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Vocal Mics

#41
KingRazor said:
That first video just sold me on the Shure :D

I'd rather use the Blue for recording, but I prefer the better off-axis rejection, higher output, and smoother response of the 58.

I don't want significant output loss when backing off from the mic a bit. With the blue, you appear to lose a lot of output once you back off the mic at all.

Thanks for sharing the video!
Click to expand...

Well at least I could help you out, even if it wasn't the result I expected ;) The Shure is a great microphone and i am "shure" you will be very happy with your purchase :D
 
#42
Sure SM-58 or Beta-58, Audix OM-5 or OM-7 are all really good vocal mics and they have the added bonus of being pretty familiar to most sound mixers so there's not much learning curve at sound check. Although not used as much for vocals, the Sure Beta-57 is also a very good vocal mic with great proximity characteristics.

There are many really great live vocal mics available these days, but choosing a model that most engineers are familiar with will really save you a lot of headache.

Uglybassplayer: If I'm not mistaken (and I certainly could be), the 57 and 58 are not the same mic, although they are close. I believe the 58 has a peak at 2K that the 57 does not.
 
#43
Lo-E said:
Uglybassplayer: If I'm not mistaken (and I certainly could be), the 57 and 58 are not the same mic, although they are close. I believe the 58 has a peak at 2K that the 57 does not.
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According to Shure, they are the exact same cartridge, with the sonic differences being due solely to the shape of the housing. The 57 allows the source to get closer, which increases bass response.
 
#44
My two cents worth: SM58's are the industry standard, but I don't care for them. I have two EV767's, a Heil PR-22, a Senn e935 and a Shure Beta. If I buy another mic, it will be a Blue Encore 200.

Go a music store or borrow as many mics as you can from friends and try them out. One will be best suited for your ears and voice. Buy that one!
 
#45
Regardless of the number of recommendations you've got, I'd highly suggest that you put the most value on your own opinion, and the best way to get that is at a music store that has a booth where they'll let you try a bunch of these mics WITH NO EQ APPLIED!

I've done lots of mic comparisons over the past couple of decades and have used everything from a Sennheiser 441, Shure SM58 and many, many others before finally settling on a couple of favorites.
While I would never buy an SM58, I highly recommend them for anyone not wanting to spend much, or for people who are very comfortable working with them. The Sennheiser 835 was also a fail for me because I was able to do a direct comparison with the 845 the day I went to get a new mic about 12 years ago, and the 845 stayed as my main mic until I got to compare it to the Audio Technica AE6100, which is still my favorite.

My girlfriend and I bought EV N-Dym 767's years ago and we came to the realization that all studio engineers know. Just because a particular mic is the best for one, doesn't mean it will be the best for everyone else. I ended up giving her both of them so she could have one at the keys and one for when she played guitar and they are a perfect match for her voice. I went with a Peavey Diamond series 835 for a few years before going back to Sennheiser with the 845.

At least until recently I thought the AE6100 would be the only mic for me as it was pretty much perfect for my voice, but just recently I discovered another mic that has really made itself a standout performer for most anyone with the good fortune to get their hands on one - the Heil PR35.

The PR35 is the only mic I've tried that has given me trouble deciding whether to switch or stay with the AE6100, and that includes the whole Shure Beta series, which I don't personally like. Doesn't mean they're no good, but simply that there's something I hear in direct comparisons that I don't like.

Listen to what we say and recommend, but don't buy a mic until you've got the chance to spend some time at a music store or studio comparing some of these, and do not expect that the most expensive choice will make you the happiest. Go with what your ears tell you.
 
#47
Most really great mics are a bit on the spendy side, but the Audio Technica AE6100 is available online for $169 - $299, Heil PR35 $240 - $550, EV N/Dym 767 $89 - $129, Sennheiser 845 $110 - $174. By contrast I paid $900 for two Sennheiser 441's and ended up replacing them with a pair of first the Audio Technica ATM-5R, then the EV 767's before finally settling on the much more affordable, but more importantly, better for me AE6100.
NoiseNinja said:
Telefunken M 80 is one of the best dynamic vocal mic out there, but it is a bit pricy. I've seen it for 249$.
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#49
I really haven't found a more reliable cost effective mike than the SM58-
There are better mikes out there, but unless you're a sound tech or very particular (& I mean "very") particular- most won't be able to tell the subtle differances.
I'm not a professional singer, I do a couple lead vocals and backup for the others in our band. I'm pretty impressed with how senstive it is, in that it can pick out subtle vocal emotional voicings without going over the lead vocal.
 
#50
thunderstation said:
I really haven't found a more reliable cost effective mike than the SM58-
There are better mikes out there, but unless you're a sound tech or very particular (& I mean "very") particular- most won't be able to tell the subtle differences.
I'm not a professional singer, I do a couple lead vocals and backup for the others in our band. I'm pretty impressed with how sensitive it is, in that it can pick out subtle vocal emotional voicings without going over the lead vocal.
Click to expand...
As a singer who is generally happy enough when I see an SM58 set in front of me, I'd never want to use one on a regular basis.

You don't necessarily have to be a very particular singer to find yourself much happier with some of the other great mics out there, and a lot of them will cost you no more than a 58 if you shop around.

If you're perfectly happy with what you hear coming out of the speakers with a 58, then it's the right mic for you - but if you have the feeling that somethings just not quite right, go do some comparisons at your local music store.

I guarantee you a night and day difference, detectable by anyone you care to bring along when you A/B an SM58 and PR35.
 

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