Members Count Dissident Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 I am looking to buy a new mic for recording and live purposes for a female singer that sings both clean and death (cookie monster if you wanna call it that) vocals. I have read great things about the Shure SM7 and I was wondering if anyone has used this mic live or if anyone has any thoughts on it as a live mic? Here are a couple questions that come to mind: 1) How would it be at feedback rejection? 2) I'm not completely sure of the actual size...would it likely have to be on a stand or can it be handheld comfortably? BTW...sorry if this question has been asked before but I could not find the forum search Thanks -Count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tholos Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 Its very similar to sm58 live ... same rejection. here is pearl jam playing live, eddie vedder with the sm7: they can be handheld... cradled in your palms like a harmonica... but they don't have a quick clip to remove and reattach to a stand quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dogoth Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 It might work OK as a live SR mic but they are pretty big and clunky to be a hand held (not quite like an EV RE-20 but in that direction). They also have a similar sound to the RE-20 (that BIG BOTTOM broadcaster voice sound). They are mostly used for VO in the studio but I have used them on horns (both ww and brass in a fixed position) as a live mic before and they worked quite well (killer on Bari sax). Feedback rejection? I couldn't comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rimmer Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 I own a SM7B and it's a great mic for specific jobs. It would be fine as a live mic but as mentioned, when you hold one in your hand, you want to pop it back on a stand really. It would look silly hand held and you'd have to have large hands to make shure () you don't drop it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 I don't like how the SM7B sounds. Has this dark sound that's both muddy and harsh at the same time. I like the RE20 much better. It's a pretty big mic, and it's not built for live use. Some say that the capsule is the same as the SM58, but I don't think so. There's a couple inches of space between the front of the windscreen and the capsule... and the output is VERY LOW. The design is great for VO stuff, reduces pops and prox effect, but bad for live use because the GBF goes way down. Even when you're right on top of the mic, there will be a LOT of stage bleed. So for loud stages... it's a definite no. On a quiet stage it might work on a stand, handheld is a no. If you try to cradle it in your hands you'll be blocking the venting and changing the response and pattern... which is also bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 It's quite a substantial and heavy piece of hardware, and the GBF is not as high as a 58 or other more common live vocal mics because the diaphragm is positioned quite far back relative to the front surface of the mic so the ratio of incident to ambient sound will be lower which affects the GBF performance adversely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Count Dissident Posted October 29, 2010 Author Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 Thanks for all of the responses! I believe I will start to look for a different route. Any suggestions for a mic that would be a solid choice for both live and recording a female voice that sings both clean and death metal vocals? Basically I am looking for a mic that is dynamic enough in range to handle vocals similar to Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) equally well in both styles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 Tough to beat just a 58 for jack-of-all trades use. Screaming/growling? Sounds as good as anything. Belting it out melodically? Does fine there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 Oh, and FWIW a quick image search of Mikael Akerfedt turns up lots of images of him using 58s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monkeyland Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 still i would not use the sm58 for "studio" type vocal recording. the sm7 however does work great for that under the circumstances that you mention. why not get both. it's only 100 over budget from your original idea and the sm7 gives great results recording all sorts of sources. I use mine on guitar and bass amps and hi hats pretty regularly. i've also gotten good sounds on the floor tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted October 29, 2010 Members Share Posted October 29, 2010 still i would not use the sm58 for "studio" type vocal recording. the sm7 however does work great for that under the circumstances that you mention. why not get both. it's only 100 over budget from your original idea and the sm7 gives great results recording all sorts of sources. I use mine on guitar and bass amps and hi hats pretty regularly. i've also gotten good sounds on the floor tom Plenty of "studio" type vocals have been recorded on 58s. "Thriller", as well as pretty much every U2 song come quickly to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 still i would not use the sm58 for "studio" type vocal recording. Why not? I'll bet 10 times as many top hits have been recorded with the 58 compared with the SM-7... rethinking make that 100x The add in the need for live and the SM-7 falls way down the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monkeyland Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 Plenty of "studio" type vocals have been recorded on 58s. "Thriller", as well as pretty much every U2 song come quickly to mind. not true. thriller was recorded with an SM7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monkeyland Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 Why not?I'll bet 10 times as many top hits have been recorded with the 58 compared with the SM-7... rethinking make that 100x won't argue with that. lots of things have been done with less than perfect gear with great results for varying reasons. my point, or at least the point in my head, is that in the world that we live in quality mics are available for a very reasonable price that will do the job better so why push a 58 into service unless you have to. It didn't used to be this way. 30 years ago it made sense to jump through hoops in order to make do because your only other choice was a Neuman, Telefunken or some other ungodly expensive mic. It just so happens that the SM7 is one of the go to mics for engineers/producers that frequently work with screamy/growly singers(death metal/hardcore etc) because of the way it smooths out the edges. It's also a common choice for higher pitched, loud male vocals. Michael Jackson, Aerosmith and U2 being among them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 not true. thriller was recorded with an SM7. If we're getting pedantic, It was tracked with both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 still i would not use the sm58 for "studio" type vocal recording. Put the 58 a couple inches behind a pop filter and bam, you have an SM7. You can get great vocal sounds in the studio with an SM58. I'd prefer an SM58 over an SM7 for pretty much everything, regardless of cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 30 years ago it made sense to jump through hoops in order to make do because your only other choice was a Neuman, Telefunken or some other ungodly expensive mic. The SM7 was around 30 years ago. I agree it is a very useful mic. But if I'm looking for one mic to do it all, that's probably not going to be the one, especially if anything live is required. It would have to be a 58. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 won't argue with that. lots of things have been done with less than perfect gear with great results for varying reasons. I personally think that for the OP's application, the SM-58 is a BETTER choice regardless of the difference in cost. It's not "less perfect". It's MORE perfect IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 Try an EV 967, it's pretty singer friendly and very high GBF (hyper-cardiod pattern). 767's are nice too, the 967 is a step up though. The EV's all use a humbucking coil for reduced noise, for 98% of all apps it doesn't matter, for a quiet voice over situation it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monkeyland Posted October 30, 2010 Members Share Posted October 30, 2010 I personally think that for the OP's application, the SM-58 is a BETTER choice regardless of the difference in cost. It's not "less perfect". It's MORE perfect IMO. considering that they need a live mic it is. I was suggesting to add a few more bucks and get both, and leave the sm7 in the studio. actually considering that they were considering getting a $350 mic they could get a 58 and spend the rest on a condenser to record with. Still a lot of people seem to think that the sm7 and the 58 are the same. They really are not, not even close to me. Same with the 57. I hear a huge difference with the sm7 verses 57 on a guitar cab. Larger diaphragm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Majoria Posted October 31, 2010 Members Share Posted October 31, 2010 Same here. I have a 7b and a 57 and there is a huge difference, especially in the studio. The 57 can't keep up with 7b, really can't even keep up with an i5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted October 31, 2010 Members Share Posted October 31, 2010 Completely different geometry, the housing and cavities are responsible for a big part of the differences too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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