Microphone advice

[TheTrueZoltan!]

I am currently looking for a new microphone for my home studio.

So far I have been using a Rode NT1, but the exaggerated sibilance is driving me nuts. I tried everything from various De-Esser plugins to changing the position when recording, but nothing really helped. I finally came to the conclusion that the NT1 has to go.

I mainly record metal vocals, but in case of doubt I also want to be able to record quieter vocals from time to time and possibly also my classical guitar. My new microphone should be as insensitive as possible to plosives and sibilance. I was therefore thinking of buying a dynamic microphone rather than another cheap condenser. My voice has the tendency to sound nasally congested. Of course, this should not be overemphasized by the microphone. As you can see, I need the egg-laying wool-milk sow and don't want to spend thousands of euros. 300-400 euros would be my upper limit, but of course cheaper wouldn't be bad either.

Based on some YouTube videos and other recommendations I already have a few possible candidates to choose from
- Shure SM7B (The standard for harsh vocals. Rather expensive, though. And I'm not so sure about its slightly telephone-like midrange, and if I would be able to record my acoustic guitar with it)
- Shure SM58 (Affordable, reliable, and apparently not too sensitive. I've read quite a few comments about missing clarity, though.)
- Shure Beta 58A (Same qualities as the SM58, but apparently more clarity. I've read a few comments about its exaggerated proximity effect, though.)
- Sennheiser E-935 (Seems to be a serious and affordable alternative to the SM7B, but I'm not so sure about its versatility.)
- AKG C214 (It's a condenser microphone, but I've read a lot of good things about it. Definitely very versatile and high quality, but I'm not sure if I wouldn't have problems with sibilance again.)

Any opinions on this or further recommendations?

 

[Humbug]

My desert island mic would be EV RE20. It's probably not everyone's favourite, but it does just about anything (that doesn't rely on proximity effect) well enough. Because of size and weight it can be a pain to set up, though.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

My desert island mic would be EV RE20. It's probably not everyone's favourite, but it does just about anything (that doesn't rely on proximity effect) well enough. Because of size and weight it can be a pain to set up, though.

Thanks for the recommendation, but the RE20 is much too expensive for me.

 

[Humbug]

Thanks for the recommendation, but the RE20 is much too expensive for me.

It's not that much more than the C214 (which you will probably find very bright), but I see your point. In the lower price range I would probably go for a 57 (or 58). Or two :-)

 

[laxu]

Consider the Austrian Audio OC16. It's within your price range and should work well for your uses.

I'd shop around a bit though, because Thomann's price was not the cheapest I could find.

 

[Sleezy E]

Sm7b and keep the nt1 for your acoustic

win win

 

[Orvillain]

Twelve SM57's.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Twelve SM57's.

SM57 Atmos Edition

 

[FuzzyAce]

Thanks for the recommendation, but the RE20 is much too expensive for me.

RE320 is a cheaper option. Not as rich and full in the midrange but still great.

SM57 or 58 is always good.
SM7B is great, just needs a good preamp to shine.

I have all these btw.

 

[James Freeman]

Keep the NT1.
SM57 is a must have and can be EQ'ed to sound like anything.
Get a good Pop Filter for your vocals.
Stay far away from the Beta series, utter garbage.

 

[SymphonicDischord]

You may want to consider an Aston Stealth as an alternative to the SM7B. It is inspired by the SM7B but has a built in preamp and 4 different voicings for some sonic variety. I’ve been happy with mine so far.

 

[la szum]

Get an SM57 and then snag a windscreen like below and you get essentially 2 more mics for the price of one.

Shure A2WS Locking Microphone Windscreen - Black

Locking Foam Windscreen for Shure SM57 and 545 Series Microphones - Black

www.sweetwater.com

 

[Cirrus]

The NT-1 isn't terrible, but it is pretty bright.

The market's pretty full of options at all price points.

Personally, on the condenser front I think the AT40 series (particularly the 4033) are great vocal mics with lots of air but not overblown harsh sibilance in the 7-10k range.

For Dynamics, I think it's hard to go wrong with an SM58. It'll lack air, but depending on the kind of music you do that might be a plus. The SM7b a great mic that'll always be useful, you just need to be aware of the gain requirements when using it for non-close applications. It's tighter and clearer than the SM57/8 while still being very much in that ballpark, takes processing well.

I also love the RE20 suggestion above, and that's gonna by my own personal next mic purchase (I had one that died in 2019 and I've not got round to replacing it yet).

Decent dynamics work great on acoustic guitars BTW. Get the positioning right and there are times I'd rather have an SM7b on acoustic than a Neumann.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

+1 on Audio Technica 40 series. If you can stretch to a 4047 or 4050 I think you’ll have a use for it forever. 4033 and 4040 are solid too but I feel like spending a bit more on the 47 or 50 is a nice upgrade. The 50 is quite neutral sounding, maybe not always my favourite on vocals but it’s very capable there. I feel somewhat similarly about 414’s and even U87’s on vocals - to me they are more general purpose condenser mics that can be used on anything and will sound pretty natural.

For vocal specific mics, the JZ V67 is so hard to beat for the money. It’s cardioid only and doesn’t have any pad or filter options built in, but you get a condenser that will rival mics that cost £5000 or more. They are designed from the original designer of Blue (before they turned into a consumer brand they made amazing mics). He went on to form Violet Designs who do good stuff, and several of those models are now available from JZ.

sm7b is very hit or miss on vocals for me, usually when I receive vocals that were recorded with one I wish they’d used something else. On the right voice they can be great and they’re useful on loads of other sources too. A good mic to have in the locker but rarely my first choice.

Maybe check Beesneez and Advanced Audio for their mics, they make some nice stuff for reasonable prices. Advanced Audio use chinese mics as a base and upgrade everything into classic circuits. Beesneez make amazing capsules in house, I think their cheaper models are probably doing something like AA but with their own capsules put in.

Vanguard (V13), Roswell, Soundelux (U195) are solid.

Rode NTK and K2 aren’t bad mics either, better than the cheaper rode stuff imo.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Thanks for all your recommendations, guys! There were definitely some very interesting mics in there that I'm going to find out more about.

I'm not going to make a hasty decision though. I've just downloaded the new ARA extension ‘prime:vocal’ from Sonible and tried it out on a particularly problematic and sibilant vocal track. My first impression is reasonably enthusiastic. The extension really did fix the sibilance, which various other DeEsser plugins couldn't cope with, much better straight away. And the automatic removal of ambient sound and background noise works really well.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

The NT1 is now sold. I am currently leaning towards buying a Lewitt LCT 440 Pure and possibly an SM57 as well. That should cover everything (and more) that I need in my home studio.

[Edit: I just ordered the Lewitt and a good pop filter. I found an excellent deal with a 10% discount and an additional 10 euros off.]

 

[la szum]

Congrats! I am super curious about the Lewitt Mics.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Curious what you think of the Lewitt, I've been interested in them lately. I love the SM7b on my voice for harsher vocals but it lacks the liveliness I miss from my tube condensers. I have a pair of the original CAD E100 mics that are cool but they are more similar to the SM7b on my voice. I'd like to pick up something a bit brighter but not NT1 bright. The Lewitts look interesting.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Curious what you think of the Lewitt, I've been interested in them lately. I love the SM7b on my voice for harsher vocals but it lacks the liveliness I miss from my tube condensers. I have a pair of the original CAD E100 mics that are cool but they are more similar to the SM7b on my voice. I'd like to pick up something a bit brighter but not NT1 bright. The Lewitts look interesting.

I did some first test recordings and so far I am very pleased. It is a little brighter than the NT1 and yet it does not emphasize sibilants as much. So far, it seems to be just the right thing for my voice, which always sounds a little congested and nasal.

 

[Genghis]

I found a great deal on a Lewitt Pure Tube and it blew my KSM44a away. The KSM is a great mic as well, so that says a lot about how good the Lewitt is. I ended up getting a pair of their SDCs as well, and I really like them on drum overheads. I need to try them on acoustic guitar as well.

Best way I can describe the comparison between the KSM44A and the Pure Tube is that the KSM captures your voice in a very detailed way, with crisp clarity in the highs and nice detail throughout. The Pure Tube has maybe a touch less high end clarity, but flatters the voice in a way that is hard to describe. It seems like the mids have some detail that helps the voice cut through the mix and allows me to use less compression in the DAW.

One day I’ll probably pick up the 440 as well for an instrument mic, or maybe a couple for stereo miking acoustic guitar or drum overheads. I haven’t had a matching pair of LDCs to try for overheads and and I bet those would sound amazing!