Thread: Vocal Mic -

I have a few mics but would like to standarize 4 vocal mics.
I currently have an SM57 (at least 20 yrs old and still works fine...never abused) and a more recent Beta 58. The Beta 58 seems to have a bit more "punch" than the SM58.

I have a tenor voice and hate mics that sound like there's nothing but HF being picked up.

I know the 58's have a great rep as an all around type mic but if I'm going to use a mic for vocals and nothing else is there a better choice in the same price range?

How do the EV PL80A/PL80C compare?

Thanks again for allowing me to pick your collective brains!

Originally Posted by Brian Murphy

I have a few mics but would like to standarize 4 vocal mics.
I currently have an SM57 (at least 20 yrs old and still works fine...never abused) and a more recent Beta 58. The Beta 58 seems to have a bit more "punch" than the SM58.

I have a tenor voice and hate mics that sound like there's nothing but HF being picked up.

I know the 58's have a great rep as an all around type mic but if I'm going to use a mic for vocals and nothing else is there a better choice in the same price range?

How do the EV PL80A/PL80C compare?

Thanks again for allowing me to pick your collective brains!

Been using PL80a's for a few years. They have good GBF, sound more neutral than a 58 with better HF response. Built great. Try before you buy. Also like the PL 84 condensers.

Sennheiser e935


Evan

Heil PR35

Originally Posted by TJ Cornish

Heil PR35

+1 - I use one, love it

Another PR35 fan here. But Evan's 935 recommendation is great too. Also Audio Technica AE5400 is a good choice.

Originally Posted by TJ Cornish

Heil PR35

One more vote here!

Just about everyone likes the Heil PR35. I wanted to try a Heil mic, so I got the PR22. The PR35 is much more expensive. The PR22 can be had for around $100.00 if you shop a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound. Handling noise can be an issue. If you'll have the mic on a stand, it shouldn't be a problem. If you're used to the basic Shure offerings, the PR22 might take some getting used to. The response is quite different.

Thank you for the responses so far. It seem a number of you like the Heil PR35 however it's more than $100 over the price of a Beta 58.

Originally Posted by Brian Murphy

Thank you for the responses so far. It seem a number of you like the Heil PR35 however it's more than $100 over the price of a Beta 58.

But its performance is on par with mics that are over $500 more. One for the "money" channel is a reasonable investment.

Originally Posted by Jeff Babcock

Another PR35 fan here. But Evan's 935 recommendation is great too. Also Audio Technica AE5400 is a good choice.

+1

I don't personally own the e935, but I'm a fan of what it does for vocals. I do own the PR35 and the AE5400 and I they are very nice vocal mics, too.

I'd have to try them out against one another with a particular source to figure out which one I liked better (and, even then, maybe only in certain situations).

The Electro-Voice N/D767a is a really nice mic that meets your budget requirements.

A little out of your target budget but still worth checking out. Sennheiser E945, Audio Technica AE6100 and AE4100, Audix OM6.

I love my OM6 mics, but I will add an SM86 into the mix. It is a great sleeper mic.

Until you have 4-5 regular old sm58's I wouldn't buy anything else.

After that you can experiment with some boutique mics. The heil is good. I am also a fan of the sm86. Its a very decent vocal condenser that is nothing like the beta 87.

I happen to have Earthworks' new wireless capsule right now, and just listening to my voice over headphones it is stunning! I can't wait to try it on a show.

Originally Posted by Tim Weaver

Until you have 4-5 regular old sm58's I wouldn't buy anything else.

After that you can experiment with some boutique mics. The heil is good. I am also a fan of the sm86. Its a very decent vocal condenser that is nothing like the beta 87.

I happen to have Earthworks' new wireless capsule right now, and just listening to my voice over headphones it is stunning! I can't wait to try it on a show.

The thing that happens though is all voices get the same presence peak and roll off characteristics. I saw a show last week and every mix on stage was a 57 or 58 and I could easily perceive the sonic "punch" delivered by all this similar mics..and I mean punch in a bad way.... It sounded the way a mix does when the mixer is doing a lot if additive EQ. One side effect of the scenario is the music sounds one way at low volume and drastically different...blaring, bombastic...all the B words.. at higher levels. Very tiring and one dimensional. If I had 5 58's I would sell 4 of them.I have yet to find a voice I don't find a better match for.

Originally Posted by Stuart Pendleton

I love my OM6 mics, but I will add an SM86 into the mix. It is a great sleeper mic.

I agree, but it is a vocal condenser, so has it's place, and as Tim says, nothing like a Beta87. My favorite musician response was with the Makem and Spain Brothers last year, I used four of my SM86 for their vocals. Rory just loved the sound on nice auditorium stage. That said, I had a troublesome evening a couple of years ago using them in the noisy pub for Barleyjuice, and swapped them out for SM58 mics.

I also agree with Tim, you shouldn't worry about other mics until you've got a handful of SM58 in the kit. Most musicians will be familiar with them as well.

Best regards,

John

I should perhaps clarify things a bit. I'm not looking for equipment to rent out. I'll be singing and looking for at least 3 other musicians/vocalists to join me. I'd like to have identical mics for all of the vocalist and wondered if there are any standouts in the same price range as the SM58 or Beta 58A's that might be a better all around mic.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Brian Murphy

I should perhaps clarify things a bit. I'm not looking for equipment to rent out. I'll be singing and looking for at least 3 other musicians/vocalists to join me. I'd like to have identical mics for all of the vocalist and wondered if there are any standouts in the same price range as the SM58 or Beta 58A's that might be a better all around mic.

Thanks

Hey Brian,
I used to be a Sennheiser e835 fan, but did a little shootout of my own about a year ago. Obviously not every mic will work on every vocalist, but here are the mics I checked:

Sennheiser e835
AKG D5
Shure SM58
Shure Beta 57

The D5 was the best sounding to my ear, with my voice (which admittedly is not a conclusive test), and it has better GBF than the 58. I'd like to hear the D5 next to an EV PL80. In this price range, those are the 2 mics I'd be giving the most consideration.

Grant

Originally Posted by Brian Murphy

I should perhaps clarify things a bit. I'm not looking for equipment to rent out. I'll be singing and looking for at least 3 other musicians/vocalists to join me. I'd like to have identical mics for all of the vocalist and wondered if there are any standouts in the same price range as the SM58 or Beta 58A's that might be a better all around mic.

Thanks

Having matching mics would make more sense if you were considering a very neutral, flat response mic. Then you could do what you need to do when you mix, make each voice sound as good as it can in context. To assume all voices will benefit from the same mic seems silly to me... Especially with all the affordable options.