advice for vocal mic

J

jaz49

New member
I'm looking for a relatively low price condenser mic for male lead vocals. I've narrowed it down to a choice between the AT 3035, the Akg perception 200, and the Behringer B2....maybe even the AT 2020 for way less money. I have a lot of sibilance in my vocals and don't want a mic that boosts the high end too much. Any opinions on these mics or other suggestions in the sub $150 price range would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

http://www.myspace.com/lejaz
 
O.K., maybe the AT 4040...thanks. I'll look into that one. Should I read into the above replies that there ARE no decent vocal mics in the $150 or less price range...this inspite of all the good reviews the mics I mentioned have gotten?
 
jaz49 said:
O.K., maybe the AT 4040...thanks. I'll look into that one. Should I read into the above replies that there ARE no decent vocal mics in the $150 or less price range...this inspite of all the good reviews the mics I mentioned have gotten?
Click to expand...
(A) Most reviews written on most of the store sites are written by people who wouldn't know what a good mic sounded like if it was plugged directly into their ear. (B) If I were looking for a good vocal mic in that price range, I'd look no further than the SM58.
 
Both the mics I recommended are above the price range you've listed, so I should also mention... If you're taking this seriously, you really don't want to skimp on mics. Spending a bit more money will get you much higher quality microphones that will last as you develop your skills. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, just get a few used sm57s. They are multipurpose, can make almost anything sound usable, and are virtually indestructible.
 
To answer your question, I'll give you my take on the few condenser mics I have experience with.

M-Audio Nova - Decent Vocal mic, but does add some high end boost. Doesn't particularly stand out in a mix especially without any compression. But for the price? Great mic. Much better than using an SM57 or SM58 for recorded vocals.

M-Audio Luna - Great sound on this guy, a little bit dark sounding. I generally EQ up a bit. I use this mic more than the others for vocals.

GT-55 - Good overall sound, maybe better than the two above. Also a little more pricey. Not my mic, but it's in my house and I do like it.

Studio Projects B1 - Not really any high end boost, good sound. But again doesn't really break through a mix. For the price, a great buy. Also better than using a 57 or 58.


This is all I have to work with for condenser mics, and yet I make them work for me. I get great recordings even without stellar equipment. I wish I had a larger wallet, but if you're in my situation their are some good mics out there. I hear a lot about the Studio Projects C1 and the AT3035.
 
undrgrnd studio said:
To answer your question, I'll give you my take on the few condenser mics I have experience with.

M-Audio Nova - Decent Vocal mic, but does add some high end boost. Doesn't particularly stand out in a mix especially without any compression. But for the price? Great mic. Much better than using an SM57 or SM58 for recorded vocals.

M-Audio Luna - Great sound on this guy, a little bit dark sounding. I generally EQ up a bit. I use this mic more than the others for vocals.

GT-55 - Good overall sound, maybe better than the two above. Also a little more pricey. Not my mic, but it's in my house and I do like it.

Studio Projects B1 - Not really any high end boost, good sound. But again doesn't really break through a mix. For the price, a great buy. Also better than using a 57 or 58.


This is all I have to work with for condenser mics, and yet I make them work for me. I get great recordings even without stellar equipment. I wish I had a larger wallet, but if you're in my situation their are some good mics out there. I hear a lot about the Studio Projects C1 and the AT3035.
Click to expand...


im thinking of buying the nova for now to use for vocals and acoustic guitars until i get 300 for the at4040, do you have anyting else to say about the NOVA? I hear a lot of good things and apparently how amazing on guitar it is. It definately is catching my eye. I have the at2020 and it's good but it still lacks what I need...

I do a lot of screaming vocals, and also some male/female pop singing.
 
buryher17 said:
im thinking of buying the nova for now to use for vocals and acoustic guitars until i get 300 for the at4040, do you have anyting else to say about the NOVA? I hear a lot of good things and apparently how amazing on guitar it is. It definately is catching my eye. I have the at2020 and it's good but it still lacks what I need...

I do a lot of screaming vocals, and also some male/female pop singing.
Click to expand...

Screaming vocals will overpower the Nova, I know I've done it. But if you yell to the side it'll work.

The Nova does excel at picking up acoustic guitar, that I can confidently say. I use it quote a bit on acoustic guitar. Usually I'll use a B1 around the 12th fret and the nova down by the bridge. Great combination overall. But the Nova really does do a great job on guitar all by itself. I would recommend it. The Luna I'm happy with as well.
 
Thanks to all. Undrgrnd, I will definitely look into the M-audio mics. I think you are correct in that any of the condensers you mentioned will do better than a sm57 or 58 on vocals. In my experience, dynamic mics are pretty awful...at least on my voice. You can hear how awful here: http://www.myspace.com/lejaz It took a lot of processing to get them to the point where I could listen without being embarrased by the sound.
 
jaz49 said:
Thanks to all. Undrgrnd, I will definitely look into the M-audio mics. I think you are correct in that any of the condensers you mentioned will do better than a sm57 or 58 on vocals. In my experience, dynamic mics are pretty awful...at least on my voice. You can hear how awful here: http://www.myspace.com/lejaz It took a lot of processing to get them to the point where I could listen without being embarrased by the sound.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way, they are great for instruments and live applications. Heck they even sound good on backing vocal tracks, but for a main recording vocal mic? Nah, you'd be better off with a low cost condenser. Even if it isn't a great mic. BTW I keep hearing good things about the MXL V67, I haven't tried it but from all the talk around here I'll be picking one up if I can get one cheap. Do I expect it to sound like a Neumann, nah. But for my budget, I'm sure I'll like it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top