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anonymous 29 August 2008

I am under a budget, and looking for a mic in the $600-1000 range that will do best for my vocal needs. I sing mostly Jazz, and intimate stuff, I need something that has a warm texture, but clear sound, a mic that will produce the sound in my voice that will surround the listener and reel them in... so, it needs to be very rounded and not too colored... any suggestions? I know it's always better to look at the $2,000 up range, maybe at Neumann's and AKG Tubes, and what not, but unfortunately, I only have $1000 to spend

Comments

bent Fri, 08/29/2008 - 21:20

BTW -

I need something that has a warm texture, but clear sound, a mic that will produce the sound in my voice that will surround the listener and reel them in...

Yeah, part of the fun of being a fader pusher / sound junkie - we're on the other side of the board but hoping for the same thing...

anonymous Sun, 09/28/2008 - 06:47

I'd agree with the bluebird mic, fantastic condenser mic.
If you'd like to hear a sample of what it sounds like on a pretty basic set up, check my myspace with a song called "waiting".

It's running through a firebox into Cubase 4 in my bedroom without acoustic treatment, but I still think you can get a good sound out of it.

bobbo Sat, 10/04/2008 - 13:25

mojave either the fet or tube both in your price point, they may not be cosmetically appealing, but it seems like an amazing mic at an amazing price ($600 - $1000) built from great components and such. the fet version is my next mic purchase, i wouldn't mind having the tube one, but i'm too impatient to set up the power supply and let it warm up. time is money...

moonbaby Thu, 10/23/2008 - 01:26

Boy, there sure have been a LOT of suggestions here, no? I didn't see where you stated your gender-are you male or female? I've had great results with the AT-4047, both on males and ladies singing jazz. Kind of smokey, without being dull or muddy, breathy without being harsh. Great on Diana Krall and Michael Bouble wannabes, IMHO.

BobRogers Thu, 10/23/2008 - 02:21

moonbaby wrote: Boy, there sure have been a LOT of suggestions here, no?...

I wonder if the price point of $1K is sort of uninteresting or maybe sparsely populated. Most of the mics mentioned are around $600-700. On he other hand, most of the mics that I'd look at if I were spending more (earthworks, scheops, Neumann) are a lot more. Off the top of my head I can't think of a mic I'm really interested in that costs $1000 +- 100.

stickers Fri, 11/21/2008 - 16:13

Ive been using an at4047. Sounds good, looks nice

I started out with a studio projects C1. Its a bight mic slightly brittle top end. It sounded good at first but got tired of it. sold it.

After the C1, I bought a K2. The K2 is built like a tank, heavy mic. The K2 was a nice mic although call me weird I got sick lugging it around since at the time I did a lot of location recording with bands. And I wasn't totally blown away with it on vocals something about the low mids. sold it

After the K2, I bought an at4050. versatile mic. pretty good on vocals. kept it

At this point, I kept hearing good things about the sm7. I got a sm7 which kind of an awkward ugly mic. I think it sounded fine on vocals but couldnt really see me using it for much else. I honestly didn't give the mic that much of a chance at that point. traded it.

A friend of mine purchased an at4047 for cheap money. I traded him the sm7 for the at4047. The at4047 is very good vocal mic, looks nice, easy to use and i'm comfortable with it.

anonymous Wed, 12/03/2008 - 02:59

HEY ALL!

has any one used a ksm27 by shure.?
i noticed they are the same price as the blue blue bird mic
are they worth the shot over the ksm-27?
the reason i ask is cuz there is a chance of gettin the ksm-27
for super cheap

my ex gave me a new one (ksm) but i sold it before ever using it. thats why i bring up this mic. maybe i should let go of her....(and the mic)

anonymous Fri, 12/05/2008 - 05:23

The Shure KSM44 is awesome IMO. Our band's lead singer is amazing when listening to him in a room, but we could never find a mic to capture what he sounded like accurately. I done a lot of research and decided on this mic. Now on the recordings it sounds just like him in person. I have seen where people have done some sample recordings with the KSM44 and the U87 with favorable results to the KSM44. Not saying it is as good as the legendary mic, but I am saying that it is a poor man's U87.

anonymous Sun, 12/14/2008 - 05:02

Everyone s voice is different and there simply isnt a great mic for everyone. Its all down to findining the perfect mic for you and if you are lucky it will be a SM57 if not then it will be a Brauner VMA. Best plan really is to get hold of as many different types of mic as you can but even then some will suite more if you want to scream into it or whisper sweet nothings. This year in the studio I have had great results with the standard u87 and u47 but also with a cheapo Jo Meek jm47 at around £100 here in the Uk Equally some fantastic results with the AEAR84 but also with the cheap as chips Golden Age R1 active ribbon. It's different every time so get a few different mics.

john

jammster Mon, 02/23/2009 - 17:13

Can't help wanting to give my .02 cents on this one

Yes, here is one instance in which we can all agree! A good mic is a matter of opinion. So remember that you need to take some quality time to try them and wait before you make a decision, this maybe your last $1000 mic if you are getting a tighter budget this next year.

At $1000 I ended up trying Neumann TLM 103 along with a 414 XLS. I ended up liking the TLM 103 better and have found it wonderful for my voice, acoustic guitar and any other musical instrument I have used it with.

I had to pay another $250.00 for the shock mount however. I recently did find them on Amazon for $1000 in black with the shockmount.

The best thing about the TLM 103 is it is very quiet. Good for subtle singers such as myself. You may not like the tone if you are wanting to scream. I have heard people complain about the top end, I happen to really dig it.

Anyway, take it with a grain of salt because money is going to get tight this year for all of us.

Bluebird sounds like a good recommendation to me. I would certainly like to check one out someday.

anonymous Thu, 03/05/2009 - 23:19

I agree with a few others here who stated it's all about personal prefs. I've found, when I was employed by the place that rhymes with Sitar Center, I could easily spend an entire day trying find that go-to mic. (prolly' the main reason I'm no longer employed there!) But when it came down to it, it was the mic I preferred "THAT DAY". No matter the price range. Although, I do still feel that the k2 regardless of weight, is the best all around mic under not $1000, but under $2000!!! It is a boat anchor when it comes to weight though...my suggest'...get some good ATLAS stands like I did and throw out all those cheap-arse fraudulent stands that fall over when you look at them!!!

moonbaby Thu, 04/09/2009 - 15:10

Cucco wrote: Show me a place where I can buy a C12 for ~$1000 and I'll buy 8 of them right now.

Pssssss ! Hey, buddy, come ova hea, have I got a deal fer YOU. Right here, in the trunk of my '78 ElDorado I got some fancy-shmancy microphones. Real professional like, and cheap as they come. I'll sell you all TEN of 'em fer only a cool grand. See, I cut out da middle man and get these direct from the factory in Bejing, err, Vienna...

Guitarfreak Thu, 04/09/2009 - 15:15

moonbaby wrote: [quote=Cucco]Show me a place where I can buy a C12 for ~$1000 and I'll buy 8 of them right now.

Pssssss ! Hey, buddy, come ova hea, have I got a deal fer YOU. Right here, in the trunk of my '78 ElDorado I got some fancy-shmancy microphones. Real professional like, and cheap as they come. I'll sell you all TEN of 'em fer only a cool grand. See, I cut out da middle man and get these direct from the factory in Bejing, err, Vienna...

This guy seems legit.

anonymous Fri, 04/10/2009 - 19:13

Best bang for the buck? In my view it's an older GrooveTubes MD1A, MD2A or MD3A tube mic. This (pre-Alesis) line of mics was completely hand made and truly outstanding value back then. "Over-engineered" quality with a sound that's easily in the ballpark with the mics you're dreaming of. You can find a used MD1A in the $3-400.00 range. If you're willing to hunt and can find a multipattern MD3A - in the $700.00-1000.00 range - you'll have (IMHO) one of the best tube mics ever made - similar in construction and sound to a venerable old AKG C12 but with much higher specs (quieter noise floor).

This is the best mic I've heard for a softer jazz voice. It's a bit too present for "belly singers" and rock screamers. Of course, it will make a greater difference what timber and range the singers voice covers, but these mics will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up without any eq, compression or effects. They come up fairly often on Ebay and have very user serviceable parts despite the fact that GT is now Fender.

Good luck on your search!

anonymous Tue, 05/12/2009 - 10:09

Another vote for the Bluebird. I used to own a Blueberry and was quite happy with that, I was over at a friends house and he'd just purchaised a Bluebird, We A-Bed them and there was so little differenc in them that I sold my Blueberry and bought 2 bluebirds and a few other mics as well.
For $250-$300 bucks you can't go wrong with a Blue Bluebird.

kmetal Tue, 07/21/2009 - 14:31

Mic For 1000

I'd say go with an AKG 414. i've owned one for a year and i love it, i picked it up at guitar center and talked them down 100 bucks. i told them they won't be selling many of these this year, take or leave the offer. In addition to being really clear, it's versitle enough to use for instruments with excellent results. the coloration you get from the 414 is determined by the pre amp NOT the mic, it's meant to be fairly uncolored w/ a slight rise in the upper frequencies. i got this mic instead of a tlm 103. tlm sounded awsome but, is only the beggining of what Neumann can do...the 414 can be found in just about every pro studio. sure they may use tube based Neumanns on vocals, but at a project studio level the 414 and a nice pre will give you fantastic results, versitility, for a relitively modest price point. At least try it when your testing mics. GOOD LUCK

soapfloats Fri, 07/24/2009 - 23:47

The 414 is a GREAT mic for $1000.
Keep in mind you are not buying a "vocal" mic though.
I use mine on vocals (if it passes the a/b test), drum OHs, gui cabs, mandolin/banjo/etc, solo percussion (tambourines, shaker, etc), as a room mic, and probably a few others I'm forgetting.
It IS my most expensive mic (I own a pair), so that explains why I turn to it so often.
While they don't get used on every session, my Bluebird & MXL 3k have done quite well on vocals. Ditto SM58, Senn e835, and some others.

To be fair, I've used and/or had reputable cohorts recommend nearly every mic mentioned.
And I'd like to add an SM7b to my cab as well!

Truth is, you never know until you use it.
My 421 is getting more use as a vocal mic than almost any other lately. Problem is, I only own 2 and I like it a lot on toms, guitar cabs, and bass cabs.

I'm almost ready to start putting links up to a bunch of a/b's I did w/ many of the mics mentioned.
While it's not the same as doing it yourself in your space w/ your preamps, it should be a useful demonstration of these mics on male vocals, in addition to other sources.

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