There is no right answer here, try a few mics. And what that other guy said about a "prevailing" opinion on mics is nonsense. Condenser mics are generally not used in live senarios because of a. easily broken and b. They are sensitive and will pick up alot more of the room. Some of the best mics around are dynamics, and have been used to make some of the best studio recordings ever. This is not putting down condensers, far from. You just need to work out what mic works best for you in a particular situation. If it happens to be a dynamic, so be it. Likewise a condenser.EdJames said:Well I must admit I tried both a dynamic and a condensor and whilst the sound quality seemed a lot greater through the condensor (which in fairness was 5 or 6 times the price!) the dynamic did seem to offer a drier vocal.
I'm basically referring to a home studio setup where you're singing in your untreated bedroom, would the condensor pick up too much sound and acoustics?
Basically for someone recording at home, which is the better mic to, in general, purchase?
Hi Ed...EdJames said:I live in rented accomodation in a very small room; treating it just isn't practical.
ljguitar said:It sounds like you are silently adding the word ''permanently'' to your statement. I have ''treated'' plenty of spaces temporarily for recording with blankets, quilts, sofa cushions and other soft materials.
And a small untreated space is fairly easy to pad down (treat temporarily). Cloth curtains come into play, as do other ''devices'' to block sound. Actually, an untreated floor is more friendly than carpet, and if you are going close mic a singer or player, then pad one entire corner of the room from floor to ceiling , place the microphone's back to the padded corner and perform/sing/play into the corner.
You only need to ''treat'' about 4-6 feet of wall either way. Round out the corner so it doesn't trap bass frequency and you will probably get good results.
EdJames said:Which would be more appropriate for recording Rnb/Pop male vocals in an untreated room through a preamp?
Any suggestions of particular mics that may record a crisp dry vocal?
Yoda117 said:Re-20/27 are good dynamics to start with. They are very forgiving in regards to BG noise. Owning a several dynamics and condensors, I find the condensors to be a bit less forgiving when it comes to sound treatment, compared to the dynamics.
ljguitar said:Hi Ed...
It sounds like you are silently adding the word ''permanently'' to your statement. I have ''treated'' plenty of spaces temporarily for recording with blankets, quilts, sofa cushions and other soft materials.
And a small untreated space is fairly easy to pad down (treat temporarily). Cloth curtains come into play, as do other ''devices'' to block sound. Actually, an untreated floor is more friendly than carpet, and if you are going close mic a singer or player, then pad one entire corner of the room from floor to ceiling , place the microphone's back to the padded corner and perform/sing/play into the corner.
You only need to ''treat'' about 4-6 feet of wall either way. Round out the corner so it doesn't trap bass frequency and you will probably get good results.
On your other question...it is sure less work - if not effortless - to capture great vocals with a condenser through a preamp rather than a dynamic mic. The recordings we have made with dynamic mics compared to the ones with condensors stand out in my mind as recordings we wish we'd had a condenser there. Most were ''live on location'' recordings that were being performed through PA systems (live concert). Hard to use condensers in. Though now, we use Shure Beta 87a for lead vocals there and they are great.
However, as was mentioned, condenser mics are fragile and easily broken. For studio they are easy to use and give great results. Even the inexpensive large diaphragm mics help vocalists sound rich and vibrant.