Help me decide on a first time vocal microphone purchase!
April 2, 2013 6:57 AM Subscribe
Hi Mefi-ers.
I've been thinking of purchasing a mic for a professional-style singing output.
I don't have much knowledge of brands and or what to look for.
I am a somewhat accomplished singer (that is, I have talent and have performed in front of people with mics that have been supplied for my use)
So far I have two models on my list:
Rode NT1A Anniversary Vocal Condenser Microphone Package
and
APEX460 Tube Condenser Microphone
Please could experienced mefi-ers advise on what would be a suitable (high quality + bargain) purchase? Being a student, I am somewhat on the skint end..
I currently reside in England (as I understand, the Apex 460 is not available to order on amazon.co.uk). Alternatively, please let me know if there are any particular music equipment stores I should look into in London. That being said, I have no idea whether they'd offer a better price than what is available online.
Thanks very much
So far I have two models on my list:
Rode NT1A Anniversary Vocal Condenser Microphone Package
and
APEX460 Tube Condenser Microphone
Please could experienced mefi-ers advise on what would be a suitable (high quality + bargain) purchase? Being a student, I am somewhat on the skint end..
I currently reside in England (as I understand, the Apex 460 is not available to order on amazon.co.uk). Alternatively, please let me know if there are any particular music equipment stores I should look into in London. That being said, I have no idea whether they'd offer a better price than what is available online.
Thanks very much
It kind of depends on where and why you'll be singing. The style you linked are very wide-angle, and generally very "hot" mics, meaning they'll pick up everything you're singing, as well as all your breaths, the rustle of your feet, the guy standing next to you, noises coming from audience members sitting a few feet away, etc. Great for very quiet venues, recording, etc.
The Shure SM58 is the classic club band mic. Everybody uses these at some point in their lives. The "acceptance angle" is a much smaller/narrower cone; you have to be directly in front of the mic and closer to it. If you're on a stage with other people, if you've got monitors pointed at you, if you're in a venue with background noise (bar/pub/etc) then this is a more practical approach. It does take a different style of microphone use (in terms of where you put it relative to your mouth). No matter what style you buy, it would probably be good to be familiar with using both kinds.
posted by aimedwander at 7:06 AM on April 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
The Shure SM58 is the classic club band mic. Everybody uses these at some point in their lives. The "acceptance angle" is a much smaller/narrower cone; you have to be directly in front of the mic and closer to it. If you're on a stage with other people, if you've got monitors pointed at you, if you're in a venue with background noise (bar/pub/etc) then this is a more practical approach. It does take a different style of microphone use (in terms of where you put it relative to your mouth). No matter what style you buy, it would probably be good to be familiar with using both kinds.
posted by aimedwander at 7:06 AM on April 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
What aimedwander said. "Nobody ever got fired for bringing a Shure SM58 to a gig." They go for about $100. You can get an XLR to USB cable for $15-20 or however much you're willing to spend.
If you're going to be taking the mic places, an SM58 is also far more durable than the ones you're looking at.
posted by Devoidoid at 7:14 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you're going to be taking the mic places, an SM58 is also far more durable than the ones you're looking at.
posted by Devoidoid at 7:14 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would also suggest a shure sm58 or beta58. Cheap, rugged, good predictable sound. For hooking it to your computer (or any mic) you'll need a mic pre-amp with usb etc...
posted by chasles at 7:15 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by chasles at 7:15 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Came in here to suggest an sm58 or beta 58 also -- unless you're ONLY going to be using it for recording at home. In which case you will probably want to get some sort of condenser mic. I use an m-audio Nova which was pretty inexpensive and sounds good for what I need it for. (you will need a powered mixer, audio interface, or preamp to use condenser mics.)
posted by capnsue at 7:30 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by capnsue at 7:30 AM on April 2, 2013
Bear in mind, preamp (you will need one of these, no getting around it) selection is every bit as important (if not more so) as mic selection. The Rode mic is a good choice for the price. I'd have a look out for a secondhand NT2. eBay is your friend.
posted by run"monty at 8:26 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by run"monty at 8:26 AM on April 2, 2013
The two mics you've listed are condensers - both will give good results in a recording environment, but you didn't specify - is this purchase for live use, or recording in a studio?
posted by stenseng at 9:30 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by stenseng at 9:30 AM on April 2, 2013
Another vote for the SM58 - sturdy, dependable, good quality, and I've yet to be let down by my ones (which are used both at home, and out in the wild, for interviewing and 'zoo style' mutli voice podcasts)
posted by ewan at 9:32 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ewan at 9:32 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, if you want to record directly to your macbook, you'll either need a recording interface with good preamps and XLR connectivity, or one of these fancy new USB enabled mics with all that good stuff built in.
I've heard good things about the Blue Spark.
posted by stenseng at 9:33 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've heard good things about the Blue Spark.
posted by stenseng at 9:33 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, frankly, I'd disagree with most of the above posters suggesting a dynamic mic like the 57/58 - these are great vocal mics for live audio, but you'll get much better results from a condenser like the ones you listed, or the Blue I suggested, in the studio environment.
posted by stenseng at 9:34 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by stenseng at 9:34 AM on April 2, 2013
SM58
But you should let us know how you intend to use it.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:46 AM on April 2, 2013
But you should let us know how you intend to use it.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:46 AM on April 2, 2013
I know nothing about mics, but the Denmark Street/Charing Cross Road area (Tin Pan Alley) is the traditional London music equipment shop hotbed.
posted by corvine at 9:51 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by corvine at 9:51 AM on April 2, 2013
The SM58 is nice because you can beat someone with it and it will still work well afterwards. If you're going to be traveling around with this setup, you should probably have an SM58 even if it's just a backup for your fancy condenser mic.
posted by ryanrs at 10:05 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ryanrs at 10:05 AM on April 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah again, depends on the use case. The SM58 is the swiss army knife of live vocal mics, but if OP is talking in terms of a controlled recording environment, as opposed to live, there are lots of nice Chinese made large diaphragm tube mics that can be had for around the same 200 bucks that'll result in MUCH better results in the studio.
posted by stenseng at 11:41 AM on April 2, 2013
posted by stenseng at 11:41 AM on April 2, 2013
Yeah again, depends on the use case.
true, but if the poster can have ONLY one and needs to perform live 3 times for every 15 studio sessions the shure 58 will give solid results for both. a condenser/large diaphragm mic will indeed sound better in a studio and be absolutely useless anywhere else.
OP says this is for pro singing engagements and calls out specifically singing in front of groups... I'd love to call out a CAD E100s but my fear is the OP takes that to a bar or church.... ouch!
as for the mic preamp part of this there are literally a hundred options. presonus USBbox (around $100 i think) and if you go either way you can get a behringer thingy for about $30 or a MOTU for about $600.
posted by chasles at 11:58 AM on April 2, 2013
true, but if the poster can have ONLY one and needs to perform live 3 times for every 15 studio sessions the shure 58 will give solid results for both. a condenser/large diaphragm mic will indeed sound better in a studio and be absolutely useless anywhere else.
OP says this is for pro singing engagements and calls out specifically singing in front of groups... I'd love to call out a CAD E100s but my fear is the OP takes that to a bar or church.... ouch!
as for the mic preamp part of this there are literally a hundred options. presonus USBbox (around $100 i think) and if you go either way you can get a behringer thingy for about $30 or a MOTU for about $600.
posted by chasles at 11:58 AM on April 2, 2013
Well, OP says "pro singing output" which is open to pretty wide interpretation, and mentions singing before an audience as bona fides, but I don't see anything specific about the current use case.
posted by stenseng at 12:09 PM on April 2, 2013
posted by stenseng at 12:09 PM on April 2, 2013
True stenseng, that was my read of it. Basically a thread full of consistent answers awaits the OP...
posted by chasles at 6:04 PM on April 2, 2013
posted by chasles at 6:04 PM on April 2, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ethelwulf at 6:59 AM on April 2, 2013