what mic to buy?!?

[Yacithane]

So im to the point of wanting to invest in a mic primarily for vocals (mostly male but female too and i imagine at a wide dynamic range from wispering to flat out yelling, also i want to record rapping and singing) after reading tweeks page on mics ive kind of got a general idea what im looking for. im looking at the Rode NT 1a and Studio Projects C1, but also the more up scale (and dynamic) ElectroVoice RE20 or even the M-Audio Solaris. ive found someone on craigs list selling 2 new Rode NT 1a's for $190 each. seems like a pretty good deal to me. what i want to know is, are ether the ElectroVoice RE20 or the M-Audio Solaris well worth the price jump or should i just go for the good deal on craigslist for the Rode nt 1? i dont want to invest in junky equipment and i would be down to hold off on any purchases and save up if you think it would be worth it. what should i do??!!?

 

thanks

Jack

 

ps quick replies would be appreciated so i can jump on the nodes if necessary.

[triplets]

The RE20 is the best mic for kick drums, so I don't know if it's a good choice for vocals. Try the Shure KSM 27. It's a condenser and it's amazing for the price. I use it, and a lot of people like it better than the more expensive KSM 32 or KSM 44.

[Mr. Black Box]

I'm happy with my sE2200.It's great for acoustic guitars as well.

 

http://www.seelectronics.com/sE2200a.html

[prospect]

Save just a tad bit bit more and buy one of the AKG C414's that are sold as "closeout" deals by dealers. I got one for like $500 and it sounds AMAZING. It's the perfect all around studio mic for under $1k.

[rinaldomerlo]

I'll second the SE2200a, it's fantastic for the money. Ok so an SE Gemini (which I also have) sounds better but you won't be at all dissapointed with the 2200a.

 

Seriously though, there's been sooo many previous threads exactly like this, both on here and on gearslutz, you should read those.

[marcel72]

Prospect's advice is good. I used a 414 for vocals exclusively for about 3 years - I worked for a guy, and that was our vocal mic. It's pretty bright (what LDC under $5k isn't, nowdays) but if you pad it and have the singer basically swallow the grille, it sounds nice.

 

Can't say I like any of the Rodes that I have tried.

 

What about a Shure SM-7? They're cheap (about $200 - 300 used), very flat, and very friendly to a variety of SPLs, sources, etc. Sound good on vox, acoustic guitar, guitar cabs, snare drums, piano... All around good mic, IMHO.

 

Check it out.

[Homina]

Picking mics is as subjective as dating. Any given mic is simultaneously someone's best ever and someone else's "no way in Hell." The thing that's most important to me about a mic is how much processing will be necessary if I use it. Different mics shine at different tasks. Use the right mic, and you can work magic; use the wrong one, and you'll be fighting that fire all through your project. And, as in most things, You Get What You Pay For. You've also got to have a good preamp for a good mic to give you its money's worth. Put the best mic in the world through a POS preamp, and it'll sound like a beat-up SM57. Put an SM57 through a high-end preamp, and it'll sound like a different microphone than the one you've used all those years. Given that you're interested in vocal mics, I'll stick to large diaphragms/capsules:

 

AKG 414s have been used forever by pros in various applications. Particularly well-suited to female vocals, IMO. Knock-out results for acoustic piano, too. Built-in pads and filters, and multi-pattern. Not the sturdiest mic in the world, but very versatile.

 

RE20 is a go-to mic for lots of stuff. The loudest, most explosive, most dynamic male bellower in the world won't get the best of an RE20 if a good engineer is doing the session. Commonly used in kick drums. Widely used in voice broadcasting. Very tough, too. Definitely road-worthy.

 

Nothing's better than Neumanns for voice and acoustic instruments, IMO. Small changes in placement yield very different but completely predictable and consistent results. It's no accident that more hits have been done on Neumanns than any other pro product. And you'll be eating bag lunches for a year after buying a U47, several years if it's an old one. OTOH, if you take care of the thing, it'll blow your hair back, last longer than you will, and appreciate in value. There are cheaper transformerless Neumann's available these days. They're not multi-pattern, so are not as versatile, but still very solid and produce that famous signature sound. If you ever hear one with a good preamp, you'll be impressed.

 

Heard lots of good stuff about Studio Projects mics from some reputable people. A few have said they can get close to high-end performance at relatively low cost, and the few tracks I've heard sounded pretty good. I haven't played with one first-hand, so can't personally recommend them. I'm definitely interested, though.

 

Hope that helps.

[JigMD80]

I've heard very good things about the Audio Technica AT4060 tube mic on vocals. I am saving up for it myself, so I haven't had a chance to use it yet. It runs about $800 new on ebay, and $1100 on musiciansfriend.com. Anyone have experience with this mic?

[Spectacle]

I've heard very good things about the Audio Technica AT4060 tube mic on vocals. I am saving up for it myself, so I haven't had a chance to use it yet. It runs about $800 new on ebay, and $1100 on musiciansfriend.com. Anyone have experience with this mic?

I would assume that you're a fan of the Rode NT1-A? It is your avatar, after all.

 

I have an NT1-A, and I am very happy with it as well. Great both for male rock vocals and acoustic strumming. Actually, about as good an all-around budget condensor as I have been able to find.

 

But as Homina says, this is a subjective process. Try AB-ing various mics at your local music store. Or pick an online seller (like Musician's Friend) that lets you return mics within 45 days if you're not happy with them. That's how I picked the Rode over similar price-range AKG and MXL options.

 

Good luck.