Your recommendation for a dynamic mic under $150 for vocals

M

mi-ke

New member
This isn't your typical 'best mic for cheap' thread. Particularly, I'm in a space that is not acoustically treated, so for vocals I thought a dynamic mic would be the best so as to avoid recording unwanted reverberations bouncing off the walls.

I ordered the reputable SM58, but now I'm having second thoughts. I've heard better things about the AKG D5, and particularly the Blue Encore 100 and 200. Specifically for vocals (I'm in between a tenor and baritone, with a bit of a nasally voice), is the SM58 truly ideal for vocals like my own or should I consider an alternative?

Would a condenser really be that bad an idea? Perhaps with a cardioid condenser I can get the premium vocals I'm after while avoiding excessive unwanted artifacts?

Either way, I'm really in need of help, and long story short I have to act fast if I want to cancel the sm58 order and get something else. Thanks!
 
You may as well stick with the 58.

It may or may not be the best mike for your voice . . . but that's not something that can be determined by remote control.

The 58 is a good, dependable and versatile mike, and its not something you will regret getting.
 
So I've heard, but I'm also wondering if a room without acoustic treatment (for now) is really THAT much of a downer to have a cardioid condenser mic?

I'm thinking maybe for vocals I should just bite the bullet and get a condenser and hopefully be able to treat my place better later? I've researched and the at2020 doesn't sound like a good idea for my nasally vocals and can sound brittle at times from what I've heard. I'm thinking of getting the CAD M179 instead of a dynamic? Or maybe I should just get one of both? The more I research, the harder it gets to choose.

So basically you would pick the SM58 for vocals over the AKG D5 and the Encore 100 or 200? and, should I get an M179 (or any other good condenser under 300 bucks) instead of a dynamic or in addition to?

I'm really lost, thanks for the help guys
 
IMO the biggest factors for the ratio of level, and that's what you are referring to of the signal of interest and room or surrounding pick up, first is distance to the mic, seconds are patter and frequency responses and such.
Right off any condenser cardioid can be similar to a dynamic's cardioid response - granted the tightest mics tend to be dynamics, hyper cards etc.
So the double hit the dynamics often give you for this consideration is they start with a frequency response to work them at 'zero to a few inches; I.e.rolled off low to compensate for proximity effect and a nice big presence lift in many cases.
That and a nice hefty pop filter.
The best bet is if you can is to get your hands on one of each (borrow?), plus making a little area with a bit of soft stuff hung around your mic. That can often knock down enough room leakage to allow expanding your working distance options.
 
mi-ke said:
So I've heard, but I'm also wondering if a room without acoustic treatment (for now) is really THAT much of a downer to have a cardioid condenser mic?
Click to expand...

It certainly can be.
A dynamic mic will let you get very close to it whereas a condenser mic is more likely to be fussy about it.
As mix sit pointed out, it's all about the ratio.

To get an idea of how this works, think of talking quietly into someones ear in a large church hall, then talking to them from across the hall.
Even if you talk at the same level, one sounds dry and one sounds wet.

This is what happens when you get a condenser and step back at least 12 inches; Obviously just not to the same extent.
 
Thanks mixsit and steeno for the advice. Glad to know that some soft stuff hung around my mic will help. I'm gonna do some research on a sort of DIY isolation booth of sorts. Above all, I need to make something collapsable so I can easily put it away without having it stick out like a sore thumb in the living room next to the TV or somethin...

If you guys have any creative ideas or recommended youtube videos or something, I'd appreciate it, but regardless you've been a huge help
 
I think you made the right choice with sm58, honestly nothing comes close to it within that price range, it's a great all round vocal mic for anything, but I noticed you said you have a nasally voice, have you tried changing the angle of the mic?
 
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