Shure Beta 87A in the studio?

[Jay Menon]

Do any of you use this microphone in the studio for male vocals?

It seems to suit my voice - but I’m really not the best judge. Also I don't know how a large diaphragm condenser would have sounded here...

Also this was through a Zoom TAC-2

https://soundcloud.com/jaymenon/somewhe ... al_sharing

[Hugh Robjohns]

Plenty of people record studio vocals with stage mics. If it suits your voice, your technique, and your room acoustics I wouldn't worry about it.

That said, the Beta 87A isn't the quietest of mics — it generates about 15-18dB more self-noise compared to a decent LDC — so noise might become an issue in gentle, exposed tracks.

[Wonks]

The track sounds fine to me (very nice version IMO). You may sound a bit better with another mic, but you've got to find that mic first. All mics sound a bit different, so it's impossible to say how an LDC would have sounded in comparison. Some will be warmer, some brighter. Remember that performance comes a long way ahead of the equipment.

Now if you want a reason to go and buy a U87, or a very good clone of it, then I'd just go and do it. If you want to try an LDC, and you cant borrow one, then maybe a Rode NT1, which is good and has very low noise but is not too expensive.

[James Perrett]

I'd say that sounds pretty good. Possibly a slight brittleness in the high end but it is difficult to say for sure with Soundcloud because it mangles the subtleties in the sound quite a bit. If you really want to find a better mic, I would suggest hiring a real U87 or possibly a Fet47 for a day and comparing the results. That will give you a good baseline to work from. However, don't expect the results to be drastically better as you already seem to be doing well with the Beta 87a.

[Drew Stephenson]

I've got one that I use on stage whenever possible (I think it works better for my voice than the usual SM58s) but I've not used it in the studio since I got an LDC.
Two reasons mainly, the self-noise that Hugh mentioned, and secondly having an omni LDC means I can get a bit further away from the mic and not have to worry about trying to manage / work proximity effect. Which just makes the process a bit easier.

[Darren Lynch]

That's a lovely version of the song.
I do use a Beta 87a at home for male vocals (baritone, rather than tenor).
I find the mic has a very appealing, almost old sound. The top end is smooth and unhyped (unlike many high output dynamics).
Being a supercardioid does provide more isolation than an LDC worked at greater distance (Are you recording vox and guitar at the same time? The 87a will provide an advantage).
I don't find noise an issue because it's obviously a mic to be worked close (2 inches works for me) receiving a healthy level of lead vocal.
The one thing I notice - Shure say the Beta SM87a is focused on the upper mids for clarity (I agree, but it's in no way harsh). As soon as I started using it, I notice a slight lightness in the lower mids, which is where the body of a voice lies. So it can lack the shunt of a good dynamic mic and is perhaps best suited for higher melodic singing (I recall it being Thom Yorke's stage mic of choice for a good while). TBH - you have a good mic providing a good vocal sound. But you also have a really good voice. Wonder what it would sound like through a U87...