Hi, people!! I was just wondering what's the best studio mic for screaming rock/metal vocals?? I recently bought Shure SM7B and its pretty awesome but doesnt quite work with this raspy rock singer i'm workin with.We actually couldnt hear the raspiness of his voice clear enough. Any suggestions? My budget is about $800. Thanks guys!!

 

Dear Juboh,

if you intend to shed so much money you maybe want to eventually check some mics first before buying. Your local music shop will be happy to let you check them out under real conditions with your singer in a vocal booth. What is your signal chain? Did you track using a compressor? What type of preamp are you using? maybe there is an easier (and cheaper) solution to this that will also benefit your overall recording quality.

For vocals on a budget I think the Rode NT2a is a nice choice. It can take up to 140something dB of sound pressure and has a pad for (let me go check....) -5 and -10dB. They go for ~300Euro with spider and pop shield. So enough money left to invest in a nice preamp (golden age pre 73, spl goldmike, ts p-solo...) and an "allrounder" compressor (dbx 266xl). That would result in a nice signal chain that should be in your budget. Plus, you get some nice outboard gear and a good preamp which you can use to record other things in a better way.

Other things to consider are a fethead by tritonaudio, which will also act as a cloud lifter if applied properly (i.e. behind the mic)

Still, before spending money solving a very specific problem I personally would check gear first before buying.

[Edit]: Maybe a word or two why I think a better pre and compressor and a condenser might help you: The lack of clarity with the Sm7 could either be related to your signal chain or the fact that you lose the finesse of your signal BECAUSE YOUR SINGER IS TOO LOUD(what did he say?). still, the sm7 is a mic that should capture that style of vocals very well. So you already have a good mic there. i have no idea how your singer sounds like, so this is all quiet a bit of guesswork. the SM7 imho is a very nice mic and i dig large diaphram condensers anyway (did you consider proximity effect when tracking?). A condenser might give you more clarity but you may need something that can put up with the (assumed) sound pressure of your singer.


opty

PS: the nt2a is a large diaphragm condenser. so it will need phantom power.

PPS: And now, after typing this, I have serious GAS for a better pre. Damn it!

 

In my opinion the Sure Sm57 or 58 beta are ideal as they have a kind of built in compression and are difficult to overload. But far more important than the mic is the PREAMP and that is what you should invest in.

 

maybe if you posted a short example of the vocals to have some better impression what the problem might be cured with. Do the vocals have a high dynamic range so the low volume parts are not "clear" enough"? Do the vocals not fit the mix (there might be other solutions instead of new gear then)? Truth be told: Sometimes not the "best" (aka most expensive) mic is the "best" for the job. And sometimes that mic can very well be something as mundane as an sm58. As long as it sounds great...

opty

PS: You just have to love equivocation, right?

 

Thanks for all the feedback, guys!! Really appreciate it!! I do!! I hook up my mic straight to my PreSonus Firewire Studio Mobile interface with a built in preamp in it. Now,I understand a mic preamp is essentially designed to amplify weak signals before they enter the main gain stage of say a mixer or sound card. So, i'm wondering if gettin a mic preamp will make a lot of difference to the sound quality of my vocal track??

 

hmmm. the preamps that come with the presonus are fine. the only advantage in your case would be the option to put a compressor between preamp and interface while tracking.

The thing is. even if you get a better pre the difference might not be huge as your present pres in the presonus are good. so maybe you really have to check for a different mic. if you have the option try out a condenser (see above) and think about the room you are tracking in. the room might not make a big difference with the sm7 or most other dynamics but it will make a difference with a condenser...

I hope I am not preaching to the choir here with you already being aware of all this (in which case i just realized i might sound like a huge ass).

opty

 

Thanks, opty!! *yes* *yes*