Looking for Advice on a Vocal Condenser

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trader941

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Hi, I am working on building my home studio, and right now i'm on microphone cabinet. Right now I have the Sterling Audio ST51 Large Diaphram condenser microphone, and have been moderately satisfied with it, either way, I guess i should say what i'm trying to record.

I want to be able to record male and female vocalists. I am a baritone myself, and I think that my voice tends to be boring in the mid range - low range of my voice, although the high range of my voice (although it can hurt a little to get those high notes out :)) sounds pretty good. I think that my voice needs a little bit of warmth.

The girl who's helping me is a high alto, and her voice is basically interesting in it's whole range, even on my mic, so i'm not quite as worried about that.

Basically, I am scouting through ebay to find a good large condenser mic, and have stumbled across a number of mics. I am looking in the range of $300-$1000 new, although my budget is pretty close to topped used at $600.

I have looked at the Rode NTK, along with a lot of their other models, the Neumann TLM103, and a few other mics (shure KSM series ext), and i was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on which could add some warmth to a baritone's voice, while perferably being able to record a female too.

Thanks for your help in advance :)

If you need any more details, just ask me.

My current setup - Mic --> Art Pro Channel Tube Mic Pre (for Christmas) --> Zoom R16 recorder/interface --> computer/monitors/headphone amp for multiple channels.

My room right now is bad, although I am in the middle of remodeling my studio to add 2 5x8 ft vocal booths which will have carpet on all of the walls, and probably acoustic ceiling tiles. The room is very quiet (as is the ambient noise is below -120dB, before drywall/carpet), and the carpet should deal well with reflections.
 
Blue Baby Bottle, once recommended for me because I happen to be a bartione as well. I have no experience with it, however.
When you say warm, the Oktava MK-319 comes to mind, I'm considering one of these myself.
Please don't blame me for inadequate advice, I'm just trying to help. ;)
 
TBH, i havn't thought of the Baby Blue bottle, what do you guys think of that as a vocal mic? I know (according to reviews), that it is great for acoustic guitars, but what about vocals?
 
If you really want versatility, these cardioid only mics are an impediment. The 4050 reccomended earlier would be a good choice
 
With reference to samples (from the A-T website) I second the 4047.
 
I listened to the AT-4047 (along with the rest of the samples), and I am very satisfied with that quality.

I wish i could find vocal samples like that for more mics, cause it would make this research part of buying a mic much easier.

Anyway, i thought it sounded fairly warm, and only got even a little bit harsh when the vocalist was basically screaming, i would expect a harsh tonality then :).

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions, keep them coming!
 
trader941 said:
TBH, i havn't thought of the Baby Blue bottle, what do you guys think of that as a vocal mic? I know (according to reviews), that it is great for acoustic guitars, but what about vocals?
Click to expand...

Great on some, not so hot on others. The same thing can be said of many mics. You also may want to consider a quality dynamic. (SM7, RE20, PR40 etc.) Much better behaved than most lower/middle priced condensers.
 
I guess that a decent quality, yet fairly expensive microphone, is a big leap for someone on such a tight budget like myself, because there is simply no way that i can tell if it's going to work for me.

I guess the only way to really do it is to order the mic with someone that has a satisfaction guarentee and return it if it just doesn't work for me.

I guess i've just gotta take the leap at this point. A terrible process to say the least...
 
opinions are opinions. Your ears do the best job deciding. I'm only saying this cuz my only opinion is like at 4050 or ksm 32. But whatever.
 
I think i'm going to try out the AT4047SV, with a reputible seller that i can return it to if i'm not satisfied.

Now it's just time to look for a deal.

I listened to the comparisons of the AT4047, 4050, and 4060, and i honestly liked the 4047 the best, i really don't know why, but we'll see. I also listened to the Neumann TLM103, and was rather unimpressed, it seemed kind of grainy, and while i think that sound would be good sometimes, i think it would be terrible other times, and i need a mic that can record a large amount of songs at least adaquately.

Thanks for all your opinions.
 
The AT4047 is a fine choice...its my favorite of all my vocal mics...the KSM32 has to be the best all around mic Id put in front of anything...then my KSM44.

Ive actually seen the KSM32 on the presidents podium:)
 
another baritone needs help...

Please forgive me for jumping in on this thread, but I’m also a baritone, with questions similar to the OP’s. I’ve read about condensers until I’m blue in the face, with only more questions and uncertainty for my efforts. I live in a small area that doesn’t have a big music equipment outlet allowing me to demo different mics, so I’ll have to be sure of what I’m buying before doing so. I know equipment selection is a personal thing, and what sounds good to one won't necessarily sound good to another. But there is simply too much to know -- and too many choices out there -- to do this without some recommendations.

I have permission to record a song from a composer, and have completed the orchestration of the instrumental portion of the mix in Logic 9. This is my setup:

Mac Pro G5 quad-core 2.66mHz, 4.5GB RAM, 150GB HD
Logic 9.0.2
OSX 10.5.8
LaCie Rugged 7200RPM external 320GB HD
Apogee Duet
East West Symphonic Gold, Goliath

I’m getting close to the audio portion of this project, and know I’m going to be spending a lot of time doing takes. I’ve never sung with a mic before (I’m classically-trained, and always perform unplugged), and am guessing it’s going to take me a bit to get my technique for the mic dialed in correctly, and the levels set right.

I have a very nice dynamic (ElectroVoice N/D357), but have never used it before. Given the amount of time I’m anticipating to get the vocals right, I’m becoming less confident about investing a lot of time with this mic.

I will only use the mic for my voice, in my home, and nothing else. My voice has a lot of resonance, and is very “big”. I’ve seen criticisms on this board of mid-priced condensers…is that the general consensus? I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for the Rode NTK and AKG C414, but I’m on a budget, too, and can’t waste money on something that won’t be right. In what ways would mic selection be different for a deep male voice, versus, for example, a high female voice…or even a high tenor? Do I want more crispness and highs, or less? I’ve never seen descriptions on manufacturer websites that say something like, “…appropriate for male voices…” etc., so this is probably a newb question.

Or…can a lot of weaknesses of a dynamic mic be handled with post-processing? Perhaps the EV will be OK, and I just need to carefully add/tweak EQ, compressor, limiter, reverb, etc.?

Thanks so much for any suggestions!

-Bruce
 
I have that EV...sands the handle things that allow it to fit into a standard clip...I wouldnt record with it though...unless if I ran out of others.

Id go and try out a good amount of mics...look on youtube for videos of singers that sound like you using various mics...do what you can to shop arround...then go buying.
 
Thanks very much, Darrin. What about the EV don't you like for recording?

And thanks for suggesting YouTube. "Laura" is part of my repertoire, although not what I'm currently recording. I love this video of Brian Stokes Mitchell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwYI1VyJpgM

The problem with watching videos is that in live performances, usually dynamics are used...and...it's difficult/impossible to tell what they are. In the video linked above, Brian seems to be using a dual setup I'm not familiar with.

Thanks again!

-Bruce
 
One of those goes to the house board...and the other to the recording...Id put a KSM32 in front of him if he were here...and I have like about 40 mics better than the N/D 357 , but if it was my only one Id use it.
 
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