best type of vocal mic for singing players?

[necrome]

I perform a lot and am generally surprised at how little use headset microphones see with singing guitarists! Shure's WH20XLR is what I sing with - going into a vocal processor (TC Helicon's Harmony Singer) for the automated EQ to tone down the mids and give it some treble. If I'm not mistaken, the WH20 uses the SM58's sound capsule which I find pretty underwhelming for male voices in the baritone range hence the need for EQ-ing.

Previously I was using a Taiwan clone of the Shure Beta87a which sounded better pre-EQ but was also harder to control in a live situation especially when it came to gain/feedback. It always required me to deal with microphone stands too, which can be a pain. Headset microphones free you from that, and allow you to express yourself more physically once you find the right positioning for the arm at. You do lose a bit of control with mic distance but you can overcome that with some practice and after EQ, I actually can get higher gain-before-feedback and still get the sound of the Beta87a! I'm guessing that a condenser headset mic may sound better than my current setup but probably not by much though

[justinzak]

I recently switched to a Blue Encore 300 and I love it for stage and studio. It's super articulate but retains low presence.

[earri]

When I 1st started, I had the same concerns. I found the proximity effect and lack of off-axis pickup of the SM58 a bit frustrating at 1st. So, I went with a Sennheiser e835. Not only did it still pick me up when I glanced away at my guitar, it really shined with my voice (male, tenor). Since that time my mic technique has improved to the point where I can use SM58's but still prefer my e835. Lot's of love for the e935 on here as well, but I personally have no experience with it.

[dgt178]

Originally Posted by justinzak

I recently switched to a Blue Encore 300 and I love it for stage and studio. It's super articulate but retains low presence.

....have not tried the Encore 300.....but it gets GREAT reviews.....

[Mischief]

Okay so far all the responses are spot on.

I've been in your shoes and I am pedantic about research and getting the right gear.

But K.I.S.S.

Here's what I would recommend (skip to 3 if you bore easily.)

1) do a little research on mic types and pros and cons. Comprehension is your friend.
You will learn that condensers ribbons etc can all be used in live settings but think of a mic like an instrument. They each have pros cons and characteristics that can either benefit or hinder you depending on what you are doing. Learn about patterns and what they are useful for.

2) start simple and expand as you grow. So you don't have to over think it. Most importantly you can follow step 3 and start making music straight away.

3) To cut to the chase I would flat out recommend your first mic be an SM 58. Yet that's not the mic I first bought. (I got the Sen 935e which by the way is an awesome mic). Let me explain why you should get this mic and it may not be why you think.

The reason I would blanket say get the SM58 no matter your voice is because, you will be performing with this mic again and again weather or not you bought one. Near every open mic will have one. Guest singing somewhere, they will likely have a 58. House set up likely will have a 58. Gear failure need a back up mic? Guess what the likely mic will be?

Not only is the 58 a great mic, it's a bench mark that many mikes are compared to in tonality etc. so you have a great starting point and the mic will always be worth having.

Now after you have learned to work the 58 to the best of your ability you may find another mic more suited. But what you learn from the 58 will help your next choices immensely.

Here's something worth noting. If you have a deep rich voice you actually want a brighter more articulate mic to capture that. A high shrilly voice needs a darker mic. That's generalized and matching a persons voice with the right mic is an art.

The good news is there's not as much in it as you may first think. An awesome singer can use a plethora of different mikes and sound fantastic. So spend more time on vocal and mic technique. That will make way more difference then getting a mike better then a 58.

But the right mic on the right day with the right singer and the right preamp and the right tracking and holding your tongue just right can all come together and create magic.

However don't get caught up thinking that's what you need.

Because the ones that have 100's of mikes and preamps and singers going through their doors have to work hard to only sometimes get that to happen. Even then one engineers magic is another's meh.

You will be much better served starting with a 58 learning it well and developing techniques. When you can rock that mic move on to something for your own set up.
Like some of the other great mic selections mentioned here.

For recording, same thing start simple. Get a zoom or a studio interface with 2 mic pre channel interface. Like the Itwo or Focusrite studio kit. Comes with headphones and a condenser. Learn it, master it then move to the next step. By then interface gear will be better and cheaper.

FYI. I love my 935e and besides the SM58 I run into the 935e mic all the time. Especially when guest singing with some other groups. I have a baritone vocal and the 935e works well. Having said that if the situation can handle it a bit more gain and staying in the sweet spot of the 58 (few inches off screen vs eating it) and some good sound adjustment can make a SM58 way more articulate and bright then many think this can capture the articulation some singers need and is not the usual tone you hear from a 58. Unfortunately most guys eat a 58 and the sound has been and is adjusted accordingly.

I hope I didn't bore you.

One other thing. I started with one mic and saw super expensive mikes and thought ridiculous! my e935 is all I need. Then I recorded with a condenser......

Mikes are addictive like guitars. Now specifically for my vocals I have 3 very fine LDC, 1 beautiful active ribbon, 4 dynamics two of which are 58's and would love to buy more but will be moving in the future so my purchases are on hold.

It's a slippery but fun slope.

[DupleMeter]

I've been performing live for 30 years now...I've used so many different vocal mics. The ones I bothered to buy for myself are (in order of oldest to my latest favorite):

Shure SM-58 - it's where almost everyone starts. It does the job and has a familiar and predictable sound. For many it's the only mic they ever need to buy...others (like myself) move onto other mics for various reasons.

Electro-Voice PL91a - like a 58 with less peakiness & more output

Audix OM-5 - smoother than a stock 58. These are hyper-cardiod and great at rejecting other stage sounds (like the floor monitors). They take a little getting used to because their pickup lobe is a little smaller so you have to be a little more careful about moving out of the sweet spot.

Sennheiser e935 - I absolutely love signing through this mic. My vocal range is C2 - G4 and it's smooth throughout the range like none of the others were. I generally find that Sennheiser makes top quality stuff and am consistently impressed by their products.

HTH.

[gfsark]

Another vote here for the Sennheiser 935e which is my vocal mic for solo performances, used with a foam windscreen, gives the right distance. At gigs where the sound is provided by a professional sound company, they always have the Sure SM58.

The 935 and 58 are similar enough, so if your are comfortable singing through one, you'll not to relearn the other. At the bigger concerts, I can't hear what the audience hears, so I don't really care that I'm not singing through my own mic. Not going to cause trouble by insisting that the sound people use my gear. The 935 does better for my voice, but who cares? Just me, when I'm soloing.

[Andy Howell]

Originally Posted by DupleMeter

Sennheiser e935 - I absolutely love signing through this mic. My vocal range is C2 - G4 and it's smooth throughout the range like none of the others were. I generally find that Sennheiser makes top quality stuff and am consistently impressed by their products.

HTH.

I think this is a great mic for male vocals, beta than the Beta for example. Yet the Beta seems better for many female vocals.

Like everyone else I spend a lot of time singing through basic Shure 58's and they are fine but the Sennheiser does give that bit more and I will always use it when I can.

Does an audience notice the difference? I don't know. But I do so that helps me feel more relaxed and even more in control

[Perchman]

I'm with earri, the e835 was a revelation to me after using 58's forever. The proximity effect, or lack of it, with the e835 is very "accommodating" to the player/singer that may move around a bit. I don't have to jump back right on the mic to get a very full, clear sound. And, to my ears, it sounds much better than a 58, clearer, more hi-fi. Still haven't tried an e935 yet, but haven't really felt the need to. On a related note, I had a gift certificate that I recently used on a Cloudlifter CL-1 preamp and that has elevated the e835 to almost condenser like sensitivity. Amazing.

[lpa53]

Originally Posted by Perchman

I'm with earri, the e835 was a revelation to me after using 58's forever. The proximity effect, or lack of it, with the e835 is very "accommodating" to the player/singer that may move around a bit. I don't have to jump back right on the mic to get a very full, clear sound. And, to my ears, it sounds much better than a 58, clearer, more hi-fi. Still haven't tried an e935 yet, but haven't really felt the need to. On a related note, I had a gift certificate that I recently used on a Cloudlifter CL-1 preamp and that has elevated the e835 to almost condenser like sensitivity. Amazing.

I got a Cloudlifter because I was having to crank up the gain in order to ba able to back off my SM58 even a short distance. It made a huge difference.

[Wyllys]

Originally Posted by Perchman

I'm with earri, the e835 was a revelation to me after using 58's forever. The proximity effect, or lack of it, with the e835 is very "accommodating" to the player/singer that may move around a bit. I don't have to jump back right on the mic to get a very full, clear sound. And, to my ears, it sounds much better than a 58, clearer, more hi-fi. Still haven't tried an e935 yet, but haven't really felt the need to. On a related note, I had a gift certificate that I recently used on a Cloudlifter CL-1 preamp and that has elevated the e835 to almost condenser like sensitivity. Amazing.

Originally Posted by lpa53

I got a Cloudlifter because I was having to crank up the gain in order to ba able to back off my SM58 even a short distance. It made a huge difference.

Friends...

Gain is gain whether you're getting it from a single stage or multiple stages. Of course the QUALITY of the amplification matters and you'll want as low a noise floor as possible, but the OVERALL gain is the same either way. It's just a question of how "clean" you need it to be.

That's the difference...

[The Kid!]

My favorite is the Heil PR35

[Cuki79]

Hi everyone,

I've been singing with a SM58 from 17 years old to early 30. Few years ago, I though it was the time to give a rest to my good old SM58 (who was already 2nd hand when I bought it).

So I bought a Beta 87a which is a condenser mic. It's 3 times the price of a SM58 and sounded way better, clearer more articulate in the shop.

At home, believe me or not: It was first a disaster. I was totally lost. I had habbits with the SM58. I liked to put my mouth close and use the proximity effect to have that huge Barry White thing. I could not do it with the Beta 87a. Moreover, though I could clearly hear myself thanks to a better response in the high register... It was not really my voice.

Well it was, but I've been so used to my voice through a SM58 that I could not stand my "real" voice. (I know It sounds weird)

At some point I went back to the shop, explained my problem and ask for a Neumann... The seller said: "Stop annoying me and learn how to sing: You are not Barry White, this is your voice: live with it". It was hard, but it was true.

It took me a bit of time to get used to it and work my mic technique to adapt to the microphone. Now it's OK. But I do have to listen more to myself singing than with my old friend SM58 which is nearly a part of me.

Cuki

[lpa53]

Originally Posted by Wyllys

Friends...

Gain is gain whether you're getting it from a single stage or multiple stages. Of course the QUALITY of the amplification matters and you'll want as low a noise floor as possible, but the OVERALL gain is the same either way. It's just a question of how "clean" you need it to be.

That's the difference...

Agreed. My issue was that even with the amp's channel gain cranked up all the way, I couldn't back off the mic as I'd prefer doing. Of course, that may be another learn-how-to-work-the-mic issue, but I wanted a quick solution. Not being able to see the guitar neck when I had to was a real issue. And ... the sound did seem better with the CloudLifter, though that might be totally subjective based on what I wanted to hear after spending the bucks.

[alohachris]

Aloha,

We each have our favorites. However, because vocal mic's are completely voice-specific, you MUST try out many & let your voice make the decision.

In 53+ years of gigging, I've tried them all. I bring a dynamic & condenser to a gig & let the venue decide which one to use.

Mic's that I used for a number of years are Shure 58's (great for rockers), 87A, & SM9, EV 967, Audix OM7, Sennheiser e835 & e945, Neumann KMS-105, AKG 535, etc. etc,

The two mic's that my aging voice still likes for live are the AKG 535 condenser & the Heil PR 35 dynamic. They both work very well on acoustic guitar too.

Of course, no matter your mic choice, you must be able to control voices in a wide variety of spaces, right? So put together a planned live acoustic signal chain that allows you to do so.

alohachris