Which microphone?

[chadd]

I'm working on a project with a female vocalist. I only have an SM58, an SM81, and a CAD Equitek E200. My mic preamp is a Grace Lunatec V2. I bought the E200 10 years ago because it works well with my voice, but it's terrible for hers. The Shures aren't much better, so I'm looking to buy a microphone suited to her.

She has an alto range, strong and not very breathy. The material is yet to be determined, but will probably be ballads with minimal acoustic instrument accompaniment. The recording space is a bedroom project studio with good acoustic treatment, but little environmental isolation, so cardiod or super-cardioid might be prefered. Budget is $500 if it only works for her voice, or up to $1000 if it's flexible enough to work well on stringed instruments and/or is better than the E200 on my own baritone voice.

So my two questions are:
1. Which mics would you try first?
2. If you're in the Los Angeles area, can you recommend a retailer where we can audition her voice through several microphones before purchasing?

Thanks!

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by chadd

I'm working on a project with a female vocalist. I only have an SM58, an SM81, and a CAD Equitek E200. My mic preamp is a Grace Lunatec V2. I bought the E200 10 years ago because it works well with my voice, but it's terrible for hers. The Shures aren't much better, so I'm looking to buy a microphone suited to her.

She has an alto range, strong and not very breathy. The material is yet to be determined, but will probably be ballads with minimal acoustic instrument accompaniment. The recording space is a bedroom project studio with good acoustic treatment, but little environmental isolation, so cardiod or super-cardioid might be prefered. Budget is $500 if it only works for her voice, or up to $1000 if it's flexible enough to work well on stringed instruments and/or is better than the E200 on my own baritone voice.

So my two questions are:
1. Which mics would you try first?
2. If you're in the Los Angeles area, can you recommend a retailer where we can audition her voice through several microphones before purchasing?

Thanks!

Personally I would look at the AKG C414B-XLII as a good multipurpose (multi-pattern) mic. But of course all of this is completely subjective... no one can tell you what the best would be; we can just state what we like on our projects. Also for $1000 I love the Audio-Technica AT4060 Tube Microphone. If you are just using it for her voice and you want a mic for around $500-$600, AND you want a mic that can be used in a live setting, I like the Neumann KMS-105.... it is a supercardioid mic. JMHO.

In the L.A. area??
Try West LA Music.

Cheers,
J.D.

[pkautzsch]

First I'd think of a Neumann TLM 103.
It's cardioid, it's quite universally usable (at least for an LDC), and it is said to sound "sort of" U87 (though not quite THE SAME as the U87). But it's at the very top end of your budget - maybe you can get a used one?

If it's to be a tube mic you might want to try the Oktava MKL2500 which I have successfully used for female jazz vocals as well as sax/trp/pos soloists in a big band context - and even for a slightly shrill classical soprano which is about the most difficult thing to record.

And there's a lot of China mics. For my part I don't really like them, but there are lots of people thinking different from me. Here in Gearslutz I've read good things about Studio Projects and SE - try a search.

[De chromium cob]

Try a AT4047 ($350 used on Ebay)
Beyer M500 (about the same as above)
Shure SM7 every studio should have one IMO and they're only around $300 or so, less used.
Ribbons would be my first go to on the vocal you describe.....(M500)

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by De chromium cob

Try a AT4047 ($350 used on Ebay)
Beyer M500 (about the same as above)
Shure SM7 every studio should have one IMO and they're only around $300 or so, less used
Ribbons would be my first go to on the vocal you describe.....(M500)

I totally agree with the AT4047 (have two) and the SM7 (can't believe how many hit recordings this mic is used on -- it really holds its own)...

haven't heard the Beyer.


j.d.

[TonyBelmont]

Can you post a snippet of her voice?

[chadd]

Thanks for the suggestions. I hope to post an audio snippet of her voice from our preproduction work in a few days.

[nathanvacha]

SM7 like suggested, or Sennheiser md421. They're both versatile dynamics for 250-300 that will save you in many situations and are easier to use in compromised recording spaces. Acoustic instruments? eh, probably not, but either one could sound great on both of your voices. ymmvbnm (your mileage may vary, but not much)

[chadd]

Here is a snippet of her voice. The chain was Shure SM81 > Grace Lunatec V2 > Mytek Workstation20 > Digital Performer. There is no compression or EQ, just a little volume automation. Caveats: This is just preproduction and the she was fairly tired, etc...

[u b k]

sm7 is a pretty safe choice.

also, i have to say that to my ears the 421 sounds horrendous on voice (the top is raspy and strident), but it definitely is a versatile instrument mic.


gregoire
del ubik

[chadd]

Thanks for all the ideas! Based on your responses and my browsing the forum archives, I have 13 candidates:

SM7B
RE20
MD421
MD441
AT4047
AT4050
AT4060
KMS-105
TLM 103
KSM44
C414
SE2200-A
CAD VSM
U195

I've decided to limit it to models currently in production so I can try them out on her before buying. Thirteen is too many to try out in a store, so maybe you folks can help me come up with the top 4 or 5 that you'd try now that you've heard her voice. The SM7 has been mentioned so many times that it will definitely be on the short list.

[chadd]

Does anyone know of a place in L.A. where I could try out a Beyer M500 or Oktava MKL2500?

[iziphonics]

I'd look for a Brauner Phantom C (I belive it's possible to get used for 1000$) . It would certainly work on both her voice and stringed instruments.

[Mr Funk]

I would say you need a smooth sounding mic, but that has some excitment to it.

Not really sure what to suggest, but in needs to have some sheen, but also plaenty of body.

A Peluso 251 would do I think, but it's over the budget. I think one of the ADK mics or the Rode K2 would work. Or even the Studio Projects T3.

[Jazzy Alz]

akg c414
sm7
sm57
at 4033
rode k2
and all the others......

[magellan]

my favorite on your list is the at4060 - very versatile; great on vocals and acoustic instruments.