Recommended mic for soft gentle vocals... Dynamic or Condenser?

[PizzImperfect]

Hi all,

Ok, i've been recording for a few months.. Guitar and vocals. I record my guitar direct into my pre-amp and interface.. But i've been using a £20 Yoyo dynamic mic.. which was great while I was getting to grips with the software/setup/techniques.. But i find the tone and sound.. well, As you'd expect for a £20 mic really.
If you know Hey There Dililah by The Plain White Tee's.. Thats exactly the type of vocal i'm trying to get.
Now, a friend of mine has a Shure SM58 Dynamic which he loves.. And i've seen them for around £80.. but i know a condenser can be better for softer tones.. And i've seen this...
Electronics SE 2200 A
Which i was told is a great mic for the price.

Anyway, i guess my question is.. Should i go for the £80 SM58.. or pay alittle more and go for a powered condenser mic. I know they're more delicate, but it won't really be moved once it's set up.

Thanks all, any advice at all is great and sorry if its a completely n00b question!

 

[NYMorningstar]

Hi all,

Ok, i've been recording for a few months.. Guitar and vocals. I record my guitar direct into my pre-amp and interface.. But i've been using a £20 Yoyo dynamic mic.. which was great while I was getting to grips with the software/setup/techniques.. But i find the tone and sound.. well, As you'd expect for a £20 mic really.
If you know Hey There Dililah by The Plain White Tee's.. Thats exactly the type of vocal i'm trying to get.
Now, a friend of mine has a Shure SM58 Dynamic which he loves.. And i've seen them for around £80.. but i know a condenser can be better for softer tones.. And i've seen this...
Electronics SE 2200 A
Which i was told is a great mic for the price.

Anyway, i guess my question is.. Should i go for the £80 SM58.. or pay alittle more and go for a powered condenser mic. I know they're more delicate, but it won't really be moved once it's set up.

Thanks all, any advice at all is great and sorry if its a completely n00b question!

Try both of them out and then others. Only you can tell what you need them to sound like. Some mics will compliment your voice others won't.

I would change to micing the guitar from direct in. You need the two tracks dancing together and if you have a iffy sounding guitar tracks then you already have two strikes against you. I use dynamics for tracking guitar amps and condensors for tracking acoustics. Others have success with the exact opposite.

Experimenting with all of the above is what you want to do so you can get the experience and understanding of different options. Mixing a song is like putting a puzzle together and knowing what the pieces should/would/could sound like ahead of time is a big plus.

 

[ido1957]

You have your friends mic to test. I'd recommend a condensor. For vocals it's going to be more sensitive and have less proximity effect than a 58.

 

[PizzImperfect]

Hey,

Thanks for the advice!
I've never tried to mic a guitar before.. as the guitar i'm using is an electro/acoustic i just jacked straight in and found it sounded ok (in my mind anyway).

This was recorded on the same guitar a while ago.. I know the phaser is to harsh but yeah..

It won't let me post the link.. but its soundcloud dot com slash pizzimperfect slash honesty

 

[IK Obi]

I'd look at it like this. Is your room your recording in treated? If not stick with a dynamic and a decent mic pre. If it is and its quiet then look at a condenser and later on add a decent pre if your not already.

 

[Bobbsy]

I rarely use an SM58 in the studio--it's primarily a live mic designed to let the singer get really close, thereby cutting the amount of stage wash being picked up. There's a huge presence peak in the upper mid range that can help some voices but become pretty harsh on others.

I use condensers for almost all vocals and invested in an SE2200A a couple of years ago. It's become a favourite of mine and it often gets used in preference to some rather more expensive mics I have in the cupboard. However, the advice to try it first is always the best--different mics suit different voices.

I know it's heresy on this forum, but I don't worry TOO much about a "treated room" and condensers. I can usually find a corner where the reflections aren't too bad, especially if I add a bit of "casual" deadening like a thick blanket over a divider screen or similar. Frankly, acoustic treatment is more critical at the mixing stage than the recording stage as long as you're careful and experiment at bit with mic placement.

Bob

 

[PizzImperfect]

Awesome advice.. Thank you.
Well i do all my recording in my bedroom and it's certainly not 'treated' in anyway.. And i don't really have much cash to invest in doing it. A friend suggested a little thing that can help, positioning a thick duvet behind the microphone? Would that be correct?
I tried out the SE2200A and without question the sound is far richer.. but it's outragiously sensitive in comparison to the dynamic mics i've gotten used to using... It's like learning to use a new leg again!

 

[IK Obi]

I rarely use an SM58 in the studio--it's primarily a live mic designed to let the singer get really close, thereby cutting the amount of stage wash being picked up. There's a huge presence peak in the upper mid range that can help some voices but become pretty harsh on others.

I use condensers for almost all vocals and invested in an SE2200A a couple of years ago. It's become a favourite of mine and it often gets used in preference to some rather more expensive mics I have in the cupboard. However, the advice to try it first is always the best--different mics suit different voices.

I know it's heresy on this forum, but I don't worry TOO much about a "treated room" and condensers. I can usually find a corner where the reflections aren't too bad, especially if I add a bit of "casual" deadening like a thick blanket over a divider screen or similar. Frankly, acoustic treatment is more critical at the mixing stage than the recording stage as long as you're careful and experiment at bit with mic placement.

Bob

Bono uses the 58 as his main studio mic.

 

[IK Obi]

Awesome advice.. Thank you.
Well i do all my recording in my bedroom and it's certainly not 'treated' in anyway.. And i don't really have much cash to invest in doing it. A friend suggested a little thing that can help, positioning a thick duvet behind the microphone? Would that be correct?
I tried out the SE2200A and without question the sound is far richer.. but it's outragiously sensitive in comparison to the dynamic mics i've gotten used to using... It's like learning to use a new leg again!

Yup that can definitely help.