Home Studio Vocal mic?

[Pathfinder]

I did search but didn't find threads to help my decision. I tend to like the warmth and sound of a Large Diaphragm  Tube Condenser mic for MY vocals .

Presently have a NON tube NEW WA87r2 but really want a tube mic. Was an impulse buy. Supposedly it is a warm audio WA-67 non tube version of the 67.

I also like Warm audio mics but doesn't have to be. My budget for the mic is $1,000. I do have a warm audio wa12 mic pre also.

*****************any suggestions would be appreciated---I do mean any, I open to all suggestions.....I was looking at the Warm Audio WA-47. Why do they make their mics so huge? The originals they model are NEVER as huge.

-BTW, too late by 10 days, to return the WA87r2 and I am a VERY GOOD Sweetwater customer (have had platinum card forever) for 20 years. Kind of made me mad but it is what it is.

Thanks as Always

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Pathfinder

[Glenn Stanton]

couple of odd ones: Avantone CV-12 - way below budget but might be useful to have in your mic cabinet as a multi-pattern - so maybe a pair. Behringer B-2 Pro - way below budget and not a tube mic. however, i've have had many vocalists (meaning people who can really sing 🙂 ) complement how good they sound when recorded or using it live. i've seen a couple people comment on a B-2 lemon they got, but many more praising it. 

lastly, close to your budget (but it's a Warm product 😉 ) the Warm Audio WA-251 - i've haven't personally used it but i know a few people who have and for the right voice, it delivers. if i was going to buy a new tube mic, i'd probably start with this one unless i won the lottery and could afford a better one 👁️‍🗨️

Edited November 25, 2023 by Glenn Stanton

[DeeringAmps]

I’ve owned “budget” tube mics and a Bock Audio 250 (3k ish). I’ve finally settled on the TLM103 (not tube). Came to the realization that tube mics, for my voice at least, are more work than they are worth (for me).

YMMV

t

I hear good things about the TLM102. 
I’d love to own a U87, but pretty sure the bang for the buck wouldn’t be there for my voice.

[Pathfinder]

1 hour ago, DeeringAmps said:

I’ve owned “budget” tube mics and a Bock Audio 250 (3k ish). I’ve finally settled on the TLM103 (not tube). Came to the realization that tube mics, for my voice at least, are more work than they are worth (for me).

YMMV

t

I hear good things about the TLM102. 
I’d love to own a U87, but pretty sure the bang for the buck wouldn’t be there for my voice.

I had a Stellar CM5 LDC tube mic, which IMHO, was the same guy that runs warm audio but that's another story. Like an idiot, I sold it. But I have owned many mics. I am not sure what you consider budget, but for me, $1,000 is not a budget mic. I know for actual studios that is a budget mic. 
I am in a small spare bedroom at home.

Also, I have found that LDC Tube mics suit my voice better that a non-tube. But like I said if I could afford a higher end non-tube mic I would get one. I think that's the difference for me. It's all about budget and for my $$$ and style, the warm Audio LCD tube mics in the $1k range are better "for me" than any non-tube mic under $1.5K.
I appreciate your input always, here and in other threads. 
Thanks

Edited November 26, 2023 by Pathfinder

[Pathfinder]

7 hours ago, Glenn Stanton said:

couple of odd ones: Avantone CV-12 - way below budget but might be useful to have in your mic cabinet as a multi-pattern - so maybe a pair. Behringer B-2 Pro - way below budget and not a tube mic. however, i've have had many vocalists (meaning people who can really sing 🙂 ) complement how good they sound when recorded or using it live. i've seen a couple people comment on a B-2 lemon they got, but many more praising it. 

lastly, close to your budget (but it's a Warm product 😉 ) the Warm Audio WA-251 - i've haven't personally used it but i know a few people who have and for the right voice, it delivers. if i was going to buy a new tube mic, i'd probably start with this one unless i won the lottery and could afford a better one 👁️‍🗨️

The wa-251 is one of the mics I am looking at. That and the WA-47 and WA-CX12.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Pathfinder

[Will.]

Nothing wrong with the old faithful that broke all doors with home studios - Samson CO1 or the CO3. I still have both and do use them often, but the RodeNT1 is my favorite. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Will.

[John Bradley]

Same here. Been happily using my Rode NT1 since the late ‘90s. Best $200-300 I’ve ever spent.

[Max Arwood]

Some over budget - But I love this mic -> Mojave MA300-MA200 series  - I know it's not a guy singing, but a good demo of what it can capture. 200=$1000 300-$1300 (Religious Content Warning) Nice how it sits on top of the SM7 later in the video

 

[whoisp]

Weird you say this , i used my friends  Telefunken tf 11 he got for under £1000 and was missing so much warmth compared to my £200 e865 Sennheiser which i prefer using than my  Shure KSM44A but i still like my Shure SM7B rip off lol 

He rates his AKG C414 XLII and United Studio Technologies FET47 but i think the money was confusing his ears but maybe the Fet47 i would get use to

[Mwah]

Vocal mics can be extremely personal thing, especially if you’re the one recording and mixing your own voice.

Personally, I’ve been through a lot of great cheap-ish and mid-price-ish mics, tube and solid state, including Mojave MA300, AKG C414 (don’t remember the variation), Antelope Audio Edge Solo, and Austrian Audio OC18. I have a soft-ish baritone voice that’s not an easy one to record, at least not with my (admittedly less than professional) recording/mixing skills. I’ve also gone through a few mic preamps: RME Fireface 800, GAP PRE-73, Focusrite ISA One being the lastest I’ve tried.

Anyway, last summer I sort of impulse bought an used sE Electronics SE2200T mic – a discontinued tube variation of a more common solid state model – and with my current interface/preamp (SSL 12) seems to be a perfect combination for my voice. ( I did switch the original ECC83/12AX7 tube for a JJ Electronics ECC803, but the difference that may made is probably pretty minimal.) There’s much less need for eq’ing, even though good dose of compression during mixing is still a good idea.

A more proficient engineer probably would have gotten great and even better results with any of the hardware I used to have, and an important part of the good results may well be me getting better with recording and mixing.

So, my advice here (if you can call this that) is that you may be needing time to test several mic/preamp combinations before you find the ”golden one” for your particular voice and preferences. If you can get loaners from friends/shops/studios to try, it’ll be much cheaper than buying and re-selling stuff.

Good luck!

 

[Alan Tubbs]

I’ve got the Warm 47 and it is pretty good vox mix.  The 251 is better still, esp for vocals, tho that is what I’ve heard from others, not from use (tho one studio I’ve used us to have one and it was great on female vox).  Chad at signal arts tricks them out as well as makes his own mics.  He used to be with warm and helped design their 47.  That would be a $1000 solution or so.  I’ve been meaning to send in my 47.  He has over your budget 47s and 250s he makes but under your budget FET 47 etc.

another great all around eq in your price range is the microtech m930.  It is made by the Neumann 2nd factory set up during wwii when Berlin was problematic.  The ruskies overran it and east Germany continued to make mics with the original m 7 capsule.  The m930 uses their modern make.  It looks like a baby Neumann but has a big sound.  What you put in comes out so much change and I haven’t found anything it doesn’t work on, including vocals.

 

another story is most studios used small diaphragm mics for vocals back in the day, but people walked off with them.  They couldn’t do that with 47s etc.  and Ive used the small oktava mc 012 for primarily female vox.  Works great and is another all rounder for most instruments.

[Will.]

To some degree i guess. Personally for me its what punch the mic can take. All 3 mics I have mentioned above can take a punch with a choir. I also own the M-Audio Nova which is great for backing vocals and leads on RnB and Pop. The At2035 is a perfect mic on acoustic music. My approach on mics: I buy mics according to where it fits the best. I can take anyone of them and record my own voice and will sound great, but like I've said above, the NT1 is an all rounder! 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Will.

[datadog]

For tube mics, I like and own the Warm Audio WA47 & WA67 with the 67 being a bit smoother. Neither is a real dark sounding mic in my opinion; both have that vintage character and are well under a grand. My new favorite tube mic is the Vanguard Audio Labs V13. It is fabulous on just about everything with an in your face beefy sound. The gen2 versions have updated components at about $1100. Also, their V44S gen2 Stereo FET Large diaphragm sounds fantastic at about $1200. It can be set up for M/S, X-Y, Blumlein and other stereo patterns or just used as a mono mic. Sales are going on now.

For cheap tube mics, the MXL Heritage HE Premium sounds good for about $500 but the shock mount is junk. This version has a JAN 6072A tube instead of a 12ATY.

 

[John Vere]

12 hours ago, Mwah said:

So, my advice here (if you can call this that) is that you may be needing time to test several mic/preamp combinations before you find the ”golden one” for your particular voice and preferences. If you can get loaners from friends/shops/studios to try, it’ll be much cheaper than buying and re-selling stuff.

Good luck!

This! It's sort of a lifelong quest. I don't have much of that left. 

[Pathfinder]

2 hours ago, datadog said:

For tube mics, I like and own the Warm Audio WA47 & WA67 with the 67 being a bit smoother. Neither is a real dark sounding mic in my opinion; both have that vintage character and are well under a grand. My new favorite tube mic is the Vanguard Audio Labs V13. It is fabulous on just about everything with an in your face beefy sound. The gen2 versions have updated components at about $1100. Also, their V44S gen2 Stereo FET Large diaphragm sounds fantastic at about $1200. It can be set up for M/S, X-Y, Blumlein and other stereo patterns or just used as a mono mic. Sales are going on now.

For cheap tube mics, the MXL Heritage HE Premium sounds good for about $500 but the shock mount is junk. This version has a JAN 6072A tube instead of a 12ATY.

 

My WA -87r2 is basically a wa-67 without the tube-according to Warm Audio!

Edited November 27, 2023 by Pathfinder

[Pathfinder]

12 hours ago, Mwah said:

So, my advice here (if you can call this that) is that you may be needing time to test several mic/preamp combinations before you find the ”golden one” for your particular voice and preferences. If you can get loaners from friends/shops/studios to try, it’ll be much cheaper than buying and re-selling stuff.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the Good Luck but I pretty much know what I want and what I can afford-which may not be the same thing.  All the tube LDC mics I have owned suited me fine-hence, I want another one and Warm Audio fits the bill for me- This thread has helped convince me of that-which is a good thing!

Thanks for the good luck wish-we all need that!   🙂 

[whoisp]

Maybe try that Fet 47, that's the only one i got on with in my friends studio maybe becuase i am use to my mics but given and man or woman's preferred key , tone and style comes into play, look MJ always used a  Shure SM7B and Shure Unisphere 565 like Freddie Mercury and that had some crazy range.  You also have A C414 was also used on Stings "Every Breath You Take" vocal with minimal circuitry and it's gorgeous. I thnk people go mad on price these days

[Alan Tubbs]

Re:  the u 87

is a FET (solid state) version of the U 67.  Same capsule etc.  the original U 87 is called just that.  It was quickly superseded by the U 87  Ai.  The original unit is preferred by some for tone, but it is down -3dB compared to the Ai.  The Warm unit is based on the original unit and needs  a good pre to get the most out of it.

I find the Warm unit good.  It can sound (like the Neumann) strange in isolation but is usually good or great in the context of the production.

[datadog]

FET's and Vacuum Tubes are both voltage controlled amplifiers and work on the same principals. They both generate even harmonic distortions, which sound more pleasing to the ear. There's something though about the sound of a vacuum tube that can be different than FET's. Maybe it's those electrons bombarding the anode at high voltage from a heated cathode in a vacuum. They may not be consistent in the manufacturing process and the same tube can sound different from each manufacturer. On the other hand, FET's are more reliable and consistent. Both have a great mojo.