Here's a Clip of me on a SM7b, recommend 3 vocal condensers to try

[sonic dogg]

Advanced Audio line of mics. Check em out. Kel mics. Check em out. ADK. Audio Technica. All have mics in your budget and all have outstanding sounding pieces.

[Oldone]

With your upper midrange emphasis, I would take a look at this...Telefunken AK47 and a CL1B or 1176.

[andreaeffe]

Originally Posted by Oldone

With your upper midrange emphasis, I would take a look at this...Telefunken AK47 and a CL1B or 1176.

Eh eh eh - if U manage to find that combination/chain of gear for under 1000 (I suppose USD) as the OP stated he was looking to spend, please DO send me a link to the store/dealer - I'll buy two of each!


To the OP:

I'd suggest some really good mics that have already been mentioned here, that will give U that LDC "size & airyness" that U seem to be looking for, and that btw will save U almost half (or even more) of your budget:

-on the tube side, for a somewhat warmer & very articulated sound try an AA CM47 or CM 67, or the excellent Charter Oak 538, or a Stellar CM6, or a CAD M9; for a brighter sound try a Rode K9 or a SE Gemini / 5600; for something inbetween try an M-Audio Sputnik

-on the solid state/FET side, for a flatter & more neutral sound try an AA CM87, or an SE 4400A, or a Shure KSM 32 / 42 / 44, or the new Sennheiser MK4; or the very "pro-vocal voiced" KEL HM7U; for a somewhat brighter sound try an SE 2200, or a Sontronics Saturn; for a markedly darker & smokier sound try an AT 4047.

Happy shopping,

A
F

[Oldone]

Well he mentioned he would go to $1600 possibly which would get him the mic, the compressors were just a suggestion, not meant to be in that budget.

[shawntp]

Thanks for your time and recommendations. I would be willing to spend up to $1000 on something new but I would go higher (up to 1600-ish) to tap into some of those higher end mics if I were buying one used where it would hold its value.

As I work on my vocals I find I do have a voice that pushes more in that upper range (maybe I would say comes out a little harsh and thin in that range). Working to sound less nasal and open the mouth up more. I want to be able to get that delicate dynamic and breath/air which I cant seem to find. In all I think the SM7b just makes all my vocal limitations worse but the problems reside in the singer (me).

Probably something warmer and airier would benefit me, I see some of these are tube mics which were not even on my radar. Thanks again.

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by shawntp

Probably something warmer and airier would benefit me, I see some of these are tube mics which were not even on my radar. Thanks again.

...as andreaeffe recommended, the AA CM-47 or the Stellar CM-6 are excellent options, based on your request...search "Stellar CM-6" here on GS, as there's many threads with sound clips and diverse opinions...of these two tube mics, the CM-6 is more "airy" and "detailed", while the CM-47 is a bit "thicker" and slightly "darker"...for the price the CM-6 is the best value without cutting corners quality wise...

[Aingell]

The USBPre 2 sounds really good to me.

[gutr2]

With all due respect, I suggest you learn about gain staging and mic positioning / techniques. Your recording showed flaws in at least those two areas.
I don't mean to be rude, just trying to help you. :o)

[shawntp]

No - I acknowledge and accept this criticism. I am not doing something right for sure. Honestly I have no vocal recording experience at all. I have been doing home recording for about 5 years and up until now only really tracked instrumentals with electric/acoustic guitars and sequenced midi tracks.

I bought the SM7b because I liked it on guitar cabs over a 57 and thought I could use it if I ever started doing vocals. I just started singing for the first time since high school choir 6 weeks ago so I have only even sung into a mic a handful of times. I definitely have some learning and need to put some time in.

I might try and track this again and spend a little more time with gain and distance. I feel like when I am close it sounds big and full but I clip it easy, and when I move away it doesn't sound the same unless I change the way I sing. Singing into a mic is a skill all in its own.

[doncaparker]

Originally Posted by shawntp

Singing into a mic is a skill all in its own.

I want to share a few thoughts with you. Please take these as efforts to help.

First, you are probably not a bad singer, but you did not give a great performance on this particular recording, and that is not the fault of the recording equipment (at least not completely). I bet you can sing better than that when you relax and give it your best. You had a tenuous, unsure tone, some pitch problems, and it sounded like you were uncomfortable.

If Producer X were trying to pull the best performance out of you, he would probably figure out ways for you to not be intimidated by that mic staring you in the face, and the red "record" light, etc. All of that pressure can kill the performance, as it did here. Well, YOU are Producer X, so you need to figure out ways that you can give the best performance possible without the recording process getting in the way.

One gear-related suggestion I would make is for you to use a large diaphragm condenser, but not just for the tone-related reasons that caused you to start this thread. Yes, a condenser will sound different, but it also will allow you to sing without worrying about where you are in relation to the mic. See, the Shure SM7b is fantastic at picking up only what is right in front of it, and when I say right in front, I mean right in front. Unless you are eating that mic, it will not pick up your voice very well. So, as a singer, you have to constantly keep yourself on the mic, on the mic, on the mic, while at the same time look at your sheet music, put some emotion into the performance, not cause plosives or excessive sibilance, stay on tempo and on pitch . . . it can be a lot to keep going at once. Plus, if you are unsure of yourself, it can feel weird to be that close to the mic. Unsure singers tend to have a love/hate thing with the mic.

If you use a condenser, on the other hand, you can afford to back off the mic a lot more. You can even put it a bit above your head and in front of you, and just get it out of your line of sight, so you can focus on singing your ass off instead of where your mouth is in relation to the mic. This can be very liberating for the singer! If you can get a multi-pattern LDC, you can experiment with polar patterns and see what give you the right tone while still allowing you to have some distance between you and the mic.

Now, understand that there are definitely singers out there who love working the mic. That's cool, too, but you sound like you are not one of those folks. So, don't try to be. You don't have to be.

Good luck.

[Ward Pike]

Knowing that you recorded it on an SM7 into a USB pre/interface helps a lot. A great microphone preamp and compressor such as an 1176 or a CL1b would definitely help a lot. However, I can hear what you're looking for in your vocal and based on your desired sound, can offer some free advice.
(remember, you get what you pay for)

A TLM102 will be wonderful on your voice. It will bring out a lot of top end, crispness, air and that will get you there the cheapest way. (insanely great on acoustic guitar and percussion too, so it's win win win)

A TLM49 will do very little for your voice. Yes, you'll get crispness and air but not only is the TLM49 a voice-over microphone, but it makes vocals sound like that too... it really takes the song out of the voice with some singers in your style.

A U87 (old sucker) will really give you what you want but you won't get one for less than $2000 that's in good shape and sounds like it.

A U87ai (new one) won't do much more for you than the 102 will, for 3 to 5 times the price used.

A BLUE Kiwi would be really nice, a step above both the U87ai and the TLM102 for your voice type. Used, you can get for about $1400 and they are worth every penny.

I have all the above and have worked with many voices like yours, so I hope this will be helpful.

Kindest regards and best of luck,

Ward

[shawntp]

Thanks all for the comments & recommendations! I will try to audition what I can and work more at this.

[gutr2]

Good luck man :o)

[tha]-[acksaw]

I'm really not sure there is anything wrong with your choice of mic. As other's have said, you could work on technique a bit. But if you sent me that raw vocal just the way it is now, I could use a little compression and a little EQ and that vocal would sound a good deal better.

You're voice and the SM7b is not a problem, IMHO. Save your money.

[chessparov]

On that clip you sound MUCH more like a tenor-not a bari.

Your tone is exceptional, and with some further basic vocal technique it ought
to match that up better to give that justice.

IMHO another excellent option beside the TLM102 (agree w/Ward), is the Studio Projects CS series, which wouldn't set you back many $$.
Am biased since the CS edged the 102 on me, but either one sounded excellent.

I think the UA 710 would be a nice choice of a pre on your voice too,
partly due to the unit's tonal "blend" flexibility.

Chris

[thenoodle]

Couple of observations and clips to reference.

To me, the op has a sort of Ronnie Dunn type voice. Here's Ronnie at 2 seconds until say, 10 seconds, working the mic on some song or other. By the way, what is the mic?-
Ronnie Dunn - reba recording session DUETS - YouTube

And, here's the final mix of that snip at 3:02 for context-
Reba McEntire -Does The Wind Still Blow In Oklahoma Lyrics - YouTube

Mic, technique, and mixing are all gonna contribute to what you end up with. The booth itself is pretty crummy sounding but in some ways, no worse than the soundcloud op example.

[Ward Pike]

FYI, they're both singing into vintage AKG C12 microphones.

[thenoodle]

Originally Posted by Ward Pike

FYI, they're both singing into vintage AKG C12 microphones.

Shows what I know about old mics. I thought old c12s had a different mesh and more of a nickel plated type body.

[thepilgrimsdream]

I would suggest getting a preamp that will bring out the best in your mic.

An la-610 channel strip would be killer, could probably get one and a blue dragonfly for under $1600

[2pulse]

Originally Posted by Ward Pike

FYI, they're both singing into vintage AKG C12 microphones.

It's a pair of Telefunken ELA M 251's.

[shawntp]

Thanks guys!

My interest is also peaked looking at the Gefell M930. To be honest I was mostly thinking of picking up a TLM102 or U87 depending on what I could find and just to try to see what I can get done.

I am just catching up on the U87 threads thinking it was just an easy high-quality pick that works well most of the time but now the whole vintage U87 vs U87ai. I was going to see what I could find used but the whole vintage (and worrying about issues/etc) vs U87ai is sort of daunting.

[shawntp]

So as I was looking at the Gefell M930 I also was turned onto the UM70S (with transformer) - I am tracking one for sale right now a bit under $1000. I see the Gefells are in the same tonal camp and stacks up well against the Neumann condensers for less dough.

[mowmow]

I'd consider better mic pre first because you have nice mics but it doesn't sounds like you are getting full potential from them.
Either Grace101 or Forcusrite ISA ONE should make it better.
Make sure your micing is done correctly.
Then I'd consider TLM102 or AT4033 for different color.

[piperopigeon]

If you like the rich and creamy thing you can't go wrong with a Miktek cv4. Not for everyone, but on your voice I think it would sound great. $1,400 and worth every penny.