need some suggestions on a vocal mic

[bbboy]

I've been planning to get a mic soon. My budget right now is about $1,000-$1,500. BUT if there are other great choices i don't mind waiting to save up more money, as i am a patient person.

I'm looking for a great vocal mic. I'm working with different types of people so i'm looking for one that can go well for both males and females, mostly gona be males though. i might also end up recording other instruments too, but mainly vocals. I know it's better to have a different array of mics, but i can only afford to get just one right now.

What i had in mind was the akg 414 at first cuz i liked how you can switch polar patterns and stuff. then i started to think about the more expensive mics like the neumann mics. assuming it would be of higher quality. i had some different models in mind, but i go to other forums and i see people saying theyre not good for vocals.

i just need some great suggestions or recommendations. or personal favorites. so that i can keep note and try to see if i can try'em out as i will look up other mics as well on my own time. please keep in mind i'm not just limited to my $1,000-$1,500 budget.

thank you

[rackdude]

Different types of people, get different mics.

I'd get:

Sm7
ADK Vienna
M 179
Cascade Fathead
Oktavamod 319
Sm57


Thats about $1000 + alittle if you ebay it right.


You got flat, hyped highs, darkish, vintageish *ribbons seem to give a vintageish kind of sound in my ears of course... or atleast ones I dealt with*, and a hyped mid microphone.

Can't think of what else you would need. You would have every flavor, so you could do every style your looking for, and this set should work with every singer.


Then go more expensive once your looking to put in major dollars into a type of sound you have been using a lot.

It's all about price vs performance, all of these are on that barrier of not being to expensive yet still getting a great sound. I'm not saying these are the best, but I will say not many people will know which is better if you switch out one of these microphones for a super expensive one, but they will know that they sound difference. You want versatility first.

[popmann]

Sm7b. UA 610.

Done.

[rackdude]

From what I'm getting he doesn't need a preamp. All this is just able to be allocated to a vocal mic... which means, popmann, you got $1200 left on your list :p.

[DavidKmusic]

If you were only going to buy one mic than a 414 is the one you want IMO. It's a fantastic mic and extremely versatile. Be aware that there are several different versions of the mic. One has a frequency bump that makes it a better choice for vocals (XL-11?) and the other is more well rounded mic for vocals, instruments, drums overheads, etc. which I believe is the XLS model but double check that. I have a couple of the non-hyped version and I use them on everything.

That said, I think the suggestion to invest your $1,000 to $1,500 into several mics rather than one is a pretty good one. Having several good mics with different characters will give you versatility and also allow you to compare and contrast the mics on different sources which will help you develop your ear as an engineer.

A big part of getting a great vocal sound is trying different mics on a singer until one stands out as the winner.

Good luck

[bbboy]

wanted to bump this, if its okay...

but yeah, i've talked to a few people that do the same type of music as me, which is hip hop. And i kind of came to the conclusion of getting the Presonus Eureka Preamp (this dude was telling me how amazing this preamp is, i dont know, sounded pretty convincing). And I narrowed my mic choices to maybe the AT4060, Rode NT2A, or the SM7b (I dont know but i saw this mic being used on some radio shows. Not too sure about this one).

Also, I heard the blue mics were pretty good, but dont know too much about'em. And i want to maybe get a neumann but havent heard anybody suggest them yet.

But yeah, my final choices right now are probably AT4060, Rode NT2A, and SM7b. might even buy two if i can

yeah, the guys i work with, including me, our voices arent very high. Around the lower area.

[vernier]

I'd get an 87 and call it a day.
'

[bbboy]

Originally Posted by vernier

I'd get an 87 and call it a day.
'

are you talkin about the neumann u87? is it really that great. i mean i know it's those mics that are up up there. and i would love to own one myself

[ScottTunes]

I recommend the Shure KSM44. Great all-rounder... STILL haven't found the limits of my pair.

[platypipros]

At 4060

[RMBittner]

When I'm working with a new-to-me vocalist, I tend to try out the following mics, all but one of which would fit within your budget (the Neumann):

Shure KSM44
Rode NTK
Audio-Technica 4047
Neumann U87

But I've also got the usual SM58s, SM57s, which, given the voice and the song, could work too. I've worked with one singer who actually sounded best -- believe it or not -- on a $200 MXL. (And, yes, that was in a side-by-side comparison with all of the above mics!)

I've found that the Neumann is great if you've got a great voice. In my experience -- and maybe this is just my particular mic -- it's not the go-to mic if you need to "flatter" somebody. On the other hand, the AT4047 just blows away the others if your singer is a low-tenor or baritone; that thing just adds a richness that's wonderful (and especially great for voice-over work).

Probably my least favorite of the above for vocals is the KSM44. It's my standard drum overhead, but I just haven't had a vocalist yet (including myself) that benefitted from it.

Bob

[Larry Villella]

BBOY -


While Brighter Mics (like the ADK Vienna / 414) will work on some vocalists,
and Dark Mics (like the ADK Hamburg or 4047) will work on others, the only
way to really cover lots of territory is to have more than one vocal mic. . .

So if you asked me today, I'd say get a TC-AU with the GK-12 (Vienna)
Capsule and a TC-AU with the GK-67 (Hamburg) Capsule. Might be a little
over your $1500 budget, but you'll be positively amazed at the results.

The Upcoming Rise Against CD will have had all the lead vocals done on a
TC-AU-V. If the capsule is the sound-board of the microphone, then we
have found one of the nicest spruce forests on planet earth . . . .


Cheers!


Larry Villella, Musician and Engineer by Training, Mic Builder by Accident

ADKMIC.com
Myspace.com/ADKMIC
Myspace.com/ADKUSERS

[bbboy]

hmmm...i've been hearing that peluso mics are great. And about the 2447 le. I looked it up and was a little surprised by the price, but willing to buy one if it's worth the money. i heard a recording from the mic and it sounded really nice. i kinda have my eye on that one now. sounds pretty promising. bleh, actually dont know yet

i'm still going to have to do more research on other mics as well as the suggestions given in this thread

i'm a little confused about the "tc-au" mics, can't seem to find'em

[Svens]

I used a M149, a Blue Bottle and an Se Gemini in a session, and the Gemini blew away the competition by far. I bought it right away. Songs got mixed with hardly any eq. Very versatile mic. Just my 2 cents.

[johndykstra]

Hey buddy,

It shocks me that no one has asked about the rest of your chain, much less your recording environment. Investing $1500 bucks on a mic may not be a good idea if you're gonna run it through a Line 6 interface into garage band, listen through m-audio speakers in a bedroom with a window unit air-conditioner. No disrespect, but you're only gonna sound as good as your weakest link, and if the mic is that weak link then my apologies.

That being said if it is only a mic question for hip-hop, I'd go:

SM7B $350
-and-
Shure KSM 44 $800
-and-
Sennheiser E865 $270

[donsimpson]

Is the mic primarily for your own use, or will you record many different singers with it?

[bbboy]

well, i have a 002 rack with pro tools with decent speakers in my room and i think it sounds fine. Its positioned okay i guess, and i dont have any ac in my room. And i think i'm gonna record myself the most. But i'm also gonna use it with lots of other dudes. But i'm probably gonna end up usin it for myself a lot. Also, i do mostly hip hop. the guys i work with, their vocals are kinda normal, not too loud or quiet. But my vocals are i guess more...energetic, not like dmx but sorta like ice cube

Yeah, i was thinkin of maybe gettin a Presonus Eureka pre amp which is around $500. I've been hoping to get just one mic for right now. But seems like there are so many useful ones. I guess i might have to get a couple mics and go a little over my budget, which is no biggie. But yeah, still lookin around hard and lookin up mics you guys are suggesting. you guys are great help

[donsimpson]

If it's mostly for your own use, then don't listen to anyone's opinion. Go listen to the mics yourself. Get the one in your budget that you like the best. I'd tell to re-consider the 414, but maybe a GT60 or TLM103 is better for your voice.

[A LaMere]

digi002, no room treatment, absolutely sounds like an sm7 situation to me.

sm7 and another mic might be a good idea...

or perhaps, for 1500 sm7 and Great River's NV-1 preamp which will just flat out be a better choice than the Presonus in my opinion.

1 solid pre, 1 solid mic is what I'd shoot for....

If not the sm7, there are plenty of $500-ish choices out there... and all would pair well with the Great River pre.
Oktavamod 319, sm7b, AT 4047... Kel hm2d, etc... the list goes on..

[johndykstra]

Originally Posted by Saint Audio

Dude, for a great all-round vocal condenser, you can't look past the Rode NT-3.

Velvety deep lows, creamy mids, and sensual hypnotising top end.

Combine the NT-3 with a pre-amp from the Behringer VINTAGER series, and you're in business. The Behringer pre-amp has all the fatness and warmth any engineer could want.

Even better for vocals: 2 x NT-3 in a spaced pair configuration. Into 4 Behringer preamps connected in series. This is the FATTEST and WARMEST and MOST SPACIOUS vocal sound you're ever likely to hear.

If you hurry, you can probably get 2 x NT-3s and 4 Behringer pre-amps for less than $3000.

!

[dan p]

Pearlman Tm1!My other mic is a u87ai.Cant go wrong with the Tm1.TM2 is cheaper and gets great reviews.Dont have the tm2 but you wont find a bad review of either mic.Check for yourself!Good luck Ay!

Dan P