Best MIC for Wide Range of Vocals

[eNIGMATICsquid]

I don't know much about Microphones, but I know they have a wide range of uses and prices. Can anyone recommend a good / high quality MIC for recording a wide range of vocals? I'm looking to do from a normal / loud vocal to a low deep vocal. Think of the Metal genre when considering an answer to this. Quality is a must!

[af-sabianq]

hi. Welcome to Audioforums.com

First, i would like to suggest that there is not really one microphone that is capable of covering everything you need when it comes to recording.

I would venture to guess that most of the people here would recommend that you have a collection of different microphones to chose form depending on what you are trying to achieve.

you should look at your recording environment and/or whether you would like to use the microphone in a live situation.

if you have a really nice and quiet environment where the acoustic response of the space has been corrected to a "flat" response and all outstanding reflections have been mitigated, a nice medium to large diaphragm condenser microphone would work great. the AKG C 535 EB is a sweet microphone, this baby has an extended frequency response that covers all the way into the sub region below 15 Hz.



http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C535EB

I have one and i would not give it up for anything, The frequency response of this microphone is flatter than most in its class which meand there in less of a need to correct it. while the sensitivity of this microphone makes it hard to use in a live environment I have found this microphone works amazingly well when reinforcing a bass cabinet.

If you have a recording environment that is less than perfect, meaning the background noise if quite loud, and you can hear the occasional truck pass by, a dynamic microphone would be a better choice. The SM57 by Shure is pretty much the old stand by. This microphone has a respectable frequency response with more sensitivity in the mid to upper frequency range letting it work great for vocals. and being a dynamic microphone, the noise rejection is better than a condenser microphone. Bono of U2 apparently records with an SM58. (come to think about it, i have never seen him use anything other then the SM58)

The SM58 is legendary for its durability and should be included in any microphone arsenal.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM58/



hope this helps
cheers~

[THE GEAR GUY]

this may also work for you i have this mic works grate for me how it works for you will depend on the pre-amp you use and your voice http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT2010

[TimmyP1955]

Very quiet stage, not a lot of gain needed to fill the house (or an acoustically dead house): PR35, PR22, AE5400, VX10, KMS105, KMS109, CS535. (I have a VX10, and I've been able to use it only about three times in five years.)

Moderate stage level and gain/house "reverb": Most any Sennheiser 800 or 900 series, Shure Beta 87, Beyer M88.

If this won't work, nothing will (except maybe a CM311 headset): Audix OM7.

I prefer the sound of the OM7 to all the mics in paragraph two. The mics in paragraph one cannot be counted on to work in all of the "normal" situations one will come up against. This is too bad, as they sound a LOT better than those in paragraph two. I have not yet tried the EV 767a, but have high hopes for it.

[eNIGMATICsquid]

Awesome, thank you for the responses. I think I may have to purchase one of those 535 EB Mics, it does look nice. Thank you for the very detailed response too, it really gave me a lot of incite.

Thank you Gear and Timmy for your advice too. I'll consider these for a Live setup, if I go that route.

[abdecken5]

Sure used to do a good "high end" mic for the price ($2-300) but i dont know what the latest model is called, but try searching.

[howie15]

AT 4050- I like AT mics. I own or have used most of their line at one time or another

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT4050/

TLM 103- Hot mic that can be bright for my taste, but powerful

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TLM103/

U87- One of THE standard vocal mics out there

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/U87SetZ/

BLUE Baby Bottle has had some good vocal reviews as well

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BabyBottle/

AKG 414 B/XLS- One of the most flexible mics out there. Decent sound with more features than you can think of. All in one mic.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C414BXLS/

Shure KSM series. (This is what abdecken was referring to)

KSM 44: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KSM44/

KSM 32: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KSM32/SL/

KSM 27: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KSM27/

Howie J

[RoseBud]

The EV 967 for live rock vocals, or EV 767. Studio: AKG 414 great universal sound.

[Rose]

Sennheiser E815SJ Microphone is good for sound quality. It works fine.

[Harmony]

I heard that Shure SM7B vocal microphones are the best. Is it true?

[Hoody]

SM7's are really nice, I have seen them used in everything from metal to Michael Jackson. As far as being the best that can only be determined by the application. I have found that there are certain voices that match up with the SM7 very nice. Also in the same category is the RE20. Both of those mics sound great on vocals.

[TimmyP1955]

I recently heard a recording with a superb vocal sound. The recordist said he used an AT4060. (He also had a fancy preamp, etc., but it all starts with the mic - after the singer of course.)

[GZsound]

A vocal mic that's good for live is frequently different than a vocal mic that's good in the studio.

As has been said, there are some industry standard mics such as the Shure SM 58 that have been around forever and will work on just about any voice any time in a live setting.

In the studio, it's a lot harder to decide what a "good" mic is. From the really cheap to the insanely expensive, it is all a matter of opinion.

There is also the issue of buying a multi thousand dollar studo microphone and having a crappy preamp, poor quality converters, etc.

I go along with the AT 40 series recommendation. There are some great mics in the 40 series, both large and small diaphragm that won't cost an arm and a leg.

The AKG 414 is another industry standard mic that everyone seems to own.

The Shure KSM 32 and 44 are very decent mics..

As for other well regarded mics, the EV RE20 or Shure SM7 get good reviews. I like EV 767 dynamics and Audix OM7's for live use, but the lower number versions of those mics are pretty lame..I have gotten rid of all my old OM2 and OM5 mics and EV 267's..pretty bad.

Sennheiser E835 is a good vocal mic.

For the money? CAD M179 hands down.

[kyledandrus]

Shure SM7 is always a go-to mic for me in the studio. There are few people/instruments that don't sound good through one of those!

Kyle

[TimmyP1955]

Shure SM7 is always a go-to mic for me in the studio. There are few people/instruments that don't sound good through one of those!

Kyle

But why not use something that sounds much more natural and costs only a little more? D4, I5, e906, ....