Microphone

[Old enough to know better]

Hi everyone, Merry Christmas,

I am currently using a sennheiser Freeport radio mic running through a boss ve20 vocal processor.

I love the ve20 as I can match vocal effects to different songs but it kind of makes a wireless mic redundant as I can't stray far from the pedal.

I have also been told that other mic's would offer much better definition.

I have tried the shure sm58 but didn't find its sound warm enough. Can anyone recommend an alternative at around the £100 - £150 price point?

Cheers Andy.

[dwright2104]

a good bit of eq and you should be-able to get a 58 to sound good on 90% of voices, the new b58 is a bit smoother and can sound nicer depending on the voice. but 90% mic choice is usually down to preference.

if you could afford a b87 they sound fantastic alot of the time. but sometimes they dont.

 

xfactor for example had beta 87's on all the radios and the semi-final they had switched to a b58 for the dude that won, cant remember his name.

[Wilflet]

In that price range 935 or 945 (depending how directional you want it) are very highly regarded.

Personally I like the AKG D5 (and it'll come in under your budget).

But if your getting it for just yourself then how it sounds with your voice is more important than what sound engineers like for general use- see if you can try/hire for a few shows a few options before you buy anything.

[smalljoshua]

I like the sound of a D5, it's a very nice mic, if you like the sound of the Freeport, I believe (IIRC) that the capsule is very similar to the Sennheiser 835. The 935 sounds very nice and would likely work.

 

I've personally never liked the B58 on Male Vocals, feels too "tubby" to me. (Vague, I know)

 

Josh

[Old enough to know better]

Audix om7 seems to get good reviews, any thoughts?

[paulears]

they had switched to a b58 for the dude that won, cant remember his name.

 

That didn't last long did it?

 

Seriously though, if they want a warm sound and don't like the 58, there aren't a huge list of alternatives - most of the cleverer ones have extended HF and sound even less warm. At the cheaper end, try Sennheiser 845s - a little more directional and warmer to my ear than a 58. It could even be worth trying a 57 with a windshield - you can get very close in to those and the proximity effect comes into play better than a 58 (or worse, depending on what you want)

[Matt Riley]

+1 for the 935/945. I reckon when you go and play with a bunch of different ones to test them out yourself then you'll love them :)

[Doug Siddons]

My vocal mic preferences are either E845 or Beta 57 for what its worth! But it entirely depends on the voice going into it ! Please do try with your equipment before you buy. At a recent soundcheck had a little time to spare so set up 6 different models from Shure and Sennheiser and asked four different vocalists to try them and guess what four different opinions!

[S&L]

I think this is a personal preference, trial and error thing. I'm not a fan of 58's (too lively on small stages) but their crispness does give you definition and you may well need definition if you are using vocal effects. I'm not a fan of D5's (too muddy/warm) but for that reason you may like them if you are shooting for warmth - BUT will it be too muddy when you start layering on effects?

a friend of mine who has a solo performer show uses a TC vocal unit to good effect, has a warm voice anyway bet recently switched over to a beta 58 with better results compared with a 58.

the more I work with lead vocals the more I feel that mic choice is like guitar choice, very personal to the voice and the task. also be aware of what you are listening thro versus what your audience are hearing you through. that warmth that you want and are not hearing may very between front of house and monitors.

borrow and try or if you can't then hire to try - your usually looking at a fiver or less to hire mic choices like these.