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Choosing a Vocal Microphone.

#41
mellowinman said:
How would you feel if, at every show, a sound person told you you had to play a P-Bass through an Ampeg rig? It's the industry standard; it's the only sound I know how to eq; I try as hard as I can to make every bass player sound the same.

That's exactly what lead singers hear about the 58. A singer has a SOUND. I have quite a number of different mics. If I am supplying them to vocalists, I use the Sennheiser for someone who needs a "hotter" mic; I have an EV condenser mic I use for someone who is novice enough that they are probably not going to be great with mic dynamics; I have various criteria I use to decide which mic for which situation, just like you may have multiple basses with multiple pickup configurations; setups or string types.

My only purpose or agenda on this thread is to remind everyone that a 58 is not the end-all be-all of mics. It is a workhorse; it is favored by sound people; it is rugged. That is all true. But there may be a much better mic for your voice; your vocal style; your needs, and the best way to find out is to read, because you don't always get to put mics head to head. If you DO get the chance to put mics head to head, by all means do so!

There are some pretty good answers on this thread. But there are some terrible answers on this thread. Experienced musicians who are not lead singers have more opinion than they warrant. I am an experienced musician, and I wouldn't tell you what kind of strings to use on your electric guitar. I'm not an expert, and my knowledge is limited. Putting mics in front of singers? TONS of experience; however I am not pretending my opinion of which mic is best is worth caring about, because it only matters for ME.

I provided ONE of the many links you can find by googling "best vocal mic." I recommend anyone looking for a mic largely disregard most of the suggestions on this thread, and do some real research.

As for the rest of the discussion; have fun.
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I think you read way too much into both the question and the answers. Vocal mic are obviously very personal to you....as is research. You reeeeeeally like research. We got it.

That being said, let's say a new bass player comes to the forum and asks for suggestions for a good first bass. This person barely plays if at all. This person doesn't even know his/her "style" or "voice" yet. So there's no need for them to spend endless hours reading up on the style they THINK THEY will wind up playing and pick the "best" bass for that. What they need is a good versatile meat and potatoes bass to get them pointed in the right direction. Then, once they find their style and voice they can do more specific research with regard to basses that will serve their "voice" well.

Same goes for a microphone. Someone who has never done any live singing (especially backup vocals) will be fine with an SM58. Will it part the clouds and allow beautiful rays of light to cast over the club wherever he is singing? Maybe not. But it's close enough for rock-n-roll and it is a fine jumping off point.

All that being said, you clearly know what you're talking about. Why don't you ask the OP a couple questions that will help you narrow down for him what will work best for him rather than scolding the rest of us?
;)

By the way, I totally have a crush on you and you aren't shaking me that easily. We're destined to be together. :wacky:
 
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#42
two fingers said:
I think you read way too much into both the question and the answers. Vocal mic are obviously very personal to you....as is research. You reeeeeeally like research. We got it.

That being said, let's say a new bass player comes to the forum and asks for suggestions for a good first bass. This person barely plays if at all. This person doesn't even know his/her "style" or "voice" yet. So there's no need for them to spend endless hours reading up on the style they THINK THEY will wind up playing and pick the "best" bass for that. What they need is a good versatile meat and potatoes bass to get them pointed in the right direction. Then, once they find their style and voice they can do more specific research with regard to basses that will serve their "voice" well.

Same goes for a microphone. Someone who has never done any live singing (especially backup vocals) will be fine with an SM58. Will it part the clouds and allow beautiful rays of light to cast over the club wherever he is singing? Maybe not. But it's close enough for rock-n-roll and it is a fine jumping off point.

All that being said, you clearly know what you're talking about. Why don't you ask the OP a couple questions that will help you narrow down for him what will work best for him rather than scolding the rest of us?
;)

By the way, I totally have a crush on you and you aren't shaking me that easily. We're destined to be together. :wacky:
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Dude, you told him to get a Beta. :)
 
#43
mellowinman said:
Dude, you told him to get a Beta. :)
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Your Ampeg and P Bass Analogy was on point, and is exactly the reason he should get an SM58.

If you are a guitarist and you get the chance to tour with a rock band, despite the fact you only played bass at home (he only sings at home not yet live) , chances are high you will get a p bass and an Ampeg if the band doesnt specify anything specific.

Why? Because they work. They are reliable as hell, and have a good sound. Is a Fender P Bass the best sounding Bass on the market ? For some maybe, a lot of professional bass players prefer other sounds, same with the ampeg, same with the SM58.

If you dont know your preferences, and you dont got any requirements what you should specifically get, get the SM58. Sure there are better Mics, sure there are mics that might be easier to repair, but the SM58 has the best of both worlds, and always works. There is a reason an Ampeg, a P Bass, a Strat, and an SM58 are the most popular choices. You might not like them, but you have to agree that they work in 99% of all cases
 
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#45
mellowinman said:
You have a perpetual habit of reading qualified statements as absolute statements. You appear to be responding to someone else other than me. I did not say "everyone told the OP to get a 58." I cannot be more clear that I did NOT say that. You are trolling me now. And apparently, going to some trouble to do so. Please get over this crush.
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He's king troll. Above he lists me as recommending a Heil PR40 when what I actually said was, "If you're recording a dynamic broadcast mic like an RE20 (for $300 CND that would be a used one) is a good choice as is the Heil PR40. If you're going to use it playing live in places with house systems it's not a bad idea to keep it to SM58 sounding mics as this is what every small to medium venue house PA will have it's monitors EQ'd for."

Maybe a mod can help me out here. I know it's against the rules to be disrespectful like say calling someone a jerk even when they're being a jerk and have a long record of jerky behavior. How is it any less respectful to ceaselessly quote people out of context in short sniping posts which argue rather than discuss?
 
#49
mapleglo said:
While I have both an SM-58 and an SM-57, I actually prefer the SM-57 for my vocals. I think it provides a brighter yet smoother sound. Both work well though, are affordable, and excel in durability.
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Which is weird.. because the 58 has a slight bump in the 4-5K range to accentuate vocals...
 
#51
s0c9 said:
Which is weird.. because the 58 has a slight bump in the 4-5K range to accentuate vocals...
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Yes, it is weird. It could also just be my ears, perhaps the way they are tuned. But I have always preferred the way my voice sounds through the 57 for some reason. Perhaps my voice has a bump in the same range or something.
 
#53
mapleglo said:
Yes, it is weird. It could also just be my ears, perhaps the way they are tuned. But I have always preferred the way my voice sounds through the 57 for some reason. Perhaps my voice has a bump in the same range or something.
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You're not alone.. I've know quite a few folk who prefer the 57 over a 58..mostly rock vocalists.. I'm happy with either one when sitting at FOH.
 
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#54
mellowinman said:
I would get that looked at.
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See anything?

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#56
I used a SM58 for years and lots of outdoor beach gigs. It has finally bit the dust. My second mic is a Sennheiser e838, the silver ones they used to make. It also sounds like it has seen its better days. I need two new mics.

I was going to go with a Sennheiser e935 and Sure SM58 as my backup. But last week I used an unknown AKG and it was clear and crisp. I am also looking at the Audix mics; OM5 etc but have never used one.
 
#57
tonybassman said:
I used a SM58 for years and lots of outdoor beach gigs. It has finally bit the dust. My second mic is a Sennheiser e838, the silver ones they used to make. It also sounds like it has seen its better days. I need two new mics.

I was going to go with a Sennheiser e935 and Sure SM58 as my backup. But last week I used an unknown AKG and it was clear and crisp. I am also looking at the Audix mics; OM5 etc but have never used one.
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Just as I suggested to the OP.......you might want to get to a music store that carries a good sized line of different mics and give them a "test drive" to see which one(s) suit you best. My personal choice is the EV ND967 but that's just me. I own several AKG mics and the Samson equivalent to the SM58 and a couple of Peavey mics. Each has differing qualities and strong/weak points. It depends on the venue and particular vocalist as to which ones are the best fit. My one guitarist has a Sennheiser e835 which does a great job too.

No shortage of good mics out there these days so keep an open mind.
 
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