Owen Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 My daughter is doing some live work. I have always wondered why voclaists do not bring their own mics. Here is my opportunity to make it right. Obv I could go with a 58 or a Neumann 105. The 58 is super old tech. The 105 is a bit expensive and she is unlikely to be using rigs which would do it any justice at all. Her voice is a light soprano, singer songwriter vibe. She does not belt it. Sennheiser 945? Beyerdynamic M88? TIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mybass Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Why not the Shure Beta 58…..two girls I work with really like it over their Sm58. I think you can get them for a bit over £100 but….do make sure it’s a genuine one, Shure are one of the most faked mics about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 This is the info I need. Keep it coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramirez Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 M88 is very good, and is a great mic for many applications, -it's one of my favourite all rounders - but it requires care on a gig - it has very strong proximity effect, so some EQ/HPFing at the desk is a must. It's also not ideal for handheld use due to high handling noise. Ond a stand in the studio though, it gives the posh condensers a good run for their money! Ond a budget I've always liked the AKG D5, though I've seen many of them break. Shure KSM8 is very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Beta 58 is far more easier to use than Neumann, which requires Phantom. Less hassle, decent audio quality, and a tried workhorse. Yes, Neumann is very good. Remember to buy a good quality cable + velcro and learn together to coil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 When choosing a mic for a female singer, the most important thing is to avoid giant teddy bears. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 The Shure KSM8 looks very interesting. Reviews suggest that it sounds really good with no eq etc. Obvioiusly if you have a decent engineer then happy days. However........ Sennheiser e935 has also been suggested as solid choice which is not so expensive and likely to do what is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 3 hours ago, Happy Jack said: When choosing a mic for a female singer, the most important thing is to avoid giant teddy bears. The bear appears rather disinterested given the situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Beedster said: The bear appears rather disinterested given the situation? He's at a Kylie gig. Go figure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velarian Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Coincidentally I watched this video a couple of days ago. It might be useful in your deliberations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 I got all excited and have just bought a Shure KSM8. Lots of good reviews, quite a wide pickup sweet spot and needs very little done at the desk end to make it sound good. Given the nature of what she will be doing it is unlikely that there will be stellar engineers there so this should at least give her a fighting chance. Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 I use both the Beta 58A and the E945 live (both with minimal processing) and for vocals in my higher register, I think the E945 sounds better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 On 20/08/2022 at 14:28, Happy Jack said: I should be so lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 Lucky Lucky Lucky ... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 39 minutes ago, bass_dinger said: I should be so lucky. 35 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: Lucky Lucky Lucky ... That was certainly my thinking also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 Sennheiser e935 all day long, much better than the 58 or Beta IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, bass_dinger said: I should be so lucky. Which was sung by Rick Astley to the Calrec sound field mic. Because of the mic, he sounded like... Kylie? I had to buy the single back then just to test it with slower speed and... I still love SAW's joke. Just listen to the choirs. Edited August 23, 2022 by itu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted August 23, 2022 Share Posted August 23, 2022 On 20/08/2022 at 17:57, Beedster said: The bear appears rather disinterested given the situation? You’re being very hard-on him 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 24, 2022 Share Posted August 24, 2022 There is no real answer to the OP's question. All the usual suspects mentioned are worth investigating, but you can't beat going and trying some mics with the singer who is going to be using them. Last time I did this with a female singer in one of my bands we ended up with something by Electrovoice. It suited her voice far better than any of the more "conventional" choices we tried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 24, 2022 Author Share Posted August 24, 2022 3 minutes ago, BigRedX said: There is no real answer to the OP's question. All the usual suspects mentioned are worth investigating, but you can't beat going and trying some mics with the singer who is going to be using them. Last time I did this with a female singer in one of my bands we ended up with something by Electrovoice. It suited her voice far better than any of the more "conventional" choices we tried. That is the truth, but I live in the back of beyond and my daughter is in Brum so I will have to take a punt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb625 Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 I use a Sontronics Solo for our female singer, which is a great mic for the price and the people there are really friendly and helpful. It was designed to be run flat on a desk, so as a plug and go, it's a good choice. The sennheiser e935 (or e945 if you want a super cardiod) as mentioned by others is also a great choice, as is the new (and fairly pricey) 435. For slightly less money, the 835/845 versions are also a good option. For higher-register male vocal (think David Gilmour) the AKG D7 is a good choice, but it is quite sensitive, so needs careful eq'ing of any stage monitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 The Shure Beta 57 is regarded as better than the 58 for female voices. I "discovered" a nice inexpensive vocal mic for female voices by accident a few years ago, which is an EV ND 367s. It isn't the best choice for those soul/blues belter female voices - you can overload it - but it's great for the type of voice you describe. You don't need to work it super close, either and it's a dynamic, which is handy in situations where there isn't phantom power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Audix OM6. Great off axis rejection for live use... and great for capturing all those airy highs. The trying the mics out is a top tip... if you can find them all in one place, as different mics can suit different voices better. The off axis rejection of the Audix though, is what makes it one of my top choices in this case. Will need better mic technique from the singer - but the extra gain before feedback and cleaner vocal feed into the desk would make this a strong contender for me. (If she's a light singer, she will need to be right on the mic and on axis if she's singing with a band). In a live situation, I would take that cleaner signal over perhaps the best sound (not that the Audix is in any way deficient - it isn't... it's a great sounding mic). With a quieter singer, you are going to get into bleed and the realms of feedback a lot quicker, especially if she is not singing right on the mic. Obviously in a studio where you haven't got the extra complexities of other stuff going on, then yeah, finding the right mic for the singer is defo something to explore. Edited September 2, 2022 by EBS_freak 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted September 2, 2022 Share Posted September 2, 2022 I really like the sennheisers as an option on shures. Always got excellent results from them on a variety of voices. Built like soviet agricultural machinery, they just keep on going forever in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted September 2, 2022 Share Posted September 2, 2022 25 minutes ago, 51m0n said: I really like the sennheisers as an option on shures. Always got excellent results from them on a variety of voices. Built like soviet agricultural machinery, they just keep on going forever in my experience. Agreed, as an alternative to a 58 or 58 beta, I'd much rather use a 935 or 945. Much more airy in the top end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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