Topic: Mic suggestions (Read 7773 times)

Debbie Dunkley · « **on:** February 10, 2014, 11:09:43 AM »

I have some decent drum mics in my kit but for vocals I keep it simple. I carry SM58's SM57's and an Audix OM5. I want to add a couple more mics for added selection but as I get no issues from what I use, I don't want to invest a whole lot of cash in something. What would you suggest to add some more choice to what I have - keeping in the <$200 range?

BTW - even though I had stated " I get no issues" (from my SM's), on saturday evening, I had one of my SM's go down. First time EVER. I opened it up and the yellow wire was loose and as I held it in my hand, the green one popped off too. Weird. It is one of my newer ones too. I soldered them back and all is well but I couldn't believe it. Probably time to stop using it as a hammer when not used for vocals !!! he he

Rob Spence · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2014, 11:30:42 AM »

One mic I added was a PR35 Heil for use with singing drummers. It has great side and rear rejection. It is more $$ but it has a special use for me. I also use it for a singer that sings bass and he likes the sound of it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

gary makovsky · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2014, 11:42:48 AM »

Quote from: Debbie Dunkley on February 10, 2014, 11:09:43 AM

I have some decent drum mics in my kit but for vocals I keep it simple. I carry SM58's SM57's and an Audix OM5. I want to add a couple more mics for added selection but as I get no issues from what I use, I don't want to invest a whole lot of cash in something. What would you suggest to add some more choice to what I have - keeping in the <$200 range?

BTW - even though I had stated " I get no issues" (from my SM's), on saturday evening, I had one of my SM's go down. First time EVER. I opened it up and the yellow wire was loose and as I held it in my hand, the green one popped off too. Weird. It is one of my newer ones too. I soldered them back and all is well but I couldn't believe it. Probably time to stop using it as a hammer when not used for vocals !!! he he

Hi Debbie,

Beta 58s would be a good choice. Been my go to mic for years and affordable, and for the really soft female singer the beta 87 works well but picks up everything on stage with lots a drum bleed.

G

Tim McCulloch · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2014, 12:03:11 PM »

Quote from: Debbie Dunkley on February 10, 2014, 11:09:43 AM

I have some decent drum mics in my kit but for vocals I keep it simple. I carry SM58's SM57's and an Audix OM5. I want to add a couple more mics for added selection but as I get no issues from what I use, I don't want to invest a whole lot of cash in something. What would you suggest to add some more choice to what I have - keeping in the <$200 range?

BTW - even though I had stated " I get no issues" (from my SM's), on saturday evening, I had one of my SM's go down. First time EVER. I opened it up and the yellow wire was loose and as I held it in my hand, the green one popped off too. Weird. It is one of my newer ones too. I soldered them back and all is well but I couldn't believe it. Probably time to stop using it as a hammer when not used for vocals !!! he he

Hi Debbie-

I've got a serious microphone addiction problem and some very strong opinions about certain popular mics.

First, I pretty much hate any Shure mic with the word "Beta" and used for vocals, especially for female singers. There, I said it.

I really like Shure's SM-86, as the presence peak is fairly wide (a couple of octaves, IIRC) and responds well to corrective EQ. I use them on a wide variety of vocals and find them flexible. My first exposure to this model was Alison Krauss, and if it helped make her happy, I was happy. Anyway, it's a condenser that will run on 15v. or greater. I own 6 of them.

Also in the Half Dozen Dept is the AKG C-535. Love them on lecterns, traditional choral setups, any place they won't get yelled into, or used by singers that really don't need amplification to begin with... I don't use them all that often any more, but they are nice mics.

For a different character, I also have 6 Beyer M-69. Kind of a hyper-cardioid with a presence peak that may or may not be what you're looking for with a particular vocal. I think they are most flattering for male vocals and I used them with female jazz singers to good result.

How much do you want to spend and what kind of characteristics are you seeking?

edit ps... there is a sticky thread near the top of the Lounge that is specifically about vocal mics.

g'bye, Dick Rees · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2014, 12:07:06 PM »

Check your PM's.

Tommy Peel · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2014, 12:43:57 PM »

Sennheiser e835s are good for the money; they work well on my band's lead singer(SM 58s don't work so well), but YMMV. One mic I don't particularly like is the AKG D880; it gets pretty nasty sounding if the singer gets a little off axis.

Jamin Lynch · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2014, 12:56:42 PM »

Quote from: Debbie Dunkley on February 10, 2014, 11:09:43 AM

I have some decent drum mics in my kit but for vocals I keep it simple. I carry SM58's SM57's and an Audix OM5. I want to add a couple more mics for added selection but as I get no issues from what I use, I don't want to invest a whole lot of cash in something. What would you suggest to add some more choice to what I have - keeping in the <$200 range?

BTW - even though I had stated " I get no issues" (from my SM's), on saturday evening, I had one of my SM's go down. First time EVER. I opened it up and the yellow wire was loose and as I held it in my hand, the green one popped off too. Weird. It is one of my newer ones too. I soldered them back and all is well but I couldn't believe it. Probably time to stop using it as a hammer when not used for vocals !!! he he

Sennheiser E835 about $90 or you can move up to the E935 for about $160

Bob Kidd · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:00:11 PM »

Quote from: Jamin Lynch on February 10, 2014, 12:56:42 PM

Sennheiser E835 about $90 or you can move up to the E935 for about $160

+1. 935

Jamin Lynch · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:15:27 PM »

I try to stay away from vocal mics that require phantom power. There's good mics that don't need it. Just one more thing you don't have to mess with

Corey Scogin · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:24:41 PM »

I like the 935 too.

For something significantly different than what you have, you could try a condenser. The Audio-Technica AT2010 is a cheap, good sounding, moderately tough condenser. Obviously not for the quiet vocalist who stands directly in front of the drums but for many other vocal situations and some instrument applications, it's a good mic.

Like you, I have some OM5's. I really like those for loud stages. They have a really tight pattern.

Thomas Le · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:25:44 PM »

SM86 & SM87A are sleeper mics, I recently discovered that they perform better than the Beta counterpart. SM86 replaced my SM58.

Jerome Malsack · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:34:37 PM »

How about some mic for the guitar cabinet?

Sennheiser E609

Tim McCulloch · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2014, 02:22:22 PM »

Quote from: Jerome Malsack on February 10, 2014, 01:34:37 PM

How about some mic for the guitar cabinet?

Sennheiser E609

Other than the flat package, it's basically an SM57.

Spend the extra $$ and get the e906. You can make it sound not like a 57...

g'bye, Dick Rees · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2014, 02:30:22 PM »

Quote from: Tim McCulloch on February 10, 2014, 02:22:22 PM

Other than the flat package, it's basically an SM57.

Spend the extra $$ and get the e906. You can make it sound not like a 57...

With the 906 available, there's just no excuse for the 609. Weird, considering they're from the same company. Maybe some kind of dyslexia in the nomenclature department spilling over into engineering?

David Shriver · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2014, 04:39:20 PM »

The sub $200 range makes this tricky. Every mic that comes to mind that I want to recommend is going to be more than that. I do like the Sennheiser vocals (e935, e8xx, etc). Some of the other 900 series Sennheisers are worth looking into also. The e906 is a great mic for guitar cab and for percussion. The e905 is great for snare, and the 904s are great for toms. The 902 or 602 are both great kick mics. For kick you could also look at an AKG D112. The Shure beta98 is an interesting problem solver sometimes and is about that price. The Shure PG81 is decent if you want a low cost condenser. But for the $200 and under range I typically just stick with SM58s and SM57s. They are both great mics. They are extremely durable and versatile. I've worked in plenty of venues that only own 58s and 57s.

-d

Quote from: Debbie Dunkley on February 10, 2014, 11:09:43 AM

I have some decent drum mics in my kit but for vocals I keep it simple. I carry SM58's SM57's and an Audix OM5. I want to add a couple more mics for added selection but as I get no issues from what I use, I don't want to invest a whole lot of cash in something. What would you suggest to add some more choice to what I have - keeping in the <$200 range?

BTW - even though I had stated " I get no issues" (from my SM's), on saturday evening, I had one of my SM's go down. First time EVER. I opened it up and the yellow wire was loose and as I held it in my hand, the green one popped off too. Weird. It is one of my newer ones too. I soldered them back and all is well but I couldn't believe it. Probably time to stop using it as a hammer when not used for vocals !!! he he

Jared Koopman · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2014, 04:41:19 PM »

Quote from: Debbie Dunkley on February 10, 2014, 11:09:43 AM

I have some decent drum mics in my kit but for vocals I keep it simple. I carry SM58's SM57's and an Audix OM5. I want to add a couple more mics for added selection but as I get no issues from what I use, I don't want to invest a whole lot of cash in something. What would you suggest to add some more choice to what I have - keeping in the <$200 range?

BTW - even though I had stated " I get no issues" (from my SM's), on saturday evening, I had one of my SM's go down. First time EVER. I opened it up and the yellow wire was loose and as I held it in my hand, the green one popped off too. Weird. It is one of my newer ones too. I soldered them back and all is well but I couldn't believe it. Probably time to stop using it as a hammer when not used for vocals !!! he he

I have had good results with the Audio Technica AE6100 and Sennheiser E935/945.

Samuel Rees · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2014, 04:41:44 PM »

935 is a real SM58 replacement for me, I'm a big fan.

Bob Leonard · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2014, 04:58:39 PM »

I have a pretty large selection of mics, but I seem to always fall back on older 58s for those who like them, or the Heil PR-22 and PR-35. Either one will do a better job (IMO) than most of the mics mentioned above. I could be jaded though, Bob Heil is a friend of mine.

another favorite of mine is the PR-30 and PR-40. Super duper for guitars and wind instruments. And for the retro look the Heil FIN now comes in black.

http://geartechs.com/index.php/heil

Jerome Malsack · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2014, 05:43:29 PM »

And what opinions are there for the EV lines? N/D 767, I had a good show with their PL33 in a kick and enjoyed the sound from that mic. I have been looking and wanted to try the N/D 767 to see how that works.

Tomm Williams · « **Reply #19 on:** February 10, 2014, 06:13:33 PM »

Unlike some folks here, I simply don't care for the PR35. I had a pair of them and was utterly disappointed YMMV. When reaching for something other than a 58 there are a couple of mics I quite like. One is the Sennheiser 431 Profipower. Although discontinued years ago, they are not that hard to find. For smoother, jazz kinda stuff I find them nearly unbeatable. For a good all-rounder I prefer the Senn 935 and for louder stages (or other issues) I keep a handful of EV967's. Glad to read about the connection between Alison Krause and the SM86. Always loved her vocals, never knew what she was using. For cabinets I like the SM59 or an EV308.

Hanno Meingast · « **Reply #20 on:** February 10, 2014, 06:31:49 PM »

You might look at the CAD C195 vocal condenser, less than $100 and pretty decent

Hanno

Jonathan Goodall · « **Reply #21 on:** February 10, 2014, 06:46:44 PM »

Not sure what you pay for them in your neck of the woods but I use mainly AKG D7 mics for vocals, never had a complaint yet.

Debbie Dunkley · « **Reply #22 on:** February 10, 2014, 06:52:29 PM »

WOW..... I am thoroughly appreciative of all the comments I have received on this subject thank you all so very much.
This is one of those situations where in the absence of being able to literally AB everything in the <$200 range at the same time using different voices, instruments etc, your input is invaluable.
I have received a couple of offers from members to sell me mics from their own kit which I really appreciate because of the existing level of trust I have with those folks.
I'll be increasing my stock a little more bit by bit so I have some homework to do based on what I have read here. You guys are the best !!!

ProSoundWeb Community · « **Reply #22 on:** February 10, 2014, 06:52:29 PM »

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Author Topic: Mic suggestions (Read 7773 times)

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