Live mic recommendations plz!

[CloseToTheEdge]

Our vocalist is entertaining the idea of getting a better vocal mic for live performance. She has used SM58s for quite a while. We also tried out a Beta58 with improved results over the regular SM58.

Not a huge budget to work with (prolly < $250). We play mostly softish rock. She is not a loud singer by any means. Our board can support phantom power if needed.

Other mics we should consider for live use?

Thanks.

[Tim Halligan]

Beyer M69.

Beyer M88...but it depends on the voice.

Shock, horror...the Rode Live mic (sorry, don't know the model#...but the hypercard) has been getting good reviews...but I haven't actually used it myself...

Shure SM87...condenser...but good. You'll have to be careful with your wedge tuning though...


HTH


Cheers,
Tim

[Tim Armstrong]

Well, they're usually CHEAPER than an SM57 at MF, but we really like the AKG D9000 dynamic mic for live stuff. Crisper and cleaner than a 57, I can hear myself in the monitors better...

Cheers, Tim

[Audio~Geek]

Maybe check out the AKG C5

[pounce]

well, there are lots of options. i'd feel more confident making a suggestion if i had heard her voice, so i'll just mention some mics that work and you'll have to make some determinations from there.

for condensers, you could go with an akg535. for super tight pattern dynamic, some of the audix vocal mics could work. also the things like a shure beta87.

[clicktrack]

I've become of fan of the Neumann KMS105 of late. It may be *just* out of the price range you recommended, but I've found that it delivers well with a wide range of vocalists.

The one gotcha is that it has a fairly tight pattern, so if your vocalist is one who pulls away from the mic in order to do her own "self compression", she'll need to play with it a bit to find the sweet spot.

Some of the other recommendations made here are solid, though.

[pounce]

kms105 is great. i wasn't sure if it was in budget or not. i haven't bought one lately, but i've used one recently. nice mic.

[Droolbucket]

Something that's fun to do, if the opportunity presents itself, is to record her vocal through several different vocal mics with the EQ flat (or switched out) and see which mic suits her voice the best.
Years ago, I was recording a demo for a local band, and they had brought their mic case to my little studio. I was looking for a new live vocal mic for myself, so (with their blessing) one night I recorded myself singing a few lines with every mic at hand. Then, I could just throw faders up one at a time and pick the mic I liked the best.
Just for the record, I ended up with an EV 457... no longer made... but it sounded better on my voice than several much more expensive mics.
Droolbucket

[Spock]

Just for the record, I ended up with an EV 457... no longer made... but it sounded better on my voice than several much more expensive mics.

I've used an EV 357 live for many years. I don't think they made them for very long. In the current band our front man was complaining about how his SM58 sounded in the monitors. I asked him what he wanted it to sound like. He said, "I want it to sound like your mic."

Recently I've moved to an M88. Compared to the EV 357 it needed a slight presence boost, but it is much smoother overall. Both have real tight patterns. The proximity effect on the M88 is very strong, but it's fun to work with.

[Swafford]

I've been using a Heil PR20 lately, though it's a little noisy if your a hand mic holder.

[CloseToTheEdge]

Thanks for the recommendations!

She uses a mic stand, coming from the acoustic guitar school of performance.

Our drummer ordered a beta 87 and we have a friend with a beta 58, so the idea of trying a bunch of stuff recorded flat and judge makes a lot of sense to me.

Thanks again all.

[Jason Phair]

87 can be a good choice, though I find it depends a LOT on the room.

Did you get the C or the A?

[CloseToTheEdge]

>Did you get the C or the A?

I don't know. He ordered it, whatever it is. I'll ask him next rehearsal.

[benw]

all of these mics here, would you say they will be more difficult to control feedback wise? Or about the same?

I only ask because im in charge of budget for my school, and although i feel that mikes that are less good at dealing with feedback than a 58 wouldn't be a problem with me, the other people who run sound are a little less clued in on pickup patterns and what exactly causes feedback and how to stop it.

Cheers,
Ben

[Tim Halligan]

...and although i feel that mikes that are less good at dealing with feedback than a 58 wouldn't be a problem with me, the other people who run sound are a little less clued in on pickup patterns and what exactly causes feedback and how to stop it.


Depending on the particular circumstances, any mic can be a nightmare when it comes to feedback.

First thing on your "to do" list would be to train the other people who run sound at your school.

Next thing to consider is whether changing mics is warranted when you look at the "what you gain vs what you lose" equation.

I assume you are currently all 58's...so there is a consistency of sound from operator to operator, gig to gig, and recording to recording. Is losing that consistency outweighed by what the new mics bring to the equation...assuming that whatever mic you select will actually sound better in all of your various circumstances?

Cheers,
Tim

[clicktrack]

Welll.....

To answer that question is, well, not as straight forward as "yes, use this one" or "that one".

The reason being is that the source of feedback isn't ONLY the mic itself. Its a combination of a tonne of factors.

Your mains placement, mic placement, pickup pattern, monitor placement all play a significant part of feedback control. Oh...and lets not forget what I consider one of the most important factors: Your gain structure.

I don't mean to dodge your question...truly because you're designing something for a room that has multiple usages, you do need to pick fairly generic vocal mics that will sound pretty good in MOST conditions. (i.e. stay away from something too esoteric)

As well, you need to pick something that can handle *some* abuse. As much as you try to avoid abuse, you are in a situation where you have different people handling the mic all the time.

So, coming back to my original point, although pick up pattern (w.r.t feedback) may be one of your considerations, I would personally not make it your ultimate decision point, solely due to all the other considerations you need to weigh in doing what you're doing.

Having said all of that, of course taking into account some of hte factors I mentioned, you could do very well with the usual 58's. The Sennheiser Evolution series (i.e. 935) can be your friend in these situations as well.

[Spock]

Your mains placement, mic placement, pickup pattern, monitor placement all play a significant part of feedback control. Oh...and lets not forget what I consider one of the most important factors: Your gain structure.

Click got this in before me. But I think it needs to be drilled into anyone starting out learning how to do live sound.

I'm so surprised that I see people that have doing live for a while and don't understand simple placement.