Microphones... Some questions + HELP! :-)

[Feanor IV]

Hey there,

I need a good mic for VOCALS, list price up to 500 euros. Any suggestions? I've been told that SHURE BETA 58A, or maybe SHURE BETA 97A should be the best I can get. Opinions?

Moreover, can anyone tell me a few things about mics in general? Cardioid, supercardioid, dynamic etc............... Help, please?

Thanks in advance!

 

[TekChef]

check out some of the Rode mikes. Nt-1 and Nt-2

Cardioid and supercardioid are used to describe the field around the mike that it picks up sound the strongest. It's a kinda heart shaped field in the case of cardioid. a supercardioid is a larger version of the cardioid.

Dynamic and Condenser are types of microphones.
A condenser is a mic with charged plates, and usually has to draw power. Used extensivly for vocals.(and many other things..I have seen them used for overheads for a drumkit)
Dynamic is a mic with a metal ribbon in it..it picks up sounds very finely..good for delicate sounds or ones where you need a nice, crisp clear sound.

the shure mice you mention are good for a entry level vocal mic..if you can afford the Rode, get one instead.

 

[Feanor IV]

Thanks for the help. But what should I get? I mean, I know what cardioid and supercardioid is, and what dynamic/condenser is, but what should I prefer and why? I'm interested in vocals, in particular clean and quite high-pitched. I also know that dynamic mics have advantages like being cheaper, more stable as far as performance is concerned + they don't require electricity to work, but I don't know any advantages of condensers. So, could you explain to me what is good for what applications and why should I prefer the one against the other? Or a link to a page that explains this, if you know

Moreover, thanks for the recommendation, I checked out prices etc, and found out that they don't cost that much more than the Shuire. The NT1 costs about 200$ at music123.com and the Beta 58a costs about 30$ less. So, I guess I must go for the rode...

 

[FrostGiant]

The Studio Projects C1 is an excellent mic. About $200. Great for vocals and acoustic guitar and it comes with a shockmount which can be $100 alone.

 

[Lethe78]

For live vocals I use a Shure Sm57, which isn't really a vocal mic, more of a snare/highhat mic, but it does the trick very well.

 

[scarr3d]

why do you use an SM 57 vocals?

anybody know the difference between the Shure Betas and the standard SM's?

 

[Lethe78]

I just bought it originally to mic my guitar cab, and it was a good mic that wasn't expensive.

 

[Bryant]

why do you use an SM 57 vocals?

anybody know the difference between the Shure Betas and the standard SM's?

The 57 is designed as an all-around mic, and he ain't the first to use it for vocals. It doesn't "look" like a vocal mic, but I've stole my bass-player's 57 to sing my harmony when my mic gave me trouble a couple of times.


Bryant

 

[Bryant]

The SM 86 is the Tommy Aldridge of microphones. It's ugly as dirt, but is a good performer and also isn't that bad about feeding back when practicing with the PA in front of you if you don't have or want to use a gate.
The best bang for the buck might be the EV ND767A though. It's a good mic for a little over $100 US. I played an "open-mic" thing at a local bar recently and though they have super expensive sound equipment, they used that mic for the left and right stage singers for harmony. It was a sweet mic.

Bryant

 

[TekChef]

A condenser mic draws power from a power source, as it has a charged plate in it. This type of mike has a wider dynamic range, and usually records smoother for thigns like vocals, etc.

As far as what mike to use where-recording engineers will aruge this one for HOURS. You have to follow your ears, and find how you like you thinks to sound.

I know a bit about it becuase I spent some time interning in recording studios(currently with Nocturnal Post Production, San Rafael, CA)...so I have a slight idea of how I like things to sound.


Experiment and just play with the mics...what you can get out of them! That is part of what mics and placement are about.

 

[nihilist]

I've had the most success with the Shure Beta 87A. Please don't use 57's for vocals, they wern't made for it. If you have 500 euros though you can pick from a number of nice mics. Check out the Neumann's and Sennheisers (I know my spelling sucks).