Best Mics For Vocal Sounds..

[sgldisco]

Lead for singers..

I have a dual set of W-Audio TPT-202 radio mics which I use for Myself, Speeches and Backup.

Quite good they are too....

Looks like Shure SM or PG 58's then??

[yourdj]

Looks like Shure SM or PG 58's then??

AKG!

[Excalibur]

Lead for singers..

I have a dual set of W-Audio TPT-202 radio mics which I use for Myself, Speeches and Backup.

Quite good they are too....

Looks like Shure SM or PG 58's then??

AKG!

Or if you want quality, Sennheiser.

Seriously, whatever you fancy, you must use it before parting with your hard earned. Different mics suit different people. I have cabled SM58 and Wireless SM58, but they're not my favourites. ( I must say, I know they use the same capsule, but I prefer the sound of my wireless to the cabled one. Weird? ) Don't rule out JTS, they're reliable, I have Audio Technica and like them. Trantec/Sennheiser Freeport are very good for the money.

If I had to pick a brand to use barring all others, Sennhesiser would come out top. ( Very damaging to the pocket for the top grade ones, sadly. )

[MagicMusic]

SM58, which is known as 'industry standard', but isn't known for being the best vocal microphone.

Are you for real?

The SM58 is the international go - to mic for vocals in a live performance situation. It is the industry standard for a reason. Its frequency response is specifically tailored to "enhance" vocal clarity.

http://www.shure.com/stellent/groups...sm58_large.gif

There is a fairly flat response until around 2 / 2.5 khz before peaking at around 5 / 7khz where it begins to tail off, there is then a second little boost around 10khz which adds a little artificial 'air' to the sound. This is because the human voice is present at these frequencies. It therefor stands to reason that it is an obvious choice for vocals.

It has gained its reputation because of its performance and its extremly hard wearing and rugged build quality.


Also, why the hell are you comparing 'hand - held' and 'powered condenser' mic's? I'm sure if you look a little closer you'll find that there are hand - held, powered condenser microphones out there.

The 2 most common types of mic are dynamic and condenser. Both have different qualities, dynamic mic's can handle much higher sound pressure levels whereas condenser mic's require less pressure to reproduce sound and can pick up more subtle differences.

Anyway back to OP - Shure SM58. The professionals choice for a reason. Hard working, hard wearing, and great sounding.

EDIT: Ebay was flooded with fake 58's a while back so beware if you find any going cheap.

[Babybob]

I think Max has a valid point regarding the Shure SM58 not being the best vocal mic but it is certainly the best with regards to being cost effective.

I saw a solo vocalist a few weeks ago and he had a Sennheiser mic (not sure which model) and it cost him £800, I asked him about the SM58 and Shure enough (sorry) he had owned one when he started out but because he was becoming more popular he decided to invest in the Sennheiser which suited his voice, he said there was no comparison, whereas the SM58 was very good the Sennheiser blew it away.

[MagicMusic]

I think Max has a valid point regarding the Shure SM58 not being the best vocal mic but it is certainly the best with regards to being cost effective.

I saw a solo vocalist a few weeks ago and he had a Sennheiser mic (not sure which model) and it cost him £800, I asked him about the SM58 and Shure enough (sorry) he had owned one when he started out but because he was becoming more popular he decided to invest in the Sennheiser which suited his voice, he said there was no comparison, whereas the SM58 was very good the Sennheiser blew it away.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the SM58 is the best mic in the world - far from it but as far as quality vs value for money and suitability for on the road use is concerned, it is the obvious choice.

At £800 the vocalist you were talking to was probably using a good studio mic which would probably need to be treated with kid gloves.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

as far as quality vs value for money and suitability for on the road use is concerned, it is the obvious choice.

Agreed.

[ppentertainments]

However......... Each individual will suit different microphones.

I have a SM58 for disco where little mic work is needed. However for race nights use a JHS (??) - not JTS - mic I bought about 10 years ago. I find this mic suits my voice more and much prefer it over the SM58. I use a mic a LOT during race nights.

I have been looking for a place to tryout microphones as looking for a decent wireless mic, but would prefer to try out first.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Several signers that I know all swear by Sennheiser, and wouldn't use anything else. However, they all use wireless versions rather than leaded.

Their range of mics does come in a wide variety of prices, so you don't have to spend £800 to get a good sound, but as others have mentioned, different mics suit different people.

[Excalibur]

Are you for real?

The SM58 is the international go - to mic for vocals in a live performance situation. It is the industry standard for a reason. Its frequency response is specifically tailored to "enhance" vocal clarity.

http://www.shure.com/stellent/groups...sm58_large.gif

There is a fairly flat response until around 2 / 2.5 khz before peaking at around 5 / 7khz where it begins to tail off, there is then a second little boost around 10khz which adds a little artificial 'air' to the sound. This is because the human voice is present at these frequencies. It therefor stands to reason that it is an obvious choice for vocals.

It has gained its reputation because of its performance and its extremly hard wearing and rugged build quality.


Also, why the hell are you comparing 'hand - held' and 'powered condenser' mic's? I'm sure if you look a little closer you'll find that there are hand - held, powered condenser microphones out there.

The 2 most common types of mic are dynamic and condenser. Both have different qualities, dynamic mic's can handle much higher sound pressure levels whereas condenser mic's require less pressure to reproduce sound and can pick up more subtle differences.

Anyway back to OP - Shure SM58. The professionals choice for a reason. Hard working, hard wearing, and great sounding.

EDIT: Ebay was flooded with fake 58's a while back so beware if you find any going cheap.

And I can show you a £20 micropohone with a better flatter response than the Shure, built equally as robustly, which I use for Karaoke. Does that make it better than an SM58? Of course not. The Shure is accepted as standard, because it's robust, reliable, and of acceptable quality, not because it's the best.

I think Max has a valid point regarding the Shure SM58 not being the best vocal mic but it is certainly the best with regards to being cost effective.
I saw a solo vocalist a few weeks ago and he had a Sennheiser mic (not sure which model) and it cost him £800, I asked him about the SM58 and Shure enough (sorry) he had owned one when he started out but because he was becoming more popular he decided to invest in the Sennheiser which suited his voice, he said there was no comparison, whereas the SM58 was very good the Sennheiser blew it away.

Agreed with all of that.

However......... Each individual will suit different microphones.
I have a SM58 for disco where little mic work is needed. However for race nights use a JHS (??) - not JTS - mic I bought about 10 years ago. I find this mic suits my voice more and much prefer it over the SM58. I use a mic a LOT during race nights.

I have been looking for a place to tryout microphones as looking for a decent wireless mic, but would prefer to try out first.

ther's an echo in here.

Several signers that I know all swear by Sennheiser, and wouldn't use anything else. However, they all use wireless versions rather than leaded.

Their range of mics does come in a wide variety of prices, so you don't have to spend £800 to get a good sound, but as others have mentioned, different mics suit different people.

With reverb. I'd suggest model 825 upwards for a cable mic. I'd love to try 845 onwards one day.

Edit: Hey Angela, if they're signers, why do theyneed a mic?