akgc414 vs soundelux u195

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70sbaby

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I am picking a mic for rap and r&b vocals. I don't mic instruments. A grammy winning engineer told me akg c414 is all I need. I also hear that soundelux u195 is best mic in 1500 and under category. I don't like the shures or audio techincas or chinese mics. What do u guys think? Please please don't suggets adk or studio projects. I'm also sketical of rode.
 
Actually there are many excellent microphones for well under $1500 each.

Including ones by the manufacturers you don't want, with the Shure SM7 ironically being a classic mic for both of those genres! :)

As you may know, the best way to narrow this down is to have a variety of mics to try out, preferably overseen by a pro AE in the studio.

Without hearing your voice, or you doing a personal shoot-out, one of the safest choices would be the Electro-Voice RE20 for around $400 street IMHO.
It suits a greater variety of voices than the AKG 414 series, for example.
(there are many different versions of the 414)

With all due respect to the AE you spoke with, many of the best pro AE's in the world, think very highly and use the various manufacturers you're cutting out of consideration FWIW. People like Al Schmitt, etc.

Best of luck with your selection(s),

Chris
 
The Soundelux U195 would be a great place to start. Beautiful vocal mic, yet still offers some flexibility. PL20's and sm-7's are nice mics, but neither would be my choice as a go to primary mic. 414's are a very solid performer as well, but for strictly vocals, a 414 would not be my choice either. In your other posts, you are also looking at preamps. The preamp that I would choose would be very dependant on the mic you choose. For instance, I am not a big fan of the Avalon 737. However, for some reason the Avalon 737 paired with even a cheaper Neumann TLM 103 sounds really good and really smooth on vocals.

There really isn't a problem with Rode mics. There definately are people out there who use them, and quite succesfully. However, don't believe all the print ads (by believe I mean don't blindly take them for face value). I have worked with plenty of people who do not use the stuff they are endorsed by for their own stuff. They do however use them in visible situations. However, in general, if they have endorsed (or been endorsed by) a product, that typically means that they have used it and did like it enough to use it. But why would you expect some major artist to use a $600 vocal mic when he is in a huge studio and has access to a plethora of $4000 and up classics that sound amazing.

On another note, I do think that a Rode mic in the right hands, and especially paired up with a really nice preamp can produce incredible results. In many cases better than the Soundelux through a mediocre preamp. All of this of course in driectly dependant upon a good vocal performance and proper technique and engineering.

My personal vote? Go ahead and get the Soundelux, and then maybe try to extend your budget and get into a nice Neve-alike channel strip. If you are REALLY serious, maybe try and even get the real deal.
 
Quote-"why would you expect some major artist to use a $600 vocal mic..."

Because sometimes the $600 (or under!) mic is great for the singer/song.

On "Pet Sounds", for example, the lead vocal was ALWAYS cut with a Shure 545.
They mainly used two U47's (sometimes the RCA 77 too) for the BGV's.

Coincidently my Shure 546 hangs right in there with "high end" vocal mics that cost over a grand. This was also Sinatra's main vocal mic at Reprise BTW. The Shure SM56 is the non-reflective version.

The mic used on the biggest selling album of all time aka "Thriller" was a SM7. (and Harvey's got it!:))

Chris
 
"The mic used on the biggest selling album of all time aka "Thriller" was a SM7. "

Yeah, but I don't know whether Michael J. sounds good or not.

I always have some problems with that kind of things Chris, imagine I record an album and use a $20 mic for vocals and that album sells 30 million copies.
Does that make the $20 mic a great mic?

As you know, Fleetwood Mac used 441's for vocals and sold millions of albums, but the 441 isn't my favorite vocal mic, actually I never use it for vocal recording.

My favorite vocal mics are (tube) LDC's in omni, in a great sounding room.
 
I don't know if I'd use a tube mic for RAP, though. I'd recommend a mic that is as un-colored as possible. My favorite mic around $1k is still the Gefell M930, paired with a good pre that adds some punch. You can always add some nice coloration later (pre or compressor) when you start out with a clean mic, IMHO.

P.S.: Harvey has the actual SM7 that was used on Thriller? Wow, that must be the most valuable SM7 on this planet! :D
 
Han said:
... imagine I record an album and use a $20 mic for vocals and that album sells 30 million copies.
Does that make the $20 mic a great mic?
Click to expand...
No, but it obviously justifies the choices for your vocal chain. Would a vintage tube mic have sold more albums?
 
You know, the bitch of it is, I don't know rap well enough. You want in your face clean? Usually I consider the 414 an instrument mic, a rather good one. U195 I have not used, but it is a very popular vocal mic. Consider Neumann TLM103. It's a little more of a vocal mic than the 414, but clean and clear. I'm surprised you don't like the Shures. KSM44 would be an excellent choice.-Richie
 
Han, my favorite microphone is the Telefunken USA 251 reproduction that there was an opportunity to try in cardiod mode. I'm sure in omni it would have sounded even a bit better. So our taste is probably closer than it may seem. All I need is that great sounding room... and a good AE.

Chris
 
chessparov said:
Quote-"why would you expect some major artist to use a $600 vocal mic..."

Because sometimes the $600 (or under!) mic is great for the singer/song.

On "Pet Sounds", for example, the lead vocal was ALWAYS cut with a Shure 545.
They mainly used two U47's (sometimes the RCA 77 too) for the BGV's.

Coincidently my Shure 546 hangs right in there with "high end" vocal mics that cost over a grand. This was also Sinatra's main vocal mic at Reprise BTW. The Shure SM56 is the non-reflective version.

The mic used on the biggest selling album of all time aka "Thriller" was a SM7. (and Harvey's got it!:))

Chris
Click to expand...

I am not saying that mics costing less are useless, worthless or anything. Everything has its time and place. My point, was that as a primary mic, none of those others are what I would choose. Each of them certainly has their place, but would not be my "go to" mic. The Soundelux, in my opinion, is both a good "first" mic and a good "go to" mic until you can get a nice U67 or U47. I think it offers more versatility than an sm7, or a PL20 etc....
 
Also, my quote lost a little bit of context when you only took part of it, and I did say "expect" not "make".
 
chessparov said:
Han, my favorite microphone is the Telefunken USA 251 reproduction that there was an opportunity to try in cardiod mode. I'm sure in omni it would have sounded even a bit better. So our taste is probably closer than it may seem. All I need is that great sounding room... and a good AE.

Chris
Click to expand...

I really would like to own a 251 Chris!

If you don't have a great room, you might better create a dead space by putting sleeping bags around the mic and use it in omni mode. You can add the 'room' by using a great verb like a Lex PCM90/91, works very well and much better than a lousy room. Some rooms of the PCM are simply great, you can create the space of a closet or St Paul's cathedral, or anything between it.

If you have to record a not so consistent vocalist, an omni will please you with a much more consistent sound, no variation in proximity because of a singer who doesn't know anything about mic technique, whispering and shouting within one sentence, you know the procedure don't you?
 
X, please accept my humble apology if that quote was taken out of context.

Han, yes I've had a little experience recording singers with omni's and that pattern is great for those without good mic technique.

BTW the TC M300 ($200 street!) has a very good vocal patch.
(TC Classic Hall)

Chris
 
I really wasn't upset about that, just wanted to nip that in the bud before the thread got hijacked with flames do to the partial quote:))
 
70sbaby said:
I am picking a mic for rap and r&b vocals. I don't mic instruments. A grammy winning engineer told me akg c414 is all I need. I also hear that soundelux u195 is best mic in 1500 and under category. I don't like the shures or audio techincas or chinese mics. What do u guys think? Please please don't suggets adk or studio projects. I'm also sketical of rode.
Click to expand...


Well, you don't like Shures, AT's, Chinese, ADK, Studio Projects or RODE. You just rejected my entire mic locker save Oktavas.

I guess I can't help you. :p

Blessings, Terry
 
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