best multi-purpose mic choice?

funsongs · Post by **funsongs** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:36 am

If I'm gonna invest in a good condenser mic for recording primarily vocals and acoustic guitar -
say in the $500 range(?) - which would also be best-suited for live vocal performance
using the Bose L1 Compact w/ToneMatch mixer? In other words - one mic that can do it all, well.

In advance; thanks.

lesmac · Post by **lesmac** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:00 pm

Hey Peter,

IF the mic is primarily for YOUR vocal, it is really important to choose the mic that suits your voice.
That being the case visit a store and audition different mics, maybe have a friend with trustworthy ears to help. Failing that ask a professional studio person who knows the tone and texture of your voice for some recommendations.

Mike Stavrou has a book called MIXING WITH YOUR MIND in which he classifies mics with a soft to hardness scale of 1 to 10.

He then classifies sound sources using the same scale and if the sound source is really hard "10", he uses a soft mic "1".

If the sound source is an "8". he uses a "2' mic. A '3" sound gets a "7" mic. You get the picture.

I guess by hardness he means things like harsh, strident, maybe a tight snare "thwack" or a nasally singer. I'm not real sure to be honest.

Just something to think about. I think you will get quite a few recommendations coming in.

funsongs · Post by **funsongs** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:11 pm

lesmac wrote:Hey Peter,

IF the mic is primarily for YOUR vocal, it is really important to choose the mic that suits your voice.
That being the case visit a store and audition different mics, maybe have a friend with trustworthy ears to help. Failing that ask a professional studio person who knows the tone and texture of your voice for some recommendations.

Mike Stavrou has a book called MIXING WITH YOUR MIND in which he classifies mics with a soft to hardness scale of 1 to 10.

He then classifies sound sources using the same scale and if the sound source is really hard "10", he uses a soft mic "1".

If the sound source is an "8". he uses a "2' mic. A '3" sound gets a "7" mic. You get the picture.

I guess by hardness he means things like harsh, strident, maybe a tight snare "thwack" or a nasally singer. I'm not real sure to be honest.

Just something to think about. I think you will get quite a few recommendations coming in.

Well... my first choice would be the one that has a preset/sound-alike knob that has setting choices that include, say:
"Josh Turner"/"George Strait"/"Alan Jackson"/"Boz Scaggs" etc...

but, in reality, I need one that adds/brings high-end clarity and crispy tones that are absent from my natural tone... if that's any help.

andygabrys · Post by **andygabrys** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 2:51 pm

hey Peter,

if it were me, i wouldn't be looking for a condenser for live performance. The possible gains in sound quality are usually negated by tendency to feedback.

I would consider dynamics like the usual suspects SM58, SM57, the SM7, and maybe the EV RE20

lesmac · Post by **lesmac** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 4:55 pm

Unread post Re: best multi-purpose mic choice?
hey Peter,

if it were me, i wouldn't be looking for a condenser for live performance. The possible gains in sound quality are usually negated by tendency to feedback.

I would consider dynamics like the usual suspects SM58, SM57, the SM7, and maybe the EV RE20

I agree and studio and the road are two different animals.

The RE20 costs considerably more than an SM58. It also asks a lot more from your preamp than a condenser would.

Get a studio condenser and get a cheap shure for the road. Use a pick up for your guitar even though the do sound nasty. You are not going to be able to sing and play into a dynamic at she same time and if you try that with a condenser live you'll get the trouble Andy pointed out.

andygabrys · Post by **andygabrys** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 4:58 pm

fun songs wrote:........I need one that adds/brings high-end clarity and crispy tones that are absent from my natural tone...

no substitute for EQ Peter. That's what its there for. To make it sound as good as possible.

funsongs · Post by **funsongs** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 5:17 pm

lesmac wrote:
Unread post Re: best multi-purpose mic choice?
hey Peter,

if it were me, i wouldn't be looking for a condenser for live performance. The possible gains in sound quality are usually negated by tendency to feedback.

I would consider dynamics like the usual suspects SM58, SM57, the SM7, and maybe the EV RE20
I agree and studio and the road are two different animals.

The RE20 costs considerably more than an SM58. It also asks a lot more from your preamp than a condenser would.

Get a studio condenser and get a cheap shure for the road. Use a pick up for your guitar even though the do sound nasty. You are not going to be able to sing and play into a dynamic at she same time and if you try that with a condenser live you'll get the trouble Andy pointed out.

Playing & singing through the Bose L1 Compact is quite a different animal. The ToneMatch setting for acoustic guitar works fine with Martin with Lyric pick-up; and I think the mic feedback issue would be almost non-existent. I get that having an SM58 is practical and nearly a must.

I did always wonder why some do and some don't when it comes to using a pop-filter for live gigs.

Thanks fellas.

lesmac · Post by **lesmac** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 6:37 pm

I agree and studio and the road are two different animals.

No disrespect… just ideas coming in a hurry.

I don't want to labour the point too much BUT

….

Imagine you are going into a big expensive studio to record your vocals.

They are going to put up their most expensive all rounder and see how you sound with that….It works great on most folks.

If not they'll most likely work their way down the hierarchy of mics or maybe the engineer says "aha I know what mic suits this voice".

As home recordists we are coming in well down the chain. Once you spends yer money its gone and your'e stuck with the mic like it or not.

Most condensers in the price range you are looking at will record guitar satisfactorily.

I'm just saying IF you can its good to try different mics to get a good match to your voice.

When you can't do that you have to go on recommendations.

Personally I have wasted money buying mics.

Just a word to the wise.

Best of luck.

Len911 · Post by **Len911** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 6:38 pm

funsongs wrote:If I'm gonna invest in a good condenser mic for recording primarily vocals and acoustic guitar -
say in the $500 range(?) - which would also be best-suited for live vocal performance
using the Bose L1 Compact w/ToneMatch mixer? In other words - one mic that can do it all, well.

In advance; thanks.

For $500 I would buy a Telefunken M80 and M81.

http://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.co ... c-mics.php

The M80 has the presence peak, and the M81 is flatter. You've got a sort of mix and match salt and pepper thing going on.
"a microphone equally suitable for on both the stage and in the studio. with an intimacy that has been traditionally reserved for studio quality condenser microphones. custom wound impedance matching transformer which is where the magic really takes place. "

So the M80 for vocals, and the M81 for guitar.
Or maybe the M81 for vocals...

Not to mention the custom shop,lol
http://store.t-funk.com/c/microphones_custom-shop

A review
http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/j ... usam80.htm

Len911 · Post by **Len911** » Tue Mar 01, 2016 6:57 pm

Also there is the Neumann Kms 104/105

it's for live vocals mainly, and it's condenser, it's also $700

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews ... 105-a.html