What Type Of Mic Would You Reccomend?

[ToMoveOnIsToGrow]

I am 14 and have just recently gotten into vocals altough I have been playing instruments for a long time. And i was wondering if i were to get a mic, which I currently do not have, would a super high quality mic be necessary? I mostly do recordings in my room and have been using my friends when we do band rehearsels and his was purchased from wal-mart I am pretty sure because he isn't heavy on vocals, but I am seriously interested in it and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions or reccomendations? Thanks

[Retrosaurus Rex]

A super-high quality mic would be overkill at this point, because if your recording in your room the sonic qualities of the space you're in will cause more problems than the quality of the mic you're recording with. Especially because there are a lot of low cost options for mics, and the improvement you gain, sometimes even with very expensive mics, is only incremental. IIRC you're into harder rock & metal, so you probably don't need to consider a ribbon mic. You might consider a condenser mic if you're mainly recording vox, there are decent options starting @ $150.00 or so. If have a typical guy's voice, and you're looking for an aggressive sound, you might be fine with a dynamic mic. I wouldn't recommend one that you can pick up at Wal-Mart, but you could find something like the Shure SM-57 pretty easily, I mention it by name because it's considered a workhorse mic, found in every pro studio, and suitable for a variety of applications. This would be a good all-purpose mic to get, you'd probably keep it forever, even after you get a dedicated vocal mic...

[austinmackert]

Along the same line (and price range), I understand the SM-58 mics are better suited for vocals?

Edited October 27, 2010 by austinmackert

[Retrosaurus Rex]

Along the same line (and price range), I understand the SM-58 mics are better suited for vocals?

Good point, the SM-58 is also well recommended, and as you say is better suited for vox. This is also commonly used as a stage mic, even by people who are better served in the studio by a condenser type mic... like the SM-57, it's well-built, and something you would probably keep forever...

[IKObi]

If you give us a budget we can find a great mic that can fit in it for you.

[DaveH]

You may want to consider a Studio Projects B1 also

Probably one of the better ones for the price. Great for vocals, acoustic guitar etc. Does require a preamp (48v power) but you won't be sorry.

This is for studio work NOT stage.

Costs about the same as the Shure SM-57 and/or 58 also.

BTW....We call the SM-57 a hammer mike because we have found it to be EXCELLENT for both applications!!!

[jramm]

It also depends on what you would use the mic for - if it is just for live, then you need to bear in mind that if you play at a venue, they might oblige you to use their mics, so it doesnt matter if you have a super mic at home or not.

If it is just for recording, you need a condenser mic - best value for money imo is the Røde NT-1A, very versatile mic.

If it is for both, then I agree with everyone on the SM57, but you might also want to look at the Shure SM7

[BriSmi75]

I like the AT2020 - for $100 it's pretty good. The 2020/2021 pack is $149 I think. That's a good combo for $150..

[TheBrewer]

You should try to aim for the Blue Yeti USB microphone which is really really nice IMHO!

[Prometheus]

I am 14 and have just recently gotten into vocals altough I have been playing instruments for a long time. And i was wondering if i were to get a mic, which I currently do not have, would a super high quality mic be necessary? I mostly do recordings in my room and have been using my friends when we do band rehearsels and his was purchased from wal-mart I am pretty sure because he isn't heavy on vocals, but I am seriously interested in it and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions or reccomendations? Thanks

I would go for a Shure SM58 if I were you... It's a good quality dynamic mic, very rugged and versatile and good value for money.

To give you a benchmark you can listen to, the vocals on "Never Mind The Bollocks" were recorded using an SM58, so if you follow

it'll give you an idea of what can be done with them.

[oconnema10]

I'm wondering the same question, but for a studio. I have read several reviews but still am wondering about the best microphone for vocals. There is no budget. Please help?!?!

[upperlines]

I suggest SM58 for voice and SM57 for instruments such as guitars, amps, drums or anything else. Very tough mics with very good performances. 20 years after they still do their job...

Microphones qualities are related to sound processing (equalizers for example), of your mix skills, of the room where you record... I mean sometimes it's difficult to deal with the sound of a high-quality mic, you have to check what's your environement and what is your aim.

I played 3 years with a singer who had a SM58, and it was really great.

Today i'm going to buy a SM57 to record my acoustic guitar, and my amp.

Somewhere on the net you could find people who take a sound with different mics, to make your mind...

Seb

[Guest nickko]

good evening to all,

i have just read your post about microphones and please let me tell you what my friend who is a sound engineer adviced me.

please, notice that i do not use any microphone right now because my music compositions are all electronic.

a very good mic is the audio technica at-2035.

this mic was reviwed in the sos (sound on sound) uk magazine in april 2009.

another very good microphone is the mxl r-144 which again was reviewed in the sos magazine in may 2011.

this microphone is a ribbon type and offer a very smooth and silky sound and can be used in both instruments and vocals although it need a good pre-amp.

a very easy way to know more about what mics are the best is to do a google search for a mic model with sos review.

example mxl r144 sos review

as far i know the reviews from the sos magazine are the most accurate in all over the world and your very lucky that you have such as magazine.

i hope to find the right mic.

have a good night

Edited January 27, 2012 by nickko

[Kikiichanel]

Hey!

If your looking for a cheap mic with great quality (for its price) id recommend the Editors keys website they have a small selection of mic's but there mic's are exactly what your looking for with a reasonable price tag plus there USB so you can plug it straight into your laptop without having to buy any other wire's. If your just in your room recording covers for YouTube or other projects id recommend the Editors keys SL150 Mic as its only £79.99 but if you get on to doing more professional recordings I would buy a more pricey one. If your looking for a mic which you can record vocal and your instruments you should also check out the MXL 550551R because it has 2 separate mic's one for vocal and another for recording instruments.

Hope i could help!

[TheOminouseRecreation]

Along the same line (and price range), I understand the SM-58 mics are better suited for vocals?

The SM-58 And SM-57 are both the same microphone, the diffrence is the ball on top which you can take off.

Good entry grade mics, affordable and realiable are the SE 2000 Costs about £75 very good for this price range but still entry level, akg perseption 220 aprox £120 can handle sound presure levels up to 48 db very good for harsh vocals . i would have to disaree with these two statements

something like the Shure SM-57 pretty easily, I mention it by name because it's considered a workhorse mic you get a dedicated vocal mic... (and)

having high grade mics being over kill

one because its not a very high quality microphone, its good for live situations because its very directional and can take a beating, but it isnt sonicly "amazing".

also his statement of having high grade mics being over kill i dont think thats true either your production value comes from 50% the quality of your equipment and 50% on how you use it so it is a very important factor. theres no point getting cheap equipment because youle have to upgrade again when you realise how bad they are compared to the good stuff

[Retrosaurus Rex]

A super-high quality mic would be overkill at this point, because if your recording in your room the sonic qualities of the space you're in will cause more problems than the quality of the mic you're recording with. Especially because there are a lot of low cost options for mics, and the improvement you gain, sometimes even with very expensive mics, is only incremental. IIRC you're into harder rock & metal, so you probably don't need to consider a ribbon mic. You might consider a condenser mic if you're mainly recording vox, there are decent options starting @ $150.00 or so. If have a typical guy's voice, and you're looking for an aggressive sound, you might be fine with a dynamic mic. I wouldn't recommend one that you can pick up at Wal-Mart, but you could find something like the Shure SM-57 pretty easily, I mention it by name because it's considered a workhorse mic, found in every pro studio, and suitable for a variety of applications. This would be a good all-purpose mic to get, you'd probably keep it forever, even after you get a dedicated vocal mic...

I think if you'd read carefully you'd see the recommendation was based on info specific to the OP. I would strongly disagree that the SM-5x type of mics are "not very high quality", certainly the opposite in build quality, and more than adequate sonically for a dynamic mic. I think you ratio is wildly skewed in the direction of gear, as well.

[TheOminouseRecreation]

I think the Sure Sm 5x are good for live work, but i would never use one in a recording session for things like vocals as he implied he wanted to use it for. id use an sm-5x series for things that require a mic that can with stand high sound preasure levels but never high quality vocal recordings. Yeah i do get what you mean i missed the part bout him being 14 i would not have been able to afford high quality gear at that age. but even so if you want to get decent recordings id save up and get somthing a little bit more fancy. se 2000 also high quality mic costs only a few quid more than the Sm 58

Edited June 4, 2012 by TheOminouseRecreation

[Retrosaurus Rex]

That's a valid point, and my thinking was actually similar, even if I reached a different conclusion, to wit, a dynamic mic would be fine for bedroom demos of male rock vocals. In fact, I know rockers and rappers who get more than adequate results recording vox with these same mics. In addition, when you decide to get a mic specifically for recording vocals, you still have a multi-purpose mic that will last forever. Exactly because he could use it for live vox, or to mic an amp. The OP appeared to be considering a cheapo mic which he would quickly outgrow, and wouldn't be able to usefully re-purpose, and I wanted first of all to caution against that course of action.

It seems I'm explaining it much better now than I did then (~2yrs ago...).