Vocal mic for live use over & above SM58?

[GlynH]

I have a singer/songwriter friend of mine who I have recently started to do the sound for.

His style is wide & varied and he sings his own songs & covers and plays electro-acoustic guitar in various venues with no stage monitors so there is little to no 'bleed' from any other instruments or open mics.

His voice can switch from sweet soul to gravelly rock and covers everything in between.

He currently uses an SM58 Beta which to me can sound a little 'hard' at the top end but overall sounds great.

I would like to use a better mic if possible to do him justice as he has a terrific voice.

I was thinking of something along the lines of a Neumann KMS 104 or 105 but wanted to elicit a response from those of you who may have been down this road before

I realise that microphones in particular are a personal choice and may or may not suit a particular voice but opinions on KLM104/105 vs SM58 Beta for this application would be most welcome.

I am currently using a PreSonus StudioLive into a pair of QSC K Series active loudspeakers if that may have any influence on microphone choice but am hoping that mic choice will not only suit his voice but the XMAX pre-amps in the StudioLive.

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

[Music Producer]

I asked the same question to my self and for a live recording purpose came up with the SE Electronics H1
live vocal condenser ... Marvellous mic .. I bought 6 and are under £100 from Production Room in Leeds.

[Sam Spoons]

I asked the same question to my self and for a live recording purpose came up with the SE Electronics H1
live vocal condenser ... Marvellous mic .. I bought 6 and are under £100 from Production Room in Leeds.

+1, I have three, fantastic mic. PM me if you want to hear a couple of live desk recordings using it.

[Bob Bickerton]

There's many threads on this topic already. I do not rate the SM58 highly, and it's often related to it's hard and grainy high mids/top end.

Of the mics in my locker, I'd rate all of them higher than a 58 on most voices (not to say a 58 wouldn't be best on some voices), but it is really important to make sure the mic matches the voice.

I use the KMS105 more for female voices than the average male voice, wonderful microphone, but it wouldn't be top of the list for your application.

I really like both the Electrovoice RE510 and Beyer M88 on my own voice (bass/baritone), the M88 has a lovely top end, but can suffer from proximity effect if you're not careful. The RE510 has a built in Low Cut filter. Other options to try would be the Sennheiser e840 (cardioid) and e845 (Hypercardioid). The e840 is very open for a dynamic and is what I use for folk clubs etc, and the e845 is also a good mic with a pleasant top end. (don't much like the e935 by the way). If you were working with high spill/feedback territory I'd be thinking Audix OM7, but you're not.

I'm familiar with the Studiolive and QSC K series, and you'd have no problems with any professional stage mic with that set up.

Bob

[Sam Spoons]

I use the SE-H1s with a Mackie DL1608 and QSC K12s (great speakers for acoustic music IMHO) BTW and my other general purpose/vocal mics are actually Beta57s, nicer that Beta 58s on my rig but the 58 sounds nicer on the work Crown iTech/EAW850 rig.

Bob knows his stuff, as he says, give a few mics a try before flashing the plastic.

[dickiefunk]

I've tried quite a few mics myself and would agree with Bob on the Sennheiser E840. I have two of the silver versions (E838) and find they are a really nice natural sounding mic. Much clearer and more open than the SM58 without having the harsh top end of the Beta 58. Another of my favourites is the EV n/d767a which can work great on some male vocals. Also, the Rode M2 condenser is a very nice mic and certainly worth trying.

The SE Electronics H1 is on my list to try at some point along with the Heil PR22.

[OneEng]

I actually have nothing more to add to this thread. Bob and others have said it all. I am also not much of a fan of the SM58.

[Tim Gillett]

Just to clarify, an SM58 and a KMS 104/5 are different types of mic. Both are designed for stage vocal work, but one is a dynamic, the other a condenser. A condenser will normally have a smoother mid/top end than a comparable dynamic.
If you want to move to a condenser stage vocal mic then it could be a Neumann but it doesnt have to be. Other companies including Shure make stage condenser vocal mics too.

Tim

[shufflebeat]

Another of my favourites is the EV n/d767a which can work great on some male vocals. 

+1

Definitely worth having at least one of those in the box anyway.

[Mixedup]

It's a while (5 years or so) since I've done much by way of live-sound work, but I do remember not being particularly enamoured by most of the stage condensers I tried for rock vox. Perhaps times have moved on and there are better condensers now for this sort of application... but there are certainly plenty of good dynamic mics to try. In addition to the usual stalwarts that have been around for years, do check out the more recent offerings from Heil Sound, Telefunken and Lewitt. But as others have remarked, if it's for one singer in particular, then really make an effort to audition a few mics. Some singers just don't sound great through some mics!

[GlynH]

Appreciate the replies...plenty of food for thought.

Still leaning towards a stage condensor having heard the difference it makes in the studio compared to the 58 but will definitely take my friend with me and try some different mics out with his voice through my own gear if possible.

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-