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Oh no, not another microphone debate! Nah, not this time – but I would love to get some opinions on which dynamic microphone I should buy. Soooo, I’m listening to my vocal sep the other day and I’m like, "wow, those highs sound a bit piercing". This is coming from a gal who has a husky voice and at times sounds like a dude when singing! So I knew it was time to start shopping for a new mic. When I say 'new' mic, I mean a dynamic mic. I already own a condenser microphone. As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine made me an AKG C12 clone. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it sounds just as beautiful. It is perfect for when I have to record up close and personal songs – it has a gorgeous warm quality and I love singing into it. However, one of my favorite genres to sing is Rock. And my condenser mic just isn’t cutting it. I have to stand about 2 feet away from the mic, as well as tilt my head when I wail those high notes, and I always worry about it spiking. But spiking vocals aren’t the real issue, it’s the piercing sound of my highs and lack of warmth when I belt out strong/loud vocals. I have tried a few different techniques and messed with different settings, but my condenser just doesn’t seem to work for my Rock voice. Okay, with all that said - I have been doing some research, as well as received some great advice from some singer friends, and it was presented to me that I should purchase a dynamic mic. It’s pretty well known that dynamic mics are fabulous for Rock vocals & live performances. I think I might have owned one ages ago, before I discovered condensers, but haven’t had one since. Yeah, I definitely need to invest in one! So the question is – which dynamic mic should I buy? A Shure SM58, which is one of the best & most reliable dynamic mics amongst singers. Then there’s the Electro Voice ND767A, which a lot of engineers swear by for vocal performances – or what about the Audix OM7, the Sennheiser E835 or the Samson Q8? Cardioids or Hypercardioids, SPL, gain before feedback…..oy! Here is a great video I watched about some of these mics. Personally I am leaning towards the Electro Voice ND767A, but I would really love to hear what you guys think!

How many mic pres do you have? Go to 3:07

I don't have a preamp - I use a M-Audio Fast Track Pro interface. I was reading that it's important to have a preamp but having an audio interface is fine as well - but maybe I need to invest in one?

The fast track has two preamps built in. You can split signal into each one. Set one at a lower input than the other. Then you can scream all you want, and if it clips on one you use the other one. Like he mentioned you might need to slap a 1k resistor on the inputs so you don't load your mic down.

Good grief, I'm going to have to do some research on how to do that. All I do is turn the thing on & sing, but I'll certainly figure out how to split the signal and give it a try. So, I wouldn't have to buy a dynamic mic if I do this?

Also, by splitting the signal, will that take care of the piercing highs that I hear when I record using my condenser?

Are the piercing highs happening when you are up close or backing off?

Hmmm, that's a good question. I'd have to say when I am further away from the mic. I really can't sing high notes when I'm close to the mic because my voice is really strong & it always spikes.

Lee had mentioned that to me a while back when he was mixing my vocals for Fading. He said the highs were a bit piercing, we figured it was my mic (which at the time was a broken AKG Perception condenser) which I loved. But since using my new condenser, the highs sound even more piercing.

Could just be the bouncing off the walls in your room. I noticed a lot of room in your seps when you hit the high notes. Try turning your mic input down and staying up close.

That is what I do, I turn it down & move closer.

Edit: The difficult part about doing that is being in the middle of a song and trying to adjust the mic settings because there is a high note coming up in the song - then turning it back up when the lows parts are coming back. It throws me off.