Need some help in buying my 1st mic ... please ...

Q

quark

Experienced
Looking to give vocals a shot but don't know a thing about mics. I've heard that the Shure SM58 and SM Beta 58 have been the sort of the go to mics of choice for many years but when I listened to some You Tube comparisons of the Shure's compared to the Heil's and some other mics, they sounded kind of muddy. But then some say a bright clear mic may not be best for vocals. Do you guys have any thoughts or recommendations for a good 1st vocal mic in the $150-$200 range. Thanks ...
 
Shure beta stuff is good, used beta 57, 58, and now I'm using the beta 87a, which is at the high end. The EV ND stuff is always good too.
 
You can't go wrong with an SM58 as a live vocal mic. Cheap, effective, built like a tank.

It's heavily colored though, but that's why people love them.


You can always apply some EQ to your mic signal if you need more highs. If you want to start out as a vocalist, I'd always prefer getting a SM58 and a nice vocal compressor for the same price of a more expensive mic. Depending on your style of music, a compressor can really make your voice stand out in the mix.
 
Try a '57 as well as a '58. Of course the '57 is an 'instrumental' mic, but I remember spending a day in my studio with my brother, trying every mic in creation, some costing over 2K, before we found that the '57 liked his voice the most. Also built like a tank (another reason people love '58s so much - you can whip 'em around like Roger Daltry and they'll keep on ticking. This is also true of the '57).
 
Just my opinion, but don't skimp. Buy a mic designed for vocals. 57's are great for mic'ing amps and live vocals (if a 58 isn't available), but if you want crystal clear vocals in a recording environment, don't go that route. Even a Behringer mic will give you better results than mic's not designed for vocals.

I've got a Behringer B2 Pro and my buddy has a collection of Rode condenser mic's and a few Blue's. Eventually I'll go the Blue route, but for now (with the limited amount of vocals I do) my B2 meets my needs.

That said, if you're on a budget you can't go wrong with a 58.
 
Uh - what are you using it for? Performing live, or just recording? It's important. 58s are great for live because they're dynamic mics. They are very sensitive to ambient sounds. You get your lips right on it and it won't pick up a lot of drums or other singers or papers rattling in the background. BUT if you're recording and it's basically just you and you're not that concerned with extraneous noises getting picked up then a good condenser os your best bet -- NOT a 58. BUT they can be expensive. The cheaper ones sound cheap to my ears. They can sound brittle and harsh.

It depends how much you're willing to spend.
 
The Shure SM57 and SM58 have the same transducer element, a Unidyne III. The major difference is the grille, which is both cosmetic and functional. Dynamic microphones exhibit a strong "proximity effect", wherein the frequency response is greatly affected by how close the mic's element is to the audio source. The SM57 is commonly used on instruments because the flatter grille allows the mic's transducer to be closer to the audio source than the SM58's ball grille. Also, the spheroid shape of the SM58 grille acts as a "pop" or "breath" filter to help suppress plosives (hard consonants like "P" and "K"). The SM57, with its smaller and tighter grille, focuses audio into the element; most engineers will tell you there is a noticeable increase in the 5KHz - 8KHz range when using that mic versus the SM58.

I like the SM57 for male vocalists who have good mic technique. It's trickier than the more forgiving SM58 as a general vocal mic.

Echoing the other posts above, either microphone will serve you well as a workhorse vocal mic. The SM58 is arguably the most widely used microphone in the world. It's inexpensive (you can find them on Musician's Friend for around $100), rugged, and fairly forgiving. There are much better microphones out there, if you're willing to spend more. As dpeterson points out above, the Shure Beta series is nice, and so are the EV ND mics.
 
I would recommend a Sennheiser e945, if you're into Rock and "louder" style. If your stage-volume is low and your musical style is pop, jazz, classic..I would suggest to trying the Sontronics Handheld Condenser Mics. They are really bang for the buck. But if it comes to loud stages....the e945 is my personal choice. Feedback-resistent, and sounds almost clear as a condenser, and it cut's through the mix.

I've used 58's for vocals for years and IMHO this mic is shit, compared to so many usable mic-designs like Audix, Sennheiser, AKG, EV. And even, when so many Gitarrists worldwide love the "tone" (haha) of the SM57 for guitars...I would prefer the Sennheiser e906. I think the 57 just became "standard" over the years, because the most expensive mics for studio recording were always used for the drums and vocals...the guitarists had to take what was left in the gear box.
Even though the Beta-Series is way better than the originals, test out the others. Most of the music shops will give you mics for testing .......use this service...
 
Thanks, guys, a ton of good information here ...

p.s. ... the usage will primarily be live not studio ...
 
+1 for the Sennheiser e945. This mic is 2x the price of the SM58, and much more than 2x as good. It's a supercardioid mic, and as funkstation777 states, it has very good feedback rejection. The SM58 has a pronounced midrange exaggeration that makes the mic sound a little muddy to me. You'll probably find the e945 to be a much clearer and truer sounding mic.

As long as we're discussing Sennheiser mics, the e609 is very nice for guitar amps. My Fractal rig goes direct to the board, but I sometimes play smaller events where I just bring my trusty Lonestar and a small pedalboard. I hang the e609 off a mic cable, sitting right against the grille, and sounds fantastic.
 
I'm a total FRFR-Player (Live & Studio) since 2010 (First with a Standard, now with the Axe II).

But if I would ever have to go back to real Amps, the e609 or the e906 (including a li'll more features) wouldn't be my first choice for Cab-miking. Those mics would be my ONLY choice. In my pre-Axe-Aera I used to mic my 4x12 cab with pretty much any "standard" guitar-whatsoever-mike, and the e906 and the e609 have proven IMHO as the best guitar-related mics in the bunch.
 
+1 on the e609. I've got one of those from when I use to mic my 1960B. Toyed around with combining a 57 with the e609 for recording a little while back. I prefer going straight into my mixer from modelers though. Easier and more consistent, in my opinion.
 
funkstation777 said:
I'm a total FRFR-Player (Live & Studio) since 2010 (First with a Standard, now with the Axe II).

But if I would ever have to go back to real Amps, the e609 or the e906 (including a li'll more features) wouldn't be my first choice for Cab-miking. Those mics would be my ONLY choice. In my pre-Axe-Aera I used to mic my 4x12 cab with pretty much any "standard" guitar-whatsoever-mike, and the e906 and the e609 have proven IMHO as the best guitar-related mics in the bunch.
Click to expand...

Have you used the frequency profile adjustments on the e906 very often, and if so, what settings do you prefer? I haven't used that mic model yet, and am intrigued by it.
 
The Switch on the e906 is something like a rolloff, that should make it Sound like an old MD409, then for neutral Setting in the middle, and a presence boost, that should sound like the e609. So if you like he presence boost with your e609, there should Not be a reason for an "Update" ...

Btw....I always used the neutral setting.
 
Can't speak highly enough for the Shure Beta 87A. I've had many vocalists use it and then go out and buy one of their own because it sounded so damned good. It's a little bit more $$ that the Beta 58, but well worth it. You can pick one up for around $250. It's supercardoid, but has excellent feedback rejection. You might think about the Beta 87C (cardoid) which will pick up less ambient noise, particularly useful if you're using IEMs.
 
Is that for live or recording? Live, classic 58 or even beta 58 (more output so careful for feedback). For recording, find a used SM7b. Great on vocals, guitar and bass amps.
 
mrstrat said:
Can't speak highly enough for the Shure Beta 87A. I've had many vocalists use it and then go out and buy one of their own because it sounded so damned good. It's a little bit more $$ that the Beta 58, but well worth it. You can pick one up for around $250. It's supercardoid, but has excellent feedback rejection. You might think about the Beta 87C (cardoid) which will pick up less ambient noise, particularly useful if you're using IEMs.
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+1

I love my beta 87C (I've never used the A, but I assume they're quite similar). I've used SM58's a lot and they're very muffled sounding compared to the 87C. Of course it all depends on your voice, but for me, the 87C is far superior.
 
This is really an interesting discussion, and I'm enjoying the recommendations. I've noticed how much of an impact the selected microphone model impacts the sound / response of a modeled guitar rig. FAS mics are based on fantastically accurate models, which means mic selection can have a dramatic impact on the sound and "feel" of the setup. It's useful to have a solid understanding of the mechanical differences between popular dynamic and condenser selections (along with some more exotic options!) in order to consider how they will render your tone in a virtual environment.
 
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