recording vocals

[RJ2213]

so my new found band is finally laying tracks for our first full song and its almost time for the vocalist to lay her tracks. but i think we'll first need to get a vocal mic and preamp. so any recommendations would be great.

we're currently running a sm57 into a behringer eurorack ub2442, from there some sends outs go out to a power amp which powers two speakers on a PA type setup, and the mains are feeding into an input on my m-audio firewire solo, that is interfacing with protools 7.4.

so what are the cheapest decent options for a mic and preamp for vox? also any other tips would be good.

 

[tedsticle]

Vocals are by far the toughest to record. What sucks is not all of us poor people can afford 5 different great vocal mics along with high end pre-amps that cost around $2,500-$3,500. The reason I say 5 different mics is because every person is different especially when it comes down to female and male voices. A female might sound great in a U87($3,000), but than a male might sound bad in that same mic and sound better in a Tlm 103($1,300). Where the female sounds bad in the Tlm 103. Finding the right mic is the most important step. Once again us poor people don't have this option. The only thing you can really do is research the heck out of as many mics you can and than when you finally decide hope for the best. I'm not really helping....lol . Ummmm...what's your budget look like?

 

[cradleofflames]

A Rode NT-1a works great on our female vocalist but an AKG C3000 sounds good on everybody while the Rode is WAY too bright for a male vocal. Check out the recordings on my bands myspace. All those vocals were recorded with the NT1.

www.myspace.com/talentlessellouts

 

[Newysurfer]

I use a Shure SM58 for vocals and a SM57 for guitars and keyboards.
these are both excellent low cost mic's.

 

[Anonymous]

I use a Shure SM58 for vocals and a SM57 for guitars and keyboards.
these are both excellent low cost mic's.

An SM58 is great for live stuff on vocals, but on recordings, you're going to want to use a condenser. IMO dynamic mics aren't clear enough for recording vocals with.

 

[Lou]

I have a rodes NT1 A anniversary vocal recording mic.
for the money....best out there.

and a Focusrite Platnium PENTA analog preset
Stereo Compressor

again for the money...............

I'll accentuate on the Rodes................at just over two hundred bucks AMAZING

 

[gonzo]

whenever i see the terms

cheapest decent

put together, i always cringe!
LOL


see, you can hear about stories like bono sang some of his hits thru a 57, and all that...

and it puts an incredibly dim light on the truth.

yeah, maybe he did...

and maybe, there was somebody like lanois at the helm!!

and maybe it ran into 10,000 dollars worth of preamps and compressors, through $10,000 worth of monitoring systems and several grand worth of equalizers.


LOL

what does "cheap" mean, exactly?

what does "decent" mean?


there's nothing wrong with what you've been using...

to me, that defines cheap and decent.

now, if you want studio quality, that's another thing altogether.

and if you're wanting a 'good home studio' level recording ability, another level still.


i'd say, if you only have so much money, spend it on a quality mic, and worry about a preamp later.

because a good mic, will always sound good into just about any preamp, but it does not work the other way around.

what's your budget, first of all?

 

[Lou]

in sales it's a more economical solution............never use "cheaper".

 

[RJ2213]

the budget i'm looking at is under $300 for the right solution, either mic or mic and preamp. basically im looking for something that will also have resale value if possible. i've found a few rode nt-1's on craiglist for about $150 with stand and cable, is that a pretty fair price? it seems like it is to me.

 

[gonzo]

RJ2213

i'm afraid at that budget, resale value becomes irrelevent.

i'd suggest looking at MIC ONLY, and in that range, i'd look at a used AT4033, or a new ADK Hamburg or Vienna.

there are lots of good cheap mics out there, you just have to figure out what kind of sound you're looking for.

i've used the rodent before, i wasn't that impressed, but again, everybody's voice is different, and you can never have too many mics.

 

[Lou]

the budget i'm looking at is under $300 for the right solution, either mic or mic and preamp. basically im looking for something that will also have resale value if possible. i've found a few rode nt-1's on craiglist for about $150 with stand and cable, is that a pretty fair price? it seems like it is to me.

I'd give that a yes vote