Which vocal mic to buy?

F

Fleaflicker

New member
Hello, I've been looking around the forum here for a while, trying to decide on the best vocal mic I can get for under $400. For a while, I was looking at the Akg c3000b, however, opinions on this forum to regard this mic as a steaming pile! Also, I've been looking at the Shure ksm27 because Shure has a great reputation. I've noticed a couple of other names on the board, such as : Rode nt3, nt1, nt1000, Audio Technica 3035, Marshall MXL 2001, and some Octava stuff. Some of these mics fall well under the 400 dollar mark, however, I've always thought that the more you spend, the better you sound. I'm in the process of building a home studio. My setup so far is a C-port package, Berhinger 1604a mixer, SM pro audio 8 preamp and Fostex pm-1s. I also have 3 sm 58s and 3 sm 57s and a couple other really terrible microphones. I try (underline try) to sing along the same lines as Chris Robinson, Robert Plant, Gregg Allman, Paul Rodgers, etc (<-in that range). I'm by any means saying I'm as good as these guys, so please don't start in with the fucking attacks--thanks. I'm just a dude trying to find a good mic for a middle of the road price.

Thanks,
Bill
 
The funny thing is ALL of the four singers you mention are big
fans of the Shure SM57/58!
You did leave out Steve Tyler and Roger Daltrey though. :)

Paul Rodgers is famous for going into the control room and singing
to the monitors with a '57 (handheld yet!) while Eddie Kramer
records him.
The trick with the Shure's is to get a good mic pre so they shine.


I bet you also have a good voice, however, do you have that
TYPE of bluesy rock voice, or did you mean just the material?
That'll give me a better idea of what to suggest as if you have
a very melodic voice you may want more "edge" with a mike.
I love a good condenser on a ballad, however, usually a dynamic
like a '57 works better, on my voice as an example, for "rockers".

Chris

P.S. "The more you spend, the better you sound" won't always
be true for a specific voice, especially for blues/rock.
 
I'm going to have to agree with Chess on this one.

But I'll go a step further and recommend the sm7B . . .

It has a lot of the same qualities as the sm57s and 58s, only it's smoother and a bit more versatile. Sells for about $300. Noticeably more pleasing to the ear imho.
 
Excellent suggestion on the SM7, however, will the SM pro
audio pre be strong enough to power it?

Fletcher has advised me in the past that to be really safe, see if you sound good on a '57 first before buying the SM7, if you're buying it over the net and not trying it out direct at a dealer.

I know for sure the Behringer mixer won't do a good job to power it though.

Chris
 
Good point. In order to sound it's best, the sm7 likes a lower impedence at the input. This is one of the few instances where I'll actually recommend an ART Tube MP as being a good match (it's got a lower impedence than just about anything in it's price range), although noise can occasionally be an issue.

Another option might be (gulp!), the VTB1 from our friend, Alan at Studio Projects. The impedence on that thing is supposed to be variable, so I'm assuming it's got some lower settings that might do some justice to it.
 
I have that type of voice. A gravely tone. Cigarettes. My band plays mostly the blues rock style. The list description for the SM7b says it's a spoken word mic, but this would do for a good vocal recording? Again, any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Sorry if this is a boring thread but I'm a beginner!

Bill
 
The health of your voice is a much bigger factor than which microphone
you use. Rather than hijack your thread, I'd be happy to send you a
private message outlining an easy basic plan to improve and take care of
your voice-unless you don't want to have as good of a voice in five
or ten years. Hope this doesn't seem too preachy, except it's the truth.
(just remember to send me "one point" of your first million seller) :)
Having said that...

My suggestion would be to get a better mic pre and hear how you like
your voice with the Shure microphones you have. Make sure to always
record with a pop screen (not foam) to avoid pops.
If you like how you sound, get the SM7 or SM7B at a good price to try it.
That way if you decide to sell it, you may get at or near what you paid.
Another great "rock" microphone that generally sells for under $100 is the
Beyer Soundstar MKII. It's no longer made, however, you could check e-bay.

The "C" series from Studio Projects also does very well, haven't tried the
various Marshalls that are supposed to be somewhat similar.
A condenser would be more forgiving regarding the mic pre's you
already have than a dynamic. In the end you'll know better when you
try them out.

Chris
 
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