Searching for "Holy Grail" Vocal mic for MY voice!

[GMR]

I'm trying to find the best mic for my voice. My pre is a Voxbox and compress with an 1176 at mix.
I have kind of a George Michael kind of voice.

I have a U-195, AT 4033, a modded JWilliams 414 b-uls, SP C1.

I recently bought a U195. At first listen I hated it. sounded thin and bright on me. So I experimented with it and finally got a sound I really liked with it but had to be real close into it, with the Fat switch on. It was the best sound I'd ever got. Starting to get that pro sound. Then decided to try all mics real close in which opened a whole new world. The sound I've been searching for!

Here's the verdict

The U-195 is pretty good but sounds a bit too scooped in the mids when I compare it to the 4033 and maybe a tad too much high end, maybe not? It's not perfect on me. When I hear it, it sounds very good but there is a little something I'm not quite happy with it for my voice. I'm being nitpicky here.

The SP C1 sounds not as pure but i prefer something in the mids in that one but the highs are a bit too much. But overall, side by side the U195 sounds way much better than the C1 but just something in the mids on the C1 I prefer for my voice.

The modded 414, lacks high end. Well it's just tough to define what I don't like about it, I tried Eq'ing a bit but can't put my finger on it.

Interestingly I took out my 4033 out of the closet, I never ever liked it before but gave it a shot real close in and really like the sound all of sudden. It's got more mids than the U195! more than 4 inches sounds horrible and thin on me. (all these mics sound very thin and bright when I back off from them) But I tried it real close in and I really like something in it that I hear. It doesn't sound as scooped as the others. It's got less scooped mids. It sounds more like me. I'm really liking a certain quality that comes from it.

So what i'm looking for is the sound close to the U195 but with more mids like the 4033 give me. there is a quality I like in both of 'em. The 195 gives me a good sound, but the 4033 makes a certain quality that's in my voice come out that I really like which I don't get with the 195. This is so hard to explain!


So from my description if you know these mics well, what would you suggest I try that would put me in the ballpark of what I'm looking for?

I'm thinking trying other AT mics (AT4060)! Read G.Massenburg rave about it and some not liking it, and obviously other soundelux mics. But which ones are in this ballpark? Any opinions on the E250?

Anything up to about $2500 maybe more

Thanks for your help!

[genericperson]

Have you tried a U-87?

[Spooner]

Have you tried a Shure SM-7?

Great vocal mic! It's also excellent for electric guitars and bassdrum.

[Dangerous Dave]

A decent U-87 or a Wagner U87w should do the trick if you can find one.

Best.

DD

[b-magical]

Check out the Soundelux ifet7. I have an 87 and it has a very similar vibe. I was considering getting one and ended up with the e49 which is a great sounding mic but a bit more than your budget allows for.

[jabney]

hi GMR,

Since you are getting close to the sound you want, perhaps a little tweaking may be in order. Are you using a Stedman pop filter or a hoop-type? If it's a hoop, try a Stedman. What about the mic' cabling? Try a few types - Canare star-quad, BLUE Kiwi, Mogami, Zaolla, Belden, Gotham, etc. Have you tried substituting NOS (or good used) tubes in the voxbox? If not, start with the first tube in the chain and have your licensed, bonded, insured tech swap tubes :-) . What about using Stabilant 22 on the pins and connectors? You do leave your tube gear on all the time don't you? I like tubes, but find it less than pleasant to listen to tube stuff until it's been on a couple of hours - at least.

[TonyBelmont]

Maybe the sound you aren't liking is something else in your vocal chain. I don't really love the Manley mic pre, especially on that kind of vocal. Have you given any thoughts to trying a different mic preamp? I would try another pre using the U195, and see what your results are... If you ask me what kind of pre you should try for $2500.00, I would tell you the Aurora Audio GTQ-2!!!!

www.auroraaudio.net

[lucey]

Originally posted by GMR

Anything up to about $2500 maybe more

Thanks for your help!

Korby Audio is introducing 2 mics between now and AES this fall, one is a remake of their own FET condenser. A fixed cardioid ... very nice mic, more resolution and color than a U87 and not much more than a 195 in price (TBA)

You just need to try things so find a dealer that carries what you want and go for it.
Vintage King is a good place for Korby/Soundelux/etc.

[gabler]

I agree with trying another mic pre with the soundelux U-195
I had a Audio technica 4060 tube mic. I did not like it. Dont go by
what some else uses or advertises. Listen with your ears.

[brownmouse]

i'll second the soundelux ifet7..... that and the soundelux e47/e49 should be on the audition list.
joshua

[Sir Bob]

Any buzz yet on the E251 mic taylored strickly for vocals?

[smk]

I too have a similar type voice (Savage Garden/George Michael/Kenny Loggins-ish) and have the U195. Well, several of us spent a good five hours with a variety of mics and my favorite: AT 4060. It gives my voice fullness without being dark, and the detail and balance of this mic is outstanding. This is next on my purchase list.

[Fletcher]

I have found some great results with the Microtech Gefell UMT-800... while there are a plethora of pickup patterns from which to chose [all net a slightly different tone as would be expected], the overall character has a very sweet and detailed high end, a rather full but not brash nor muddy midrange and a controlled low end.

Best of luck with your search.

[Kenny Gioia]

If you are so close with the U195, why don't you try the U99.

I borrowed a whole bunch of Soundeluxe mics from Fletcher and a Brauner Valvet.

The U195 was the 3rd best.

The U99 was the 2nd Best.

The Brauner had the prettiest top end (by 2%) but was equal IMHO to the U99.

[Frizalone1]

I have a friend who has the perfect Mic for your voice. This is a custom made c12 from JJ audio. This mic has a peluso capsul with an AMI transformer and all top notch wiring. i have heard his mic with that same type voice and it bew me out of the water. Very thick, clear with allot of depth. At a cost of around $1200.00, As close as you can come to a real c12 for that price range. this mic beats out mics in the 3to 4k range

Originally Posted by GMR

I'm trying to find the best mic for my voice. My pre is a Voxbox and compress with an 1176 at mix.
I have kind of a George Michael kind of voice.

I have a U-195, AT 4033, a modded JWilliams 414 b-uls, SP C1.

I recently bought a U195. At first listen I hated it. sounded thin and bright on me. So I experimented with it and finally got a sound I really liked with it but had to be real close into it, with the Fat switch on. It was the best sound I'd ever got. Starting to get that pro sound. Then decided to try all mics real close in which opened a whole new world. The sound I've been searching for!

Here's the verdict

The U-195 is pretty good but sounds a bit too scooped in the mids when I compare it to the 4033 and maybe a tad too much high end, maybe not? It's not perfect on me. When I hear it, it sounds very good but there is a little something I'm not quite happy with it for my voice. I'm being nitpicky here.

The SP C1 sounds not as pure but i prefer something in the mids in that one but the highs are a bit too much. But overall, side by side the U195 sounds way much better than the C1 but just something in the mids on the C1 I prefer for my voice.

The modded 414, lacks high end. Well it's just tough to define what I don't like about it, I tried Eq'ing a bit but can't put my finger on it.

Interestingly I took out my 4033 out of the closet, I never ever liked it before but gave it a shot real close in and really like the sound all of sudden. It's got more mids than the U195! more than 4 inches sounds horrible and thin on me. (all these mics sound very thin and bright when I back off from them) But I tried it real close in and I really like something in it that I hear. It doesn't sound as scooped as the others. It's got less scooped mids. It sounds more like me. I'm really liking a certain quality that comes from it.

So what i'm looking for is the sound close to the U195 but with more mids like the 4033 give me. there is a quality I like in both of 'em. The 195 gives me a good sound, but the 4033 makes a certain quality that's in my voice come out that I really like which I don't get with the 195. This is so hard to explain!


So from my description if you know these mics well, what would you suggest I try that would put me in the ballpark of what I'm looking for?

I'm thinking trying other AT mics (AT4060)! Read G.Massenburg rave about it and some not liking it, and obviously other soundelux mics. But which ones are in this ballpark? Any opinions on the E250?

Anything up to about $2500 maybe more

Thanks for your help!

[Mad John]

Holy Smokes...this thread is old!

I wonder if the OP got the right mic for his George Micheal styled voice?

WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO!

[subby33]

Haha. Whats up with the Necro threads lately?

[SICKRICK]

Have you tried the mojave ma200??? I've had mine for 2 years now and have not found a bad use for it

[RKrizman]

Originally Posted by subby33

Haha. Whats up with the Necro threads lately?

People are using the search function to farm old threads in order to pimp some product.

-R

[James Lehmann]

Originally Posted by subby33

Whats up with the Necro threads lately?

I agree. I'm all for using Search and adding to existing threads wherever possible - it concentrates the knowledge base - but I find it baffling why someone would post an answer to such a specific question a full six years after it's been asked, and with no evidence to indicate that the OP is still searching for a new vocal mic!

29th July 2004

Originally Posted by GMR

I'm trying to find the best mic for my voice.

18th June 2010

Originally Posted by Frizalone1

I have a friend who has the perfect Mic for your voice.

It also begs the question of what Mr 'Frizalone1' put into his search string to even find this thread - is he just a lost Monty-Python fan?

[ivansc]

slow day at the office

[badmark]

Still searching for that "Holy Grail" thread ...

[amfortas2006]

Send a clip of your voice with a fairly clean mic, then it should be easier to say anything! thumbsup

[stagefright13]

Who is George Michael?

[stagefright13]

Actually have no Idea who he is but this hits my 1000. Which is weird didn't know I had that many or had been here so long.

John

[BudgetMC]

I told him we already-a-gotta-one!

[illacov]

Seeing as how our product is the response in question, I can definitely verify I didn't prompt any of our customer's friends to find a thread from 2004 and recommend a mic we built for them.

I mean the props is welcome but I think its a bit heavy handed to flat out insinuate we were behind it without having what we call PROOF (in the engineering world) before you make those claims.

Rkrizman we aren't that kind of company.



Peace
Illumination

[midnightsun]

Originally Posted by illacov

Seeing as how our product is the response in question, I can definitely verify I didn't prompt any of our customer's friends to find a thread from 2004 and recommend a mic we built for them.

I mean the props is welcome but I think its a bit heavy handed to flat out insinuate we were behind it without having what we call PROOF (in the engineering world) before you make those claims.

Rkrizman we aren't that kind of company.



Peace
Illumination

LOL..... This is thread reveals that some of us don't pay close attention, my self specifically. Up above I you will see I had deleted a previous contribution of mine. I did so out of embarasment because I had addressed the OP as if it were an on going discussion. Then I realized how old the tread was and felt like I was talking to the dead.

I hesitate to draw conclusions about why old threads get dug up. I certainly don't for a minute question your honor or motives. I am looking forward to getting some of your mics in my hands for evaluation/purchase at some point.