The difference between Dave Matthews and Bono

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jimmy_LD

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What a weird title...

Anyhow:
I always wonder about different performers and their choice of live microphones... For example, Dave Matthews uses a Neumann KMS-105 for his shows, and Bono (U2-duh!) uses a damn SM-58 wireless. Of course Bono jumps around a lot...

Do you think there's a distinction for this?
I am sure that tehy both use the most expensive mics in the studio, right?

Listening to these two musicians live, (DMB over 20 times in concert, U2 only once on the recent tour) it seems as though they both have EXTREMELY clear presence on their mics.

I am baffled.
AND, a random thought. Sorry everyone if you thought there was a real decision made here! Just looking for an opinion!

Jimmy
 
Deleted out of pure ignorance, I read the post and thought neumann tlm 103....

Oh but didnt i read something about bono using 57s or 58s in the studios on some songs? Either way, these are pretty different vocalists in the extreme. Personally im not much of a fan of DMB, and think what he does barely classifies as singing....
 
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?

okay, of COURSE everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

However, part of that freedom lies in teh ability to extrapolate on the opinion...
What is it about Dave Matthews' voice don't you like?
 
I saw a documentary on IFC (the independent film channel) recently that was about a movie soundtrack that Bono and Daniel Lanois did.They were on deadline,and decided to write a song and record a finished track,all in one day.From the beginning to the end,Bono sang into a 58.They did harmony overdubs and they both sang into the same 58.
Bear in mind that the pre-amp it was plugged into is probably worth more than my car.
 
Re: ?

jimmy_LD said:
okay, of COURSE everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

However, part of that freedom lies in teh ability to extrapolate on the opinion...
What is it about Dave Matthews' voice don't you like?
Click to expand...

Well,everything? Maybe its the fact i dont like the music either heh! It just sounds like hes mumbling and not really pushing air, I like vocalists that really put themselves into it. And yes ive heard alot of his music, my wife loves them.
Anyway, my point wasnt to bash DMB, ,but just that maybe a better singer can get away with a lesser mic?

duno
 
Just like in the studio, it depends on what mic the singer likes hearing their voice through. If I was bono, and had basically an unlimited choice, I'd pick the one that I like the sound of my voice through. For him, it's a 58 (though I think that I've seen him using a Beta58A wireless in concert, which is a much clearer mic than the SM58). For DM, its a KMS105. For me, it's whatever mic I happen to already own, since I'm not going out and spending more money. The decision is made with the ears, not the eyes (looks, tech. specs, etc). Unfortunately, for those of us with a limited budget, we do keep using our eyes.

The best advice on this board (and it's said again and again) is to use your ears. That's what they're there for!

-mg
 
U2 not only uses the 58 for studio vocals they even used one as the drum overhead on the Pop album. They are using some sweet pres and a Distressor in the chain though.
 
dont forget about sponsorships....lots of big name artists are sponsored to use "big name" mics, like the beta 58 wireless. and while the artist may be making money on the mic, the FOH engineer has to go to extreme lenghts to make the mic sound good. mind you, this isn't every case, but it happens. other reasons for mic selection could be:
the FOH engineer's favorite mic
the artists favorite mic
the only mic available (in the case of hiring a PA contractor)
 
This question may be slightly off the original topic but there seem to be a few knoledgable U2 fans here and I have followed them since there second album (October) came out but I became disenchanted with them since Rattle and Hum.

Despite my previously expressed disenchantment Bono's is my favorite voice...especially on things like Bad and One where with the rising tension/passion of the song his voice gets right on the edge of breaking up but just rides the peak without falling over. Kind of like surfing right on the crest of a wave.

I also saw a documnetary on the making of I believe The Unforgetable Fire (the one recorded in the castle) and Bono's singing voice over the documentary video cam mic was TERRIBLE!...I mean painfull to listen kind of fingernails on chalk board terrible voice quality but his spoken word voice was the same as I am used to hearing and "lifelike" or realistic to my ears.

Is there alot of studio trickery going on...he sounded great live the one time I saw them or is all that sound from the pre's or what. I don't know if they got a feed off the board w/o effects cause there was no reverb for sure or if it was the mic that was working with the video cam.

Any one else see this and know what I am talking about?
 
well see bono is more greasy and dave is more more goofy.

hope that helps.

:)
 
dave matthews sounds like a donkey, and his songwriting is pretentious enough for that "ass" qualification. .

bono and the U2 boys arent so hot nowadays either, but at least they had some good stuff back in the day. .
 
In the case of Bono, his saxaphone-like voice could cut through on any mic you put up. Dave is no slouch either. Real singers don't need real mics to sound good....they just sound a little better through them.
 
pre's on a dynamic?

I thought mic pre's were for condensers only.
What are you guys talking about?
 
phantom power is for condensors only. But how am I supposed to know ;-)
 
Re: pre's on a dynamic?

jimmy_LD said:
I thought mic pre's were for condensers only.
What are you guys talking about?
Click to expand...

Everytime you use a mic you need a mic pre, unless it's a line level mic, which is very rare. Every time you plug a mic into a connection that is labeled "mic," that connection goes into a mic pre, whether it's on a console, a soundcard, a tape recorder, or a standalone mic pre.

A mic pre is anything that amplifies the signal coming out of the butt end of a mic up to line level. You need one to get a usable signal out of almost any mic (I would have said "any mic" if I hadn't read the thread about the SM-82)
 
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