High end live vocal mic ?

[Manfrensengensen]

Why not a condenser?

http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=c...05_description

http://mixguides.com/microphones/reviews/audio_neumann_kms_july/

Or search "high end live vocal mic"

Via Gearslutz iPhone app

[frans]

The mic needs to fit the voice, otherwise it doesn't matter if it's "good" or "bad" just like "does this need more salt"? Either it does, or it doesn't. No matter if it's good salt or bad salt. Sorry to preach, but just so the noobs who will read this have it hammered in.

For a shootout, did you try the Sennheiser 441, Beyer M88 or a Heil PR20x?

[cheu78]

Originally Posted by frans

The mic needs to fit the voice, otherwise it doesn't matter if it's "good" or "bad" just like "does this need more salt"? Either it does, or it doesn't. No matter if it's good salt or bad salt. Sorry to preach, but just so the noobs who will read this have it hammered in.

For a shootout, did you try the Sennheiser 441, Beyer M88 or a Heil PR20x?

+1 !!
audition the aforementioned 3 mics..If you could add a Telefunken M80 and a Beyerdynamic M160 (which is a ribbon) to your list..

(On a personal note I was very happy with the new wireless system that Beyerdynamic put out.. The Opus 600.. For a specific application I needed a wireless vocal mic and this thing is very well built, it's not expensive, and sounds great! I checked out some dynamic heads, condenser heads and also the new ribbon head...Wow..simply great!! In that price range, the ones I had experience with, the Beyer's smokes Shure and Sennheiser's wireless series, don't have compared directly the very hiend wireless line, but Beyer should be no slouch).

Just my 0.02$,

Cheu

[Ward Pike]

There is also a cheap condensor alternative:
The AKG C535eb.

It can deliver quite the high-end sound in a live application. Also, I agree with previous posters regarding the 441. Stevie Nicks is just example of a female vocalist who has used one extensively.

Best of luck, but try the 535 out!

[Zoltan]

I was very impressed by the Neumann kms105. I thought it was often used because of the "Neumann wow factor" but it's a very good mic indeed!

Had no problem with feedback but I used it only once for a jazz gig which was way easier to handle (regarding feedback) than the DEAF metal gig I did the evening before...


For incredible feedback rejection the audix om7 is highly recommended btw

[Baithak]

As others have said, whatever sounds good on the talent depending on talent and technique. If it can be mounted on a stand :

EV's RE 20. RE 16 is OK sometimes.

Senn MD 431, the often overlooked vocal cousin of the 441.
The 441 has a tendency to pop otherwise it is a mean mike.

Shure SM7 especially good if you trying to tame some shrillness.

Why are you discounting the condensors e.g. the before mentioned
KM 105. Also one time I got great results with an AKG 414 II.

Good luck
Baithak

[Aaron Miller]

I've been really impressed with the T-Funken M80 as of late.

[MarkRB]

I suppose it depends on the band and venue but condensers are generally not used as live vocal mics because they are too sensitive (or have too large a pick-up pattern) so pick up too much spill from the sound on stage that isn't the singer.

Not much wrong with a Beta-58, or an SM for that matter. Made for the job.
441's are great but no venues actually have one.

[toneguru]

Unless you have a specific mic that you know is spot on, go with a beta 58 to start with.

Then over the course of your experiences try A/B comparisons with other mics at gigs and retailers etc.

The other top mics that offer great performance are:

Beyer ribbon (great if other mics always have you sounding harsh)

Audix "7 series" (My former singer says it is better than his Beta 58 and his 105 and he has a great voice and great ears)

Neumann KMS 105 (probably better for female vox, proximity is often too touchy for male lows)

Sennheiser or AKG dynamics. (Often smoother than Beta 58 but don't cut thru loud acts as well).

Hope this helps.

[andonwego]

Pure cardioid mic is often better with monitor wedges

Super and hypercard feed back sometimes, and can be a lot of nasty



DEPENDS on the mic obviously



Heil PR35 is a good fit in this case

[jcc449]

"Lip-Sync"
-------
lol i am joking.
has anyone tried SM7B on live?

[mherrane]

Sennheiser e935 is my favorite. Much smoother than Shure SM- or Beta-58, very good feedback rejection PLUS if the band is loud and the singer quiet, the cymbal bleed from Shures can ruin the whole show. The bleed from 935s sounds much more reasonable. With most singers I like e935 sound much more than Audix, Shure or AKG.

[KickDrum]

Originally Posted by jcc449

has anyone tried SM7B on live?

I have! I love it live for all the reasons that I love it in the studio - very clear and easy to mix and it manages proximity effect very well. I use it regularly on the lead male vocal in a 9 piece acoustic folk band. I haven't tried it live with other acts so I can't comment on how well it would reject feedback in a situation with louder stage volume. Has great sound quality, lyric clarity, and build quality/durability.

[mrtuesday]

+1 for Neumann KMS 105: when I first used that (coming from standard 58/beta58s) it was just wow.
No feedback problems with a reasonably loud rock band.
Also Shure beta87 or on a budget Rode M2 (needs more eq but still has that sweet condenser sheen).
Used the Rode on an indie female voice & it sounded great (verrrrry flattering).

[perform/record]

Been using the PR35 for live vox and really can appreciate the clarity and tight pattern.
It sounds great on a lot of styles, anything articulate and smooth, but can really sound brittle on a "john fogerty" type of sound.

It's times like that that I wish for the mellowness of a 58.
But after singing on a PR35 for some months, it'd be tough to go back to the 58, though I've been thinking about it lately. There's a lot of stuff I just sounded better on with a 58, anything raspy and powerful.

The M88 seems like a mic i ought to take a look at.

[cinealta]

Neumann KMS 105. Done.

[Fletcher]

M-88's work great, KMS-105 on some voices work well too... many seem to have been attaining quite nice results with the T-funk M80 and M81 [M80 is a bit brighter than the M81... both have amazing side rejection and very little proximity effect].

Best of luck with who ever is currently on the hunt... I'm sure the OP figured something out in the last year plus since their original inquiry.

Peace

[Daniel Comport]

And The one which truly works on ANY voice..........(well you know what I mean)

Shure KSM9

[Denny C]

+1 on the M80 and the Sm7b. For me, the game is noise rejection plus a quality sound...two things that can be difficult to attain simultaneously. Never tried the other candidates but these two work well for me. Good luck.

[MIKEHARRIS]

Originally Posted by Ward Pike

There is also a cheap condensor alternative:
The AKG C535eb.
It can deliver quite the high-end sound in a live application. Also, I agree with previous posters regarding the 441. Stevie Nicks is just example of a female vocalist who has used one extensively.
Best of luck, but try the 535 out!

But beware...the cardioid pattern of the 535 is very wide....but with the added benefit of reduced proximity effect

Julio Iglesias is another 535 user...which works great for his vocal style

The top choice our customers purchase is the KMS104/105 series...which is a KM84style capsule with a precedence ring , shock isolation & windscreen.

btw...this capsule has just been ported over for the Sennheiser 2000 series...previously the Neumann has only been available on the MUCH pricier 5200/3000 series wireless.

[neirbod]

I realize the OP has hopefully bought his mics by now. But I figured I would add to the discussion in case it helps others.

Last week my band auditioned several mics as our selection of SM58s was just sounding too hazy, if you know what I mean. This is partially correctable with EQ, but I just never liked the SM58 vibe.

The SM57 sounds much better to my ears on most voices, but you'd need some kind of pop filter. If you like the SM57 sound, you could check out the Sennheiser e838. Very nice, natural sounding mic without an overly hyped presence peak. We chose this mic to smooth out a backup singer who can get a bit screetchy.

For more sizzle in the 3-5 khz region, we were all very impressed by the Senn e935. It came in a very close second to our "winner" for our lead singer. In additional to sounding great, its self-handling noise was impressively low. Was just a little too modern sounding for what we wanted as a roots rock band.

We tried the Senn e835. Meh. Not anyone's favorite. Nicer than an SM58, but has a airy kind of presence peak that none of us liked very much.

Shure Beta 87a - very nice and smooth condenser. Clear without being harsh at all. Not much mojo, though. Supercardioid so not likely a good choice for a jazz vocalist, and I'd be wary of using the cardioid version (87c) for live vocals with wedges and amps around. We are using two of the 87a mics for backup vocals.

The winner - the Heil PR35. Sound is wonderful! it has a very smooth clarity while not giving up anything on the low end (you'll need to use the rolloff). It is one of the only mics I have heard that sounds very good and articulate in the often-boxy 350-600 khz region, so the vocal has a nice place to sit in the mix with some weight. Rear rejection is impressive, so great if using wedges. I am looking forward to using it in the studio as well as live. I'd reach for it any time I think an SM7b would be a good option. While I know each mic needs to be matched to a voice, this mic sounded the best on both myself (a smooth baritone) and our lead singer (a raspy tenor).

There are some caveats with the PR35. First, the plosives are significant, but using the rolloff and some mic technique takes care of that. The handling noise is quite high, which may or may not be a factor depending on your situation. The mic is coated in a rubber that resembles teflon and slips out of the clip if it is at the slightest down-angle. Easy to grip in the hand, though. Not a big deal for most vocalists, but if I want to try it on a tom or snare (where I think it would sound great) I would need some kind of work around.

[atticmike]

Telefunken's got a good chunk of high quality live mics.