What mic would you rather get?

[dergit]

I love, love, love the Rode NT1-A. It's around 180€ over here (so I'm guessing $220-ish) and we bought three of them just because.

[sonic dogg]

Originally Posted by JBr33zymusic

I just saw something saying that dynamic mics should not be used for rap on this site and I'm kind of questioning it now..

I just read that dynamic mics shouldnt be used to stir pudding.........

The SM7B is a fine mic. Its not as easy to use as some would let you think. Without a very good gain staging it will sound somewhat like an SM58. Not surprising since its the same capsule. And NOT a bad thing either.

Cheap condensers are all going to have something in their frequency response thats going to be boosted or cut or theres going to be some tonality that may sound good solo'd up but in a mix is going to be a lot of work to overcome.

This is the journey to find the right one for you in your environment. Perusing pages of catalogs doesnt really get you the actual sound differences in all these choices. Going to the various 'shoot-outs' and mic comparisons can give you an inkling into the differences each mic may have over the others tested, but wont tell you much about your voice or your situation.

The SE mic you now have is a better built mic than a lot of the ones you're asking about. It also has , as was stated, a LOT of 'air'. But you said you like a "crisp" sound. Its a perfect mic for that. Perhaps you need to learn more about mic placement and orientation to the source before giving up on it. A slight change in axis to the source, especially with a fairly sensitive mic like the SE, will make a ton of difference. Learning more about gain-staging will also make a big difference. Perhaps its a better preamp you need.....

Whatever the decision, look at your techniques before you spend money you probably dont really have to MAYBE make a difference.

BTW. The Kel mics are also very well built and sound great. I'd take ANY of them as well as the SE mics over ANY MXL any day. Just for the build quality if nothing else.

[Matt R]

Originally Posted by sonic dogg

The SM7B is a fine mic. Its not as easy to use as some would let you think. Without a very good gain staging it will sound somewhat like an SM58. Not surprising since its the same capsule. And NOT a bad thing either.

Absolutely correct, although the capsule is NOT the same. The SM57/57 capsule and the SM7B capsule are based around the older Unidyne capsule, but they're not the same. They are different capsules.

I just wanted to clarify that.

[sonic dogg]

Okay I'll give you that. I was trying to be brief. The capsules have the same heritage, the Unidyne III and are the same size.. 1/2". The SM7 is wound to produce better low-end and a more balanced full range and the physical aspects of the mic body make this even more pronounced. How's that. I owned an SM7 for a number of years. It was a 1979. Wish I still had it but not so much for its sound as for its gain in popularity.

[prizebeatz1]

I find it kind of funny that people tend to jump on the microphone bandwagon based on popularity. I try to do the opposite.

Anyway, as a response to the original post, $300 could potentially buy you a great mic. I've seen a used Shure KSM 44 for $300 and even a Sennheiser 441 for that same price. Moral to the story: be patient and wait for a deal to pop up. Good luck.

[chessparov]

IMHO another good "all rounder", is the neodymium capsule based Shure Beta 57a, for less than $160 new. Especially if the "room" is untreated.

Chris

[Matt R]

Originally Posted by chessparov

IMHO another good "all rounder", is the neodymium capsule based Shure Beta 57a, for less than $160 new. Especially if the "room" is untreated.

Chris

I dunno. I've never liked the sound of mine. I absolutely never use the thing. Maybe mines broken, and has been since I got it, but it's always needed stupid amounts of gain to get any sound out of it.

[prizebeatz1]

Originally Posted by Matt R

I dunno. I've never liked the sound of mine. I absolutely never use the thing. Maybe mines broken, and has been since I got it, but it's always needed stupid amounts of gain to get any sound out of it.

What kind of a preamp are you using with it? Most dynamic mics will need a good preamp to get them to sound their best.

[Matt R]

Originally Posted by jdomini00

What kind of a preamp are you using with it? Most dynamic mics will need a good preamp to get them to sound their best.

Anything from Presonus FS, Focusrite Octopre Dynamic MK2, UA LA-610, Midas Legend 3k, etc... I just never liked it. When I do get sound, it's fairly thin. I end up putting up a normal 57 every time. Maybe it's transformer is bad?

[indie folk guy]

I've had very good results with a Heil PR30/PR35 both are well within your price range they reject well and take EQ very well.

Other than that I'd say try to get a good deal on a used condenser like a C214/414, AT4050, AT4047, KSM32, etc.

[Puffer Fish]

Originally Posted by JBr33zymusic

I will be recording rap vocals and singing vocals. I am looking into a MXL 960, MXL V69 and a Kel HM-2d. What would you guys go with for what I am looking for? Thank you for reading.

I do have first hand experience with the HM-2D. It is pretty much the exact opposite of a lot of the Chinese condenser mics. Heck, the frequency response on the HM-2D is way different than most condenser microphones PERIOD. It is a niche mic in some ways, but then I suppose that is true for every mic in a weird sort of way--that is I would use my ribbon mics on some sources but not others, I would use my SM57s and Audix i5 mics on some sources but not others, and so on. But I digress as I often do...

If the HM-2D is indeed a niche mic, it fills that niche very nicely. For sake of description, let's just say the obvious: there is absolutely NO harsh, brittle, obnoxious high frequency reproduction going on with the HM-2D.

To the OP--if you keep your SE2200 and add the HM-2D to your collection, you'll have a lot more territory covered regarding being about to mic different sorts of voices. In my humble opinion and experience, if you are not liking the high frequency reproduction of your current mic, the HM-2D is a great solution for you. If you want to add some 'air' to the signal, you can attempt to do so via equalization to the track in the DAW. The HM-2D seems to take EQ pretty well.

Anyway, do check out the return policy from Kel Audio. The last time I checked, they offer an up to 30 day return policy on all of their microphones. It is very generous, in my mind, but it also demonstrates a commitment to their customers and to their products. And it makes trying out the HM-2D a lot less fraught with concern over something like 'is this the right mic for me?' because you get to try it out. I am willing to bet you'll want to keep it though, so go for it!

[ksound]

Originally Posted by JBr33zymusic

I was looking at the Baby Bottle on ebay, would you recommend it?

I have a Baby Bottle and I love it. I record mainly rock and pop vocals, this mic just suits my voice.

I have a naturally sibilant voice and this mic is perfect for that. It is quite dark sounding, so as a general purpose vocal mic I think it is probably not the best choice. It's great as a room mic for drums too.

If you have a sibilant voice or have problems with sibilance a lot with other vocalists in your studio then it may be worth a try.

[Greg B]

Originally Posted by JBr33zymusic

I don't feel comfortable talking to a salesman again! Thank you!

Yeah, any salesman that recommends you a mic for rap/hip-hop, ask him to show you recordings he has personally done with that mic. Not just a little test they may have put up on YouTube, but an actual project that ended up on an album. Most won't have any.

I've recorded a ton (hundreds) of rap albums/singles over the years although it was never my main genre. The least expensive mic I've actually used (and loved) for rap vocals in the last 10 year is the ADK Vienna Mk8 which is about $300. Great presence and fits into a mix with little effort. But if you can stretch the budget a little than an ADK TC (Tube condenser) is one I've used on MANY albums with success. Very often it is picked by the artist over much more expensive mics.

[chessparov]

Matt, am surprised that even Beta 57a>610 isn't thick sounding enough for you. IMHO (with judicious EQing) the 57a should capture a good vocal performance from most singers.

BTW the Baby Bottle really works well on my (mildly) sibilant voice.
Also agree it's kind of a niche vocal mic.

Chris