vocal mic 300-400$

[guitarmax_99]

Originally Posted by Lukas101

Awesome thanks for all the great suggestions guys! Definitely glad i signed up for this site tons of great info and good people!. As far as mics go im just gonna have to pick one out of the suggestions lol tons to chose from and im sure i wont be dissapointed with any one that i chose

A word of caution regarding the SM7b. If you are using the preamps on an typical interface (e.g. mBox, 003, MAudio, etc.) AND you decide to get an SM7b, you will most likely NEED to get a hotter preamp. The SM7b is very low output and needs lots of clean gain. On stock interface pre's the noise floor can get noticably high (call me crazy, but I'm just not into hiss on my recordings).

If you're new to recording and don't already have a good outboard preamp, I'd recommend going a different route for the time being. Getting into the world of preamps requires a lot of research all by itself (not to mention extra cash). Condensers are much more usable with stock interface preamps because they have a much hotter output.

[Lukas101]

for pres i have a ua solo 610 and a focusrite isa one and a fireface uc for conversion so i have some pretty decent equipment

[dkelley]

Originally Posted by Lukas101

for pres i have a ua solo 610 and a focusrite isa one and a fireface uc for conversion so i have some pretty decent equipment

nice thick warm pre! do you have anything more shimmery/bright though in case you end up with a mic that is TOO dark with that preamp?

but either way you're in way better shape than those who struggle to get the cash for an art tube mp (not that they aren't great for the money, but still....)

[foldback]

I've bought several AKG 414 off ebay, each for less than $400. Buyer protection makes it a lot easier to NOT get burned. Be sure to ask the buyer if there's anything wrong with the mic and whether they can pack it well. Once you have those things then you have what you need to get your money back if the buyer is not legit with his description.

At one time I had seven of these mics and they all sounded awesome. The bargain basement new mics just can't touch the sound IMHO. I love the smooth uniform frequency response and multiple patterns. I'm not a fan of the 414's with the electronic switching, I like the ones with the little mechanical switches in them.

I've never heard any 414 with the harsh strident sound the low priced China mics have.

I would much prefer a Shure PE54 or 545 from the 70's to the newer SM-7 mics. I have both and old SM-7 and a newer SM-7 (purchased three years ago). The PE54 does not have the cool "radio station" physical styling of the SM-7 but it has a more pleasant frequency response for singing voices. These older Shure dynamic models can be found on ebay for well under $100 and they don't need a preamp with insane gain to get a good output level.

I would still look for a used 414, they sound great and have excellent resale value if you ever decide to get rid of it.

Best of luck to you in your quest.

[Lukas101]

Originally Posted by dkelley

nice thick warm pre! do you have anything more shimmery/bright though in case you end up with a mic that is TOO dark with that preamp?

but either way you're in way better shape than those who struggle to get the cash for an art tube mp (not that they aren't great for the money, but still....)

if i get a mic thats dark the isa one easily brightens it up imho the isa one works great on almost anything they get bashed hear allot but it beats my solo 610 allot of the time cause i dont always want that tubey coloured sound both great pre's.

[Lukas101]

Originally Posted by foldback

I've bought several AKG 414 off ebay, each for less than $400. Buyer protection makes it a lot easier to NOT get burned. Be sure to ask the buyer if there's anything wrong with the mic and whether they can pack it well. Once you have those things then you have what you need to get your money back if the buyer is not legit with his description.

At one time I had seven of these mics and they all sounded awesome. The bargain basement new mics just can't touch the sound IMHO. I love the smooth uniform frequency response and multiple patterns. I'm not a fan of the 414's with the electronic switching, I like the ones with the little mechanical switches in them.

I've never heard any 414 with the harsh strident sound the low priced China mics have.

I would much prefer a Shure PE54 or 545 from the 70's to the newer SM-7 mics. I have both and old SM-7 and a newer SM-7 (purchased three years ago). The PE54 does not have the cool "radio station" physical styling of the SM-7 but it has a more pleasant frequency response for singing voices. These older Shure dynamic models can be found on ebay for well under $100 and they don't need a preamp with insane gain to get a good output level.

I would still look for a used 414, they sound great and have excellent resale value if you ever decide to get rid of it.

Best of luck to you in your quest.

what about the c214? the problem with me buying off ebay is i get nailed with duty fees once it crosses the border im from canada so by the time it gets here its hardly worth it

[Jimsi]

yep, youll get nailed with duty taxes ... its a great mic, sometimes you can find them $100 cheaper on the Bay compaired with those overpriced retailers....

Originally Posted by Lukas101

what about the c214? the problem with me buying off ebay is i get nailed with duty fees once it crosses the border im from canada so by the time it gets here its hardly worth it

[jpgerard]

The Line Audio SM3i just fits in your budget and will sound good on any singer - and will let you EQ it drastically to get the sound you're after. A great under-rated all rounder.

[mequaz]

CAD e100s.... Not knocking any other mics below 500 because there are some good ones, but That one right there is awesome

[baskervils]

Originally Posted by PerryLAJ

EV Re20 isn't a bad choice to consider either, depending on your voice type. Radiohead uses them as vocal mics in the studio.

I agree. Sometimes I sing through the Re20 and like it a lot.

[Lukas101]

I think i might stretch my budget and go for the ksm32 from my research ive read its a very neutral sounding and thats exacly what i want dont went anything hyped in the highs just doesnt sound good to me! that being said how much do you guys think i could sell my nt1000 for its mint only have had it for a couple months

[hossman777]

Originally Posted by GordZilla

Kel Audio HM7U, HM-2D, and Songsparrow

Yup. HM7U rocks. Just had a male vocalist in a few weeks ago. Low, deep, quiet voice. Tried a Cascade Fathead. Nope... I don't remember if we tried the SM7b or not, but the clear winner was the HM7U. It was perfect for his voice.

Out of all the vocal mics I own and use (SM7b, Cascade Fathead, MXL 2003 and V67G, Kel HM7U) I would have to say the most versatile and best sounding mics are the SM7b and HM7U. The others are good at a variety of things, but I've found that I can get a great vocal with one (or both) of these two mics.

[Jimsi]

Seems that the Kel mics continue to go up and up in price and are sold in just a few places...what gives?

[recordtogether]

+1 for the Shure SM-7B! I think you'll be pretty blown away with how good it sounds. You'll recognize it's character from a lot of your favorite recordings.

[guitarboy94]

Kel Mics are pretty nice, particularly the 7U.

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by Jimsi

Seems that the Kel mics continue to go up and up in price and are sold in just a few places...what gives?

...because Kelly doesn't buy "stock" OEM mics, as many of his competitors do...his mics are all made to his specs, so depending on production quantities, they will tend to cost a bit more...very small company, excellent and somewhat unique products...whatever his mics cost, they are worth it...you could build a solid mic locker on his products alone...companies like KEL deserve support for breaking the mold and offering unique and cost efficient tools...nice guy too...if you're ever interested in any of his products, call the company number, he almost always answers the phone (at least in my experience)...and he makes time to chat...

Originally Posted by guitarboy94

I found the HM2d to be terribly muddy/tubby sounding on vocals, almost like a blanket over a condenser. I found it to be under par with the Sm7b it's compared to.

...have to disagree on that evaluation...different certainly from the SM7b, but a uniquely-voiced LDC that works quite well IMHO...

[hossman777]

Originally Posted by kidvybes

...because Kelly doesn't buy "stock" OEM mics, as many of his competitors do...his mics are all made to his specs, so depending on production quantities, they will tend to cost a bit more...very small company, excellent and somewhat unique products...whatever his mics cost, they are worth it...you could build a solid mic locker on his products alone...companies like KEL deserve support for breaking the mold and offering unique and cost efficient tools...nice guy too...if you're ever interested in any of his products, call the company number, he almost always answers the phone (at least in my experience)...and he makes time to chat...

Took the words out of my mouth, bro!

[Multicore]

Ditto! And more important for me, it's soooo refreshing to have a company that doesn't try to compare every one of it's it's products to the usual U47, C12, U67, 251, U67, blah blah blah blah comparisons going so far as to give their products the actual same model infurence's ad nauseum like if you get one of their mics you're buying a new/vintage eqivalent. Sure they may sound great, but I am so tired of the claims. Makes me ill after a while. Talk about over compensating. KEL at least has always said, "we're different" You need to look into the background of some of these companies owners and see if they are just full of themselves or they are who they claim to be. Some actually had a background in design (like Dave Royer for instance), and others are just guys that started a company never having done any design at all.

That said , I've also had good results with the 4033a, and a real weird one I found for $19.00 was the Behringer C1, not a fan of it necessairly, but really weird... I had a screaming vocalist that usually overdrives the mic amp, and this thing (I put it up to see if we could destroy it) handled it fine and actually scared me. I had to hide it in the back yard after that..

[heshian46]

+1 for AT4040

[LTJazz]

Mics I've tried and liked...

Stellar CM-6
Kel HM-7 (Kel Mics are very nice...)
Shure SM7B

I love my CM-6 but using the power source is, sometimes, cumbersome.

The e100s from CAD is very nice, but it's more of a multi-purpose mic I think you'd want in your locker. I've rarely found myself going to it for vox.

[guitarboy94]

Originally Posted by jonnycat

For 300 you won't find better than the sm7, to buy a condenser for that price you would be looking at something mediocre

This just isn't true at all anymore. Not even close to true.

I can list dozens of condensers at the same price or cheaper than the Sm7b with superior sound, and not nearly as fussy to work with:

Stellar C-5 or C-6
MXL 2003A
Lots of CAD mics
All of the Kel mics
And the list goes on and on....

[Puffer Fish]

Originally Posted by guitarboy94

This just isn't true at all anymore. Not even close to true.

I can list dozens of condensers at the same price or cheaper than the Sm7b with superior sound, and not nearly as fussy to work with:

Stellar C-5 or C-6
MXL 2003A
Lots of CAD mics
All of the Kel mics
And the list goes on and on....

I concur!

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by guitarboy94

I can list dozens of condensers at the same price or cheaper than the Sm7b with superior sound, and not nearly as fussy to work with:

Stellar C-5 or C-6

...just for the sake of clarity, Stellar CM-5 or CM-6...

[hossman777]

Originally Posted by guitarboy94

This just isn't true at all anymore. Not even close to true.

I can list dozens of condensers at the same price or cheaper than the Sm7b with superior sound, and not nearly as fussy to work with:

Stellar C-5 or C-6
MXL 2003A
Lots of CAD mics
All of the Kel mics
And the list goes on and on....

I disagree with everyone...sort of. I wouldn't say $300 condensers have "superior sound" to the SM7b, nor would I say the SM7b is so superior that $300 condensers are mediocre.

Different colors on the palette. I own and use the 2003a, Kel HM7U and SM7b...and they all get used at different times for different things. Some songs the SM7b just works on; others, it doesn't fit and my Kel works better.

All the mics listed are great mics and if you can't record good sounding vocals with a handful of these, then it isn't the mic that's the problem.

[mbrice09]

i say go with a AT mic or a CAD mic.. as for the the MXL's i try to stay away they always seem cheaply made, i mean the price is low so what do you expect. but now a days you can do much better for the price, i don't even like much of the high end MXL Mics. The SM7 is overrated in my opinion, Don't get me wrong it is a good mic but not as good as every paints it to be i've heard much better for the same price.

Also when your looking for a Mic since yours feels too bright which most MXL's do and some Rodes you should be looking for a more warm vocal mic to compliment your voice.

if it was me i'd go for this one.
Sterling Audio ST66 Large Diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone: Shop Pro Audio & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend

[dkelley]

mbrice, if that were true then all of the mxl mics out there are basically not good enough to own due to build quality problems. That is what you're saying, right?

So the mxl v69ME, 2003A, 603 (like 'em or hate 'em) SDCs, v77, 960, v67, genesis, and oh so many others "seem cheaply made" enough to you that you think they aren't able to withstand use on a mic stand in a home recording room for several years?

Cheeply made implies that they wont' last well or sound bad or have body ringing issues or whatever. The nicer ones, 69, 960, 77, genesis, and others (the higher end "gold" for example) are mics that some pretty big engineers swear by for pro vocal recording.

[mbrice09]

sorry by cheaply made i mean sound quality wise, as opposed to other mics in that price range that sound so much better.. every mxl mic i've ever used has been harsh on the "s" sounds, even the v87, i have the mxl genesis which is a pretty nice mic but i still find myself going to other mics.. i even prefer the at 3035 over the genesis and my 3035 was alot cheaper. just saying if you have a bright voice already the mxl is not something you want.. the cheaper mxl mics are garbage and the higher end mxl mics i find are really only nice on people with not so bright voices.

[daveandrews]

Kel HM-7u

[College_Records]

Originally Posted by PerryLAJ

EV Re20 isn't a bad choice to consider either, depending on your voice type. Radiohead uses them as vocal mics in the studio.

I like my re20, but it very much so works for louder alto's and sopranos. It's a bit pinched in the bass and sounds very colored.

Being a college audio engineer, I've spent a lot of time in this price range and found their is a lot of hype and confusion.


I'd suggest:
Sm7 ~ if your room is untreated/not decked out with 703
AT 4040 ~ Super versatile, but does have some bass hype
AKG 214 ~ If you want a thick mic that captures every nuance
Shure KSM 32 ~ if you want a reliable, smooth, go to mic with a very detailed mid range (super clean!)
Blue Bluebird ~ if you want a modern vocal with a presence boost

If you're a good engineer, I'd go with the sm7 or Ksm 32. You can do A LOT with these microphones if you know your way around gear and plugs.

Warning!!!: Don't buy into the hype. The best thing I ever bought was OC 703 and an RME interface. Mics might be hot, but your surroundings and your DA/AD conversion will have the greatest impact on the quality of your mixes.

P.S. Mic's are all taste. I use a shure sm57 beta on my own vox when I have several mic's over a thousand dollars at my fingertips.