Best condencer mic in $400-$800 range...

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lttoler

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I currently have a Rode K2 mic but with the new singer I'm recording, the highs sound kinda harsh and it just isn't as lively. Can anyone suggest me a mic in the price range that should be really good for vocal recording??? Thanks in advance!
 
Can you give some more info, like the rest of your signal chain, and maybe provide a brief clip of the vocalist? (and then maybe someone who who knows what they're doing with mics in this range can pipe in :D)
 
Okay, as of right now I am just using the Rode K2 going in to my Line 6 Toneport UX2 to my computer, and I use Reaper to record. I am kinda tight on money but I'm open to suggestions to mic pre's and such if it will make a measurable difference. Here is a clip of some of the vocals. This is all I got right now and I did add some EQ and comp and all.

 
lttoler said:
I currently have a Rode K2 mic but with the new singer I'm recording, the highs sound kinda harsh and it just isn't as lively. Can anyone suggest me a mic in the price range that should be really good for vocal recording??? Thanks in advance!
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Hi. I currently owned the K2, too. Although it's a great mic I'm just not getting what I want with my singer's voice. I used it with the LA610. It's too colorful, too much low end (tubiness)... I like it better on accoustic guitars.

Maybe you and I should try solid states instead? Something like the Audio Technica AT40s line? I've been eyeballing the 4050 and 4060 for a while now.
 
I actually own the AT4040 and I think it's great for some applications, but WAY to bright for our singer. I would be willing to try something else from there line if there way something in the price range that was warmer...
 
...if you can borrow a good dynamic like the Heil PR40 or Shure SM7B, you might like the difference...I have the K2 and the Mojave MA200, but I prefer my SM7B on many voices...worth a look...;)
 
kidvybes said:
...if you can borrow a good dynamic like the Heil PR40 or Shure SM7B, you might like the difference...I have the K2 and the Mojave MA200, but I prefer my SM7B on many voices...worth a look...;)
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He's done it again folks, right outta my mouth.......
There are some BLUE mics atthe top of that range that are also in line with your demands
 
lttoler said:
I actually own the AT4040 and I think it's great for some applications, but WAY to bright for our singer. I would be willing to try something else from there line if there way something in the price range that was warmer...
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Again, my experience is limited, but based on that (I've got a 4040, too, and never considered it bright), yeah the SM7b sounds like a good choice. I have no experience with the Heil, or another often recommended dynamic - the EV RE-20, but I'm sure they're worth looking at. Below your price range, you might try the Oktava MK-319 if you have access to one.

By the way, do you have a multimeter or a voltage meter? If so, you might want to check the voltage on your toneport when phantom is switched on. If it's significantly less that 48 volts, that may be a concern as you move into the mid / high end condensers. I have a AKG C414 (which I would not recommend in this case if the 4040 is too bright, btw) that sounds noticeably better at a full 48 volts than it does with, say, the 41 volts that one of my interfaces puts out.
 
Should I get a preamp to make a noticable difference? Or maybe even interface?
 
+1 on a good dynamic for vocals. In this price range, I've been happier with a high end dynamic than a mid/low range condenser for vocals. While I don't own that model Rode, my general understanding is that it is a somewhat bright mic. I don't think that any preamp that you can get in that price range is going to help much. I'd consider the SM7b (my favorite - I've just bought a third one), an RE-20 or a Heil. Other considerations would be the Beyer M88 and the Sennheiser MD441.

My SM7s have beaten out my much more expensive condensers for vocal mic duties with alarming frequency. IMHO I think you will find it a more useful mic in a home/project studio than a mid-priced condenser for vocals (and many other applications).
 
pohaku said:
My SM7s have beaten out my much more expensive condensers for vocal mic duties with alarming frequency. IMHO I think you will find it a more useful mic in a home/project studio than a mid-priced condenser for vocals (and many other applications).
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...so why was it I had to buy umteenth asst. condenser mics before I found out about the SM7?...wish somebody had been around to give me that info 5-6 years ago...damn!...;)
 
kidvybes said:
...so why was it I had to buy umteenth asst. condenser mics before I found out about the SM7?...wish somebody had been around to give me that info 5-6 years ago...damn!...;)
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Yeah, I know. The SM7 wasn't the first mic i bought either.:D
 
kidvybes said:
...so why was it I had to buy umteenth asst. condenser mics before I found out about the SM7?...wish somebody had been around to give me that info 5-6 years ago...damn!...;)
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Who you kiddin? you still woulda been on mic quest.......
 
Okay, would the SM7 be closer in sound to the Rode or AT4040 the AT4040? I tried both again tonight on our singer, and the Rode was clearly the winner. The AT4040 seems to have more presence, but it sounded thin on chorus's and such and sometimes sounded harse. The Rode was smoother.
 
I don't have a Rode K2, but I do have a tube mic with a good capsule and transformer, and my SM7b mics are closer in sound to that, I suppose, than the 4040 - that's a big generalization, but I think it's correct.
 
...where I find the most noticeable difference between my better tube condenser mics and my SM7 is in the presence of room "noise"...if you don't have a proper vocal booth or well treated room, the SM7 will still sound more isolated from ambient noise (you will hear less "room")...the top end is smoother and the overall sound is a bit "thicker" sounding, especially when I use just a hint of compression going into the DAW...there is more "detail" in the tube condenser's sound, but I can't say that I miss it...the SM7 just sounds good!...;)
 
Okay I'm really toying with the idea of trying an SM7. Can you compare the Studio Projects T3 and the Shure KSM44 to the Rode K2? What are the differences in sound?
 
lttoler said:
Okay I'm really toying with the idea of trying an SM7. Can you compare the Studio Projects T3 and the Shure KSM44 to the Rode K2? What are the differences in sound?
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OK...I have both the K2 and T3, but not the KSM44...if you already own the K2 then the T3 won't be a big difference (although I highly recommend the T3 as a terrific tube mic at a very affordable price)...both the K2 and T3 are excellent mics...I have used the KSM44 in the past and it also is a very nice clean & neutral sounding mic, but again, as said before, the SM7 is a whole different vibe...for the price (and for 2X and 3X the price) it rocks!...more importantly, the SM7 is a true "keeper" mic...once you have one, it's hard to give it up...great value and solid pro performance...not as "sexy" as a tube condencer, but a great reliable workhorse...;)
 
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