Best/Most Popular All Around 'Vocal' Mic. under $15,000?

Meaning it can capably record from a whisper to the loudest yell, from a baritone to a falsetto, from a rapper to an opera vocalist, & everything in between to the greatest degree of perfection.

I.E.: Like what the D112 is to Kick drum mic's. Or, what the SM57 is to snare drum ,or guitar amp mic's. This is all pretty much cost no option with what is the comparable mic. for 'all' around vocals. I'm thinking Brauner VM1, Sony C800G, AKG C12, Neumann U87, AKG C414, Audio Technica AT4050, or anything else that comes to mind.

A 777 Subject.

new mic, elam 251.


But the Magmic holds its own for much less $$$. In fact, it is under 3k and the best tube mic you will get for that $$$>

84, I've heard you say this before, and it just boggles my mind that anything built in a flashlight is that good :-)

I would trial one, but I think they are made to order. In fact, I am LDC shopping atm.

If you're talking BEST at (essentially) no price limit, I don't think this will be anywhere near the list.

BUT, the top three tends to read something like:

-251
-AKG C12
-U47

The order changes depending on who you ask. Me, I think a 251 takes the prize.

Though i am not familiar with it, would buying the blue bottle along with all bottle caps be an option? that should be under $15K and i would assume with all 8 caps it would give a variety of different sounds for different uses.

You have one, don't you.... you live in Chi... have a 251... You aren't Bruce B.'s buddy, are ya?

My vote would have to be for a Neuman m249. Better top end than a 47, and without the midrange peaks of the c12 or 251. Best of both worlds kind of a thing... ya know?

i think the elam 251 would have something to say about the d112 on the kick, or to any other mic on vox!

you want the most expensive??...various mics work best for need/application
for $$15k you can get a few excellent mics
Dont dis the MagMic just because Stayne didnt spend a lot for the case...why should he when Maglights are made in vast quantity??and the expense is in the electronics and capsule....plus its cool and a great topic of conversation

one mic? for everything?...hell Korby Kat set comes to mind. one mic, 5 heads. C800, 251, C12, U47, U67

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/gear-shoot-outs-sound-file-comparisons-audio-tests/35059-u67-u47-korby-kat4-shopping-shootout.html


and 15k+ for one mic? I'm on the wrong end of the businessheh

Under 15k??!?
Geez, there aren't a whole lotta mics OVER 15k...
I've got a 57 that was once in the same city that Jimi Hendrix might have once been in that I'll sell you for a mere 15.1k...heh

With 15K, I would get a pair of U67's. But I'll never bad mouth a good 251.

Steve

Hell, with $15k you could get a matched pair of Telefunken USA Elam 251 E's or a 251 and their U-47, and still have money left over for dinner.

15 k for one mic is quite a non-sense, if we talk recording music (not collecting).
From pure practice and many mics tried and owned, practically all bases are covered with:

Wagner 47 + Brauner VM1 KHE + Korby 67/251 (together mere 20 k)

I can't remember case when at least one of these mics didn't put smile on my face with various vocalists.

or on other side 15k is good starting point to save for real ELAM251, if money is no object.

i'd say to go for a VM1-KHE and some mics that fill out your collection...for instance, if you have nothing in the ribbon department, spend the extra dough on a ribbon mic and a good quiet preamp for it. however, the KHE is no longer made and i don't think anyone that's got one (or in a couple of cases, five) is selling their mic any time soon.

I have nice pair, as new, for 30 k. heh

Anyone?

No thank you.

I have mine and I am quite happy

A Didrik de Geer perhaps?

Chicago, yes... 251, yes... A few friends named Bruce, yes... But I don't think I've ever mentioned any of them here at GS.

For 15k you can get a Korby set of 4, have them each tuned to your liking ... a Martech MSS-10 pre for clean and something colorful like a V72/V76 ... and an ASB mono or TT CL1b compressor.

The BEST all around vocal mic.....

Regardless of budget, you would be hard pressed to get a bad vocal out of a good U87... Sure it's not the super sexy ELAM251 that others have mentioned. But, I can think of several situations where I wouldn't want to use an ELAM...

I can't think of a situation where the typical U87 wouldn't work.

Rode NTK

I know. Hard to believe. But it just sounds that great. best under 3k tube mic I've had the pleasure to use.

A stock 67 in good shape is another universal choice. They both sound best without a pop screen.

If your in K67/87 land I should re-iterate the innerTube U87 seems to me as the best of both worlds. Bob O, I've read before how you like an unmodded U67 eq'd with some hi's (me too), but you seriously ought to test drive this sucker - you'd love it.

I think the choice will come down to either a Brauner VM-1 Klaus Heyne, or Telefunken Ela M251AC.

A 777 Subject.

so the 251 is the "best" microphone just 'cus it's the most expensive...... ??

Absolutely heh

777,

When do you need the mic? I ask because it might take Telefunken a while to make it, so it it's something you need say next week, then I would doubt is they would have it done by then.

Might want to check out a Brauner VMA as well. It is tuned like a VM-1, but then it has another setting (a B setting where I think the mic rebiases) and it sounds much different. My pops ownes one and finds the VM-1 setting to work great on female vox, while the other setting works better for most male vox. It turns the ultra transparent highs in to something more fuzzy and pleasing (the b setting that is).

I tried it against a slew of 87s and 67s, and It sounded like it was worth more money than all of those mics put together.

I doubt people here are that goofy. Even in TN's blind mic shootout the Tele was the #1 pick by a landslide - it really stood out. TN will be the first to say not to pick a mic based on this, but at the very least it shows the Tele to stand out even without it's badge and price tag.