Stage vocal mic for breathy alto female ?

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:54 pm

I'm looking to get a good stage mic to use for vocals on a alto/tenor-range female vocalist who is just a little breathy...

I'm looking to spend <$300. After a little preliminary research, I'm concentrating on.....

Shure Beta87
AKG C535EB
Beyerdynamic M-88 (might be over $300?)
Beyerdynamic TG-X 80
Beyerdynamic Opus 81
Electro-Voice N/D767a
Electro-Voice 367

However, I don't have any experience with any of these. I know there's quite a bit a variability in the price range of the above. While cheaper is better, I definitely don't want to sacrifice too much sound quality - which may rule out the lower cost ones above....but then again.... ?

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:43 am

Quite a lot of the overall sound will depend on how well your vocalist can work a microphone. I've tried dynamics like the M88 on inexperienced female singers and the result was variable - sometimes good, sometimes less so. Phil Collins gets the results he wants from it, but he's male and has been in the game a year or so.

For electrets, the Beta87 is a great workhorse and should give pleasing results. However, you should also consider the Rode S1, a true condenser and a surprisingly good stage mic for the money ($299).

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:40 am

I have a Beta87. Can't compare it to the other mics but the alto/tenor range is where it sounds best to my ears. Don't like it much on sopranos. If you are on a stage where everyone is sharing a monitor mix and monitors the hypercardioid pattern is a help (Beta87a vs. Beta87c)

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:16 am

I keep a Beta 87a onhand for nice ladies who can give me goosebumps. I also like the Beyer M69 for that, too. BUT, on a stage, in a relatively "hostile" live environment, Beyers have really let me down. Not because of their sound, but because they are some of the whimpiest mics built by man. I handle my mics with kid gloves, they are all stored in modified Anvil cases originally made for bass guitars. But the moment you place one in the wrong hands...One drop due to a lovely praise team leader/vocalist errantly returning the mic to its' clip turned my last M69 into a nasally talkback mic. One drop onto a carpeted stage caused its' 2-piece ball screen to pop apart and displace the cartridge! Ditto with my many other Beyers over the years. They'll break your heart.
The Beta 87 not only has a good pick-up pattern for the stage, like Bob said, they have excellent handling noise rejection (can you say, "wedding band thump"?) and can take a drop just as well as a 58. I do live sound for this Latino big band once in a while. The female lead gets real breathy, and she can belt it out, too. That Beta 87a is the only wired mic she'll shun her usual wireless Sennheiser for.

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