Sp C-1

[Prag_B]

It's possible that this has been addressed before, so I apologize in case that is true.... But can someone give me a true honest opinion of vocals using the SP C1, or recommend something similar that would work... The mic will be used 100% for vocals... my budget is no more than $350.00 U.S., I know this mic is less, but is there a reason to spend more??

 

[Lanstar0]

Well, it depends on what your voice is like. I generally prefer the AT4040 to the C1. It is a little less hyped than the C1 and is therefore more versatile...

But ultimately it comes down to what mic works for your voice.

 

[Richard Monroe]

Whenever this question is asked, or one like it, you get the same old answer- it depends. It depends on the vocalist, the material, the room, and what the mic is plugged into. I've said this before, and I'll say it again.- *No one* can predict whether any given mic will sound good on any given singer, in any given room, on any given song, into any given preamp. There is no signal chain so good that I can't find a perfectly good singer who can make it sound bad, and the reverse is almost true. Yeah, there are a few signal chains so bad that no one can make them sound good. MP-3's won't help you. Clips won't help you. Singing into the mic in a crowded noisy store won't help you.
All that said, I'm more familiar with C-3 than C-1. I am told they do sound somewhat different, but I can't verify that. I've had my best luck with the C-3 on a deep, rich, chaunteuse style contralto, who has plenty of lows, but needs a little boost in the higher register to balance her sound. It has a fair amount of color. The C-3 seems to get along with singers who like a U87. I wouldn't try it first on anyone with a high thin voice that needs added presence. However, it can help a person with a deep rich voice to cut through a dense mix a little bit more. My favorite vocal mics in the under $350 range are Studio Projects C-3, Oktava ML-52 ribbon, Shure SM-7B dynamic, and AT 4033. Each of them has a distinctive character, and all of them have multiple studio applications.-Richie

 

[tdukex]

If you want opinions on the C1 and similar mics please use the search function. Please, please, not another "Best mic for $200-$300 " thread.

 

[bgavin]

I've been using the search feature as "C1*", since the bbs software does not allow two character search strings. This works pretty well in most cases. There is a lot of very useful information in the search functions.

Where it misses, is "C-1" which is completely skipped.

 

[DJL]

can someone give me a true honest opinion of vocals using the SP C1

Yes, my honest opinion is the SP C1 can sound good for some singers and can sound bad with other singers... you'll need to audition the mic to find out how well it will or will not work for your voice.

 

[mixsit]

Well, it depends on what your voice is like. I generally prefer the AT4040 to the C1. It is a little less hyped than the C1 and is therefore more versatile...

But ultimately it comes down to what mic works for your voice.

I think you're on to something here in that there might be two general approaches to take when picking mics, particularly perhaps for first few; Go for mics that do 'that one important thing best' (if there is such a thing?) or mics that might be more versatile? Would these be mics that go in the right general direction for the job, but are generally the smoother, and less exaggerated of the group?

 

[ozraves]

Given your price range I'd recommend the AT4040 as well. It's fine vocal mic that also performs as a fine instrument mic. A used Shure SM7 would be a fine choice if you've got a good quality mic pre ($500 and up) to put it through.

 

[ozraves]

I think you're on to something here in that there might be two general approaches to take when picking mics, particularly perhaps for first few; Go for mics that do 'that one important thing best' (if there is such a thing?) or mics that might be more versatile? Would these be mics that go in the right general direction for the job, but are generally the smoother, and less exaggerated of the group?

I've talked to some of the name pro audio designers about mics. They'll admit (begrudingly at times) that some of the Chinese mics can do limited uses extremely well in the right circumstance. However, that usually gets chased with something like "Audio-Technica makes some solid mics that do a lot of things well even if not ever being the very best at anything." Then, a little later it'll be something like, "Well, that ATM25 might be the best kick mic," or "The AT4060 is so and so's favorite tube mic," or "The AT4047 is the best vocal mic for a so and so style vocalist." The only Chinese mic I've heard get some admiration from a pro audio designer are some of the Groove Tubes mics (not the Alesis ones).

Of course, part of this also concerns what works for you. I'm becoming a fan of the Blue mics which certainly possess dialed in sounds but I've found every Blue mic I've touched (with the exception of the Ball) to be very versatile despite having a dialed in sound.

 

[Flatpicker]

Prag,
Will you be recording male, female, or both? Also, what style of music? Pop/rock with dense mix or solo with one or two acoustic instruments or...? Without info like this, everyone's just shooting from the hip.

Well, actually, even with this info we're still shooting from the hip, but the target is a bit bigger.

You can compare the C1 to lots of other mics HERE but the vocal style is probably different than you'd expect.

 

[Prag_B]

Thank you for the help and info.. I am having a hard time getting to a store that I can try the mics.. So I was hoping I would get the magic answer I was looking for(and I kind of knew it wouldn't happen for the exact reason most of you have written)... I think I am going to try a SP B1 (because they are a very inexpensive investment) to get a kind of feel for the quality of SP products and then go from there....

 

[mrface2112]

it's the general consensus around here that the B1 is NOT the first choice for a good vocal mic. it does a LOT of things quite well, but vocals are really hit or miss on it. it's horrible on my nasally/honky voice, but is actually pretty good on a friend's voice.

again, it depends on your voice. but i would definitely steer someone towards a 4040, 4033 or C1 (among others) if the intention is "primarily vocals", and not towards a B1.


wade

 

[DJL]

One of the problems for the first time mic buyer when they buy a mic without auditioning mics first is, they don't have anything to compare the mic they bought with... and sometimes it's not until later, after they've heard some better mics before they know that they bought a crappy mic.

 

[mrface2112]

DJL, i hear ya......but we all gotta start somewhere and learn sometime, right? if we could all run out and buy vintage ELAM 251's (or even the reissues) as our first mics, we wouldn't have a frame of reference. point being, you could go a lot "wronger" than a B1 as your first mic, even considering it's bought sight-unseen. still it's not a great vocal mic for most voices, though, so AGREED. and it's always best to test a vocal mic before you buy it.

however, in my town, the only mics i can audition are low-end (read: live use) shures, peaveys and behringers. like THAT is a broad choice. yuck. i usually find better choices at the pawn shops. auditioning anything else involves an hour drive to Richmond or 2 hours to DC, and for spending $80 on a mic, i'll take my chances with something that's gotten good reviews and i've heard clips of around here (among other parts). hell, i'll take that chance with a <$300 mic, since chances are i'll find a use for it somewhere, on something. in fact, i've taken a chance on every single one of my mics and have found a use for them all on something.

and i mean, it's only $80 we're talkin here for the B1. and in the case of a C1, 4040, or 4033, only a couple bills. it's not like one couldn't get back just about every penny of that if they hated it and had to sell it.


wade

 

[Marik]

<You can compare the C1 to lots of other mics HERE
http://testing.holmerup.biz/mic_pretest/MP3index_en.html
but the vocal style is probably different than you'd expect.>

Wow! Flatpicker, thanks for the link!
RE, is it in the sticky thread? Have I overlooked it?
No, seriously, in my opinion it is just absolutly neccessary to check it out before even asking questions--you'll find most of the answers right there. Some examples are just shocking.

Cannot wait when the next set is coming out.

 

[mrface2112]

check it out? absolutely. give it a LOT of research, and that ALWAYS involves listening to clips online. to do otherwise is making an uninformed decision. however, running my voice through some things is just not feasible. i'm sure there are lots of folks in middle america and other parts of the world who are in the same boat.

so sometimes, you just gotta take a chance. for instance, i bought a used RE38 simply from the fact that i heard it was "similar to an RE20" on this board. i couldn't find anything online about it beyond some tech specs from the marketing materials, and it was only $180, so i took the chance. and i figured i could always ebay it if i didn't like it.

well, when it arrived it was in FANTASTIC shape, *looked* nothing like an RE20 (more like the 868 kick mic), but i was immediately blown away by its sound. i've yet to stick it in front of something that it didn't sound good on. and it's (so far) the only mic i've heard my voice through that doesn't make me immediately reach for "delete" upon completing a track. granted, i've got a "difficult" (read: crappy) voice, and while my experience with mics isn't THAT broad, it's broad enough that i was THRILLED when i heard this one. it's also my kick mic (which it also excels at).....so there may be some truth to that "kinda like an RE20" thing.

so sometimes, you just get lucky. and like i said, at under $300, i'm willing to take the chance. i record enough vocalists that something that's not great on my voice is bound to be good on someone else's. as it is, i'm not really in the market for another vocal mic for me at this point. i'll prolly pick up a V69 or V77 if the price is right, just to see......but i'm really holding out for a SM7 or a BLUE dragonfly.....


wade

 

[DJL]

mrface2112, I hear you and agree. But an hour or two drive isn't that far when you consider all the fun you'd have auditioning mics and hearing them for yourself first hand. MP3 files are fun.... but, it's a far cry from hearing the mics first hand for yourself.

 

[Prag_B]

Again, good points.. but my main reasoning for trying out a B1 is just to get a feel for the mic and sp quality, this will be my first mic, and I figure that I can get in the groove of things with this for now, and when I get the chance to try some out I will finally have something to compare, that didn't break my bank that would make me regret spending the $$$ on it... This way when I find something better I won't feel bad about only spending $90.00 previously.

 

[DJL]

Well heck Prag_B, if you just need a mic to get started with and if your not going to audition mics before buying one... save yourself some money and buy a used mic from ebay for only about $40.

 

[Prag_B]

Well I figured maybe I should just be spontaneous and I ordered what I was interested in in the first place.. The C-1... No turning back now..... I guess I'll find out in 3 days whether it was worth it