live vocal mics

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live vocal mics

Postby gigpiglet » Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:01 pm

what mic do you use for your main vocal?
i am nearly always a B58 man. I've tried a lot of others... most the time i havnt felt the need to change.
doing some shows with tim freedman (whitlams) at the moment, and using a B87 cause thats what "he uses"
i don't love it (i never have) but it has made me think about what i actually want out of a vocal mic.

what do you want?
what suits those requirements best?
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Kurt » Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:17 am

I use SM58, 'coz I have some... I like B58 better. A few guys bring in Sennheisers that sound really good but I don't know what models they are. The EV Cobalt mics are nice too.

gigpiglet wrote:what mic do you use for your main vocal?
i am nearly always a B58 man. I've tried a lot of others... most the time i havnt felt the need to change.
doing some shows with tim freedman (whitlams) at the moment, and using a B87 cause thats what "he uses"
i don't love it (i never have) but it has made me think about what i actually want out of a vocal mic.

what do you want?
what suits those requirements best?
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby lonearranger » Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:01 am

Anyone here had any experiences with the telefunken m80 or Heil pr35 , sort of interested in these at the moment.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Gian » Tue Oct 18, 2011 11:01 am

I use EV RE510 (condensers) for my acoustic (world music) duo.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Lucas » Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:13 pm

I second the RE510 as a great mic, but as with anything good live vox mic choice is singer dependant. B58 are there for one offs cause we all know what to do with em.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Gian » Tue Oct 18, 2011 4:02 pm

Yeah, I am a teacher and do live sound for school stuff, and I always use SM58 (or the Rode M1 equivalent). You just know what you get, I suppose and they are cheaper that other stuff.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby gigpiglet » Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:09 pm

lonearranger wrote:Anyone here had any experiences with the telefunken m80 or Heil pr35 , sort of interested in these at the moment.


yes i have used the Heil a far bit.. on the last brooke tour. and a few other things.
its GREAT for the right person (girl)
good gain before feedback, but doesn't change loads in character if off axis.
its got a lot of weight in the low mids which doesn't work for some people
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby stosostu » Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:59 pm

Female SM57, Male SM58 or CAD 25A for general vocals. Had to use B87s and B57s for the Adelaide Fringe but was never really happy with them.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Lucas » Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:47 pm

gigpiglet wrote:
what do you want?
?


Something that I don't have to compensate for. I find that 80-90% of the time I have to rip out 1K on Beta58s.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby rightintheface » Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:02 pm

I'm not a live sound guy, but often get compliments from engineers when I bring my own trusty Sennheiser e835 to gigs. To me just a bit ballsier than a 58 - more full and less presence hype - and I've been regularly spitting/slobbering/dropping it for just on 6 years now without a hitch. I think you can get them in packs of 3 on the 'bay for around 300
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Ben M » Wed Oct 19, 2011 8:52 am

Lucas wrote:
gigpiglet wrote:
what do you want?
?


Something that I don't have to compensate for. I find that 80-90% of the time I have to rip out 1K on Beta58s.


What.... rip all the way out?? (in pauline hanson voice) Please explain!
Now there's ripping out and there's turning down.
Ripping out 1khz is not something you want to do on vocals. Most of the note is around 1K.
Perhaps you mean attenuate 1Khz a couple of db?

I know those beta's are brighter but I'ce never had to pull on 1Khz too hard.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Lucas » Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:21 am

Ben M wrote:
Lucas wrote:
gigpiglet wrote:
what do you want?
?


Something that I don't have to compensate for. I find that 80-90% of the time I have to rip out 1K on Beta58s.


What.... rip all the way out?? (in pauline hanson voice) Please explain!
Now there's ripping out and there's turning down.
Ripping out 1khz is not something you want to do on vocals. Most of the note is around 1K.
Perhaps you mean attenuate 1Khz a couple of db?

I know those beta's are brighter but I'ce never had to pull on 1Khz too hard.


Yes, attenuate a couple of dB...
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Lucas » Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:32 am

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Re: live vocal mics

Postby gigpiglet » Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:56 pm

anguswoodhead wrote:First choice - Beta 87.
My 'go-to' in any situation where there's not 87's - SM58. ;)

Never liked the Beta 58 - especially with modern PA's that are beautifully extended.
Always reckoned it got a little sibilant.

The EV mics seems a little boomy in the low-end to me.
Sennheisers seem a little bright.
Never tried Heil or Telefunken.


really? you find a B58 sibilant, but not an 87??
i think the 87 is some of the most full on nasty top end available!
whenever i have artists that insist on using them, i find myself drastically de-essing
each to their own i guess!
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby stosostu » Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:15 am

My experience, too, with the B87 and B58 to a lesser extent. Nasty, brash highs.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby chribble » Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:58 am

As a singer here I prefer

1) EV767
2) Beta58
3) Senn 835?

Where you are playing smaller venues and you need to get "up" on the mic, these are much better.
They are brighter, but the proximity effect doesnt sound so bad.

58's just sound like mud when you're too close. Never liked them. I won't use them. I always bring my B58.
Some engineers won't let you use your own.

If you practice in a bad room, 767 makes a world off difference unless the PA is tuned bright.
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Re: live vocal mics

Postby Damien » Tue Nov 15, 2011 10:47 pm

i think ive used almost all of the live vocal mic thingys over the years..

i prefer SM58's to most.. ther not great, but they tont take your head off with hard bity crunchy bits like betas and most others.

the neumann is about the best sounding ive used, but its not good with any stage volume of loud drums and needs work in wedges.

the earthworks (not the new one) is like singing into a pop filter.. id love to use the new one.

the BEST live vocal mic i have used is the new blue 200.. its an active DYNAMIC. not condensor... it sounds fantastic, accurate, great low end, clean tops not hard, harsh or sibilant, has great feed back rejection and the spill sounds great.. ive just started using this mic and so far its my clear winner.

UPDATE..... i have just done a live recording. the band all live in studio. all in the same room. LOUD, with monitors (foldback) and used the blue 200... WOW.

we are looking at buying 20 or so of these mics for the rehearsal rooms... nothing i have ever used before sounds like these...
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