Mic for Female Rock Vocals?

[redbandit599]

Hi all

I'd be interested to know what any of you are using successfully for pub gigging.

Rock band with high and clean female vox. Our singer is classically trained, but not massively loud so we tend to have to have the gain running pretty high on her channel.

Currently using an SM58 and have occasional feedback problems.

PA is nothing fancy, a Peavey mixer amp and passive cabs. We do run lead vox through a TC Helicon too.

We run on backline - not via the PA.

Cheers

Jason

[3below]

AKG D5 - sounded best when we A/Bd it with several others for female singer. Try several in good music shop.

[r16ktx]

I can recommend the Audix OM5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002GXQ2QQ

This mic seems to be feedback proof no matter what, even in a 2 guitar metal band

[Dad3353]

We use AKG D5 for BV and C5 for wide-ranged lead singer. Both excellent; for clarity I'd recommend the C5, if you can provide the phantom power it requires. If not, the D5 is very good.

[deepbass5]

my Mrs loves the extra power and bass response and proximity effect on her Beta 58 over the standard SM58 unit the Radio Beta 58 is good but they all loose something when the battery is on its say out. we have A - B'd this several times so always go for cable if stage allows.

[Ed_S]

The Beyerdynamic Opus 89 was a good female lead mic. Sadly it's discontinued, but the Beyerdynamic TG V71d seems to be their current take on the same idea so might be worth a look.

[EBS_freak]

Heil PR45. Very good gain before feedback.

[fretmeister]

TC Helicon MP 70 or 75

Brilliant product

[whizzzy]

+1 for AKG D5 - or better still try and track down an AKG C5900.

[redbandit599]

Thanks guys - lots of options here !

[6v6]

A good affordable option is the EV ND767 - it's hotter output and brighter/clearer character (than an SM58) would probably work well for the situation you describe.

[LayDownThaFunk]

It would be the exact same problem if using a mic for male rock vocals...

Tell her to stand closer to the mic. If she already does this, get her to sing louder. Mics don't improve someone's singing technique.

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1441663186' post='2860783']
The Beyerdynamic Opus 89 was a good female lead mic. Sadly it's discontinued, but the Beyerdynamic TG V71d seems to be their current take on the same idea so might be worth a look.
[/quote]

Our lead singer (female) uses an older Beyerdynamic, not sure of the exact model, but I can confirm, as I run the desk for us, that it is a 'Hot' mic. Trim/gain level a good bit below the other 2 vocal mics we use (SM58 and AKG D5)..

Edited September 10, 2015 by LewisK1975

[Happy Jack]

You may be asking the wrong question:

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/FBQ2496.aspx

[pete.young]

Yes, I was wondering about feedback destroyers too. We run a mono one on the vocal monitor and we don't have too many problems.

Our singer uses a wireless mike and if we do have problems, its usually caused by her pointing the mike right at the monitor!

[TrevorR]

I like a Shure Beta 57 over a 58. Used that in a covers band for many years. I'm sure that I read somewhere that it has a slightly warmer tone than a 58 and is considered quite flattering for female vocals (tending to warm them up a bit). That said I can't recall where I read that and it could have been something my fevered mind made up! :-)

[Adrenochrome]

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1441796614' post='2861804']
A good affordable option is the EV ND767 - it's hotter output and brighter/clearer character (than an SM58) would probably work well for the situation you describe.
[/quote]

This, proven for a quiet vocalist in a loud band.

[deepbass5]

Re feed back - whole new discussion, room , loud back line where she is forced to stand, monitor/PA placement. Feedback destroyers are not the answer here sort the physical problems causing it. I have been down that route.
Note Radio mic = no feedback in my book. must be something to do with phasing, So if she ends up out front of the main PA that option may do it. But could just turn everybody else down.

[ColinB]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1442004670' post='2863825']
I like a Shure Beta 57 over a 58. Used that in a covers band for many years. I'm sure that I read somewhere that it has a slightly warmer tone than a 58 and is considered quite flattering for female vocals (tending to warm them up a bit). That said I can't recall where I read that and it could have been something my fevered mind made up! :-)
[/quote]

Yep. We've tried both a Shure 57 and a 58 and the 57 is definitely better for our female vocalist.

[Phil Starr]

Hi I researched this pretty thoroughly for our female vocalist. Here's what I found.

The Shure SM58 is rather outdated, it is dull sounding and more prone to feedback than modern mics.Shure updated it to the Beta series a long while ago but such is the demand they still produce the SM. A bit like making the old Beetle next to the VW Golf.

For feedback control you need to look at a super cardioid or a hypercardiod, they have a tighter pickup pattern so don't pick up reflected sounds and cut feedback better.

However, feedback is also caused by poor mic technique. With a super cardioid you need to be right on the mic's sweet spot or you fade out. If your singer is sensitive to this she'll freak out until she gets used to it. My new female vocalist hates the AKG D5 for that reason. It's great at rejecting feedback though and sounds fab.

The SM58 is a cardioid which is why it is loved, it's very forgiving and you can forget about mics and concentrate on singing. The Beta 58 is described by Shure as a super cardioid but it isn't really tight so you can treat it as a cardioid. If you want the same but better sounding go for that. Or the Beta 57 which is the same gubbins in a different case and a slightly different sound.

If you want a modern sounding cardioid go for the Sennheiser E935, which is what I use, having criticised singers for poor mic technique for years I find I can't address the mic properly and play bass at the same time. It is very neural sounding.

There's a group of mics around the £80-120 mark most people end up with

AKG D5,D7
Sennheiser 845,935,945
Audix OM5, OM7
EV ND767 ND967
Shure Beta57,58

To be honest they all sound great but slightly different, for feedback rejection look at the AKG's Audix and the EV's, The Akg D5 is a bargain especially with the sound it produces, I've tried them all but the Audix's.

If you can afford more then you are in condenser territory, you get much more detail in the sound a sweeter sound but at the extra cost and your mixer will need to provide phantom power unless your TC does. The Shure Beta87 is magic.

[redbandit599]

Thanks for the suggestions all, and the very thorough post above Phil. We'll be methodically working on the pa and existing rig to get that as good as it can be and then will probably get out and a/b a few mics in a store.

Great to have a list and some pointers though.

My guitarist mate is also following this thread (Hi Cookie!) and he's the 'techy' one so he's collating a short list from the suggestions above.

Edited September 18, 2015 by redbandit599

[51m0n]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1441728072' post='2861275']
Heil PR45. Very good gain before feedback.
[/quote]

Dont you mean Heil PR35?

And yes they are exceptional mics....

[EBS_freak]

Duplicate post deleted.

Edited September 18, 2015 by EBS_freak

[EBS_freak]

Right you are! ;-p my fat fingers!

[51m0n]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1442586357' post='2868026']
Right you are! ;-p my fat fingers!
[/quote]
Hey mate, for all I know its a Heil I've not heard of and that means I need to get hold of one for a play!

I love their mics, PR-28 is my all time favourite snare mic, PR-40 is my favourite low end mic that can be great on vocals too (awesome kick mic, bass cab mic low end of an upright piano mic etcetc).