OK, here's the short form. Vocals can be recorded with almost any type of mic. Large diaphragm mics are usually, but not always, selected. Vocals are commonly recorded with condenser mics, ribbon mics, or dynamic mics (actually ribbons are a specialized form of dynamic). A single mic is generally used, and the polar pattern is usually cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, or figure of 8 (ribbons are often, but not always, figure 8 mics).
OK, upsides and downsides- Condensers reveal a high amount of detail. This is good, if the singer and the room are both good. This is bad when the mic reveals loud breathing, lip smacking, and the furnace going on and off. Price and performance are wildly variable, from $50 to $10,000+. Some condensers have tubes (valves), which introduce a hopefully subtle amount of controlled distortion. This tends to hide annoying detail, like airbrushing a picture. We call this "warmth" when we like it, and "muddy" when we don't.
Ribbon mics- These mics generally have pretty low output, so they require a preamp with balls. They are a little delicate, and don't take well to dickheads who blow into them or drop them. They are also variable in price, from $100 or so for recent Chinese made models, to vintage pieces that are the price of a new car. The better ones I would characterize as "smooth", and are often ideal for a clean singer with good technique. They don't tend to be as sensitive as condensers, and are great for jazz, pop, folk, or country. I haven't gotten good results from people screaming into them.
Dynamics- Less detailed than condensers, they also have relatively low output, and they can really shine through a great preamp. Upsides- Really good ones are far less expensive than really good condensers and ribbons. The top of the line is $300-$600, which will barely pay for the shockmount of a top condenser mic. They are less sensitive to ambient (background) noise than condensers, and they tend to be rugged. They respond well to EQ. Downside- the detail that you lose on a truly great source. Dynamics wouldn't be my first choice for a Freddy Mercury, a Dolly Parton, a Charlotte Church, or a Celene Dion, at least in the studio. The good news is that it might survive an Aretha Franklin or a Linda Rondstadt. If you want that up-front, in your face sound, it is likely to take quite a bit of EQ to get it with a dynamic. For many singers, dynamics are the right mic, and it's what you put up when nothing else is working.
Here's the really tough truth- Vocal mics are like shoes. They either fit the foot, or they don't. They either fit the job, or they don't. No one can predict what mic will work for any given singer, song, room, mix, or preamp. They can only make educated (or not) guesses. Cheap shoes that fit are always better than expensive ones that don't. Expensive shoes that fit are great, but they have to fit the job also. The best high heels suck for basketball, and the most expensive vocal mics in the world will totally suck on some people, and in some situations. The most humble dynamic stage mic will sometimes be the right mic for the job.
So what do you do? That depends on what you are trying to do. Are you just trying to find the Holy Grail mic for *you*? Or- are you trying to build a versatile mic cabinet with a lot of options, so you can find the sound you need for the singer you have got at the time? My best advice is the following, and my style is conservative.
1. Start with a really good dynamic, because really good ones are cheaper than the alternatives. I like Shure SM7B, Electrovoice RE20, and Sennheiser ND421 and MD441. Lots of folks swear by Beyerdynamic, which also makes some very respected handheld ribbon mics. I've never gotton to use them, but people I trust use them and love them.
2. Buy mics that you find on the equipment lists of major studios, even on B-room lists. This usually means the mic is good for recording *something*, even if it isn't the singer you are tracking today. Maybe it will be good on guitar cabs, toms, horns, something. If you choose well known, respected mics, they'll be easier to resell if they don't work out for you.
3. If you are a singer, never miss out on the chance to sing into a mic you've never tried out. It could be the Holy Grail. Before you find the handsome prince, you have to kiss a lot of frogs.
4. As soon as funds allow, get a good mid-priced condenser,a tube mic, and a ribbon mic. This will give you the chance to learn how to use the different types of mics, both as a singer, and as an engineer.
As far as recommending specific vocal mics, there's only so much I (or anyone) can do. I work for a living, and the list of really cool mics I have never used is pretty damn long. The mics that work for me won't necessarily work for you, either.
Cheap mics that have worked for me, or somebody I was recording:
AKG C2000B (also shockingly good on guitar cabs, brass, hand drums, and rack toms), Oktava MK319 (good to take the edge off of ladies with shrill voices), AKG D770, Oktava ML-52 (a cheap ribbon).
Mid-Priced, same as above ($1000 or less):
Rode NTK, B.L.U.E. baby bottle, AKG C414B-ULS and C414TLII, Shure KSM44,
Audiotechnica AT4050 and AT4060, Shure SM7B and SM82.
High Priced spread, as above: B.L.U.E. Kiwi (my main vocal mic), Lawson L47 MKII, Brauner voice valvet, Soundelux ifet7 and U99.
Note that the list of mics I have never sung into or used is 100 times as long.
Yes, I would like to try out Royer, AEA, RCA, Microtech Gefell, Neumann, ADK, T.H.E., and bizzillions of others. One thing is for sure, though- I've found damn few vocal mics that didn't work for somebody, and I've never found *one* that didn't suck...on somebody. Best of luck in your search.-Richie
