Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by milo »

You can't go wrong with a Shure SM-57/58. 58 is built for vocals but a 57 with a foam cap is just as good.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by j_e_f_f_g »

You definitely don't want an omni directional for a singer with a live band. You want a cardiod. If you're a "quiet" singer, and the band is so loud that when you turn up the mic you have lots of feedback issues, you may even want to consider a hyper-cardiod.

I did a microphone comparision in a recording studio with a singer. Mics compared were a Neumann U-87 (I don't believe that actual model is in production today, but there is definitely a modern version of it in Neumann's current product line, as many people still consider it overall the greatest mic ever created), an AKG C414 (again, regarded as one of the best, particularly for drum overheads), a Beyer Ribbon mic (forget the model #, but many singers will not use anything but Beyer Ribbons because they consider it to give the "warmest" vocal sound), an Electrovoice (EV) RE-15, and the ubiqitious Shure SM57 (which is still in production today because it so widely regarded as the "biggest bang for the buck", and probably the most widely sold mic ever).

My conclusions were, first of all, they're all quality mics and all of them sounded good for vocals. But the RE-15 was my least fav for vocals. Then I'd put the Beyer. I just didn't hear the "warmth" that so many tout. Plus ribbons are more delicate than other mic designs, and so I would not use them in situations were they could be subjected to physical stress, like gigging. The AKG surprised me at being just slightly less impressive than the Neumann and Shure. The Neumann and Shure were so similar as vocal mics that, when I had someone switch between then without telling me which was which, I could not tell them apart.

Now the Neumann is a condenser mic with its own power supply. The Shure is a dynamic (no phantom power needed). There's about a $1500 dollar difference in price. The Shure SM57 is a very well manufactured mic. It can take a lot of physical abuse. (I have a box full of them with dents in the mic capsule from being dropped, or hit by sloppy drummers.) They all still work. The bottom line is a singer can't beat the value of the Shure SM-57, which is what I've used for years on my gigs (I'm a singer and keyboardist). Actually, for vocals I use the SM-58, which is just the SM-57 with a built-in wind screen.

The Shure SM-58 is my recommendation. But in more recent years, I used a couple similiar EV dynamics that impressed me very much. I gigged with one for a few years because it had a little hotter output than the 58, and a slight 8KHz boost, which I like for a vocalist who sings right on top of the capsule like I do. The boost compensates for the proximity effect, ie that "boomy" low freq boost you get from singing so close to the mic. But although I really like how some of those EVs sound for vocals, they aren't as durable as a 57/58. So I still recommend the 58 to a gigging singer.

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by sunrat »

I wouldn't use an SM57 as your mouth can get too close to the diaphragm so you get popping and sibilance issues, and the headshell will rattle a bit if you touch it and is easily knocked off completely. Beta 57a is better but you may as well get a Beta 58a especially if you have a belting rock voice.
If you voice is smoother my absolute favourite is a Sennheiser e945 or e845 if your budget is tighter. Still good for rock so more versatile as well.
These are for performing live or a budget studio. The vocal mic market is fairly saturated now so there are also great offerings from SE, Audix, Telefunken and many more.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by j_e_f_f_g »

sunrat wrote: an SM57... your mouth can get too close to the diaphragm so you get popping and sibilance issues
I haven't experienced that, but the SM58 has a wind shield specifically to help avoid that issue.
Beta 58a
I have one of those. I like it a lot. It has a hotter output than the SM58, is physically more compact, while sounding pretty much identical. But it has a weird impedance which makes it not work very well with computer audio interfaces.
Sennheiser e945 or e845
Also nice mics. The other brands you mention I'm not especially enamored of.

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by GMaq »

Hi,

Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam's guitarist/producer) once said he would make a whole album with an SM57 in a heartbeat!

At the risk of being laughed at I have a few SM57's and 58's but we've been using Audio Technica 'midnight blues' in our road kit for years, they are discontinued now but can still be found on eBay and Reverb occasionally in their all their blister pack glory, the closest current direct replacement is the AT-2010 but it loses some of the magic, but are also surprisingly good for the money.. do not let the low pricetag fool you these are decent electret condenser mics and they sound great because of the technology, they have less rolloff than an SM57 and a bit more high-end. They are perfect for vocals and more than passable on acoustic instruments, with the low rolloff I've even made them pass with a push for a kick drum mic in a pinch.

Where they fall down is they don't have terrific SPL handling so they aren't great for guitar amps or snare drums, but for a decent handheld condenser on a budget they rawk!!
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by sunrat »

j_e_f_f_g wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:39 am
sunrat wrote: an SM57... your mouth can get too close to the diaphragm so you get popping and sibilance issues
I haven't experienced that, but the SM58 has a wind shield specifically to help avoid that issue.
That's why SM58 is a vocal mic and SM57 is an instrument mic. They are almost identical otherwise.
Beta 58a
I have one of those. I like it a lot. It has a hotter output than the SM58, is physically more compact, while sounding pretty much identical. But it has a weird impedance which makes it not work very well with computer audio interfaces.
The Beta 58A extends slightly more in high frequency range and has much better feedback rejection which makes it good for stage use at high levels.
The impedance is exactly the same -
SM58 - http://recordinghacks.com/pdf/shure/us_ ... csheet.pdf
Beta 58A - https://pubs-api.shure.com/file/259921
Sennheiser e945 or e845
Also nice mics. The other brands you mention I'm not especially enamored of.
Many brands have models which are pretty ordinary and other models which are good to excellent. Shure for example has some rubbish models.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by skarpo »

If your willing to wait for shipping time from China , I recommend this microphone called the Isk-at100. It's cheap, it's a condenser, cardoid which is generally what you want, it has low self noise, and apparently it's got 48+ phantom power too.

Another option is finding a used Rode RT-a1 mic off ebay.

The Behringer B-5 is good too.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by sadko4u »

Shure SM-57/SM-58 is a must have for any studio.
Shure Beta 57/58 are perfect microphones, I like them a lot.

Also look towards MXL microphones.
They are pretty good for their price.
http://www.mxlmics.com/
I have MXL 606 condensers, MXL 550/551 condenser set and R144 ribbon microphone.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by JimiPb »

My experience with the SM58 isn't that great. I mixed a lot of live concerts with very loud bands in small rooms and i could never get the SM58 as loud as some others.

https://www.thomann.de/intl/sennheiser_e845s.htm

The guitarist in a heavy metal band i mixed has this Sennheiser mic. In loud live situations it always beat the SM58 in volume.
I recorded a rehearsal for them once:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/chk1ox8vopi7g ... g.mp3?dl=0

I remember the SM58 as quite dark with weird low mids when recording, with some unpleasant plops here and there. The e845s was better there (as you can here in the recording). This was recorded in a bad rehearsal room, they had a volume of ~110-120 dB while playing.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by DrMeatball »

Live I use a Samson Q7 (if it is good enough for Richie Kotzen it's good enough for me :)). In the studio I use either an SM7B (no cloud lift, rather rack preamps) or the Q7 (mainly backing vocals). I don't have a good condenser voice. But I use condensers with my band vocalist regularly lead and backing.. she just has the right amount of voice grit for it.
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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by AlkuK »

German mics for a century now can be some of the most expensive steelery available... As a capable bass singer I look at the "Shure game" today, and I'm not p(l)aying for that thin low end marketing shill no more. The Sm7b has the same ol' capsule (quite cheap) as the sm57/58.

Some fine gentleman rebuilt a "classic" €3000 Neumann for 30 shillings or something (on the internet and seriously $30 or so)

Frequency canvas, anyone?

Don't be fooled.

I recently switched to a proper (new-ish) male vocal mic: an untouted ZDM-1 that I happened upon. AT, Akg... For the past 10 years I've used my Neu U87 'copy' only a few times (for sale! northern Eu) , whereas the SM58 I bought as a 14-year o' is long gwaan.

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by onefang »

While on the subject, I'm poor and have little budget, but I would like to get a vocal mic for singing in my bedroom studio, and also use it for recording the bird song in my backyard forest.

Any of these mics you have all been discussing good for both?

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by Largos »

The original post is a spam ad for loans :lol:

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

onefang wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:23 pm

While on the subject, I'm poor and have little budget, but I would like to get a vocal mic for singing in my bedroom studio, and also use it for recording the bird song in my backyard forest.

Any of these mics you have all been discussing good for both?

Some say you can't go wrong with the Behringer XM8500 clone of the Sure SM58. Others say that the Thomann in-house brand T.Bone MB 75 clone of the Shure SM57 is also good. And if the SM57 is good enough for Mick Jagger it's good enough for me. :wink:

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Re: Best type of vocal mic for singing players?

Post by Loki Harfagr »

Linuxmusician01 wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 9:23 am
onefang wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:23 pm

While on the subject, I'm poor and have little budget, but I would like to get a vocal mic for singing in my bedroom studio, and also use it for recording the bird song in my backyard forest.

Any of these mics you have all been discussing good for both?

Some say you can't go wrong with the Behringer XM8500 clone of the Sure SM58. Others say that the Thomann in-house brand T.Bone MB 75 clone of the Shure SM57 is also good. And if the SM57 is good enough for Mick Jagger it's good enough for me. :wink:

I'll also add the AKG D5 as an excellent alt.

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