Hi there, I need help choosing a new mic.
I sing rock vocals and play rhythm guitar.
I don’t have loud vocals and my voice does not cut thru the mix. We are a garage band with ok gear but nothing high end so no big budget mics please.
SM58 is the go to mic but I was wondering if there is better. I was looking at the beta58, Sennheiser e845, Electro-Voice N/D767a.
What do you guys think?

The best advice would be to try them out and see what works for you and your voice.

There are other things that will help a whole lot: good microphone technique (keeping it consistently close and properly oriented), controlling stage volume and levels in general, and making sure your arrangement doesn't have other sound stomping over the vocals...and maybe even taking a few voice lessons to improve your vocal technique, assuming you haven't done that already. Really, the voice lessons might be the most valuable of all.

Sennheiser mics need more gain than SM58, I don't think it will suit yours. While you're on the hunt to the nearest store, try Heil PR20 and SE Electronics V7 as well.

I agree that I would need voice lessons.
It’s like I forgot how to breathe.
At the end of high school I could sing Green Day, Nofx and Nirvana and keep going, I am 42 and still playing the same kind of music, but at the end of our session I am played out, can’t finish the song depending on the pitch.
I had a SM58 for a while, the other signers in the band would overpower me.
Now I am signing with a turd of a mic.
Need the change even if I take lessons.
The music store where I live does not have a super inventory, I will probably have to order it online if it’s not a Shure.

For a while I was using a Beyer m69 onstage for mostly backing vocals. The m69 has the tightest pattern of any mic I’ve used personally, which means you have to stay right on it.

But because it’s so tight you may be able to crank it high enough for soft vocals.

It’s hypercardiod, so you’d want your stage monitor coming in at an angle, not directly in front of the mic

no one can tell - try a few mics to find out if there's one which suits your voice better; could be though that you don't need another mic but look at other gear in the signal path - and how are your (band's) mixing skills?

Mixing skills are ok, the drummer takes care of the mics while we play. Our mixer isn’t that elaborate.
My present mic feedsback a lot. I don’t have the SM58 anymore.
Once I used a sm57 borrowed from a drummer, I actually thought that it wasn’t half bad so If I pick the right mic I might actually sound half decent.

feedback can stem from various issues: mic pattern, mic handling, mic positioning, mic sensitivity, mic output, preamp gain setting, level mismatch etc.

a tight pattern can help to keep it down, a hot output too so you don't need to crank up the gain - maybe you wanna try a telefunken m81? i have been using it on various singers on loud stages and could always get them through...

People have already made good suggestions. I will add Telefunken M80 (Tame Impala). The singer does not have a powerful voice and the mic has a fair amount of high mid "cut" to it, similar to 58 but probably better sounding. Any clearer-sounding mic will make you sound louder even if you are not technically louder. No mic is going to help your vocal stamina, but a better, clearer-sounding mic will mean you will probably not have to work so hard.

If you wanna keep playing in bands and singing, eventually you're gonna have to get better at it. It might as well be now. You can start by learning to sing while playing without looking down at your guitar. That will help you stay right up on the mic. And the mic might as well be a 58, because at just about any place that has its own PA, they'll have 58's.

For now, I think I will stick to a Cardioid mic since I'm not always right on the mic, it might be my best bet.

I am narrowing it down, but I am still open to suggestions.

(Prices in Canadian, just for reference)
Shure SM58 120$
Electro-Voice ND76 120$
Audix OM2 137$
sE Electronics V7 140$
Heil PR20 Vocal 200$
Sennheiser e935 230$

Out of that list IMHO... EV ND76 or 767a.
Chris

Also want to mention Miktek PM9 ($199). Singer came into our venue with one and it was nearly as clear as our Sennheiser MD 431II, which was more than twice as expensive.

MBHO 219c/sc, the last mic you will probably need to buy. Will cut through like a Samurai sword and sound really good doing it, accurate sound with good Feedback performance.

But even if you decide to stick with a 58 I suggest you buy your own mic instead of sucking everybody’s spit off venue owned microphones...

Been singing for a long time in bands and done thousands of gigs on many stages with varying mics. For live use, my absolute fav is Beta 58. They cut through a little better than 58 and u can push them a little louder without feedback. The perfect live mic in my view that sounds decent on everyone.

but the most important thing IMO is improving sound source (your voice).

You mentioned that when you were younger you could sing and not be fatigued but now you are having issues.

When we're young we can get away with alot...because....well, we're young.

When you were in school you probably sang in music class and maybe even chorus, did what your teacher said, and all was well.

After being away from "guided singing" people sometimes develop bad habits (breathing incorrectly, lost chest voice / head voice focus, etc.) that came naturally to you when you were younger.

Do you (or did you) smoke? Young people can get away with smoking and still sing ok....add a few years and the smoking will come back to bite you..

I would work on your instrument (voice) first with a few lessons (and practice)..... then start looking at gear..

An sm58 should be all that you need if your voice is ok.

Like mic'ing a drum kit: it is way easier to get a good drum kit sound when mic'ing a drum kit that sounds good to begin with.....

In one of the bands I work with the bass player is very week because of the high register backing vocals he does. Tried a few things and settled on the SE for him. Huge improvement. Can't recommend it enough. Great feedback rejection as well with properly angled monitors.

I think I will go with the sE Electronics V7.
Here in Canada they seem to be sold out all over, that can't be a bad thing!
I will order it in January and let you guys know how it is compared to my crappy old temporary mic, the SM58 my bass player sings with and the sEV7.
I still have time to change my mind but seems to be a half-decent mic for the price, if I can find one at least.
Thanks guys your your input, greatly appreciated!!

In case you want better than okay, check this thread, and watch the video:
Mbho mbd 219 sc

My brother, I would suggest spending that new mic money on an Xr18 or a digital mixer. The reality is that a good mix can make all the difference. A little compression, a dca to better control the band volume, and some reverb to put the backing vocals in place, and voila you have a brand new sound. If you have any questions feel free to hit me up I'm here to help.

Peace & Love,
Xavier Henderson
SoulfulofNoise

Thing is, you can only mix what you get, and you can’t miraculously make good mixes when your sources don’t sound good, especially with a cheap, less than great sounding mixer. Can’t happen....no way, no how.

Of that list definitely the N/D767a, but they're not as rugged as the Beta58. If I ran a shop with every mic to chose from, I'd let you try them all, and I bet you'd settle on an Audix OM5. The voice and the mic technique will determine in the end, but that's my bet.

I hunted for the 767, they seem to be discontinued and replaced by the 76.
In other posts they are not the same mics.
Can someone confirm?

I second the Heil PR20 - it cuts through better than an sm58

Last year I was touring (FOH) with an amazing band.

https://youtu.be/LUB5552HkT4

The drummer has the loudest kick and snare I ever heard; the keyboardist plays bass lines with an electric piano into a 2x18 bass cabinet and two wedges; two heavy distorted guitars blasting on the stage; and the vocalist (who also plays acoustic guitar thru an amp) sings so weakly despite the explosive band behind him.

Oh, and the vocal sound need to be always distorted (I used a Jhs Clour Box at FOH position).

This hell has been tamed thanks to Audix Om7.

This is an amazing mic.
You just turn up the fader and it simply sounds good.
It has just the right focus.
It is a directional mic but he surprisingly have less proximity effect than wider mics.
It has an extremely good rejection to feedback so you can turn it very loud in the monitor speakers (you need two speakers or one off axis speaker to take full advantage of its hypercardioid pattern).
It is very directive so you have to get used to sing directly into it but as soon as you hear all the benefits you will learn quick.

I used this very mic in the studio too, recording guide vocals live in the room with the band.

It sounds like I'm involved with Audix but I'm not.
This mic just saved my life a lot of times!

Another very good rock vocal mic is Shure Beta 57, in my opinion.

Hope It helps...