Members Count Dissident Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 I am looking for the best all around mic that can handle screams(including death growls) and female cleans equally well. The music is metal and it gets quite loud but I also need something that can handle acoustic music with clarity and dynamics too (e.g. Opeth,Arch Enemy,Lacuna Coil) In other words,I am looking for the best high gain-before-feedback mic with with a wide frequency response that is clean,clear and warm sounding. The poll lists the top mics I am considering but other suggestions are welcome. Also, I am not looking to break the bank,but money is not as much of a concern as mic quality. Thanks-Count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted February 8, 2010 CMS Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 Beta-58 can handle high volume as well as any. It's a solid choice and not too pricey at ~$160. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smitty0069 Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 The Audix OM-7 has quickly become one of the go to mics in high GBF conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vinny D Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 I get great results using Beta 58's.I know everyone is always chasing the new *IT* mic but everytime I work with a singer that thinks they just bought the *IT* mic my Beta 58's always seem to be the mic they end up using after they A/B them in sound check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KF650SB1000 Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 I voted for the OM7; excellent choice for cuppers and drummers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 B-58A, OM-7 or EV 967 are all good options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Count Dissident Posted February 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 The Audix OM-7 seems to be the clear cut winner so far. As much as I have no doubts about the feedback rejection of this mic, I question its ability to handle the high,clean female voice with clarity as well as some of the others. I am also concerned about the off-axis and proximity of the OM-7 as I have read many reviews that you have to be very close to the mic to make it work and that being a few inches away from the mic will drastically reduce the sound level of the vocals. This seems great for the death growls and screams,but it seems like it could be limiting for dynamic cleans. Should I be concerned about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted February 9, 2010 CMS Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 You should be concerned if the artist doesn't know he/she has to stay up on the mic at all times. All mics will have drastically reduced gain, and different pickup response (notably much less low end) when the source is not right up to the screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jon Hiller Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 You should be concerned if the artist doesn't know he/she has to stay up on the mic at all times. All mics will have drastically reduced gain, and different pickup response (notably much less low end) when the source is not right up to the screen. This. ^^ The off-axis rejection of the Audix is what makes it great for gain before feedback. In my experience the Audix does lose sound when you get back from it, but it's no worse than any other mic, and because you can gain it so much before feedback, it's actually better than a lot of other mics when you back off from it a bit. If you're looking for something that picks up well off-axis, you are going to give up quite a bit of gain before feedback, in my experience. From that list, if I were going to just pick a mic, I would use the Audix, simply because I am very familiar with how they sound and how they act, but you have a lot of good mics on that list, and sometimes a mic will surprise you by sounding better on a person than you would think.... you might want to see if you have a local shop where you can demo several of them side by side just to see what might work best for your situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 [YOUTUBE]MvUfXxalD7Q[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TimmyP Posted February 10, 2010 Members Share Posted February 10, 2010 The OM7 may drop off a bit faster than others. But owing to the superior wash rejection, you can add some gain, compress the top, and reach out and grab someone. Smooth vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Count Dissident Posted February 10, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 10, 2010 Thanks to everyone for all of the valuable information about the Audix OM-7,it really helped me to get a better understanding of the proximity of this mic compared to others. After more consideration on this topic,I am more concerned about the proximity than the off-axis of the mic that I am looking to buy. As much as it is a concern that the mic can handle feedback rejection and cupping,it would also be a plus if it can handle working the mic a bit for clean vocals. Basically I am looking for something that does equally as well for both. It is impossible for me to audition all of the mics listed,but I have been able to compare the Shure Beta 58a and the Sennheiser E935 and to me the Sennheiser sounded better for both clean vocals and death growls. I can't comment on feedback rejection because I could not test them in a live setting with a full band. Be a supercardioid mic, would the E945 basically sound the same as the E935 with better feedback rejection in a loud band setting? Lastly,there is another mic I am now considering that is not on the list...the Sennheiser MD 431 II. How would this mic be in comparison to the other mics listed and discussed? I realize that this is a step up in cost,but would this mic be worth the extra cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted February 11, 2010 Members Share Posted February 11, 2010 Lastly,there is another mic I am now considering that is not on the list...the Sennheiser MD 431 II. How would this mic be in comparison to the other mics listed and discussed? I realize that this is a step up in cost,but would this mic be worth the extra cash? Probably a poor choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philw44 Posted February 11, 2010 Members Share Posted February 11, 2010 I dislike the Beta 58. It's too blary and harsh for screaming in my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dogoth Posted February 11, 2010 Members Share Posted February 11, 2010 All mics will have drastically reduced gain, and different pickup response (notably much less low end) when the source is not right up to the screen. All mics designed for stage use will have drastically reduced gain, and different pickup response (notably much less low end) when the source is not right up to the screen. But this isn't an absolute. The tighter the pattern, the more proximity effect. Omni mics have none (although almost no mic is ABSOLUTLY omni directional either). This is why the OM7 seems to lose gain when you back away from it. It has a fairly tight pattern and therefore a fair bump of proximity effect (what you are losing is the bottom end). FWIW there are mics that are called super cardioid but have such a peaky frequency respose that they still tend to be prone to feedback (the Neumann KSM105 comes to mind). Depending on the female vocalist, I tend to like a lot of that while recording. I'll sometimes use the figure 8 position to get that warm intimate buttery sound. I know that this doesn't apply to live sound other than that if the jazz singer you have in mind has a bright voice, the OM7 might be flattering (as well as having great GBF specs) OM7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted February 11, 2010 Members Share Posted February 11, 2010 Probably a poor choice. I just received 2 used 431's from Gearsource. They sound really good, but if I back away from them the slightest bit, the volume drops very quickly. More so than any other mic I own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JMS 2 Posted February 11, 2010 Members Share Posted February 11, 2010 I use the OM7 live nowadays.Best gain before feedback I've had so far, great for screams too. I don't know about growls.Proximity effect is great for those quiet bassy passages with my lips on the grill. For "normal" singing, you have to be fairly close to the grill (4" max) and KEEP a constant distance. Pull back 2-3" and you'll definitely have a noticeable drop in volume and lose some bass and mids. One of my better buys, however I have no idea if it would be suited for high pitched female vocals. Not sure ...I for one always liked the Sennheisers Evolution series for female singers ... but gain before feedback there is no better than usual. Can't have it all ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Count Dissident Posted February 12, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 12, 2010 Probably a poor choice. Just curious to why this mic would be a poor choice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Count Dissident Posted February 12, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 12, 2010 All of the info about the Audix OM7 seems to be making it the best choice for our needs...too bad no store near me seems to carry it so I can't audition the mic. The Sennheiser E935 that I auditioned sounded great and made me consider the E945 as a choice. How does the Audix OM7 compare to the Sennheiser E945 for the high cleans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted February 12, 2010 Members Share Posted February 12, 2010 Just curious to why this mic would be a poor choice? Not a "screamo" type mic IMO. A nice , big sounding, clean, open mic though. Reasonably good but not outstanding feedback rejection on a loud stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Clod Posted January 18, 2011 Members Share Posted January 18, 2011 HiI'm new to this and probably writing in the wrong place, but...I sing female vocals in duet with a Big Band. I have a high voice and have to hit some high notes. I was told you can get a mic that makes these highnotes warmer. My voice sounds a bit flutey when high.thanks if anyone can recommend a mic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monthlymixcd Posted January 18, 2011 Members Share Posted January 18, 2011 HiI'm new to this and probably writing in the wrong place, but...I sing female vocals in duet with a Big Band. I have a high voice and have to hit some high notes. I was told you can get a mic that makes these highnotes warmer. My voice sounds a bit flutey when high.thanks if anyone can recommend a mic Welcome to the forum! Try adjusting your mic technique... use the proximity effect to your advantage and get on the mic a little more. That will impart some warmth on your vocal. Failing that, try an EV ND767A. I love that mic for female vox. Depending on how you perform with your duet partner, the volumes that your big band performs at, and the look you're going for... I've seen some really good results with ribbons. I have yet to use it personally, but have heard good things about the KSM313. I've done several gigs with duets that I would have loved to use that mic on... but the R144 I have did OK for 10% of the cost and I just can't justify that level of expense for the handfull of times a year that I'd need that Shure. BTW - I voted EV in the poll. I think it would be best for both of the OP's intended uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted January 18, 2011 Members Share Posted January 18, 2011 The OM7 may drop off a bit faster than others. That is not how microphones work. Mics don't "reach" for sound, they "catch" it, so all mics are the same at distance given their differences at on axis frequency response. What they do is reject side noise (depending on their pattern) so your intended to un-intended sound changes with distance. So if you take that list of mics and adjust them all to exactly the same sensitivity my adjusting the trims on your mixer, they will all pick up a guitar amp or a drum set sitting X feet back the same (with respect to their individual frequency responses) To the OP's question. The mic that can handle the most input level may not be the best sounding mic nor the best at GBF, in fact they may be exact opposites. GBF is the hardest to understand because it is likely unique every time you setup your system. What works well for one guy may be the worst for another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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