Will a condenser mic like the NT1A give me much better results?

[conanthewarrior]

Hi everyone. In my home studio I have always used a SM58 (a habit from when I was at my first college course, someone else would always be using the condenser so I used a 58) for my vocal recordings. 

I have enough money to get the rode NT1A, and just wondered if it is a worthwhile upgrade to help make my recordings sound more professional? 

I have heard of big stars such as bono recording albums with a SM58, but always read that most vocals are recorded using a condenser. 

I mainly record rap/MC vocals. Is it a good mic to go for to get better sounding results, or is the SM58 capable enough and it will be a waste of money? Also, what mics are good contenders against the NT1A in a similar price range? 

Thank you for your help. 

[David Nahmani]

The two different mics will yield completely different results, however which one is best for which particular use is a matter of debate and a personal, artistic choice, which is why Trent Reznor or Bono have decided to use the SM58 on occasion. 

The SM58 is quite mid rangey and can withhold a lot of pressure, which makes it a great contender for aggressive vocals like Trent Reznor's. As for Bono, the decision was mostly made because he found it challenging to sing by himself with headphones in the recording room and was much more comfortable singing the way he was used to live: with a SM58, next to big monitors and others in the control room, and the SM58 is great at rejecting sounds that aren't the vocals of the person singing. 

A NT1A condenser mic will give you more of a full range "clean" sound, which would yield a higher quality vocal recording in a treated room, however a higher quality/fidelity vocal recording may not be what's needed for your project. It depends on the type of rap you're singing and the type of result you're going for. If your vocal flow is a bit aggressive and punchy then you may actually benefit from using a SM58. 

[conanthewarrior]

22 hours ago, David Nahmani said:

The two different mics will yield completely different results, however which one is best for which particular use is a matter of debate and a personal, artistic choice, which is why Trent Reznor or Bono have decided to use the SM58 on occasion. 

The SM58 is quite mid rangey and can withhold a lot of pressure, which makes it a great contender for aggressive vocals like Trent Reznor's. As for Bono, the decision was mostly made because he found it challenging to sing by himself with headphones in the recording room and was much more comfortable singing the way he was used to live: with a SM58, next to big monitors and others in the control room, and the SM58 is great at rejecting sounds that aren't the vocals of the person singing. 

A NT1A condenser mic will give you more of a full range "clean" sound, which would yield a higher quality vocal recording in a treated room, however a higher quality/fidelity vocal recording may not be what's needed for your project. It depends on the type of rap you're singing and the type of result you're going for. If your vocal flow is a bit aggressive and punchy then you may actually benefit from using a SM58. 

I see, from what you have said the SM58 may indeed be beneficial for me, I mainly rap to grime so the flow is aggressive and skippy, and you have to really pronounce each word with punch for it to be understood due to the double time flow used at around 140BPM. 

My room currently isn't treated much, just a few foam panels. The only issue I do have is that I often find the SM58 to be very Essy, luckily I can easily remove that with logics de esser- it works very well on a certain preset for my voice. 

I may get the NT1A as a christmas present for myself and see if I like the results. If I don't find it makes things sound any better I could always sell it. 

I must say though I have been able to get good results with a SM58, and I know the old saying is if it aint broke don't fix it, I guess I am just looking at things I could get for my home studio and attempt to make my recordings even better if I can.