Live Vocal Mic suggestions

**moncur** · 16-Oct-09, 18:55

Hi folks,

Does anyone have any suggestions for vocal mics? Needs to be something affordable and rugged enough for using at gigs.

Thanks

**Jeid** · 16-Oct-09, 19:07

D'uh... Shure SM58. How long have you been playing in bands?

**Deemac** · 16-Oct-09, 20:15

Try this instead: http://www.thomann.de/gb/t-bone_mb85.htm

for the money there almost disposable and 90% as good as the SM58!

**Jeid** · 16-Oct-09, 23:37

**Gleber2** · 17-Oct-09, 00:40

Originally Posted by moncur

Hi folks,

Does anyone have any suggestions for vocal mics? Needs to be something affordable and rugged enough for using at gigs.

Thanks

What do you mean when you say affordable?

**missmillie** · 17-Oct-09, 09:47

I have always used the SM57 OR SM58 from Shure when singing live, SM58 is the better of the two for male. They are not cheap cheap but worth the money and last forever even when thrown across the stage when tripping over the cables

You can get them off ebay cheap but just be careful not to pick up any fakes as they are not even close to the real thing!

**buddyrich** · 17-Oct-09, 11:21

Despite the facepalming from the real audio expert, I must side with Steve Albini when it comes to 57's and 58's-"Piece of **** dynamic mic that people are inexplicably crazy about."

57's are good for the bottom of a snare drum and thats about it. There are better stage mics that wont break the bank.

**moncur** · 17-Oct-09, 13:11

Originally Posted by Gleber2

What do you mean when you say affordable?

Im trying to go for something around £100 or under. Really just trying to see if theres any hidden gems rather than going for an SM58

**Jeid** · 17-Oct-09, 13:15

Albini is a tool. There's a reason that Shure SM58's are used by most bands... they're affordable, they're reliable and they sound good. And in this case, Moncur wants all of those.

I never said I'm a real audio expert.. so get off of your high horse

**Gleber2** · 17-Oct-09, 13:50

Originally Posted by Jeid

I never said I'm a real audio expert.. so get off of your high horse

Tsk, tisk! You're not going to throw your SM58's out of your pram , are you?
What Jeid says is right enough in essence. I decided to move on from Shure mikes a number of years ago and, as I could not check every mike on the market, I had a word with someone who had and he recommended Sennheiser MD431. I would never go back to the Shure. When I discovered the Neuman KMS105 hand held condenser, I bought one and have used it ever since.
Presnting all the artists who come to the Lighthouse with a choice, most go for the SM58 as it is a standard mike and everyone has used one. The shure Beta is good also.
My only advice is to spend as much as possible on quality with the Shure being a starting point.
I paid £250 each for the MD431's and £350 for the Neuman.

**Jeid** · 17-Oct-09, 14:02

I don't have one as it turns out haha. I use a Sennheiser E845 I think, I've not seen it in a while so I don't recall the number. Sennheiser are making very good stuff just now.

The SM58 is a good mic.

**loganbiffy** · 17-Oct-09, 14:05

Originally Posted by Jeid

Albini is a tool. There's a reason that Shure SM58's are used by most bands... they're affordable, they're reliable and they sound good. And in this case, Moncur wants all of those.

I never said I'm a real audio expert.. so get off of your high horse

I love Albini's recording work.

SM58's are great live mics, they are all I use.
You may not be an audio expert Jeid but yours are some of the best home recordings I have heard up here for sure, so I'm gonna stick my neck out and say yeah you know what you are talking about

I did quite like the Sennheiser's John had too.

**buddyrich** · 17-Oct-09, 14:55

Originally Posted by Jeid

so get off of your high horse

"Face palm thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"-for those who dont share your views, try the new improved Face palm thing! Available now!

Calm down dear. Look not for thine enemies amongst the gently sarcastic. Ye cast stones with thine face palm thing so dont get uppity when someone calls ye on it.

Shure dont make poor quality mics, i have a shure unidyne 55 that is the business. The beta 58's are also not bad. The regular 57s and 58s just sound spectacularly average for something that's so popular so i shall look elsewhere. Sennheiser make superior equipment and seeing as moncur is looking for something for his exclusive use (rather than a mic that'll get used and abused by a multitude of people-the real ideal scenario for a 58) then why not go for something of higher quality.

But then again, you're the expert. Huy!

**buddyrich** · 17-Oct-09, 15:07

Sennheiser E845 seems to go for about 90 quid. Mic anything with that if need be. Cazart!

AKG D5 goes for a bit cheaper but is not as good a sounding mic, in the opinion of this humble, bowing, scraping correspondant.

The sennheiser drum clip-ons are also very cool and sound ace. They remove the need to cover a drum kit in *face palm* 57's.

**Gleber2** · 17-Oct-09, 15:13

Originally Posted by buddyrich

Sennheiser E845 seems to go for about 90 quid. Mic anything with that if need be. Cazart!

AKG D5 goes for a bit cheaper but is not as good a sounding mic, in the opinion of this humble, bowing, scraping correspondant.

The sennheiser drum clip-ons are also very cool and sound ace. They remove the need to cover a drum kit in *face palm* 57's.

Thou art well versed in the gentle art of gentle subtle sarcasm.
Budget mikes like the 845 and the 58's are OK but if you want real quality, you have to pay for it.
Won't be any Shures or 'face palm' on your kit tonight, you can be sure(excuse pun). Hope you are on form!!!!!

**buddyrich** · 17-Oct-09, 15:16

Aye i hope so. Looking forward to having a tune. Got a new snare to play about with so should be good.

Better get on the practice pad so im warmed up. Hopefully wont drop any face palms the night.

**moncur** · 17-Oct-09, 15:34

thanks very much for your help guys, much appreciated.

**Jeid** · 17-Oct-09, 15:37

Shure SM58 vs T.Bone "58"

I think when you weigh up what I was trying to say with the facepalm, you'll definitely agree that if you're gonna spend money on a mic, the Shure is the better way to spend your money. You pay for what you get. Plus, SM58's barely seem to lose value, it's crazy, so if you found that it wasn't to your liking, you wouldn't be far off getting your money back.

Sennheiser do make a higher grade product, I only paid £45 for mine if I remember correctly... but that was a few years ago now.

Yeah, I'm the expert, cheers for acknowledging that