Vocal mics of choice and why

[EBS_freak]

I'm intrigued. What vocal mics do people use and why?

Im guessing the 58 will make a strong appearance.... but the question remains, why the 58?

[Paul S]

I had a Shure 58, now got an AKG D5.  I sound just as bad through both.

That wasn't much help, really.

[BreadBin]

The 58 is the default choice for most, I prefer the sound of a 57 as it has a flat response without the presence peak at 2k.

[mep]

Got wireless 58's for me our singer.  Industry standard! 

[BreadBin]

If everyone uses a mic with the same peak at 2k then it's harder to separate them, with a flat mic you can eq in your own presence at different frequencies and tailor it to suit the individual better.

[Trueno]

I've always had 57s as I've used them as instrument mikes. My first one was appropriated as a snare mike and got the life battered out of it (kept on working, it must be said). I have a beta 57 now... because I was feeling a bit flush. Also used it for bvs though. Very solid and confidence-inspiring.

[Urban Bassman]

I've got a SM58 too but I prefer my AKG D800 I think my voice sounds better through it.....mind you "better" doesn't mean much as my singing voice ain't all that 😉

[Cuzzie]

Used an SM58 Beta, now have Sennheiser e835’s

fantastic bits of kit, Sennheiser have really upped their game and I think Shure have rested on their laurels a bit.

Sennheiser are becoming more standard I think now

[T-Bay]

I have a cheap Behringer bought after a review on here. It seems to be a 58 clone and seems to very good. The only other Behringer stuff I have had experience of (pedal and amp) were truly awful so this was/ is a pleasant surprise. It is great for my level of BV.

[Cat Burrito]

In my rock 'n' roll band we use Elvis mics but this is very much an aesthetic thing. 

[PaulWarning]

we use 58's with the band but I use a 57 for home use (practicing my vocals for open mics) and I prefer the 57, not so much bottom end on it, more of a Jeff Lynne type sound which suits my occasional flat vocals, could be a counterfeit though, I got it second hand  

[Cuzzie]

Those Elvis mics are cool, but you have to be close and on axis to be heard, one of the reasons why I moved to the Sennheiser 

[Woodinblack]

I use the TC Helicon MP75 - used to use the sure and the behringer clone (which I still use for miking up guitars) but the MP75 had much better feedback rejection and I think it sounds much better for my voice. They are expensive here but strangely cheap in the states.

[Oopsdabassist]

Sennheiser E835 for me too, I found it more directional than the SM58, which works for me as I can go 'off axis' for all my sarky comments best not heard thru the PA lol

[King Tut]

I've got a 58 but use Beringer XM8500's instead for my vox and kick drum. Cheap, hardy, good FB resistance and suits my voice. They've really been through the mill and still going strong.

[ezbass]

I used to use an AKG D5 for backing vocals and it was OK for that. I was then asked to do lead with a band and the sound guy said that D5 wasn't doing me any favours tone-wise (I'm pretty much a baritone with, to my ears, a distinct low end). I tried an SM58, but this gave much the same results as the D5, then I tried an SM58 beta and this was much more suited to my voice: cleaner; less wooly; more mids. I have been using this ever since.

[mike257]

The AKG D5 is my regular go-to. Better off axis rejection than a 58 and nicer response around the high mids to my ears. Suits most vocalists I point it at. Occasionally find a voice that doesn't suit them that well, at which point I tend to reach for a Beta 58a or a Beta 57a. The Sennheiser stuff is also great, and I'm more than happy to use it when provided, but I've got five D5 in my personal kit now. 

[jposega]

SM7B with a Cloudlifter or similar booster. Excellent rejection, nicer tone than a 58 or 57. Gotta be right on axis, but it's good for vocals and recording speaking voice as well. And snare. And guitar amps. Great on stage and in the studio.

Edited April 29, 2018 by jposega

[whizzzy]

By chance I happened to pick up a couple of AKG C5900 condenser mics a few years ago and fell completely in love with them. They are streets ahead of the SM58 in terms of clarity, fullness of sound and feedback rejection. Whenever I see one now selling for a reasonable price I snap it up. A couple of years ago I A/B'd the C5900 against the D5 which I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with.

The Sennheiser E365 also gets my vote. Once again its a condenser mic and comes a close second to the AKG C5900.

Interestingly I have an original SM58 made in the USA and a few years ago made a direct comparison to the Mexican SM58 and found it was quite different in that the Mexican version had less clarity and presence and tended to overload easier. It is certainly a step backwards in terms of performance.

[EBS_freak]

19 hours ago, mike257 said:

The AKG D5 is my regular go-to. Better off axis rejection than a 58 and nicer response around the high mids to my ears. Suits most vocalists I point it at. Occasionally find a voice that doesn't suit them that well, at which point I tend to reach for a Beta 58a or a Beta 57a. The Sennheiser stuff is also great, and I'm more than happy to use it when provided, but I've got five D5 in my personal kit now. 

D5 seems to be a very good mic - theres a band with that use them across all the vocalists and they seem to be very consistent in their performance. I dont recall ever having any battles with feedback - mind you, this particular band runs a silent stage with the exception of the drums. Oh and the other great things about those mic - they don't break the bank.

The more and more mics that I use, the more I am turned off Shure. The 58 and 58a really don't do it for me - although I do like a 57/a on the snare.

The majority of my vocal mics are 935s and 945s. The 965 tends to be a bit on edge unless we are talking big stages. Mind you, I find that when using all condensers as vocal mics. I tend to think that they are more hassle than they are worth because all the extra air and clarity you end up rolling off anyway, especially if there's a kit behind the singer.

Historically my fave dynamic was the Heil PR45 but I am more turned on to the sounds of the OM5 and OM7 from Audix. They are ridiculously good on loud stages - unfortunately they tend to come up a substantially higher price. I'm really impressed by the Audix range... and very tempted to change my drum mic setup to Audix too.

[Guest adi77]

sm58 

sennheiser 835e

sm-7b

[fretmeister]

TC Helicon MP-75 for me.

 

Tried a few and really liked it. 

[Guest adi77]

..my friend's going to make me a stereo 312, looking for the op-amps and transformers 

[dudewheresmybass]

Sennheiser 835. 

I really like the sound of it. Not so sure on my vox though 😉

With main singist said using akg or shure, it sits well 

[stevie]

I've got a Beyerdynamic Opus 69 that I like.  I'm also a fan of the Sennheiser dynamics and (for the price) the cheap Behringer Shure copies. My experience of the 58s is that they are a bit muddy and a bit "raspy". Same goes for the Audio Technica dynamics.