# Best Mic for a soft vocalist?



## fustrun (Apr 3, 2019)

Hey all!

what are your recommendations for a microphone that would accurately capture a vocalist with a soft voice would enjoy?

Thanks!


----------



## burp182 (Apr 3, 2019)

Difficult to make a recommendation without a little more info. Male or female? What style of music? And some idea of a budget range will help weed out the options.


----------



## bill5 (Apr 5, 2019)

Yeah I don't think there's really such a thing as a mic that is "best for a soft voice" - or male/female for that matter. It's more about the style of singing/music, what instrumentation, where and how it will be recorded etc. Oh yes and budget.


----------



## fustrun (Apr 5, 2019)

So sorry, Female Bard/Folk vocals ... or similar to the style of Aurora's singing.
Lets keep the budget no higher then $1000.
This is the vocalist:


----------



## Joe_D (Apr 5, 2019)

Today, there are tons of good mics in that price range that will work.

I suggest that you rent a studio with a large mic locker for an hour or two. Have them put up a bunch of less-expensive condensers plus a dynamic or two (Shure SM7B and/or Electro-Voice RE20). Have her record a minute of the same two contrasting songs with each mic (while hearing pre-made backing tracks) and see what works best. Take the recordings home and listen to them with and without the backing tracks on a variety of speakers/playback systems/headphones, etc. 

What works best for a particular singer can be hard to predict, and is a matter of taste in the end.


----------



## bill5 (Apr 5, 2019)

Hell there are tons of good mics for half that or less. Great idea on the studio rental, if you can find one with a big enough collection of mics.


----------



## burp182 (Apr 6, 2019)

She has a lovely voice. Based on the example you provided, I’d suggest something that’s extended at the top end but without a real presence peak. (I think most presence peaks will land right in the middle of a portion of her voice that might prove problematic.) A healthy proximity effect might prove useful to add body when she needs it. 
A non-standard but very usable choice might be a ribbon with extended highs. An AEA R84 comes to mind. Because the HF response gets out to 16K or so but rolls off as typical for a ribbon, the trick is to boost with a shelving EQ at about 11-12K (experiment to find the point that works for her). And, since the R84 has no peak in the HF, you can boost A LOT without unpleasant side resonances popping up. Use a quiet pre to minimize noise. And the proximity of the ribbon will add “oomph” if she needs it simply by leaning in a little closer. And it fits in the budget!

Certainly worth a try. 

As always, YMMV.


----------



## wst3 (Apr 6, 2019)

I too would start with a ribbon microphone, either the AEA R84 or the Shure KSM313 come to mind immediately. You will need a really quiet preamplifier, which could stretch the budget. If you need to get really close the AEA R92 is pretty amazing. There is almost no proximity effect, no idea how they did that!

If you want something a little more present consider a neutral large diaphragm condenser microphone. My first picks would be a Neumann TLM-193 or a Shure KSM-32 - for some reason I find single pattern microphones tend to be easier to mix than their multi-pattern cousins. I know that there is no good reason why that would be the case - it could be entirely in my head.


----------



## fustrun (Apr 7, 2019)

Thank you all for you recommendations! i have spoken to the local studio and have retrieved a mic list, the engineer said he can get specific mics that are not on the list and this way i will test out the ones you have recommended, anything else on the list i should check out?

Thanks!

Condenser Microphones – Large Diaphragm
Pluto Tube microphone- 47 clone German x 2 Matched
Pluto Tube microphone- 47 clone American
Neumann U87 Ai x 2 Matched
AKG C414 B-ULS x2 Matched
Manley Gold Reference x 2 Matched (Tube)
Neumann TLM 49
Gefell UMT 70 S
Gefell MT 71 S

Condenser Microphones – Small Diaphragm
Schoeps Colette CMC 6-U + MK5b Capsules x 2 Matched
Earthworks M-30 x 2 Matched
AKG C 451 EB CK1 x 2 Matched
AKG C 451 E CK8 x 2 Matched
Shure SM-81 x 3
Neumann Km 184 x Matched

Ribbon Microphones
Coles 4038 x 2 Matched
Royer R121 x 2 Matched
Sontronics Apollo Blumlein Ribbon (Stereo)
Reslo RB VINTAGE x 2

Dynamic Microphones
Sennheiser MD441 x1
Sennheiser MD421 x 4
EV RE-20 x 1
EV N/D868 x1
Ev N/D257 x 2
Shure Beta 57 x2
Shure Beta 52 x 1
Shure SM57 x 4
Shure SM58 x 1
Shure SM7 x 1
NS10 Woofer Sub Kick x 1


----------



## bill5 (Apr 7, 2019)

I would check the prices on those mics before you decide which to check out  Some may be out of your range or simple overkill even if under it - the Neumanns, for example. Some great mics there but that doesn't necessarily mean they're right for who/what you're recording. Very generally I would agree with a ribbon being a best bet, but best to find out directly.


----------



## ptram (Apr 8, 2019)

An inexpensive secret trick may be the Audio Technica AT2020. Bare minimum features and accesories, clean, neutral and solid sound.

Paolo


----------



## chimuelo (Apr 8, 2019)

Surprised to not see the Broadcast favorite from Shure, the KSM8.
Dual diaphragm design great vocal pattern for anything related to a voice.
Pretty cheap considering it’s placement in most popular.


----------



## midi-et-quart (Apr 8, 2019)

I think that the way you place the mic has a lot of impact too, if you don't put it directly in front of the vocalist but experiment a bit like placing it perpendicular to where the air is moving might soften the high frequencies in a natural way. 
AT2020 as @ptram is a good choice IMO, personally I would prefer the NT1 from Rodes which would sound really good too but it all comes to personal taste at the end.


----------



## fustrun (Apr 8, 2019)

Thank you for all the suggestions! will be an interesting session next week.


----------



## X-Bassist (Apr 8, 2019)

fustrun said:


> Thank you for all the suggestions! will be an interesting session next week.



Whatever you want to try definitely put up the Neumann U87 to test against it. A large condenser usually works best for soft vocals (3" away with a wind screen) and the U87 beats most other mics on vocals. Very even, crystal clear sound with a bit of warmth. Hopefully they have a top shelf Pre-amp like the Avalon Class A to go with it. Perfect combo for female vocal.


----------



## fustrun (Apr 10, 2019)

Will do! thanks!


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 10, 2019)

wst3 said:


> I find single pattern microphones tend to be easier to mix than their multi-pattern cousins. I know that there is no good reason why that would be the case - it could be entirely in my head



I never thought about this, but are you talking about dual-capsule mics?


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 10, 2019)

By the way, I agree with all the people who suggested either ribbon or condenser mics rather than dynamic ones for this kind of intimate sound.

Really, the question is whether you want a flat mic or a character mic with an opinion. My guess is the latter, probably a large-diaphragm condenser (which is not to say that all LDCs are character mics by any stretch).


----------



## dzilizzi (Apr 10, 2019)

If you find you like the higher priced mics, you might want to try Steven Slate's VMS mic. It is a large condenser mic with a flat sound. I actually kind of like it as it is. But it comes with a lot of simulations. I think the AKG C12 is supposed to be good for women's voices and one of it's simulators is the equivalent.


----------



## paularthur (Apr 10, 2019)

shure sm7b with a cloudlifter.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 10, 2019)

paularthur said:


> shure sm7b with a cloudlifter.



That's the mic everyone uses for spoken voice, and some people use it for vocals. I haven't used one, but my sense is that it's more of a safe choice and very forgiving mic than an ideal one for a folksy voice. It's a dynamic mic, and if I had my druthers I probably wouldn't use one for this kind of intimate, detailed voice.

Again, I haven't actually used an SM7b, so maybe my impression (based on hearing it a lot in comparisons and asking a bunch of audio snobs on rec.audio.pro  ) is off. I did research that mic, though, because I was hoping to land a gig that might have wanted it.



dzilizzi said:


> I think the AKG C12 is supposed to be good for women's voices and one of it's simulators is the equivalent.



That's an interesting idea - a simulator. C12s are very expensive, and they either sound great on something or not that good.


----------



## paularthur (Apr 10, 2019)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> That's the mic everyone uses for spoken voice, and some people use it for vocals. I haven't used one, but my sense is that it's more of a safe choice and very forgiving mic than an ideal one for a folksy voice. It's a dynamic mic, and if I had my druthers I probably wouldn't use one for this kind of intimate, detailed voice.
> 
> Again, I haven't actually used an SM7b, so maybe my impression (based on hearing it a lot in comparisons and asking a bunch of audio snobs on rec.audio.pro  ) is off. I did research that mic, though, because I was hoping to land a gig that might have wanted it.




I have a sm7 and sm7b i use them for both podcasts and vocals, the cloudlifter gives it that juice. Another good mic i've used for soft voices is the neuman tlm103... and then of course a c800 but i've only used that at someone else's studio..


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Apr 11, 2019)

^ I agree with everything in that post.


----------



## fustrun (Apr 11, 2019)

SM7b is on the list however i am totally aiming for a ribbon or condenser mics.


----------



## GtrString (Apr 12, 2019)

start with the u47's, then the u87's. Everything after that will be completely chance


----------



## Hasici (Apr 13, 2019)

How about the sleeper rode NT-1 (not the NT-1A). Colorless and response is flat like a pancake. You can literally dial any sound as the mic is nearly transparent.


----------



## storyteller (Apr 13, 2019)

For breathy/tubey, I think the Avantone CV12 is great in that price range. It was used on Taylor Swifts first two albums (and maybe others afterwards). Probably not best suited for the Adele-like voice though.

*EDIT: *Just thinking about it, I'd also say the Rode K2 is another exceptional mic/value for this purpose in your price range. I had one years ago and loved every single recording from it.


----------

