Advice on condenser mic

[beatific]

I'm recording a record in my apartment, and I need to rent a vocal microphone. All I've got is an SM57 and I'd really rather record vocals with something better, and a large diaphragm condenser seems to be what is usually used. My pre-amp isn't good (it's my M-Audio Firewire 410 interface), so that might affect what I'm looking for. The music is electronic pop music (like Depeche Mode), some lead vocals are male, others songs are female.

I'm pretty new to recording so any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[chessparov]

If you're not planning on acoustically treating your apartment...

Echoing Bob Ohlsson (former Motown staff engineer), you can cover the bases of getting a quality lead vocal sound out of getting an Electro-Voice EV 635a omni dynamic, to go along with your SM57. Both of these mics will greatly help negate the downside of a poor sounding room. If the '57 aint happening, put up the 635a.

Another world-class engineer (Walter Sear), who has an absolutely incredible vocal mic collection, regards the SM57 as an excellent "release level" vocal mic.

You might just have to continue learning mic placement, and tweaking mics via EQ to get more of the sounds you're looking for IMHO.

Chris

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

The SM57 is a great mic. Plugged into a great pre, it's even better. Your quality that you get is only going to be as strong as the weakest link in your chain. If you buy a super expensive mic, plugging it in to a budget pre isn't going to give you the full benefits of the mic. That being said, you might look into Audio Technica mics. The 4033 is good. And I happen to have one for sale.

 

[pohaku]

Recording in your apartment without sound treatment suggests that you should stick with a dynamic mic. Condensers tend to reveal all faults in your room and pick up any extraneous noise within earshot. A better dynamic might include the Shure SM7, the EV RE-20, Beyer M88, Sennheiser MD 431 or 441, among others. You might also consider an EV RE-16, which was a mainstay mic in Motown back in the day and was used by Sun Studios to record classic R&R. Used ones run @ $70-80 or so.

 

[beatific]

Thanks for the advice so far!

I didn't realize that condensers reveal a lot more of the faults in the recording room. I had thought that the condenser might do better with my mediocre pre because it won't need as much gain. Perhaps I'd be better off renting a good preamp instead, and just using the SM57, or even consider renting both a preamp and a better dynamic mic. I wonder whether the fact that I'm recording in my apartment with amateur know-how would constitute the weakest link in my chain, and that renting better equipment wouldn't really be worth it. Any further thoughts? Thanks again.

 

[mshilarious]

Thanks for the advice so far!

I didn't realize that condensers reveal a lot more of the faults in the recording room.

They don't; the way people use them does. If you eat a condenser the way you eat an SM58, you will have to turn down the gain a lot to prevent clipping your preamp. Once you do that, you will discover the condenser mic capsule experiences the same signal-to-ambient ratio as a dynamic mic (assuming the same polar pattern).

The major difference is dynamic mics are so insensitive that the way most people record vocals is right up on the capsule; otherwise the electrical noise would be unacceptable; never mind the ambient noise. The sensitivity of a condenser allows the vocal to be recorded from a foot or so away (which often naturally sounds better) which causes people to believe that condenser mics somehow pick up extra room noise, when actually they don't.

 

[chessparov]

FWIW in many radio broadcasting stations they deliberately use dynamic mics over LDC's
because the dynamics DON'T hear the higher frequencies (ala bouncing off glass) as well.

BTW an omni like the 635a is cool because you can record group harmonies easier on one vs. a unidirectional IMHO.

Chris

 

[Supercreep]

Ev Re-20

This is a fantastic vocal mic and you will always have a use for it. Your preamp must be able to provide enough gain, however.

The sm57 sounds wooly to my ears.

Using a dynamic also allows me to record vocals in the control room without cans. It's liberating.