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Originally posted by Tarpex I'm needing the gear for serious level of recording vocals for trancy & housey tracks, whereas some can be compressed to hell and back for effect (and could be done on the crappiest gear around), some will need certain timbre and clarity that crap gear can't provide. Now, my budget isn't unlimited, though I'm willing to go to quite a good length to get a good recording going, I'd say I'd spend about 4k euros for the recording system. Note that I'm not using M-Audio, I'm on E-MU soundcard, which has a stage better converters, but I do realise it's not "it". I'll be recording male & female vocals, tender and aggressive, gentle subtle pieces and near-rock singing, so there's gonna be some abuse eventually And I'd need my recording gear to shine at everything being thrown at it.

What I'm suggesting comes in under your budget I think.

You need better converters, E-mu and M audio are both equally bad from what I understand. RME is probably the minimum you should buy if you have the money.

You'll probably need more than one mic if you're using more than one vocalist. Based purely on reviews and general opinion I've heard, I'd go for some combination of an Audio technica, one of the shures you suggested, a beta 57 and a nice preamp like a millenia, or an atlas juggernaut (for the flexibility) in an API 500 series rack with a compressor after it.

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Originally posted by kitphillips What I'm suggesting comes in under your budget I think. You need better converters, E-mu and M audio are both equally bad from what I understand. RME is probably the minimum you should buy if you have the money. You'll probably need more than one mic if you're using more than one vocalist. Based purely on reviews and general opinion I've heard, I'd go for some combination of an Audio technica, one of the shures you suggested, a beta 57 and a nice preamp like a millenia, or an atlas juggernaut (for the flexibility) in an API 500 series rack with a compressor after it.

Nice suggestions on the preamps, but you've got to aim higher with the mics. I wouldn't use a beta 57 if I had any other mic at my disposal. If you've got 4k in EUR, then think about getting a good mic that can do a few more things - the beta 57 will never give you a warm or breathy vocal and it certainly isn't smooth. With trance or house a lot of felamle vocals need to have soft timbres and that mic is not the best tool for the job.

The akg c414 is a good all rounder, but my favourite at the moment is the Mojave Audio MA-200. Brilliant mic, it's $1000 but worth every penny. In most cases I prefer it over the vast majority of modern Neumann mics which often are more expensive.

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Originally posted by DJ RANN Nice suggestions on the preamps, but you've got to aim higher with the mics. I wouldn't use a beta 57 if I had any other mic at my disposal. If you've got 4k in EUR, then think about getting a good mic that can do a few more things - the beta 57 will never give you a warm or breathy vocal and it certainly isn't smooth. With trance or house a lot of felamle vocals need to have soft timbres and that mic is not the best tool for the job. The akg c414 is a good all rounder, but my favourite at the moment is the Mojave Audio MA-200. Brilliant mic, it's $1000 but worth every penny. In most cases I prefer it over the vast majority of modern Neumann mics which often are more expensive.

How would you describe the Mojave? I'm trying to work out a new vocal recording chain myself, although I'm trying to limit it to a new RME interface and a good mic at this stage. What's your pick for a really neutral mic at a reasonable price RANN? Its gotta be versatile since I sing a lot of different styles...

I was sort of suggesting thte beta in combination with something else. From what I hear, a beta 58 or 57 is a staple in lots of studios. If you were dealing with a singer with poor mic technique for example, its a good idea to have a good dynamic on hand. Not to mention how good they are for guitar amps and stuff like that, and not really expensive either. So you can't really lose with a 58/57 IMO. But you'd want to have other mics I think in that situation.

I was really thinking of a 57/58 in addition to the AKG 414, Shure KSM or AT4040/4050/4060...

I don't really know that much about the whole thing though, I've really still gotta work out my own setup which I'll be trying to get together by the end of the year.

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The Mojave is simply superb. Getting used in a lot of high level productions from pop to film scores. I was introduced to it by an very serious engineer that has every mic at his disposal including several 60 year old mint condition Neumann mics and he often turns to the mojave for all round performance.

Very clear, large diaphragm condenser mic that you can also use on acoustic guitars, cello's, basically anything that doesn't require very specific directionality and needs to present complex timbres well.

not making this up, I honestly can't think of any other mic at that price that is as good.

having said that, the AKG C414 is one of the most valuable mics I've ever used, and party becuase it does sound very good and party becuase of it's flexibilty (vocals, strings, drum overheads, woodwinds etc.). A studio isn;t really complete without a 414.

The old Rode NT-1 were superb value - not the greatest mic ever made but far better than anything else at the price point and even a little higher.

The audiotechnica's are a strange one - some are great some are not so great. Really hit and miss.

Last edited by DJ RANN on Jun-10-2009 at 07:33