tube, KSM44. Soundelux U195. Good luck in your search.-Richie
So- what can anyone recommend? They can recommend mics that *don't* sound like an SM7 or an NTK, or they can recommend mics that *do* sound like a U87. Harvey is suggesting several versions of MXL, which are fairly inexpensive. You state that you would rather spend less than your $1500 max, but I'm getting the distinct impression that you feel obligated to spend a certain amount of money. You are looking for a mic that will sound good or great on whatever vocalist you put in front of it, but that mic does not exist. There is *no* mic so good that it will not make somebody sound like shit, and there are no shoes that will not fail to fit somebody.
My personal opinion is that you need to slowly expand your mic cabinet, not abbreviate it. But I also understand that you don't want a huge number of cheap mics. That appears to be Harvey's solution, and he appears to have a gift for finding the cheap mic that will work on any given singer. A lot of people have suggested the C414, but you're "not feelin' it" due to mixed reviews. All you're going to hear is mixed reviews, because any given mic only works on some singers. Over the years, engineers have tended, when they have them, to put up a U87, a U47, a C414, an RCA ribbon, and an SM7 or RE20, and expected at least one of them to work. Your problem, like everyone's, is that that is a ton of money.
If you are looking for a mid priced mic that sounds somewhat like a U87, you could do a lot worse than the U195 you listed above. Good choice. If you are looking for a midpriced mic that sounds a bit like a U47, I would choose AT4060. If you are looking for a midpriced mic that sounds like a C414, get a C414. If you are looking for a midpriced mic that sounds a bit like an RCA ribbon, consider AEAR84. There is no guarantee that any of those mics will do what you want for your singer, but every one of them work well for a large nomber of singers.
If you are looking for a mic that *doesn't* sound like an NTK or an SM7, there are lots of choices. B.L.U.E. Kiwi was mentioned above, which is my personal vocal first choice, but then again, I do pretty well with NTK, and a U87 invariably makes me sound like shit. Surprisingly, for a belter or a screamer (you suggested he'd blow out a ribbon) AKG Solid Tube often works very well. A modded Oktava MK319 also works for lots of folks.
In conclusion, I can't answer the unanswerable. Instead of trying to find the vocal mic that is good or great on everyone, (I believe you won't), you need to find a mic within your budget that works for the singer you've got. I would guess that one of the following will do it- B.L.U.E. Dragonfly or Kiwi, AT4050 or 4060, AKG C414 or Solid Tube, KSM44. Soundelux U195. Good luck in your search.-Richie
Myriad_Rocker
New member
Harvey, I respect your opinions and musings very much. But the bottom line is that I have not the time nor the money to buy and sell until I come across the right microphone. That's my point. And I have owned a few MXL mics. I have had the V67g and the 990. I no longer have them.
Personally, I have not personally witnessed a situation where the U87 didn't sound pretty decent on someone. This, of course, has been in studios who could afford one of those...I can't. I know that it doesn't work for everyone, though. I just don't think I've recorded enough at other places enough to witness this situation.
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Myriad_Rocker
New member
No, I'm not going to be selling my SM7. Even if I never used it on another singer again, I like it on distorted guitars more than enough to keep it. Besides, I'm sure there is someone I'll come across that the SM7 works for. It has a good reputation and that's why I bought it in the first place.
I get what you're saying. But again, I'm not looking for the be-all end-all. I know it doesn't exist. If that were the case, there would only be one vocal mic in the world and everyone would own it. I also know that opinion and perception have a lot to do with it. I may think something sounds great while the next person may think it doesn't. It's all subjective. And that's why this is all so difficult.
And maybe you're right...that I feel almost obligated to spend a certain amount of money on a mic. To some extent, that is true. I think at this point, all I can do, is make the best blind decision I possibly can and hope it works out for the best. I've done research, I know what people say, but these mics are not readily available for me to test out. So, I guess it's just a money trench and I'll dig in and hopefully not lose any of the dirt I throw down as I go.
H
Harvey Gerst
New member
The main reason the original U87 achieved the popularity that it did is due to one simple fact: it was the cheapest large diaphragm mic that Neumann made. But, the newer U87ai is not of the same quality, in my opinion.
But, back to my original point. You're comparing a few of the lowest cost mics in each manufacturer's line to a Neumann. The better SP's and MXL's are not the same as their low priced stuff.
I know the V69, the V77, the T3, and a few other mics are used here regularly, and those tracks have made it to major labels, and nobody said we shoulda used a Neumann.
Myriad_Rocker
New member
I understand what you're saying but I'm in my shoes and yours are large ones to fill. I'm just trying to make the best purchase I can on my 1k budget. I don't want to run out and buy a bunch of cheap mics that add up to my 1k budget in a frantic attempt to satisfy my thirst.
H
Harvey Gerst
New member
If you know the Feds and Upside, is it safe to assume that you're in North Texas? If so, why not come by the studio and actually try some of these mics? Bring the problem singer if you want.
Myriad_Rocker
New member
I know Upside from Tulsa, OK actually. That's where they are originally from. Both times I have seen the Feds, that's where I've seen them. That being said, I'm about 115 miles east of Tulsa. I wish I were closer because I would most certainly take you up on your offer.
