best mic for vocals-opinions

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:03 am

which of these mics do you think is the most convenient for vocals
(or the best one in general) ?

studio projects b1
cad m179
shure sm 58

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:58 am

Is this for stage or studio?

Is it for rock or baroque?

Is it male or female voice?

What do you mean by "most convenient"?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:43 am

The "most convenient" would be the 58 because it is the one always hangin' around! Still a classic for male rock vox onstage or in the studio. I had a pair of M179s I got cheap on some sort of close-out. Very attractive due to their multi-pattern capabilities. Dumped them to acquire a second AT4047. They were just so-so. The B1 gets a lot of positive comments here, but haven't used one before.
The first poster was right: there are TONS of variables out there, it really does depend on the scenario, and, quite frankly, the mics you listed are totally different from one another. Give us a bit more info...

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:26 am

I need ir for a male voice, im recording hip hop , no rock,just vocal no instruments,in my studio,, nothing in the stage...

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:53 pm

Well, that certainly narrows it down a bit.......... Shocked

I jest.... In short there is no short answer. The mics in question seem to be picked for their price rather than for specific qualities they may or may not possess. The final answer will be determined by you and ONLY you when you use them.

Mics are very much like toothbrushes.....they all do the same job, some are nicer feeling than others....some are prettier colors....some simply fit better.....NONE of these things can be determined before you open the wrapper.

As an opinion, here's mine..........

The SM58 is one of the 'swiss-army-knife mics. It will do many things and never fail to do exactly what its engineered to do. They very rarely fail to work even under the most drastic abuse you can imagine. They sound....err...exactly like an SM58. There are lots and lots of pretenders out there that want to sound like an SM58 and dont.

The Studio Projects B1 is kind of the condenser version of the SM58. It will reproduce sounds very well and with its own set of tonal characteristics. Its built like a brick and requires very little care in handling. Its tone is a bit dark with a bit of 'fizz' in the high-end. Its a great drum overhead mic and does great with small open backed guitar amps. As a vocal mic its a toss-up. You'll either like it or hate it. For a couple more twenties, you can get the B3 which IS a very good mic and is much flatter in its response and much more versatile in all aspects.

The CAD is a boring cheap replica of other mics which actually sound good for the same amount of money. Its nothing like its more expensive brothers and sisters, which for the most part, sound good.

There are so many mics in this price range , that its hard to know what to buy and what to avoid.

If you can find one of each or have access to a quality sound dealer, try them all out side by side . This will tell you everything you need to know.

I would also be looking at the new Heil mics. They are dynamics and have great detail and tone. BTW....with a dynamic mic you will not be needing any phantom power.....in case you dont know.....peace

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:44 pm

(Speaking of dynamics) I don't think I'd walk into a studio that didn't have a RE-20 ready to go for vocals. I can put the RE-20 up against a half-dozen other mics worth between two and ten times the price and usually wind up using the RE-20.

Another "swiss army" microphone. I'd feel comfortable using it on almost any "non-Enya" type vocal.

Or kick drums. Or bass cabs. Or guitar cabs. Or brass. Or a pair of Roadhouse 65's straight pipes on a Sabre 1100.

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:41 am

OK here is a thought. Lets start by setting up all three mics. Working properly? Ok now have your vocalist sing/rap whatever they are going to do into each of the three mics. Which one did you think sounded the best? That is the mic you should use. Try not to get too caught up in the audiophile jargon of the best of the best of the best. Use what you have, but use it wisely. After all not everyone has access to M 49's and such. Trust your ears!

Happy tracking,

EZ

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:55 am

sm57 is a better allrounder

Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:14 pm

I will second that RE20...especially for hip hop. But since you didn't list that mic, I would pick....the 58 to be honest. Cheap condesner mics suck.

neil

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:23 pm

sarkastik wrote:

which of these mics do you think is the most convenient for vocals
(or the best one in general) ?

studio projects b1
cad m179
shure sm 58

Of the 3 mics mentioned---the 58--hands down

Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:45 pm

SM57 and SM58 are identical with the exception of the windscreen.

Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:08 pm

I think you will find that there are ported differently

this manifests itself in the proximity effect
58 has more

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:26 pm

What websites can I find the RE20?
What's the price range of it?
I've honestly never seen it here in Dallas.

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