The Song Fight Bulletin Board

right now im using either an sm57 or a pg58 for vocals... i'd like to upgrade, to the point where i have a noticeably better vocal mic, but i don't necessarily want to spend that much. if it's versitile and good at other stuff, that would be great too... any recommendations? i guess i've seen a lot of props for the studio projects B1... does that seem to fit the bill?

thanks.

MXL makes awesome cheap condensers that work well for vocals. my MXL990 was under $100. you can probably find one on ebay for cheaper than your 57 cost you.

edit: but of course there's no NEED to upgrade from an sm57 if you know how to use it. if they're good enough for tom petty's vocals, they're good enough for YOU.

Of course when Tom Petty records with a 57 it goes into a thousands of dollars mic preamp.

If you are looking at spending $100 to improve your vocal sound, then yes, a cheap condenser mic is the way to go. I personally like the B1 on my voice over my MXL V67G. If you have a higher budget, a nicer mic preamp will make every mic you own sound better.

Ken

blakewalker wrote:edit: but of course there's no NEED to upgrade from an sm57 if you know how to use it. if they're good enough for tom petty's vocals, they're good enough for YOU.

Of course, that's only true if Tom Petty's vocals are the epitome of what you are trying to achieve. That's certainly not the case for me.

do you have any recommendations for a good mic preamp? maybe i'll stick with my sm57 running through a decent preamp instead?

Koushirou wrote:do you have any recommendations for a good mic preamp? maybe i'll stick with my sm57 running through a decent preamp instead?

You can get a decent ART preamp for as low as forty bucks, which is a pretty good deal and a wise investment. You might as well try the 57 through a preamp, since you'll need the preamp for any condenser mike you might buy later anyways.

This is the point where I have to ask what you currently have and are using.

Ken

im just running the mics into an maudio ozone

obscurity wrote: Of course, that's only true if Tom Petty's vocals are the epitome of what you are trying to achieve. That's certainly not the case for me.

liar.

http://naiant.com/studiostore.html

MSH-4 tube condenser mic for $55. (Made by Jon O'Neil, who's "mshilarious" on homerecording.com ... Everyone there raves about his mics)

I have a Studio Projects B1 and used it on this week's song (Control Yourself). I used it for the horns (trumpet, trombone, saxophone) and vocals. I have been pretty happy with it.

Steve

deshead wrote:http://naiant.com/studiostore.html

MSH-4 tube condenser mic for $55. (Made by Jon O'Neil, who's "mshilarious" on homerecording.com ... Everyone there raves about his mics)

Hey Des,

Those mics look cool, but not as a first vocal condenser mic. They would be a great addition for someone looking to record acoustic guitar and percussion though. I may even get the tube one to check it out.

The MXL 990/991 pack is good for $99. guitarcenter.com was selling them with an Audio Buddy mic preamp for $99, which is a great deal.

Ken

I'm no techie, and my mics are all substandard, but I'd advise a little caution before moving from a dynamic to a condensor for vocals.

I started with a cheap-o, cheap-o condenser (AA-batery-powered thingy) and was constantly frustrated with it's finicky-ness. Sound depends a lot on your position/distance/orientation to the mic. And it's really really sensitive, so you have to hold it very still (hand-holding it is tricky 'cause it picks up all sorts of finger/hand noises) and hold your head very still while singing.

I got a Sure dynamic at some point 'cause I really wanted some freedom of movement. It relieved a lot of the frustrations of the condensor, though the high-end of the sound is often lost. Still, I got a nice, warm bassy presence that my flimsy condensor never could.

Now I have a better condensor (a fat thing that uses pantom power) and a nice mic stand, and I can make some pretty good vocal recordings (our Things to Do in New York is done kissing-close to the edge of the front of the windscreen) it's still the same story: every little movement/position shift/angle change/swallow/breath/careless plosive makes an ugly sound that needs extra compression or gating. I still use the Sure for about half my vocal tracks.

If you haven't tried it yet, think twice before dropping $100 on that option. Like everything else, it solves some problems, but causes others.

Do yourself a favor Mostess and get one of these.