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Favorite Vocal Mics?


Johnbee58

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Rode NT1000. Coming up on having it 15 years.

I used to work in the pro audio department of GC and had the freedom to a/b a bunch of mics in their studio. I put the Rode up against Shure and Blue and found it just as responsive and 'colorless' as the others, but a slight bit quieter. The lower price made the deal for me.

Since then, I've had an opportunity to work with their customer service department and they are awesome! They sent me a free hoodie for a mix up that wasn't even their fault! That goes a long way with me!

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These days I'm using Slate VMS because it indulges my indecision neurosis ad infinitum, but previously I had been using an ancient CAD Equitek that still sounds great. 

And if I might, here is a short story about vocals and mics: YEARS ago I was in an honest to God pro studio playing guitar for a friend of mine who was making a record.  The engineer was using a U47 for the vocal and the singer sounded phenomenal.  After we got done we had a few minutes left so I asked if I could hear myself through the mic.  Now this is the U47, The Holy Grail.  THE Mic to conqueror all mics.  This is the ONE everyone craves today.  This is the one every clone strives to be.  Originals sell for zillions of dollars.  Well, I belted out a line and I sounded terrible!  Now, I don't sound great to begin with, but through the 47 it was even worse!!  The engineer, who was a good guy, went to the mic locker and grabbed a tiny little SC made by TEAC(!) and, voila, instantly I sounded like a singer!  Moral: we all have different voices and you gotta try each mic for yourself!

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After a lot of research, I'm just about to invest in a Rode NT1.  I prefer the flatter response compared to so many other condensers that tend to boost the high end.

Next on my list is the Slate VMS... but I'm meant to be saving up for a deposit on a new house, and my wife will NOT be happy if I spend £1K on a mic!

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27 minutes ago, craigb said:

image.png.8d1706ee54b50bc38ab733dc2d255ff2.png

This poor girl doesn't even understand how to use a mic, and yet she's still very popular.  Strange how that works, ya? 😀

I'm baffled.  If she can't sing then why do you think guys come to see them?

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On 2/25/2019 at 2:05 PM, TheSteven said:

Bluebird by Blue does a nice job on my voice.
https://www.bluedesigns.com/products/bluebird-sl/

image.png.ba8979d45a7225f50b74031228e6454b.png
 

 


 

I have an older version of this. 10+ years, I'm guessing. I actually looked at your link bc the polar pattern doesn't seem normal cardioid from my experience. Or doesn't bleed quite as much as some of my ldcs. I didn't find the polar pattern on your link.

Mine is missing the high pass switch and the pad switch.

I do use it fairly often. Usually for lady singers.

The screw is broken on my shock mount so it can be hard to position.

 

....

Just found this about the pattern at Sweetwater...

The Bluebird SL offers excellent off-axis rejection, thanks to its unusually tight cardioid polar pattern.

But it isn't traditional hyper cardioid. When two musicians are playing facing each other so the blue bird has its back to the other musician, it still doesn't bleed much.

Edited by Gswitz
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On 2/25/2019 at 9:00 PM, Bapu said:

AEA R-84 Ribbon mic. It suits my voice best.

Other decent mics I have for vocal are:

1x AKG C414 B-ULS (Transformerless mod). This one seems best on female vocals

1x AKG SolidTube. If I did not have my AEA R-84 I'd use this one for me.

I LOVE ribbons. I have 2. Not the aea. Mxl and royer. And i love them even more paired with another Mic. Honestly, my ribbons are usually at a distance from my mouth. I'm a little gun shy of damaging them. I cover them during breaks.

C414 is cool. Sounds good. Adjustable polar pattern helps capture what you want. Takes a little practice.

I have a tube that has grown on me. But, for just me, i don't often break it out.

Honestly, the vocal Mic i use for me a lot is a shure sm86. It isn't fancy, but works fine.

Edited by Gswitz
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It also depends on your voice.

In MIX magazine, decades ago I read a piece on recording a female singer, I think it was Sade but I'm not sure.

Anyway they pulled out every mic in the studio's extensive closet and ended up using a Sure Beta 58 because it made her sound the best.

So what the best mic for me may not be the best mic for you and vice versa.

Insights and incites by Notes

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41 minutes ago, Notes_Norton said:

It also depends on your voice.

In MIX magazine, decades ago I read a piece on recording a female singer, I think it was Sade but I'm not sure.

Anyway they pulled out every mic in the studio's extensive closet and ended up using a Sure Beta 58 because it made her sound the best.

So what the best mic for me may not be the best mic for you and vice versa.

Insights and incites by Notes

Absolutely true.

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Too many "professionals" and "experts" tend to out-think themselves.  IMO, if it sounds good, it IS good!  (This includes music reviews too.)

Now, that said, just be sure you try the results with multiple output media.  Most of us have all created a mix that sounds great while wearing headphones only to be sorely disappointed when we play it on decent speakers or in the car! 😉

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  • 1 month later...

I recently purchased an Audio-Technica 4040 and I love that mic.  I was thinking about getting a Rode NT1, but some how I think I made out a bit better.  

I have a Shure SM7B that is a go to mic. 

Two starter mics which are my Samson CO1 and CO3 condenser mics

Finally the mic I only used once, the MXL992.

Next is an AKG C414 XLII-  I am drooling over getting this on...  saving my lunch money. 😎

Edited by jesse g
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I like the Shure  sm57  mixed with an 12 years old SE Electronics  2200 a 

via a Golden Age Pre 73 micpre (Lundahl transformer ) for  recording  vocals ,

The next step is a  Sennheiser MD441-U.

Edited by Pragi
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On 3/11/2019 at 9:59 AM, Notes_Norton said:

It also depends on your voice.

In MIX magazine, decades ago I read a piece on recording a female singer, I think it was Sade but I'm not sure.

Anyway they pulled out every mic in the studio's extensive closet and ended up using a Sure Beta 58 because it made her sound the best.

So what the best mic for me may not be the best mic for you and vice versa.

Insights and incites by Notes

Yes that was Sade, and she still uses a Sure Beta 58 to this day with her lovely voice.  Oohhh 😎

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Well John, I've heard your voice and I'd recommend a ribbon or a dynamic.

What microphone have you used in the past?

Here's my take fwiw.

Rode nt1a - has a higher noise floor than some mics, prolly great for rock n roll but maybe a problem for the jazz stuff you like to do. And it's a condenser, which accentuates the higher frequencies - not necessarily good for your voice.

Condensers such as the AT-4040 will sound good up front but will be harder to mix later on with compression and eq inside the box.

 

Some of the "radio" mics will thicken and beef up your voice - think dynamic mics like re-20 or the shure sm7b

image.png.4c5196567100b9ca5271788f9f491502.png you know how a radio voice has some deeper depth in it? These mics do that. They are not the first call for sinatra vocals but some use 'em. You will need a good preamp, or at least some cloudlifters to add gain to the preamp on your interface, if that's what you are using.

 

 

Best call for your voice would be a ribbon. I wouldn't cheap out 'cause the cheaper ribbons aren't worth it.

image.png.a14e39ed747265a9e3df25f6128a3d7c.png AEA-R84 is what I have gone to but it requires an outboard preamp and they arent cheap. But their true advantage is, after recording, you can make lots of compression and eq moves during mixing, without adding harshness as you would to a condensor mic.

 

re-20 (dynamic mic) and Cloudlifter (kind of an in-line preamp) going into your interface = $650ish

aea-R84 (expensive ribbon) and preamp that's clean with at least 70 -80db of gain = $1700 at least. More like $2000, depending on the pre-amp. Ribbons need more gain than any other mic type.

 

bewareof  recent year's Blues, some of them are made in China now and there is a difference.

 

 

hope that helps. Clear as mud! But having heard your voice, I'd go dynamic, or quality ribbon.

 

 

cheers,

-Tom

 

 

 

Edited by emeraldsoul
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