Do I need a new mic?

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steppingonmars

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Hi all

I've been doing this recording thing in my spare time for about a year now and really enjoy it. Right now for vox I use an At2020 and a Superlux cheap condesor microphone. I seem to get mediocre success with both of them. It seems like the superlux is a bit hollow sounding lacking midrange and the at 2020 is quite harsh around 5-6k.

My questions are

- would there be a significant improvement in my vox if I bought a different microphone?
- what microphone would be good for my voice if that was the case?

My voice is kinda in mid-high range for male vox, kinda like maybe Geddy Lee or Neil Young and it's quite loud and cutting. The biggest issue is that we live in a one horse town and I can't try out studio microphones. I do electronic repairs at a music store on the side and they deal with Peavey, Shure, AKG and Audio Technica so I'd take preference to them as I could get one close to cost. I do not want to be a gear slut and want to buy a mic because it will be worth it. I've linked a song with my vox on it for you to hear my vox. I'd prefer a budget of up to $600, but would consider going up to $1000 if it was worth it.

Thanks in advance!



http://www.box.net/shared/lsrqno28vo
 
Mics

I'm going to assume from your title that when you ask if you need a new mic, you are declaring that you want a new mic. Everyone who doesn't have every mic could use a new mic:D different mics work for different applications, end of story. This is a judgment call. the better mic you get, the more honest it is. If you want an exact recreation of your voice, flaws and all, I have some suggestions. If you want the mic to lie to you (I'm not picking on you, it's just how it is) then your 2020 should be sufficient, there are other mics in the mid range of course.

I recently read a review on a great microphone, the Woodpecker by Blue. I could blab about it, or you could save me a ton of typing and look it up;) I can say it's one of the more honest ones, don't know what they were asking for it, I think it was in the $800 range. AT makes mics better than the 2020 that are more affordable and completely worth it.

I was in my audio class about two weeks ago, and a comment was made by my very experienced, and knowledgeable professor. You can spend 200$ on the worst thing AKG, Blue, any of those companies make, it'll be the scum of their company and they just make it a more popular name. Behringer, a company known for cheap, breakable crap, will put their lives work in a mic, and charge $200... It'll be gold. I'm not saying buy the really expensive stuff from radio shack, or anything like that, just saying, look at Behringer's line and don't turn away cause they're expensive stuff is cheap.

more than i needed to say but im bored.
 
Ok I guess my question should be clarified as....
"what mic selection would be good for my voice and would it be better than what I already have" Also I'd prefer to hear about mics that people actually have owned and used.
 
Any way we can get an sample of your current mic to understand the qualities of your voice?
 
Dynamic

steppingonmars said:
the superlux is a bit hollow sounding lacking midrange and the at 2020 is quite harsh around 5-6k.
Click to expand...

I would highly suggest a dynamic mic.
Maybe an sm7, or even an sm58 would work.
you might wanna consider your mic-pre as well

By the way, i dig the song and your voice is really nice!!!

-mike-
 
sorry didn't see the clip, ill agree with mike on this one, the 58 was created for vocalists, 57 is $10 less, same transducer, just a pop screen on the 58
 
Thanks for the input so far, I already have sm57's I wounldn't say I cared for them much other than live. I've heard good things about sm7's has anyone used them?
 
I've got two of them. The first one got used so much I bought a second one. A great vocal mic, particularly if you don't have a good room. Condensers are much less forgiving of poor room acoustics and extraneous noises. The mic keeps getting chosen over my more expensive condensers for vocals. One of the best microphone bargains out there. Used for Michael Jackson's Thriller, among other albums. Other notable users include Wilco and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
 
Ok

I'd like to narrow it down to the brands that my local music store sells as I do electronic repairs on the side there and will be able to work off my purchase. Also I won't be biting the hand that feeds me and will be able to get parts and repair the mic myself if it fails so here's the brands and models that I can choose from

Also since I do electronic repairs on the side for a music store in town, I'd like to narrow it down to the brands they sell unless there is absoulutely nothing in the lines they have that would suit me so here's a list

Audix
Cx-112
Cx-212

Shure
KSM 27
KSM 32
KSM 44
SM7B

AKG
C214
C414B -XLS
C414B XL 2
C12 VR
C 4000 B

AT
4033
4040
4050



, but if there is nothing there then maybe suggest one other mic

Thanks

Mike
 
First of all, your material sounds pretty decent as is.

But, if your compaint is high end harshness, you should possibly be looking at a dynamic, or a condenser that is a significant step up. Many condensers at the bottom end of the market have this harshness problem. But I haven't used the AT2020 so I can't speak to that mic's characteristics specifically.

Also, the "hollow" sound that you are complaining about is probably room reflections being picked up by the sensitivity of the condenser mic. (unless the mic is an absolute piece of crap)

Another condenser won't solve this problem and may make it worse, without taking other measures to tame it. A device such as this will eliminte this problem on vocals:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Reflexion/ (read the reviews) I have one and like it. It adds a lot of focus to the vocal. It will improve the situation with any mic.

Or, go with a quality dynamic like the SM7.

Everone's voice interacts differently with mics, so take this with a grain of salt, and by all means try before you buy if at all possible.

In your situation, with your stated brand preferences and budget, I would go for the KSM44
and some type of reflection control device. Here's another one:

http://www.realtraps.com/p_pvb.htm
 
Last edited:
Thanks omtay, good advice

The hollow sound is on the one mic only and no other condensers I use and considering it was under $100 I'm kinda assuming it's a piece of crap and not the acoustics, but I could be wrong. The harshness seems to be around 6k and when I look at frequency curves of most condesers, many are peakish around that frequency.
Unfortunately I think now I would LIKE to buy a new mic as my wife just let me buy my own Christmas present this year. Ok now I'm being honest. I don't think I need a new mic, just want one, God... am I turning into a Gear Slut????
Hi my name is Mike and I have GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome)...
 
Unfortunately, if you're bothered by the 5-6 kHz bump, I can't think of many condensers that you'd like. The AT2020 is a small diaphragm condenser whose response is relatively flat (+/- about 2dB from about 200 Hz to 20kHz, with some low cut below 200 Hz). Most vocal mics have at least some bump in that range.

freq.gif


I'd expect it to come across more bright than harsh, but one man's treasure is another man's trash, so YMMV. :)

That said, you should probably not be tracking vocals with a small diaphragm condenser in the first place.... What you are perceiving as harshness may just be the fast transient response of the small diaphragm. You may also prefer a boost in certain parts of the frequency range if your voice has a naturally thin quality.

If you have the opportunity to try out an AT4040 or AT4050, try one or both of those. If the transient response is what is really bothering you, you'll like those a lot. If it really is the 5 kHz presence peak, it will sound just as bad to you as the AT2020, in which case you should probably consider a ribbon (though an AT3035 might be to your liking).
 
dgatwood said:
That said, you should probably not be tracking vocals with a small diaphragm condenser in the first place.... What you are perceiving as harshness may just be the fast transient response of the small diaphragm. You may also prefer a boost in certain parts of the frequency range if your voice has a naturally thin quality.
Click to expand...

Good input, I'm wondering about this as well. I'd consider my voice thin, but maybe cutting would be a better descrption. I guess the only real way to find out is to buy all the mics and try them out, but I don't think my wife would like that too much. Also I've noticed that 2k peak as well when recording with that mic.
 
I checked out the 4047, looks like that's the idea of a mic I would like so I guess I'm down to 2

SM7
AT4047

Which one?

I'm thinking I probably don't "need" either, but I'd "like" one of these
 
steppingonmars said:
I checked out the 4047, looks like that's the idea of a mic I would like so I guess I'm down to 2

SM7
AT4047
Click to expand...

The 4047:

at4047sv_freq.jpg


Well, it has less presence, but you may still find it bright in much the same way as the 2020, just not as much. The mids also look a bit scooped to me, which you may or may not like.

Your voice description sounds a lot like mine, in which case my advice would be to buy an Apex 205 ribbon mic, then swap out the transformer with a Lundahl LL2912 (available in the U.S. from K & K Audio).

That's probably about a five minute mod (unless you decide to hack in a transformer switch like I did on my RSM-2 mics) that really opens up the sound, turning it into a really nice vocal mic, IMHO. (Be sure you don't have any ribbon sag before you start modding, though.)
 
The AT3035 is a good suggestion too. Very nice on many voices, and reasonably priced.
 
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