What are y'all using for vocal mics?

Senheiser e845. Supercardioid. Got it off CL a year ago with a e609 (guitar amp mic) for $100 for both. The 845 Retails for $139, the 609 for $109.

I extreemly happy with them both. I use the 609 on my old Princeton Reverb.

I had a old SM48 I'd used for 25 years. Then I got a Samson Q7, that I liked better then the 48, but when the 845 came along I jumped on it and didn't look back. I'm extreemly happy with it.

 

I alternate between a Neumann KMS105, which is a handheld condensor. It's on the expensive side. It's durable and sounds great. Been using it for almost 15 years, and it has paid for itself many times over. I think they run about $600-$700 new.

Recently I got "mic gas" and picked up a Heil PR235. It's a very awesome dynamic mic, way cheaper than the Neumann (I think it runs about $250 or so), but with a response and sound that's similar to mics that are way more expensive. It's so good, you can use it for studio recordings and it'll stand up to mics way above its pay grade.

 

We have both SM58's and e835's, the lead singer normally uses an e835, I really can't detect much difference between the two in a live performance situation.

 

I use a KSM9 Shure nowadays. Beautiful microphone. It has a switch that changes polar pattern from cardioid to supercardioid.

I still carry an SM58 as a backup, just incase, but I hope to never need it. The 58 is the industry standard but there are far superior options out there for professional singers.

I mic my cab with a 57.

 

SM57 when playing out or mic'ing a cabinet.

In the home studio for vocals I use either a Studio Projects C3 or a MXL R144 ribbon, occasionally the SM57 will come out when I am trying to get some grit out of a singer.

I also have a matched pair of MXL 993s for accoustic guitar.

I learned a while ago that I don't need a Telefunkin U47 for what I am doing. ( Not that I wouldn't take on if someone has a spare they want to give away )

-Harry

 

I have been using a Shure Beta 87A condenser that I like a lot.

I also have several Beta 58s

 

Like so many others here, my vocal mic is a Shure SM58. I've used it for a dozen years plus. I also have a SM57 for mic'ing up amps.

Earlier this year, a band of sorts formed to perform weekly (hopefully not weakly) at a retirement community, a collection of amateurs just trying to provide some entertainment for the old folks. I volunteered to get 3 extra mics for singers. Obviously, I needed to find something on the cheap, so when I came across a deal at GC on Digital Reference DRV100 mics for $15 apiece, I jumped on it.

I wouldn't recommend them, though. The vocal quality isn't bad, but they're noisy; you hear everything. Even if you're just adjusting the mic stand they're on, you hear it. I won't even talk about handheld.

 

Nothing beats the 58 for usability under almost all situations. That's not to say the others aren't great, but it all depends on who it is singing and where they are along with who's running sound. 58's have less trouble with feedback because of the great rejection, and with a good singer offers great proximity effect for sound quality. A house sound system should use 58's almost all of the time because they're dependable and predictable, but I see many singers bring their own mics which they've bought because it complements their voice. The only issue with that is if the sound guy isn't familiar with it, it may take them a moment to figure out it's nuances.

So it all comes down to application.

 

Sennheiser e835 is what I use. I sing into them and the audience hears me loud and clear. There's no much else I need from a mic!

 

EV nd767 and + ev nd257, EV all the way for me. Great gain without feedback and I can have some air between my lips and the mic. I hate having to eat the mic.. These mic's are very clear (never muddy sounding).

 

EV mics for me too....been using them for decades.

 

I just bought a Beta 58 (and a 57) and am really happy with it (them). I really like the way it improved the sound of my vocals.

 

58's, 835, om5, 57 for my harp

 

Well, let's see...there's the 35 year old SM58 that my daughter painted with silver glitter nail polish about ten years ago...and the 33 year old Audio-Technica ATM641 that's been my own personal vocal mic since the day I bought it...

 

I've been using an Audix OM-5 for the past 10 years. You have to right in front of the mic to be picked up (tight cardioid pattern), but I like it for that.

 

58s for shouting and 57s for amp shouting.

 

I've been singing lead through a Beta 58 for probably a hundred or so gigs now...bars, festivals, and summer concert on the town square things. Anyways, I have not gotten one single comment about (the microphone) sounding obnoxious.

 

Same here, just never went to the 58 though.