Decent mic to use

G

guitarplayer08

New member
I'm planning to get the Shure SM58 and im planning to use this mic for vocal. So is this a decent mic to buy for vocal recording?

I know its a dynamic mic so it wont need to be phantom powered from a mixer. Am I right?

And im planning to get a mic preamp too. http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--BEHMIC200

Tell me if this setup is a pretty decent setup and if you guys know what other mic is more suitable for my situation. And is that preamp a necessary thing to have to get a decent vocal recording quality?

I would appreciate it if you guys can post a little sample clip of a particular mic.
 
The SM58 is a decent mic. Most folks here probably have at least one. As you guessed, it does not need phantom power because it's a dynamic type.

You do need a preamp and the MIC200 would do the job but a small mixer might be more versatile for recording and monitoring.
 
for the same price as an SM58 you could get an OK condensor mic.... something like an AKG C-1000S for £99, which you can use with just battery power would probably get you better results
 
For vocal recording, I would suggest you go for the MXL v67g. It's a condenser and should serve you better than the c1000s. The SM58 is a great dynamic vocal mic for live use, but is not as detailed as a decent condenser for recording purposes.
 
So if i get a condenser mic, does that means i wont need to get a mic preamp? or do i still need it?

What if you use a condenser mic for live situation? would it be good?

Oh yeah, do any of you have a little sample clip of some particular mic?
 
guitarplayer08 said:
So if i get a condenser mic, does that means i wont need to get a mic preamp? or do i still need it?

What if you use a condenser mic for live situation? would it be good?

Oh yeah, do any of you have a little sample clip of some particular mic?
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You will definitely need a preamp, regardless of your choice. Condenser mics also require phantom power, which can be supplied by the preamp. Condenser mics are good for many recording tasks, however, they are less usefull for live work, because they tend to feedback.

If you are just getting into recording, something like the Shure SM 57 or 58 is a good mic to have. You can certainly record with them and they are good live mics. If you are looking for a vocal mic for recording purposes, a condenser is going to be preferred for most voices.
 
Hmm I really have to listen to a sample clip to decide which mic to buy.

Is there any site that has a sample clip of the Shure 58?

By the way is the quality difference between dynamic and condenser really noticeable?
 
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guitarplayer08 said:
Hmm I really have to listen to a sample clip to decide which mic to buy.

Is there any site that has a sample clip of the Shure 58?

By the way is the quality difference between dynamic and condenser really noticeable?
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Listening to samples may give misleading results. Each mic responds differently to different sources. Your voice may sound great through a 58 and sound like ass through a condensor mic. If you listen to a sample of someone singing through a 58 it may represent more than just the sound of the mic. There are other things to consider like the room it was recorded in, the engineer, the vocalist, etc. Good engineer's will spend a lot of time finding the right mic for a particular singer. Better engineer's will already know what mic would work best with a particular singer just by knowing the frequency responses of different mic's, etc.

Forget looking for samples. Go to a music store and try different mics and find one that responds well to your voice. But keep in mind it will sound different in the store compared to what it will sound like in your recording environment.
 
beta 57 gives a great sound and is also great for live stuff, can do most stuff an condensor mic can do, a lot of live technicians complain when i use it because it over-powers their desk :p
 
I would suggest getting a 58 before a condensor. A 58 will serve you well for a number of different applications. A condensor might give you good results for one thing but not the other. Just my opinion though.
 
guitarplayer08 said:
How is the Behringer B-5 compared to the SM58?
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The Behringer B5 is an instrument condenser mic and should not be compared with the SM58, a vocal dynamic mic.
 
StAbZ said:
beta 57 gives a great sound and is also great for live stuff, can do most stuff an condensor mic can do, a lot of live technicians complain when i use it because it over-powers their desk :p
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Yeah I saw a girl singing through a beta 57 and it didn't sound wrong. With this as possibility a beta 57 can be used for a lot.

But hey... when u start singing through a 57 why don't try recording a guitar through a condensor. I own a Rode NT1a and it sounds great on a guitar.
 
guitarplayer08 said:
Opps sorry i didnt know it was an instrument mic :D
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It is a small diaphragm condenser, and despite Behringer's marketing, it would not be a very good choice for most voices. If you read the big sticky thread at the top of the microphone forum (about diaphragm size and polar patterns), you will get a great education on the use of various mics for different recording applications. As a general thought, small diaphragm condensers reproduce sound very accurately and, thus, are not very flattering on most voices (unless you have a pristine operatic voice). A large diaphragm condenser (like the MXL V67g, or similar) will tend to suit voices better. Dynamic mics, like the SM58 are good choices, too, they will just not be quite as detailed as many condenser mics. There is really no right answer.
 
OK i've decided that I'm gonna get the SM58 cause i tried it at someones house. He got the SM57 and SM58 and both are good mic.

My question is: Do i really need to get the mic preamp cause that would be another $70 and do i need to get a mixer? Man..this stuff cost a lot :(
 
guitarplayer08 said:
OK i've decided that I'm gonna get the SM58 cause i tried it at someones house. He got the SM57 and SM58 and both are good mic.

My question is: Do i really need to get the mic preamp cause that would be another $70 and do i need to get a mixer? Man..this stuff cost a lot :(
Click to expand...

You need to get a preamp OR a mixer, not nesessarily both. But it depends on what your goals are. If you want to record only your voice (a cappella) with no accompaniment, you can go with a preamp. But if you want to sing along with existing tracks (yours or somebody else's) you'll need to be able to listen to those tracks and hear your own vocal track at the same time. With a mixer you can route the existing tracks to it and monitor everything from there. I'm not sure you can do that with only a preamp, but maybe somebody else here knows of such a solution.
 
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