Which mic are you using for recording vocals?

[ofajen]

Minor thread-jack, forgive us please.

My apologies as well. I do mostly minimalist tracking and recording. There's never any post-processing alignment going on with my tape machines. Generally a single track suffices for one (or more) instruments.

Much of the time I use a mike in a forest of ASC Studio Traps in a recording subspace known as the Quick Sound Field. This usually means a working distance of about two feet from source to mike. It also requires an omni or bidirectional pattern to fully benefit from the close, diffuse rush of reflections inside the QSF. A cardioid can still work but it won't sound as live.

Alternatively, I often use a bidirectional ribbon (M130) on a guitar or bass cab, usually a couple of feet away, and this gives a great melding of the direct sound plus some diffuse room sound and I can adjust the mix by how close the mike is.

Otto

 

[Cownancy]

Hey there,

Slightly off topic for a bass recording forum, but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My old Røde NT2a decided to break (some kind of contact issue probably), so now I have a good chance and a reason to get a new mic. I haven't had to follow the market in a while, so all opinions and hints would be appreciated

What's it for

• 90% of the time to track clean, low-ish male vocals (bass-baritone or so), think Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Rome, Of the Wand and the Moon etc.
• On occasion, I also record a low tenor/high baritone, a mezzo, and an acoustic guitar, so some flexibility would be nice
• Recording is mostly not done in a professional studio, but either at my home studio or rehearsal room, which both have decent acoustics
• For live use, I'm pretty happy with my Audix OM5, so my focus here is on a decent studio mic
• I'm using a Focusrite Clarett as an interface, so most likely no sense in getting the really high-end stuff Accordingly, I'm thinking of a budget of under 400-500 €/$

The main issues I have are that my experience with mics is pretty much limited to the stuff I have and that I'm not able to test most options in a proper recording situation. Thus, I'm relying heavily on the internet, reviews, suggestions, and quick tests in stores.

I've liked the warmth of the Røde but would be interested in a more defined mid/high range in addition to having a nice low-end. That, and I've had it for so long that some change would be refreshing So far people have suggested an AKG 414 and a Shure 87a.

My personal experience with mics, in general, is mostly with the basic stuff from Shure/Audix/Sennheiser/Røde; Røde NT1/NT2a, Shure SM57/58/a few Betas, Audix OM5/OM6/i5/ADX51, Sennheiser e602/902.

Thanks in advance for any advice, and happy holidays to everyone

B/R, Erkka

Here's a quick recap of your replies, with a price from Thomann added (new, price range for different models, 1€ = 1,14USD):

• AKG C414 - 619-799€ - 1 mention - hard pressed to find a better microphone
• AKG C 535 EB Handheld Condenser Microphone - not on Thomann - 2 mentions - high-end stage condenser, very bright
  
• AKG P420 - 166€ - 1 mention
• Audio Technica 2035 - 155€ - 2 mentions
• Audio Technica 4047 - 659-777€ - 2 mentions - a little more money
• Audio Technica 4050 - 715-1190€ - 2 mentions - very versatile for a lot of instrumental use. Fairly accurate and well-behaved. Far cry from a 414?
• Apex 460 - not on Thomann - 1 mention - between MXL and AT 4047
• Miktek stuff - 269-1399€ - 1 mention - budget mic, sounds solid for the money and doesn't have that harsh top end that is inherent with cheap condensers
• MXL V67 - 99-159€ - 1 mention - great results
• Oktava MK-319 - 231€ - 1 mention
  
• Rode NT-1 (not NT1-A) with headbasket mod - 211€ (kit) - 1 mention - Sold my TLM103s after I learned that trick.
• Shure SM7/A/B - 377€ (for B) - 3 mentions - a real vocal workhorse. versatile, well in the budget and reacts well to almost all post-production. Needs good mic pre.
• Shure KSM-32 - 519-599€ - 1 mention

As a singer, I have tried C-12, C-24, U-47, U-67, U-87 and I STILL prefer the AKG 414, but I also put up a U-87. The 414 is bright and the 87 is warm and sweet. I am a bit nasal and I belt, so the C-24 is ONLY good for me if I have the vintage Fairchild compressor because I have to eat the mic 100% of the time or I get even more nasal. Neumann has the KMS-105, which is a handheld condenser (Paul Shaffer used it on Letterman) for only $699. Haven't tried it cause I have 4 U-87s, but it's on my want list. All of my mics are older, so I don't know what they've done with them in the past several years. You are so right...you cannot go wrong with an AKG-414!!!

 

[AGCurry]

The mic you choose depends on a) the singer, b) how you want the singer to sound, and c) the recording environment. There is no perfect microphone for all situations.
But it's also not too hard to get good results from modestly-priced microphones ... if the singer is good.

 

[Frenchy-Lefty]

A used AT4050. It is excellent and incredibly versatile. I own Mikteck MK300 after having owned many mid-price condensers and I am thoroughly impressed by this mic which also offers 3 polarity patterns.

 

[estimated_eyes]

I didn't see any mention of budget so I apologize if I missed that.

A member of my band just picked up this microphone recently: WA-251 | Warm Audio

We have been blown away by the quality of this mic

 

[IconBasser]

I've been getting really good results with my Rode NT-1. It's definitely cheap for a condenser (only about $300), a category in which the prices easily get downright insane (anything Neumann, etc).

It's veeeeery flat. It's not going to do what a vintage tube mic does, and it's not going to add any extra depth or shimmer. The upside is that it'll never be too muddy or too piercing, which too many mics do that cost 10x the price. As long as you pay close attention to how the vocal take is performed and what environment you're in, you'll get some really stellar takes with it.