My band and I have just purchased Pro Tools 8 and the Digidesign 003 interface to record our own album. Now it's time to buy a good vocal mic. My budget max is about $1200. Everyone I have talked to says the best way to choose a vocal mic is to try them all. My vocals are comparable to Shine Down, Candlebox, Chris Cornell. Any suggestions on some brands and mics to try? This is our first album and the material is great, so we really want to do it right. Please help!
Comments
Gosh this is a subjective question. It doesnt matter who you
Gosh this is a subjective question.
It doesnt matter who you sound like, it only matters what sounds best for you IN the enviroment you're going to be recording in.
For example. If you were in my room I would put up a variety of mics and listen to you on each of them through different preamps.
The one that sounded the best would be the one to go with.
IT MIGHT NOT BE A $1200 mic.
So theres really no way of any of us to know what mic to recommend for your project.
Since you didnt list where you are located??? we also cant recommend a place to try out or rent a mic.
Since we have no idea what your recording space is like then we cant make a recommendation based on that either.
Then theres the work flow that you intend to use. Does the band track together, Separate single tracks? Drums only then guitars? Bass alone? Scratch vocals? Analog desk into a DAW into your protools? Stand-alone mic pres? Quality outboard as opposed to the pres in the Digi003?
Ask questions with some sort of information as we arent mind readers and there is no answer to your question other than simply a suggestion at a price point which you might not even need to reach given certain aspects.
Also. Use the search function here. This question has been asked a million times and its likely in much the same way.
Its not that no one wants to help, its just that without certain things we really cant do anything except throw a number at the question, and numbers dont make great recordings.
So by doing it right as you suggest, you need to have this info available.
As far as suggesting which mics to try for vocals, this would also be dependant on where you are located. GitrMart has 'some' mics but only a few I would suggest. If you are in a large metro area with some real pro sound shops then you might stand a chance in trying something out that will really blow your skirt up.
Davedog, Let me begin by apologizing to you and everyone else f
Davedog,
Let me begin by apologizing to you and everyone else for my inexperience. My passion outweighs my experience by far; which I why I humbly come to you all who know to try to learn. I have updated my profile so that you know where I am. I live between Baton Rouge, LA and Lafayette, LA. However, I'm from Hattiesburg, MS andvthat is where my band originated about 10 years ago and where we are still based out of. As for our recording environment, we have a house, a computer, and the software and interface I mentioned above. Other than that, we only have much passion, eagerness to learn, and good intentions, with very little hands on knowledge and seek to gain it by doing. We are open to and would very much appreciate any and all suggestion as to how to set up a room to record. The band is recording one instrument at a time, and I plan to use multiple tracks for vocals. Please overlook my ignorance and inexperience and help anyway you can. Thanks to all of you, and again, I apologize for the many things I have yet to learn.
Eddie
I would only add that singers like Chris Cornell are famous (inf
I would only add that singers like Chris Cornell are famous (infamous) for having the sheer vocal power to destroy an expensive mic capsule. If you shoot your whole wad on an expensive mic, and then have that kind of power in your delivery... be prepared to drop a few hundred bucks on a replacement capsule periodically.
All things being equal I would also be inclined to put an SM58 in front of you. But again Cornell and Henry Rollins and singers of that style can also overpower a 58 too. It's probably a combination of SPL and moisture levels from eating the mic while making such deep gutteral noises. If that's your style, be prepared to repair or replace your mics on a regular basis - no matter what they are. I read somewhere how many SM58's the Rollins Band had to tour with, (it was an obscenely high number). The soundtech said he was constantly shipping them back to Shure for refurbishing, because Henry could flatten a diaphragm in one night.
Good luck.
So sad.
So sad.