Dude where's my mic thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter CanopuS
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CanopuS

Amateur music since 1847
*Hopefully* this will be the last time I ever have to bother you. I'm on the brink of getting an NTK. Cool so whats the problem? Well, before I delve into the deep end I want a rough guess if it will suit my voice.

Basically, I know that you cant tell, theres no way of telling, but perhaps a bit of info might make it easier to guess.

I'm a bass voice, but still quite young sounding. I'm supposedly tonally good, but a bit nasally. I tend to sing quite loudly to get the best, even on a quiet song. I've heard AT mics would be terrible for nasal voices, but what about an NTK?

Thanksyou
 
I'd think an NTK would be a little better than most of the AT mics on a nasal voice. Especially if you get right up on it and take advantage of the proximity effect. That's not to say the NTK is ideal or anything, because it's not.

One of the best I've worked with for that purpose is the Blue Dragonfly -- This one sounds like it was made for midrangy voices. Beyer M88 is another one. The Shure KSM32 won't exaggerate any of the honk / edgy qualities of a voice . . . but it also won't exaggerate much of anything else, either. It will give you a good, honest neutral starting point, and from there you can just use EQ or mic positioning to tailor the sound to your taste.

Those are my suggestions, so take them for what they're worth.
 
All of those are out of my price range, bar the KSM32 which I feel being too neutral will make me sound like a car horn :D
 
In an informal shootout I attended last year, a few of us tested out a bunch of mics. Part of our test was to challenge a bunch of mics by going down a row, and purposely testing them for sibilance, plosives, and honk factor.

As far as honk factor goes, there weren't many mics in that price range that faired well. Most of them kinda' crapped out on us and emitted this annoying ring/distortion whenever we purposely imitated car horns or Fran Drescher talking/laughing, that sort of thing.

But I remember quite clearly the ksm32 being the best in that category. It didn't do anything to accentuate the honk, and it didn't seem to crap out, distort or resonate funny when someone would go "eeeaaarrghhh! ! " in to it. :D Of all the $300-500 mics we tried, it was hands-down the most impressive on all of our tests. However, when it came to recording actual vocal samples, it was also one of the least silky or sexy or what have you.
 
Well, I'm making myself sound like an elephant. I'm not THAT bad :D If you want to hear me going "Na-na-na-na", the most nasal I'm ever gonna get:



Obviously singing REAL worlds would sound better :D
I'm in that kind of time when I'm just about to pinpoint a mic, and then everyone tells me not to get it :( I just wanna record :)

Thanks for all your help so far by the way :D
 
I realize this is a really cliche', worn-out, and outdated concept . . .

But why not go in to a Guitar Center sometime in the afternoon when they're not busy, and ask them to try out a bunch of mics? And purposely try to sing really ringy and annoying in to them and take note of the ones that don't take well to it and the ones that do.

The differences should be very quickly apparent.
 
Hmmm. I live in the UK. We don't have those stores here, and the only ones near are the kind of ones that rip you off and don't let you try anything (Sound Control anyone?). :(
 
Thats why we are willing to pay more here in the USA , because the variety and service is so good.....plus we like to noodle on 10 different electric guitars when we buy something.....and..

..WAIT...we don't pay more...nevermind

what chessrock said


:D
 
Yep. Although I can think of good reasons. Rugby world cup final hoorah!
 
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