Recommend a decent CHEAP vocal mic for backup vox please!

[ishouldbeking]

Title says it all. I did a search, found squat, so here we are. Back story: never sang in my life. My band has two lead singers, one male and one female, and we've been starting to think some dedicated backup vox might be a nice addition. I can sing fine (in theory), but I've never really attempted it in a band... so i'm looking to get something cheap that will sound OK.

I know enough about mic's and recording gear to know that you get what you pay for obviously. Simple fact: I am poor at the moment, so i'm setting my expectations low. I am aware that an SM-58 is the standard, and that a 57 makes a passable vocal mic. I'm looking cheaper than that. There are a lot of mics in the cheap range, but not a whole lot of reviews. Some musiciansfriend reviewers seem to think the bargain basement Nady's are alright, others say they're crap. I mean, for $15 they probably are crap. But i'm wondering if anyone has a particular cheap-ish mic they're fond of.

I'm curious about the EV Cobalt Co5 as those look a little less crappy than others and you can get a pair really cheap. Also the cheapest sennheiser sounds promising. But hell, any ideas, throw em at me. I just want to sound OK, not amazing, and it'll be purely for backups.

 

[cdawzrd]

Behringer xm8500
Some of the discontinued Samson mics that look vaguely like 58's are pretty good if you can find one

 

[baba]

A used 58 is about $50.

 

[vinny]

A used 58 is about $50.

/thread

 

[ishouldbeking]

A used 58 is about $50.

but... is there anything cheaper?

kidding. for some reason i never used to see em going for less than 75, but ebay does have a number of cheapies. thanks

 

[Dave Martin]

but... is there anything cheaper?

kidding. for some reason i never used to see em going for less than 75, but ebay does have a number of cheapies. thanks

A lot of the ebay cheapies are counterfeit and not real Shure mics.

I should probably add that cheap mics sound typically sound awful; My regular Wedndesday gig has a large PA with mics. Cheap mics. After the first week, we began carrying our own and the difference is striking. Though our primary vocal mics are telefunkens, the bulk of what we carry to the gig are SM57's and SM58's.

You might consider how much you've spent getting your bass sound, and then be aware that the average punter will be FAR more aware of the sound of your voice than the sound of your bass. is $75 REALLY too much?

 

[cdawzrd]

eBay often doesn't offer the best prices. Forum spam threads/classifieds forums/craigslist are much better.

 

[JustDavid]

Shure 58.

Cheap mics sound cheap &/or are a LOT less durable.

Try costing it this way; used 58 for $75 & new B-word for $25;
1/ Singing doesn't work & you sell the mic. 58 gets you $75, B gets $10 or $15. Shure is cheaper.
2/ Singing does work, & you finally get tired of bleh sound from the mic, so you get a Shure. Getting one first is cheaper.

More scenarios:
3/ B-word breaks. You can't sing, but everyone's listening to you thank the bar for getting you to play there.
4/ A lead singer's mic fails during soundcheck & the only other one is yours.

 

[ishouldbeking]

A lot of the ebay cheapies are counterfeit and not real Shure mics.

I should probably add that cheap mics sound typically sound awful; My regular Wedndesday gig has a large PA with mics. Cheap mics. After the first week, we began carrying our own and the difference is striking. Though our primary vocal mics are telefunkens, the bulk of what we carry to the gig are SM57's and SM58's.

You might consider how much you've spent getting your bass sound, and then be aware that the average punter will be FAR more aware of the sound of your voice than the sound of your bass. is $75 REALLY too much?

I'm really just thinking of something for rehearsal use. Our female singer uses a 58, male singer has a beta 58 (he has a quiet voice), our keyboardist generally sings through his own 57... the venues we tend to play usually have at least 3 or 4 58's of their own and we bring ours anyway, so most likely live i'd be singing through a 58 either way. My mic will just be for practice and as a backup.

EDIT: i won't lie, that behringer xm8500 almost sounds perfect if it's not gonna fall apart. I have the Behringer BDI21 (sansamp clone), and it works perfectly, sounds identical to a sansamp, and has held up fine over the last few years... though i had a behringer keyboard amp that blew up way before it's time.

 

[ishouldbeking]

Shure 58.

Cheap mics sound cheap &/or are a LOT less durable.

Try costing it this way; used 58 for $75 & new B-word for $25;
1/ Singing doesn't work & you sell the mic. 58 gets you $75, B gets $10 or $15. Shure is cheaper.
2/ Singing does work, & you finally get tired of bleh sound from the mic, so you get a Shure. Getting one first is cheaper.

More scenarios:
3/ B-word breaks. You can't sing, but everyone's listening to you thank the bar for getting you to play there.
4/ A lead singer's mic fails during soundcheck & the only other one is yours.

unless all of you guys are secret Shure employees, you raise some solid points.

 

[Justice]

A used 58 is about $50.

and unfortunately, will still sound lust like a SM58.

If you are buying a NEW mic, anything from Sennheiser or Audix that is in the same price range as a SM58 will be much better.

Example - the Sennheiser e835 is the same price as the sm58 and is a much better sounding mic.

Buying used? well you take you chances but you can find some decent mics around $50.

Check craigslist and the local pawn shops.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Here's a link to a thread discussing vocal microphones on the Pro Sound Forum:

Link Removed


Keep in mind that dynamic microphones require no power, while condenser microphones require either 48v phantom power or batteries.

Make note of the polar pattern when selecting your microphone, as the combination of your microphone's polar pattern and positioning of your stage monitor will affect maximum gain before feedback.

Good luck!

 

[JustDavid]

Lots of good mics out there.

Not dissing the 835, but I sure can't categorically call it a 'much better' mic than a 58. Unless it's one with a decade's worth of spit clogging the filter

I don't think there's anything wrong with the sound of a 58. Some do, & that's cool. Our current singer & I fought over her main mic; I was trying to get a nice condenser in front of her (NICE voice!) & she gave it a fair try but she went back to the 58. And it's not a bad fit for her voice.


One advantage of the 58 in this situation is it's directly swappable with another in the band.

 

[JustDavid]

LOL!!

I like any 58 for vocals. I like cardioids for someone playing an instrument while singing. I HATE our gruff-voiced baritone guitarist insisting on a 57, speaking to the crowd with his lips right on it, then complaining his voice sounds muffled.

 

[Jim Campbell]

but... is there anything cheaper?

kidding. for some reason i never used to see em going for less than 75, but ebay does have a number of cheapies. thanks

why buy crap.....if you have to sell a good quality item holds its value......ive said it before ..... the sweetness of a low price is long outlived by the bitter taste of poor quality

 

[Justice]

Lots of good mics out there.

Not dissing the 835, but I sure can't categorically call it a 'much better' mic than a 58. Unless it's one with a decade's worth of spit clogging the filter

all my opinion, but..

having used the 2 side by side, i have not found a situation where the 835 was out classed by the sm58. I think the sm58 still sells on reputation alone. It's old technology and there is much better available.

And before someone says "well, the Fender P bass is old technology but is still a great bass" true, but people want vintage P basses, they don't want vintage sm58s, lol. Plus, the tech that goes into building a modern day P bass has evolved much more than the sm58.

I know people who still use sm58's, but i don't trust them.

actually, after I thought about it a bit, i don't know anyone still using sm58s. EV's Sennies, Audix, and Beta's but no good ole sm58s...hmmmmm, how weird.

 

[modulusman]

I have a 58 that is at least 15 years old, my guitar player has one 20 years old both still work. A blowinger one might last 2-3 years if your lucky. Buy quality but beware of counterfeit mics. Buy from a reputable dealer and beware of E-bay.

 

[Indigo_blues]

A used SM58 is the best way to go.

 

[Nick Kay]

actually, after I thought about it a bit, i don't know anyone still using sm58s. EV's Sennies, Audix, and Beta's but no good ole sm58s...hmmmmm, how weird.

Really? Every engineer I know has at least a half dozen 57s and 58s lying around. You can find better sounding mics in the price range, but you've got a snowball's chance in hell of finding one that will stand up to as much touring as a 58 or 57. Those things are damn near bulletproof. Plus, 99% of engineers grew up working with them, so everybody knows the sound and can make them work in a mix. Can't really complain about that.

 

[ishouldbeking]

I guess this is the kind of debate I was hoping to spark... I know a decent amount about the fundamentals of microphones, I just don't have a lot of hands on experience with various models (other than 57's and 58's of course, which to me always did the trick and sounded fine if not amazing). But what lies at the heart of my question is that I always suspected, like Justice suggests, that the 58's sell largely due to the fact that they're an industry standard. It makes sense that there would be another company with a newer less famous mic that would be every bit as good (if not better), selling for a bit less money, in order to compete with the titans of the 58 and 57. I'm not saying that's the case, but since leaping headfirst into the world of gear forums and internet review sites, it seems like there's usually a better option available than the most famous one.