MIC for deep loud voice?

[applesmasher]

Hay ive got a sm57 , a behringer modulizer pro and an art tube pre amp. Can anyone please reccomend any other mic around $100 that would work good with my singing style which basically isnt very pretty and melodic but deep and loud alot, and i dont know how else to descibe it but kind of whiny in a punk rock fashion when i try to go high. I basically just put alot of force into the vocals right now. Alot of people have reccomended SP B-1 and i might get that one but i think ill need a diff preamp for it. The sm57 is sweet but id like to broaden my horizens tytyty

 

[Innovations]

Hay ive got a sm57 , a behringer modulizer pro and an art tube pre amp. Can anyone please reccomend any other mic around $100 that would work good with my singing style which basically isnt very pretty and melodic but deep and loud alot, and i dont know how else to descibe it but kind of whiny in a punk rock fashion when i try to go high. I basically just put alot of force into the vocals right now. Alot of people have reccomended SP B-1 and i might get that one but i think ill need a diff preamp for it. The sm57 is sweet but id like to broaden my horizens tytyty

As long as you have phantom power I see no reason why you would have to get a different preamp. Other under $100 LD mics you might consider for voice would be a MXL V69G if you would like a warm mike with lots of proximity effect or a MXL V93M if you want a bright mic with moderate proximity effect.

 

[chessrock]

I basically just put alot of force into the vocals right now.

Then stick with the 57, but get yourself a good pop-filter for it.

I have a shitload of moderate-to-pretty-good condensers lying around, but I almost always pull out either the SM7 . . . or just go with the 57 for guys like you who sing with a lot of "force."

 

[chessparov]

With all due respect Apple, your main priority should be protecting your voice and learning some basic technique . You can always buy another microphone.
I'd be happy to PM some suggestions to you.

And this is coming from a microphone addict!

Chris

 

[chessrock]

And this is coming from a microphone addict!

Got that one right.


Say Chessparov, don't you think maybe a Beyerdynamic M69 for a loud guy with a deep voice? I'm just thinking either that or the 57 because they have noticeably less proximity effect than a lot of others (good for a guy with a deep voice), and they'll handle the higher SPL's with a bit more (shall we say) aplomb than your typical condenser?

 

[chessparov]

Only "tried" a M69, never had one for any extended amount of time to go beyond initial (amateur) impressions.
Prefer the M88 (or M88TG), as it has more top end definition.
Yes it takes more mic techinique, however, IMHO it's more than worth the effort.

For the easier life, in dynamics at least, he could score an Electo-Voice RE16, which would mellow out his top notes, and is easy
to "work". The more challenging Beyer Soundstar MKII would
help too (it has a narrow pattern like a M88).

BTW, I'd ditch at least the Art Toob (if not the Behringer too) and
add it to my recording "funds" to get a better pre if it were me.
Have to admit ignorance on what the "modulizer pro" does,
but anything with "Behringer" and "pro" in the model name is extremely likely to be an oxymoron!

Chris

 

[Innovations]

With all due respect Apple, your main priority should be protecting your voice and learning some basic technique . You can always buy another microphone.

If you really are just using force as a substitute for technique then I have to agree with this as well. A LD condenser will really show all the flaws in your technique.

 

[applesmasher]

Yah im a real noob at singing, dont have any describable technique, except to try and make it sound good. All ive done so far is sing druken karaoke and with some friends bands at parties and stuff were people dont really care how you sound. But yah i should probaly learn some technique if I wanted to go as far as playing with a permanent band and stuff. Sorry but, what is the difference between warm and bright sounding? Is Warm like a fuzzy edged sound while bright is more precise? And a pop filter, what does this do? Hmm on that suggestion about ditching the Art toob pre for a better 1, doesnt the price range jump huge to like >$500 bucks for a noticeable difference. Im not exaclty bill gates, only got a couple hundred dollars to work with here. This is still just a hobby, but a fun one so thanks alot for your guidance, snickers, etc.

 

[David Artis]

I had a bass player in the studio that had a voice so deep it shook the shingles off the roof.

I found that the old trusty EV RE-20 worked great on this type of voice.

MHO.

 

[chessparov]

Typically a EV PL20 (same as RE20) will cost less than a RE20,
in either case over $100.
Both are among the best dynamics ever made.

Chris

 

[Innovations]

The words that we use to describe mics remind me of the words that wine tasters use to describe wine. They don't make much sense to non-experts but within the community they have an accepted meaning. Warm microphones do tend to smooth the waveform a little. People who do not like warm microphones (or are using them for an application that is not suited to it) will tend to call the sound muddy. Bright mics do little smoothing of the wave form. People who do not like the results tend to describe bright mics as harsh.

Pop filters prevent the rush of air on consonants such as 'p', 'd', etc. from exploding in the mic. Because of their sensitivity they are necessary when singing close and directly at a condenser mic.

If you are on a budget you might look if your local Community College has a night course in singing technique. If not then even a half dozen private lessons can make a huge difference to a novice.

 

[applesmasher]

hay that sounds like a good idea. Would be interesting to see how much of an improvement it makes anyways. I think I understand the warm/bright mic reference better now seems kindof like i thought it was. Warm is more forgiving but less accurate or something. Funny everyone has a diff opinion on which mic is good. Maybe ill see if i can rent out some on trial from the music store. Thanks peace.

 

[DJL]

Funny everyone has a diff opinion on which mic is good. Maybe ill see if i can rent out some on trial from the music store. Thanks peace.

Exactly... and that is exactly why you need to audition the mics for yourself. And our opinions can change depending on a lot of things... like the song and etc. Also, look in you phone book for a local sound company that rents gear.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Wow, apple, I actually say the light bulb come on over your head! There are many choices in vocal mics, and the right choice is personal, and changes a lot depending on the room, the song, the key, and just how you felt that day. Great songs have been recorded on cheap dynamic microphones, but there are lots of colors. A high percentage of top vocal performances were recorded on an SM58 ($100 or so), and folks will still pay $8500 for a Brauner or vintage RCA ribbon mics.
There is no vocal mic so good that I cannot find a singer who will make it sound like shit, and then sound better through an SM57. I do have this opinion, though. Even though condensers are cool, to learn mic technique and become a real stage singer, it is more important, initially, that you come to terms with dynamics. Just learn to sing well into an SM58. Personally, I sound better through AKG instrument mics, like D770. There's that personal thing again. When you perform on a stage, you create the illusion that you are singing to the audience. The real audience is a 1" gold-spluttered diaphragm. If a handheld dynamic is an audience, a studio condenser mic is a music critic. If you are good, it'll make you sound good, and the reverse in a scary fashion. Go ahead and buy a good cheap condenser for a learning tool, say MXL V67. You may find it a bit brutal when you read about your performance in the morning paper...Richie

 

[chessrock]

The words that we use to describe mics remind me of the words that wine tasters use to describe wine. They don't make much sense to non-experts but within the community they have an accepted meaning. Warm microphones do tend to smooth the waveform a little. People who do not like warm microphones (or are using them for an application that is not suited to it) will tend to call the sound muddy. Bright mics do little smoothing of the wave form. People who do not like the results tend to describe bright mics as harsh.

Pop filters prevent the rush of air on consonants such as 'p', 'd', etc. from exploding in the mic. Because of their sensitivity they are necessary when singing close and directly at a condenser mic.

If you are on a budget you might look if your local Community College has a night course in singing technique. If not then even a half dozen private lessons can make a huge difference to a novice.

Good analogy, and very observant.