Looking for nice Vocal Condeser any advice........

[gary o]

Thanks for the latest ideas... looked at the black knight mic $199 quite cheap maybe too cheap, lead to read about the Violet mics The Dolly and Flamingo Junior £350/400 ish in UK......looked interesting.

Yes ive been thinking about the SM7 Dynamic mic; got DIY tube pres and LA2A never having used a SM7 its one id like to audition for sure.... pardon the pun.
I have fare range to my vioce I bet it would suit the low end but dont wanna sound like a voiceover man on all songs. The Coles is another ribbon I like my RB500 ribbon tho im sure the Coles is better, im not looking for another one of what ive got at the coles kind of money anyway and at later date I may mod the RB500s change transformer {have taken out the excess protection already}

keep em comin guys its graet thankyou !!!!!

Gary O.

 

[guitarmaker]

I know the sm7 has been a favorite for the rokken types like STP, Metallica, chili peppers but it has also been used very well for less rokken stuff like the thriller album and the new Ray LaMontaign (sp?) stuff. I'm sure there's more. Agree on the good pre advice. Not a voice over sounding mic at all.

Steve

 

[gary o]

Im very curious about the the SM7 will def try and demo as soon as I can, I have a sneaking suspicion that I will like the sound and that I would like it in my collection if I could buy a few mics tho im not gonna rule it out of my main vocal mic buy.
Till I can have some demos all I can do is read anyone have any experiences with Violet design mics ...Dolly & Flamingo or Blue mics the blue Blue Bird these are bit more expensive to me but Iv found some nice deals so am extra curous heres the links .......

Violet mics
http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/447

Blue Bluebird
http://www.humbuckermusic.com/blblmi.html

As I said not being able to hear the mics at the mo all i can do is read just talking about condensers for the mo, im not looking for a tube mic because of expense The Violet Flamingo junior is only £350 The flamingo standard with the tube is £2700 ......now if they use the same capsule thats a lot a money for the tube electronics.....now you no what im thinking buy the cheap one for now add the tube later perhaps ......maybe an option.
In the blurbs I bin reading some mics boast having a transformer and other boast not having transformer in my limited experiences in DIY projects I realize I prefer the sound of my mic pres with transformers, am wondering if I will also prefer there sound in a good mic, therefore if I got a non transformer mic could I add some big if room iron at a later date for at least a different sound, so what im thinkin is maybe I should look for the best deal for my £500 there abouts for a non tube non transformer nice capsule, grill and case condensor mic that I can fiddle with at later date......does that make sense....feel free to shoot me down in flames


Thanks for your input chaps its very interesting.............Gary O.

 

[burdij]

If you are thinking of buying the Blue Bluebird, you should probably consider spending a little more and get the Baby Bottle. I have seen it for less than $500 USD. Here is a link to some data:

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/266368.html

I have been experimenting with some different mike designs using transformer outputs and transformerless. So far, with a fairly limited set of test recordings, I have been preferring the "transformer" sound over the "transformerless" but I am working on a new "transformerless" circuit which I hope will give some better results.

 

[rodabod]

If people are going to suggest good quality dynamics, then I'm going to add the Beyer M88 and the EV RE20.

Along with the SM7, these are good general-purpose mics. I've used the M88 on male vocals and it's nice - solid, but without the "airy" sound of a condenser.

What other mics do you have?

 

[Kit]

Some people argue that shure is using the same capsule for all its
SM dynamic microphones. 57, 58, 7 and this old piece;

http://www.coutant.org/sm5b/index.html

Note the clever construction.

 

[guitarmaker]

The Senn 441 is a great vocal mic too. I think the reason why I like good dynamics is that they fit in the mix very well and usually work nicely with male vocals. What I hear in a lot of entry level condensers is a scooped out sound that may "seem" larger than life soloed but in reality sits very poorly in a mix with irritating high end and useless low end. You don't have to work hard at all to get the sm7, re20, m88, senn 441 and 421, etc.. to sit right. From all that I've read you'd need to spend around $1000 to $1500 to start getting some nicer condensers such as the Mohave, Charter Oak, Geffell umt70, or maybe a Peluso. Some people like the AT4050 too. I just prefer ribbons and dynamics most of the time for what I do.

Steve

 

[gary o]

I do like dynamic mics I have a M88, M260, M500 ribbons a TGX60, SM57 that I hate for my voice, Beta 87 cond that I love for my stage vocals sounds so weedy when recorded tho, audio technica AE3300 cond, EV ND457 Reslo ribbon, C1000 cond, I like my cheap ribbon RB500

I love em all but for my voice and the sound im looking for I only really like my RB500 ribbon or a Beyer M700 dynamic sometimes for my vocal recordings they are my ying.... now im looking for my yang for only £500 thats the tough bit

Thanks for your thoughts....................Gary O.

 

[Bear]

Maybe try the 57 again with a pop-screen keeping your mouth about five inches back from the capsule. The SM-7 isn't the same, but it's of a family - a little smoother, a little richer, a little less screechy. If your 57 test makes you rethink that mic, maybe the SM-7 would work for you.

Partial truth on the Shures using the same capsule - back when they were all made domestically, the SM-7 got the "selected" version. And if you open the Shure kick mic (Beta 52?) you'll find a 57-sized capsule.

Bear

 

[gary o]

Just read my post, reads like I hate the dynamics for my voice, sorry I didnt mean that its just the 57 I hate the others I like for live work but dont like any for recordings (apart from M700) Im looking for a big condenser sound.

Cheers ......................Gary O.

 

[Emperor-TK]

I've got some classic dynamics, like the 421'2, 441's, RE20, 57, 58, along with some newer ones like the Audix i5. I don't often get a vocal sound out of them that I like, with the exception of male screamers (I like the SM7 on them). I once had a guy insist on using my RE20, because Stevie Wonder used them. It took two days of tracking until I talked him into trying a 414TLII. He came to the conclusion that he and Stevie had different sounding voices. :green: We retracked the other takes with the AKG.

-Chris

 

[rodabod]

[quote author="guitarmaker"]Geffell[/quote]

This would be worth looking into - including second-hand. You see Gefell / RFT UM70 mics fairly cheap on Evilbay worldwide which I've always wanted to try, and also the Lomo 19A18 and 19A19 which pop up now and again.

It's one of these things though - you really need to try something out to decide...

 

[bellyflop]

[quote author="SSLtech"]Try buying something like the MXL 2001 -or perhaps better yet the 2003 (which uses the 797 Audio 3-micron capsule) and doing the Royer mod. -VERY nice results, by all accounts.[/quote]
I don't know enough about mics, so please bear with me. Given the choice is there a better one to start with? For vocals, I've considered 'tubing' a 2001, 2003, 2006, or v67. Other than reading that the 2006 replaces the 2001, I'm having a tough time distinguishing between them.

Dave

 

[gary o]

Hi Bellyflop do a search on MXL mics theres loads of info here does get confusing I usually get a note pad and write down interesting things you,l prob find 1 or 2 models keep coming up....have fun.

On my quest for a mic came across these Audio Technica samples ...heres the link

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms//94191e1fd14f6418/index.html

I thought its good idea to have these samples,its not like being there and trying with your own voice but better than just reading specs, shame cant get to hear all mics compared to each other and so on.

Anyone have a fav Audio Technica ?????

 

[jaygunn]

I keep coming back to my AT4047. I ended up selling my AT4050 and buying a second AT4047 from the 'Bay. Also sold my Neumann TLM103 because on many but not all voices it sounded too forward, even strident in the upper mids, the 'ouch' frequencies.

I like that he AT4047 is not specially bright, has a full bottom end, and sounds a little creamier and less crisp than most other LDCs I have owned. Never a need for a de-esser, fairly wide cardioid pattern that's good for recording 2- chorus singers. Has ultra low self noise like the TLM103 (7 or 8 dB) but uses an output transformer whereas the Neumann is transformerless (hence the 'TLM', which is an acronym for TransformerLessMic).

That said, I am also looking for an affordable alternate mic for vox that's airier. I have a Rode NTK that I have kept because I like it on my wife's clear soprano, but it's no fun to carry around and I do mostly live recordings. People love/hate the mics from this company, and I'm closer to love than hate but somewhere in between. For the right voice it's very good. It'll pull a cheap mic stand over in a heartbeat, and then there's the two cables and the power supply to contend with.

I also recently modded an Apex 415 I bought new for under $100 by installing a Peluso CEK-89 dual diaphragm capsule. I like this mic a lot, and have lately been using it for lead vox and the two AT4047's for chorus mics in many cases. Good off-axis rejection (narrower card. pattern, plus fig-8 if you need it). Also a not too bright and pretty natural sound. Forget using one without the replacement capsule--way too nasal and strident sounding with the original. Instant ear fatigue. Total cost, about $200 upgraded.

Might do an upgrade with a Peluso CEK-12 for a brighter alternative unit, since the first created a very successful tool.

Final comment--I believe the AT4060 tube mic uses the identical capsule as the 4047, which is an FET mic. Huge price difference, including in the used market. Exact same freq. response graph on the AT web site. Am I right about this? Anyone?

 

[INDI03]

I actually love my AKG C4000B for vocals compared to the 414 for example which sounds much more "cold" - its about €450.- - there are some sites that did tests with AKG`S , Neumanns etc. - give it a try there ...

 

[craigmorris74]

The 4060 has a bit different freq response from 2K to 13K. The 4047 has a much smaller peak in that range. The low end looks slightly different as well. The graph looks like the 4060 might have a bit more air in the highs.
I like the 4047, but have never tried the 4060. It along with the SM7 would be a good choice if you don't need a lot of air in the high end. I love the 4047 on kick drum too.

Craig

 

[Scodiddly]

[quote author="bellyflop"][quote author="SSLtech"]Try buying something like the MXL 2001 -or perhaps better yet the 2003 (which uses the 797 Audio 3-micron capsule) and doing the Royer mod. -VERY nice results, by all accounts.[/quote]
I don't know enough about mics, so please bear with me. Given the choice is there a better one to start with? For vocals, I've considered 'tubing' a 2001, 2003, 2006, or v67. Other than reading that the 2006 replaces the 2001, I'm having a tough time distinguishing between them.

Dave[/quote]

It's one of those difficult things. Really the only way to find out is to line up a few mics, do a take into each, and see which one jumps out as the best. Usually it's exactly one mic that sounds great. Unfortunately it tends to be different for each vocalist.

 

[gary o]

Heres some RED lollypop info

http://www.vintagemicrophone.com/JShop/product.php?xProd=9&xSec=10&jssCart=f1df6f2c8880a951b61bb87b8dc59b4d

Cheers............Gary O.

 

[skipwave]

[quote author="Emperor-TK"]I've got some classic dynamics, like the 421'2, 441's, RE20, 57, 58, along with some newer ones like the Audix i5. I don't often get a vocal sound out of them that I like, with the exception of male screamers (I like the SM7 on them).[/quote]

I'm using a transformerless modded SM57 for my screaming. Through my DIY Hamptone-design JFET pre it sounds incredible. Exactly what I was looking for, and didn't get, from various large diagphram dynamics.

There is an SM7 at the studio I assist in. I'll have to do a comparison with the modded SM57 next time. They seem pretty close.