Testing Röde, Shure and Milab mics on vocal

[dyna]

I know which one I would choose. I think…
Not so well sung, it’s just a quick try to hear the different microphones.
Just added a touch of compression and reverb on all of them.
So which one do prefer?

(one side note the price difference is pretty extreme - the t.bone costs 40$ and the Milab is 2400$…)

Recorded with Logic via SSL 2+ interface.

Röde NT1A 0:09 -
Röde NT2A 0:44
Milab VIP50 1:16
T.bone MB75 (sm57 copy) 1:50
Shure 565 SD 2:24 -

Listen to the first soundcloud below.
The second is 565 all the way.

[dyna]

Hard to hear any difference in a lossy format, I know.
This is what I notice while listening to the original wav:
Milab is almost ribbonsounding and sounds the best, most relaxed.
But Röde NT2A sounds more or less the same as the Milab.
The NT1A is harsh in the top end - don't like it.
The 40$ sm57 copy fares surprisingly well, a little flat sounding though.
The 565 is a little "livlier" = better than the t.bone, but not
by much.
So there: the NT2A is good enough for vocals. To me.
I'm not able to do the Milab any justice it seems.

[Robin, Wales]

That was a great comparison. The NT1a had a very clear and immediate sound. I quite liked it in your recording. It was more at the front of the mix.

When I ring out my NT1a for live gigs it has a tendency to squeel first and howl second. A lot of mic's are the other way around. It is really clear on stage - not that it was designed to do that job! It cuts through in a noisy bar.

I'd like to try a Sure KSM32. They are supposed to be very good on stage. I think it has a flatter response and keeps its cardioid pattern stable across the frequencies.

Thanks for putting this comparison together, it must have taken a lot of work!

[dyna]

Very nice Robin, I really enjoyed your performance!
The NT1A is doing good, although I suspect just about any mic would
work well with your good-time music. I’m also all for this oldtimey way of
using just one microphone - well done!

[Robin, Wales]

Thanks.

It would be great if a couple companies put some thought into stage mic's for single mic' playing. There's Tone Labs Ear Trumpet mic's and...... well nothing! We are all just misusing studio ldc mic's.