hey all i just finished college doing music technology and i am going to continue it when i go to university in september but i want to do some studio work at home and i have also got to do a few favours for my friend (recording vocals etc.)
anyway :D the microphone i am after is a Shure sm 57 since i know it is a really good dynamic mic. cause i use it all the time at college for instruments like guitars and drums. But i also want to use a mic for vocals and we always use a sm58 but at the moment i cant really afford both.
So i was wondering if the Shure sm57 is still good for vocals, i have heard that i need to get a pop shield but again i have also heard that a pop shield can be easily made by a coat hanger and womens tights :lol:
oh yea and also the equipment i am using is a griffin external USB audio device and i want to get the griffingarageband cable (XLR to stereo mini-jack)
is that a good setup or shall i not bother using a good microphone on a crappy setup like that
sorry for my bad grammar, the heat is getting to me :P
cheers
Aaron
Comments
Here is way too much info for you... Always use a pop filter fo
Here is way too much info for you...
Always use a pop filter for studio tracking of vocals!
"Live" is another situation and usually involves more disposable gear and less worries about recording quality.
Don't consider it a pop filter! Consider it a "Spit Shield"!
Even if your vocalist doesn't spray all over the capsule in excitement from actually recording, the human breath still contains water vapor. Pop filters can actually catch some of this moisture.
Coat hangers/embroidery hoops and hosiery works fine instead of buying a $60 filter. Just make sure you have at least two layers of material spaced at least a 1/4" apart.
The fact they catch some P's and S's is just a bonus. Placement and mic technique is more important for eliminating plosives and sibilence.
Wind and moisture are both bad for mics... Even the truck tough dynamic 57. You can't really hurt this mic short of a nuclear holocaust, but the more you respect the tools, the longer and better they will sound. You will appreciate this more as you spend more and more money on mics.
Honestly... A 57 is fine for vocals if you are Spinal Tap playing live at an Air Force base weekend social for cadets... But if you want vocals to sound "clean" on their own track, you better think about LDC's.
If you are throwing a full band mix under the vocals, the 57 will probably get you by since the "noise" will be masked by the other instruments if you EQ and mix it right. Just expect some "room" noise on the vocal track.
Expect lots of other "noise" or hardly any levels if you are just going into a soundcard with no preamp. Dynamic mics are usually noisier than condensers due to their design. And computer soundcards usually don't work with dynamic mics unless you get their signal at least up to line level with a pre.
Check out the Emu or M-Audio interfaces for your comp. They have some really affordable options. 1/8" mini is kinda weak. You want to be able to at least plug in a couple of TRS 1/4" or XLR for stereo tracking. Think USB or a PCI card with breakout cables. Firewire would probably be even more versatile down the road.
Good luck! Welcome to Hell!! :twisted:
Legend has it that the 57 and 58 are essentially the same mic.
Legend has it that the 57 and 58 are essentially the same mic. Same capsule, but I believe the 57 turns out to be slightly more directional. Since you are on a budget, and need tools to work with, it doesn't make sense for you to buy one of each right now.
Get a 57 to start. Then save a few bucks for a condenser mic which will open up a new world for you in terms of recording vocals, acoustic guitars, etc. Real cheap ones are the SP B1, AT2020. If you can scrape together more than a couple hundred, you'll have many great options for a LDC.
As for your interface, "adapting" down from XLR to 1/8" is undesirable, but it can work to start. You're going to run into hum and noise, and likely low signal level. When you can, move to a system where you don't have to use adapters to get from pro connections (i.e. balanced 1/4", XLR) to consumer ones like phone jacks.
AG