All budget friendly mics sound harsh???
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Posted on Aug 31, 2013 05:39 pm
stratwizard
Member Since: Nov 19, 2008
Hi all,
The more I listen to my recordings the more I started to notice that the high end on my vocal recordings sound harsh. These days it bothers me so much that I am considering buying a new mic (assuming that this is the source of the harshness).
However I never had a chance to try an expensive / high end mic to this day so I don't know if I will still have the same issues. Spending $3500 on an U87 to test out my assumption is terrifying.
So in your experience do I have to spend excessive amounts of cash to get a mic that doesn't have this harsness?
My gear;
UA 610 MkII (preamp)
MXL 990
MXL V250
MXL V63
Sterling ST66
Blue Spark
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McMerkinHobbyist musician,pro recorderMember
Since: May 15, 2007
Aug 31, 2013 06:44 pm There is a range between MXL and a U87 you could try. My MXL seems alright on the top end, I can't afford fancy mics either, but this is still better than the old radio shack ones I used to use (except one really excellent condenser they used to have decades ago).
Aug 31, 2013 10:10 pm SM7b, RE20, PR40 -- Mics designed specifically to flatter the human voice. And anything but harsh.
Sep 01, 2013 12:40 am Aren't SM7b RE20 and PR40 mics for radio/broadcasting? Do they work for hard rock vocals??
J-botByte-MixerMember
Since: Dec 04, 2007
Sep 01, 2013 06:00 am They're all dynamic mics (akin to the SM58, or 57, Beta 58A, etc.)
However, the Heil PR40 and the Shure SM7b are large diaphragm dynamic mics. I've always understood they work great on vocals, and they are pretty utilitarian and will work for other purposes as well.
The SM7b is a bit power hungry, so it's going to want a good bit of clean gain.
Sep 01, 2013 10:57 am Quote:
Aren't SM7b RE20 and PR40 mics for radio/broadcasting? Do they work for hard rock vocals??
For somewhat aggressive vocals (rock, rap, etc.)? I don't think there's a mic on the planet that outshines the 7b. No doubt, they've all wound up being very popular for broadcast --- They're tailored to the human voice, they're remarkably durable, they require very little processing to "sit in" the mix, they can take insane levels, they're not overly-sensitive like (name 1,000 cheap Chinese condenser mics) so room acoustics are much less of an issue, "warmth" (I hate that term, but there you go), detail without picking up spiders burping in the corner, etc., etc., etc..
Definitely one of those "If you can only have one vocal mic..." mics.
I keep one in here (and this is a mastering room, so it's pretty rare that a mic is ever needed). But I don't know of a studio that doesn't have at the very least a 7b or RE20 (or both) in their vocal room... Not what I'd choose for opera (where I might pull out the U87, but even then, there are better mics to use). But almost anything else.
And by all means, don't let the "dynamic" thing scare you -- Keep in mind that literally every "legendary" and/or "workhorse" vocal mic is a dynamic of some sort.
Come to think of it, I'm still trying to find where this "you only use condensers for vocals" thing came from. It's very recent... And it comes in about the same time as "I can't get my vocals to sit well in the mix" and "My vocals sound really harsh" and "I can hear the whole room" (among other things).
Sep 01, 2013 12:41 pm Very interesting...
And also you were spot on when you said "...don't let the "dynamic" thing scare you ". For some reason I have been focusing only on condenser mics for vocal recording and wasn't even considering dynamic mics at all...
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Sep 01, 2013 03:15 pm Some time ago (8-10 years ago?) I used to record with a friend who used an MXL mic, I think it was a 990 but not positive, and it definitely sounded harsh in the high end to my ears. I've stayed away from all MXL mics after that.
Aside from that, I'd like to try one of those 7Bs one day since massivemaster has been touting them for a while now. I have a TLM-103 which is pricey (for me anyways), but it sounds really really nice. It is pretty sensitive though, and I get a lot of lip sounds and plosives that I occasionally have to go back and clean up after they're recorded. But the tone and clarity are great for vocals.
Sep 01, 2013 11:35 pm If there's one (okay, there are actually two) condenser that's relatively friendly to aggressive vocals that I can think of, it's probably the Rode NT-1a... Has a very dynamic-ish response (and assuming a much heavier diaphragm than usual).
The other is Sony's 800G -- Sounds very similar to the 7b up close but more sensitivity farther away. But it's $9,000, so it's not a very popular mic (unless you happened to be signed with Sony Music, where just about everyone uses it).
One thing I haven't tried yet but I can't wait is Telefunken's new M82... Also marketed as a "broadcast" mic. Their M80 absolutely blew my mind -- It's like a 58 on steroids. I would have to think the M82 would be "their version" of the 7b or RE20 type thing.
But I mean - C'mon, man... It's a friggin' Telefunken.
Sep 02, 2013 11:55 am I went out and bought a Shure SM7B...
I think its too early for me to determine whether I like it or not.
For some reason it sounds way too quiet compared to the other mics I have. I don't know if this is normal for the SM7B.
After massivemaster's recommendation here I listened to a lot of samples on youtube before buying and they all sounded full and warm.
However my first trial ended up sounding very thin and like I said the mic was much quieter than any other mic I have tried so far.
Could I be doing something wrong???
I have the switches set at flat.
My channel strip is LA-610 MKii
Sep 03, 2013 07:36 am 1) It definitely requires more gain than a typical condenser - That's normal.
2) Get right up on it -- And likely, use the thinner ("squared off") filter.
3) "Thin" -- It could be proximity to some extent (see "2") and you might want to make sure the EQ switches are flat, but assuming you're all over that stuff, check it in the context of a mix... In this case (as it is in many), "thin" is just "nice" and the opposite of "hyped" -- That said, there shouldn't be a lack of bottom (THAT said, there shouldn't be the problematic, gigantic bottom end comes from so many cheesy condensers).
Sep 05, 2013 12:52 am Another good choice for voice is the Sennheiser 421. It's a legendary dynamic vocal mic seen everywhere in radio and TV and can handle ridiculously high levels. I used one in my bass drum for years. You can get one for $300 if you shop around.
McMerkinHobbyist musician,pro recorderMember
Since: May 15, 2007
Sep 05, 2013 02:38 pm I do have a 421 and can attest to its worth, with hi and lo end rolloffs (5 settings) it's a dynamic yet very good pickup. And mine has been dropped, many many times, still works flawlessly. I saw it initially in the radio booth where I worked, all our mics were 421s.
Also, condensors are 'hotter' mics than dynamics, so it would be expected to sound 'thinner' at first. As mentioned above, proximity will be different (you can get closer to the mic) and the 421 can even roll off the heavier bass proximity effect right there at the mic.
Apr 20, 2014 10:49 am I used the MXL 990 for vox and acoustic instruments for years and it worked fine. I then moved to a decent sounding AT4033 that is my main mic for acoustic and softer voice and backing vocals. I then picked up the Shure SM7b- it was just so much better for rock vocals, matched my voice-makes a thin voice sound..well bigger. It also works great for micing guitar cabs. So glad I got it. It is a giant gain hog but my gear works well with it.
