Oh please hep' me choose...

[noisedude]

Why? Tell me what's supposed to be so great about that mic compared to the many other cheap dynamics that are out there?

 

[fretwire3d]

If you are playing rock and roll, no one wants THAT perfect of a vocal sound anyway.

I have a SM57 with a pop filter, and it's pretty much perfect for me.

 

[noisedude]

Is that true? I imagine The Strokes spend an awful lot of money getting that cheap sound just right.

If you have what works for you - that's great. I'm not going to knock it. I'm just a little bored of people telling me I should use this one mic because it's the industry standard etc etc, when I can hear for myself that I don't like it!!!

 

[WinstonCowboy]

Don't get it because it's an industry standard....get it because it's the morally correct thing to do. Listen to yer heart, mate...don't be stubborn and rebellious just for the sake of being 20.

...love is natural and real....but not for you mein love....not tonight mein love...

 

[Innovations]

You could also look at the sennheiser evoloution line...e835 and up.

 

[mshilarious]

Don't get it because it's an industry standard....get it because it's the morally correct thing to do. Listen to yer heart, mate...don't be stubborn and rebellious just for the sake of being 20.

At the rebellious age of 33 I sold all 8 of my 57/58s . . .

Nothing wrong with a 57 for $80, but if you have $150, then I'm not sure 2 57s is the answer. You listed a lot of good reasons to buy a dynamic, you need a mic, but only one mic, so you need it to be flexible.

You've spent thousands on computer upgrades, you've been using samplers for years . . . I'm going to bet your stuff sounds pretty good, yes?

Here's my question: how important are vocals? Only a little? Or do you really need a great vocal mic? If it's the former, go on and buy a 57 (yes a 57, not a 58), if it's the latter, save up for a while and buy an EV RE20. Yes it's expensive, but you'll never worry about microphones again. The compromise between those those would be something in the Beyer/Senn/Shure SM7 range.

 

[dr.colossus]

i agree with mshilarious on the 57 over the 58, actually his whole post is quite relevant...

i also agree with the guys pushing the cheap dynamic + cheap condensor idea.. i'd go for the 57 and something other than the b1. don't get me wrong i really like the b1 as an instrument mic (solid gold on bass cabs), but its a little too surgical on vox ymmv. for what its worth my singers goto mic is the 57, it just slots his voice into the mix.

what style of vocals are you recording mostly?

 

[joshj]

Hmmm... Ya see I've been composing instrumental/orchestral music for many moons for commercial and personal projects, however, I love just straight out songwriting as well. The vocals on these songs will be pop/rock and some syrupy ballad type vox. It doesn't have to be top tier, but if I decide to start submitting some of my songs then I'd like "decent" vocals. That layer well with piano/orchestra.

By the way thanks for EVERYBODY'S input. I actually purchased a sm-58 (new) from Angusdevil for a KILLER deal. I'm still deciding on a condensor or a "goal mic" to save for.

 

[Ape32]

I am in the middle of a recording session with my band and for our female vocalist have definitively chose a 57 with a stedman pop filter (the cool metal one) over the B1. For her voice the siblents just cut me up with the B1. That said I do have a Hamptone transformer-coupled mic pre that sounds great with pretty much anything.

My next mic is an SM7