Quick question guys...What's everyone's favorite vocal mic? I have an awesome Audio Technica condenser that I've been using for the last several years for recording and live shows, but I was thinking about picking up an SM58 and just using the AT for recording so it doesn't get any more banged up. So other than the SM58 what mics do you guys like?

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AKG and Sennheiser build some great stuff. Kinda pricey though.

I use an SM58 for vocals and mic my rig with an old OOP AKG D1000-E.

Arjay

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Yeah we used Senneheiser in my band out in CO. They were pretty good. Never used any AKG mics, but my AKG headphones are killer. Might check their stuff out. I've always used an SM58 which I liked, but the sound of my AT blew it away. I just don't want to keep abusing my $250 mic when I could spend a hundred bucks and get something that will perform well on stage. I think I'll probably go with another 58 and call it good, but I might try something from AKG just because I've been hearing a lot of good things about their gear. We'll see. Just bouncing ideas around.

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Hi Tim! Lookin' for that perfect mic, eh? Welcome to a never ending quest... But fret not! Maybe we can help cut that search short!

My 3 all-time best recommendations (apart from the already mentioned SM58) are the following. (I can't quote prices for the US but you'll figure it out.)


http://www.shure.com/americas/products/ ... microphone

The Shure Beta 58A is great all-round, has a very nice frequency curve, is sturdy as a rock and will last a lifetime or two. I own it and use it regularly. You will see it on many big stages all over the world. A great mic.


http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=curr ... escription

The Neumann KSM 104 /KSM 105 is probably the highest rated vocal mic out there. But it's pricey. Neumann from Berlin, Germany have dominated the global microphone market for decades, you will not find many studios on this planet who don't have a U87 or U47 in their mic locker, for instance. I wouldn't necessarily use their vocal mics though if I were on a budget. Great product though.


http://www.audixusa.com/docs/products/d ... mics.shtml

A few years back Audix attacked the microphone market quite successfully and proved they made great vocal mics. The craze has died down a bit due to many manufacturers from the far east swamping the market, but Audix is still there and I once owned a OM 2, which had a great sound and was built nearly as sturdy as a Shure. They have an interesting response curve and are worth checking out. Might even be cheaper than the Shure. A great mic.

So my tips are the Shure and the Audix. If you can, spend some time testing mics, because every voice is different, and the tastes are different.
I just have one more small note. You mentioned you wanted to retire your "250 $" AT mic: 250 for a mic is not expensive. A good mic is worth it's money and will last a long time. What you don't want to do is go cheap on a mic and then have dropouts or rust or bad XLR jacks or a membrane that won't take a heavy sound wave. Get a sturdy mic and be happy. It's much like a sword for the knights of armour: You don't want to get out on the battle field and notice the blade won't take the pressure, and the hilt has come off. Think about it. It would look rather--- silly.



Good luck, and try as many out as you can.

Cheers

Nutter

I am using mainly the SM58, but I have a CAD e100 that I have just started using that is really nice.

I like the sm 58 beta version and the audix om6 and 7

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I'm mostly using the SM 58 now for vocals, but I have a Paso mic that is very hot and I also use two vintage Turner mics from the 60s. I carry a Sennheiser e935 I use now and then for solo gigs. It's always good to have a spare or two on hand.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

I've always liked the Shure 58 and 57, but my new Rode M1 is my favorite :

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M1Rode/

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I've been using a Peavey PVM38 for about 20 years and have found that to be an excellent vocal mic plus it's that sturdy it could easily double as a hammer.

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I have a fair few vocal dynamic mics. Of these, my 2 favourites are the Audio Technica "Midnight Blues" MB3000L (love the finish!) and the considerably more expensive Senheiser "Evolution" E865.

Vocal mics truly do demonstrate the law of diminishing returns. You have to spend increasingly more for the smallest of improvements.

At the time I thought I'd spent as much as you reasonably could on the Senheiser. And it IS a fantastic mic across the full breadth of my vocal range. A true all rounder for any male vocal. But even after 15 or so years, the AT Midnight Blues really does run the Senheiser close and sounds particularly good on my bluesier style vocals.It has a really nice tactile finish on it as well.

For female vocalists, I love to lend them a Peavey "Diamond" SY22. Again some years old now, but it sounds great on breathy female vocal lines..

Of course, I would use a Shure SM58 if I had to, but I don't need to. It might be the industry standard live performance vocal mic, but there's so much better out there for the same price.

But I really would love to try one of those Neuman vocal mics. They look fantastic. (I note however that the 104s actually have condensor capsules, so maybe they shouldn't be considered in this particular round up of dynamic mics. So, I guess the 105 is the one I'd need to try..)

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I ended picking up a Blue En · Core at GC yesterday. The appearance of the mic caught my eye first, and as soon as I tried it out next to an SM58 I had to have it. Same price, and the Blue was leaps and bounds better (for my voice that is). Looks like my $250 condenser can live the rest of it's life making records instead of being abused and spit on every night. Let's see if Blue lives up to their reputation.
My brother didn't understand why I wanted to spend money on a new mic, because (he said) that everywhere we play at first will have mics we can use, but I sing right against my microphone, and I really don't like the idea of having someone elses spit all over my mic...

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In my humble opinion, there may be better mics out there, but you really can't beat a Shure SM58.
In terms of durability, reliablity, availability and price, it's the way to go.

I have had mine for over twenty years, and it's still ticking after singing, screaming, being dropped, spit upon (unintentional, of course), beer/vodka/tequila exposure (for the first nine years of its life), Lipton iced tea exposure (for the past thirteen years of its life), harmonica playing, micing amps (in a pinch), micing cymbals (in studio), having a Fiesta Red/orange stripe painted on it, using it for a class project for my daughter, and backup vocals by a former band member who couldn't sing.

Edit: I just read what you wrote about buying a Blue. I've heard good things about them over the years, so let us know if it lives up to its hype. We expect reports at 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years and then 20.
Congrats on your purchase...and remember, if we don't see pics, it didn't happen! Show us your mic!

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Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

My vocal mics in order of preference:

1. Shure Super 55 (My newest Mic and my new favorite. Great for live gigs, recording and killer looks)

2. EV N/D 967 (My workhorse for live gigs over the last couple of years)

3. Audia-Technica M4000S (inexpensive but good sounding mic for practice and backup, a real bargain)

4. Shure SM58 (good all around mic I keep as backup or 2nd vocals when needed during live gigs)

I also have a Shure SM57 I use to mic my guitar amp.

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’04 Fender Custom Shop ’56 Stratocaster Relic RI 50th Anniv. Aztec Gold
'10 Fender American Select Mahogany HSS Strat
'07 Fender Custom Shop Vintage Heavy Relic HB Telecaster
'03 Gibson ES-345 RI
Schecter California Custom Hellcat
’10 Squier Telecaster w/Bigsby (Fender CS Texas Specials/Candy Apple Red)
’09 Squier Stratocaster HSS (Pearly Gates HB/SSL-1/SSL-1/Silver Sparkle)
’02 Squier Bullet/Seymour Duncan HB/LockingTuners
Breedlove AD25/SR Plus Acoustic

Yamaha S90XS Keyboard

I guess I'm kinda pedestrian with mics. 58 for vox & 57 for the rig. I'd like to see both adopt the narrower pattern of the 58-Beta but not the boomy EQ of the Beta.

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