vocal mic and pre help

[benny g]

Howdy all, I need some help deciding on what to purchase for to improve my vocal set up for some recordings i will be dong. I have about 1000 bucks to spend on a preamp and and another 1000 for a mic. I will be recording male rock vocals. I already have a shure ksm27 and few 57s and 58s and 2 shure PG81s for mics and for preamps i have the preamps in my dm24 and a SMpro audio TB 202. I also have a FMR RNC. Thanks.

 

[scrubs]

These would be on my list to demo:

Mics:
Soundelux U195
Audio Technica AT4060
Neumann TLM 103

Cheaper:
Shure SM7B
Sennheiser 441
Electrovoice RE-20/RE-27

Pres:
Great River ME-1NV
Brent Averill 1272
API or OSA with lunchbox (a few different ones to choose from)

Hmm...makes me want to go shopping.

 

[CCS]

Howdy all, I need some help deciding on what to purchase for to improve my vocal set up for some recordings i will be dong. I have about 1000 bucks to spend on a preamp and and another 1000 for a mic. I will be recording male rock vocals. I already have a shure ksm27 and few 57s and 58s and 2 shure PG81s for mics and for preamps i have the preamps in my dm24 and a SMpro audio TB 202. I also have a FMR RNC. Thanks.

TLM 103 (many applications: vocals, gtr cabs, ambient micing, acoustic sources, etc)

Grace 101 (you can't go wrong with it, really)
Eureka (warm, bright and tracks stack up nicely)
1272 (B. Averill) A lot more bottom than previous two (nice for bass, kick, snare, thin souding vox)

Regards

 

[BigRay]

TLM 103 (many applications: vocals, gtr cabs, ambient micing, acoustic sources, etc)

Grace 101 (you can't go wrong with it, really)
Eureka (warm, bright and tracks stack up nicely)
1272 (B. Averill) A lot more bottom than previous two (nice for bass, kick, snare, thin souding vox)

Regards

Spend 800 on a PAIR of AT 4050s, (which will sound great on anything, 3 patterns. hyper,. card, omni)
you can get a pair for 800 or so on ebay.

then use the remaining dough to buy a Neve Portico 5012 pre(1200). It is a beautiful sounding machine. Neve is a legendary name, and the products speak for themselves.... OR a DBX 786. Another beautiful machine.

The Neve /DBX will compliment those 4050s nicely. I am getting a neve for that very reason(to complment my 4050s>vocals)

teddy

 

[xstatic]

Soundelux U195 and a Great River preamp sounds like the most powerful and versatile start to me

 

[BigRay]

the preamp is a matter of taste, I agree. But the sound deluxe is only one pattern, correct. Cardiod??with the pair of at4050s you have 3 options, and mics that are used universally. Not to mention they sound pristine on guitar and voice.(plus with the 4050 OMNI setting, you can throw a jdisc in between em and bam! the best mic config there is ) better yet benny. Go to www.thelisteningsessions.com , listen to the stuff there(and there is a LOT of it) decide what you like or dont like as far as tonal characteristics, and go for it. Trust your ear. All of these have been good suggestions, but its all subjective. Me, I like the portico, LDs and 3 different patterns, others like great river and api(both good products) so the best thing to do is research it heavily and decide what you like. there are so many different flavors...myself, I like tube/transformer/analog tape warmth while others prefer transparency and fast transient response...

trb

 

[xstatic]

I agree with BigRay on several points. Yes the AT4050 does offer mulitple patterns. However, the original poster mentioned rock vocals. That happens to be one of the things that both the Great River and the Soundleux U195 work very well with. The AT4050 would certainly not be my go to mic for that purpose. The 4050 is a fairly dark sounding mostly unflattering microphone. That type of mic certainly has its purpose. That is also one of the reasons I consider the 4050 and the AKG 414 (which is slightly bright as opposed to dark, but still pretty neutral) to be one of the best utility mics out there. I am actually in the process of selling my AT4050 (posted in the free ads) in order to fund the purchase of a vintage U87 that just got recapsuled. Basically, my 4050 opinions are valid (as far as I am concerned) because I have years of experience with it. I have no doubt that in about 6 months I will most likely pick up a pair of 4050's, but right now a killer deal on a vintage U87 gets me much better mileage. The Great River preamp also covers a good range of different sounds ranging from pretty clean, to pretty aggressive, and always with excellent quality. So given this posters expressed needs and desires, I would pretty much rule the 4050 out, at least at this time. I would not rule out the Portico, but would tend to rule out the Grace preamp for the poesters intended purpose. The Soundelux also has the "Fat" switch which makes the U195 a little more versatile than you might think by adding the capability to switch between two distinctly different sounds.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I tend to agree w/ Xstatic, except that you will have to look around a little to find a U195 for $1000. It's about $1100 new. I like the AT4060 a lot in that price range, which is also basically $1100. I agree that the 4050 is a perfectly good studio workhorse, and I prefer the 414 for that purpose, but the guy is asking for a main vocal mic, and the 4050 and 414 are mics that work for a minority of vocalists. Cardioid pickup pattern is used on the majority of vocals, and he doesn't need a pair.
I can't be too helpful on the pre, as rock vocals is a short suit here. Many people in that genre favor Neve pres, and ones based on the Neve, like Great River. I record a lot more folk, jazz, and pop, where it's more likely to be B.L.U.E. Kiwi or C414 into Avalon AD2022. Long on clarity, short on color.
I also agree that a really good dynamic, such as SM7, EV RE20, or MD441, are sometimes the ticket for a great rock vocal, especially through a great preamp. Each of them has multiple applications, also, beyond vocals.-Richie