Dynamics vs. LDC Condensor on Your Voice

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Ben Logan

Ben Logan

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Anyone else actually prefer the sound of a dynamic mic (SM57 or 58 for example), over the sound of budget LDC's like the Studio Projects B1, C1 or the MXL 990?

I've tested all three of these budget LDC's. I've read up on them, and learned many folks' opinions of what tonal characteristics each mic supposedly imparts.

In short, I prefer the sound of the Sm57 / 58 on my voice. (Mine is kind of nasally, and the dynamics "warm it" more than the budget LDC's).

Anyone have a similar or interestingly different experience with dynamics on vocals?

Bonus question: I've heard Mic Jaggar actually used (uses?) an SM58 while tracking vocals? Is this true? Any other heavyweights use a semi-budget dynamic on vocals?
 
Ben Logan said:
Bonus question: I've heard Mic Jaggar actually used (uses?) an SM58 while tracking vocals? Is this true? Any other heavyweights use a semi-budget dynamic on vocals?
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Yeah there are some notable examples. They get listed pretty often, just do a search for SM57 & vocals.

My voice is best on an SM7, I also like me on a Beyer M88. Haven't compared the two as my SM7 is out on loan.

My collaborator sounds better on my KSM27. I suspect that's more typical. But it's good to keep the dynamics around.
 
mshilarious said:
Yeah there are some notable examples. They get listed pretty often, just do a search for SM57 & vocals.

QUOTE]

Thanks - I will... :)
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I think that any reasonable vocal microphone mainly just presents different engineering challenges as long as it's being fed into a decent pre.
Placing a "bright" mic to the side/over/under can make a major impact, for example.

As long as the person recording knows what kind of sound they're aiming for,
then that's most of the battle IMHO.
That's why I'm at the point not to become hung up on whether it's a SM57 or
U47-assuming you have the opportunity to have an excellent pro AE at the helm.

You may prefer the sound of "warmer" toned microphones, rather than necessarily dynamics vs. condensers. This can include ribbons BTW.

Chris
 
I really get tired when people throw around all this "warm" business. Jesus H. Christ on a Catcher's mit. Don't you guys know any other, perhaps more relevent, descriptions / adjectives. :D :D Ha ha. I'm grumpy today, aren't I?

As for the dynamic thing . . . whatever works for ya, there, guy.

It's a helluva' lot easier to get your hands on a top-flight (world-class) dynamic mic than it is a condenser. And they're a lot easier to EQ, usually, without all that cheapo Chinese Condenser hash in the high end that sounds like a built in aural exciter set to stun.
 
Ok Chessrock. "Warm" gets overused. Dynamics sound more "robust" on my voice - how's that? I'm pretty sure I got "robust" straight from the Shure tech-specs sheet. :)

Thanks for your response.
 
Depending on the tune (a more aggressive rock/pop style), I prefer a Unidene III 545 or an MD-441 to most condensors.
 
Depends also on the circumstances, on most vocals I prefer a LDC when overdubbing or recording the vocalist separated in a booth.

It was Bob Ohlsson (Motown) who said that when recording vocals together with a band in the same room, the best mic for the job probably is the Beyer M88.

He's so right, the M88 is much more rejective than a 58 and it sounds pretty condenser like too.
 
Han, Bob meant that (M88 "best") when you have a drummer in the same room-if you don't mind me being be more specific.

He's had plenty of cases where the SM57 has beaten his primo U67 in a shoot-out for a given vocalist. IIRC he's mainly using a Martech pre now.

Was bummed to realize that I fall into the minority of singers where the M88 doesn't work as well as other choices, due to its high end characteristic
which can bring out sibilance.

Track, since you like the 545, keep an eye out for the 548 which is a bit smoother and has the deepest bass response of any non-SM7/SM5 Unidyne.
It's a Unidyne IV (III capsule tweaked).

Yeah Mick will run around in the studio doing scratch vocals with a '58 or '57,
and sometimes they're used. Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), and Robert Plant are big time SM57 users for their studio vocals too.
John Lennon had a favorite SM57 to use on his records where the body was cracked! :)

Chris
 
It seems noone ever mentions SDC's as a choice for vocal mics? What makes them so unpopular in that area. I ask because I've used them with (to my ears) pretty good results.

Isn't M88 Phil Collins mic of choice btw.
 
Beltrom said:
It seems noone ever mentions SDC's as a choice for vocal mics? What makes them so unpopular in that area. I ask because I've used them with (to my ears) pretty good results.

Isn't M88 Phil Collins mic of choice btw.
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Mostly 2 reasons. They are usually more prone to popping. And they are usually more true to the source, and therefor less flattering for many vocals.

I would like to hear about others who use SDC's on vocals with success.
 
Chris, you are right, the M88 doesn't work on some vocalists, same goes for my M149. Sometimes a mic is too accurate I suppose.

I'm recording a jazz band and I always use the M88 for vocals in this situation.

Beltrom, indeed the M88 is Phil Collins' mic of choice.
 
omtayslick said:
I would like to hear about others who use SDC's on vocals with success.
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http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=4091&alid=-1

If you listen to Knees to the Earth, that was done entirely with a pair of AKG C2000B's, which AKG lists as an SDC (although strangely enough, ZZounds.com lists it as a mid-size diaphragm...go figure).

Anyway, the reproduction was very good, but I didn't have a pop filter at the time so there are a few points that clip. As was said, SDC's are very accurate, and it picked up some of the more undesirable qualities of my voice. I've been much happier with the results on vocals from my pair of M-Audio Solaris LDC's.
 
As some (like Han) may know, there's a moderate high end boost around 12kHz on the M88, which is similar to using shelf EQ on a high end console.

Therefore either "flatter" (more accurate) or "flattering" :) (like a T3 or SM7) microphones seem to work better on me. YMMV

Supposedly, a number of Roy Orbison's vocals at Monument were cut with a SDC. IIRC a Schoeps instead of a Neumann-might be the reverse though.

Chris
 
chessparov said:
Supposedly, a number of Roy Orbison's vocals at Monument were cut with a SDC. IIRC a Schoeps instead of a Neumann-might be the reverse though.
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AKG C60, from what remember reading somewhere, which is a small diaphragm tube mic. Maybe it was in Mix Magazine.
 
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