filling gaps in the mic collection

garbagelarge · 25th October 2006

right now i have AT 4033, shure 57s and 58s and 52, 2x neumann km 184, akg
c900 (this is awsome on guitar and bass cabs!!!) i have gotten satisfactory sounds on most thing things, but i feel like there are some gaps - male vocals for instance. i want to try to fill some of these gaps and round out the collection some. so ive been thinking about getting maybe a shure sm 7 - i've heard this can be very versatile on vocals - (used on michael jackson and emmylou harris?) also thinking about a beyer - getting a cheap one and getting the stephen sank mod, or buying one with the mod already done - could be good on vocals, strings, guitars..... also the groove tubes mics i've heard good things about - I dont really have a tube anything - these are the things around my price range - curious if you thought they might be versatile and pretty different from what i have? - thanks - ben

chandlersonic · 26th October 2006

Sm7 is a great mic,great on voice, very useful on guitar cab also. However, you already have quite a few dynamic mics in your setup, and while the sm7 is going to give you a different flavor, it won't be that different.
You might want to check out ribbon mics, great for guitar cabs, ohs, room mic, piano... Check it out. The Beyer m160s aren't too expensive on the used market and will really give you something new sonically.

kenm · 26th October 2006

I read that Make Mine Music book and MJ was recorded with that 251 mic that has been used to record just about every hit ever recorded. You can see James Hetfield cutting his vocals with an SM7. Another dynamic mic to consider would be a Sennheiser 421. It would work well on male and female (Stevie Nicks) vocals as well as kick, snare, tom, guitar cab, and bass cab. Look into the Shiny Box ribbon mics for vox and guitar. Also, Karma mics make good mics for the money. I tried out a bunch of mics for my voice at AES and really liked the FET condensers. Charter Oaks was my fave, but Audio Technica made a nice one too.

Ken

yawatta · 26th October 2006

In addition to the SM7, the RE-20 is great for male vocals. It's large diaphragm like the 421, but it's ported most of the way down the body so there's almost no way you could get any proximity effect.

jdier · 27th October 2006

I like the SM7 and the 421 (and ~maybe~ a D112)

tINY · 27th October 2006

You might try something in an LDC with a pronounced presence peak - like a C414XLII. Wait, this is Low end theory - how about a Studio projects T3 ...

I think you should have a LD dynamic in there too, like an RE-20, SM7 or PR30.

A couple more flavors of instrument condenser mics might be nice too - like a Kel HM1 or a Shure 82 or beta98.

-tINY

donsolo · 28th October 2006

he's got a 52.

Get an i5, I love mine...

Male vox though, just use your 4033 and run it through PSP Vintage Warmer on tape preset...insta-uber IMHO

garbagelarge · 28th October 2006

thanks for the advice and tips - ben

simonv · 28th October 2006

If you normally track your vocals while playing an instrument, or with a band, I suggest an SM7. It doesn't pickup a lot of surrounding noise, and leaves you with a very usable track even if you're next to the drums. Pretty useful if you ask me. That's why I like it so much.

If you track your vocals in a quiet environment, then I suggest you get a very good condenser. I'll leave the other guys recommend one. The best expensive vocal condenser that I use is the TLM103, and a lot of folks dislike it. There seems to be a general consensus that better stuff is out there for the price.

25th October 2006	#1
garbagelarge Gear nut Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 94 Thread Starter	filling gaps in the mic collection right now i have AT 4033, shure 57s and 58s and 52, 2x neumann km 184, akg c900 (this is awsome on guitar and bass cabs!!!) i have gotten satisfactory sounds on most thing things, but i feel like there are some gaps - male vocals for instance. i want to try to fill some of these gaps and round out the collection some. so ive been thinking about getting maybe a shure sm 7 - i've heard this can be very versatile on vocals - (used on michael jackson and emmylou harris?) also thinking about a beyer - getting a cheap one and getting the stephen sank mod, or buying one with the mod already done - could be good on vocals, strings, guitars..... also the groove tubes mics i've heard good things about - I dont really have a tube anything - these are the things around my price range - curious if you thought they might be versatile and pretty different from what i have? - thanks - ben

26th October 2006	#4
yawatta Gear Head Joined: Jul 2006 Location: nashville Posts: 70	In addition to the SM7, the RE-20 is great for male vocals. It's large diaphragm like the 421, but it's ported most of the way down the body so there's almost no way you could get any proximity effect. __________________ "don't nobody didn't know you didn't have none" - jeff's mom

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26th October 2006	#2
chandlersonic Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 847	Sm7 is a great mic,great on voice, very useful on guitar cab also. However, you already have quite a few dynamic mics in your setup, and while the sm7 is going to give you a different flavor, it won't be that different. You might want to check out ribbon mics, great for guitar cabs, ohs, room mic, piano... Check it out. The Beyer m160s aren't too expensive on the used market and will really give you something new sonically.

26th October 2006	#3
kenm Gear maniac Joined: Apr 2004 Location: berkeley, ca Posts: 251	I read that Make Mine Music book and MJ was recorded with that 251 mic that has been used to record just about every hit ever recorded. You can see James Hetfield cutting his vocals with an SM7. Another dynamic mic to consider would be a Sennheiser 421. It would work well on male and female (Stevie Nicks) vocals as well as kick, snare, tom, guitar cab, and bass cab. Look into the Shiny Box ribbon mics for vox and guitar. Also, Karma mics make good mics for the money. I tried out a bunch of mics for my voice at AES and really liked the FET condensers. Charter Oaks was my fave, but Audio Technica made a nice one too. Ken

27th October 2006	#5
jdier Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2003 Location: Wisconsin, US Posts: 772	I like the SM7 and the 421 (and ~maybe~ a D112)

27th October 2006	#6
tINY Gear Guru Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 10,233	You might try something in an LDC with a pronounced presence peak - like a C414XLII. Wait, this is Low end theory - how about a Studio projects T3 ... I think you should have a LD dynamic in there too, like an RE-20, SM7 or PR30. A couple more flavors of instrument condenser mics might be nice too - like a Kel HM1 or a Shure 82 or beta98. -tINY

28th October 2006	#8
garbagelarge Gear nut Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 94 Thread Starter	thanks for the advice and tips - ben

28th October 2006	#9
simonv Gear addict Joined: Apr 2005 Location: Montreal Posts: 477	If you normally track your vocals while playing an instrument, or with a band, I suggest an SM7. It doesn't pickup a lot of surrounding noise, and leaves you with a very usable track even if you're next to the drums. Pretty useful if you ask me. That's why I like it so much. If you track your vocals in a quiet environment, then I suggest you get a very good condenser. I'll leave the other guys recommend one. The best expensive vocal condenser that I use is the TLM103, and a lot of folks dislike it. There seems to be a general consensus that better stuff is out there for the price.