Want better vocal recordings? Then find the best mic…for your voice.
That’s right – not the best mic in the world, but the best microphone for YOUR voice. (Or your client’s voice)
Today I’m going to do a little mic shootout so you can hear the differences between different mics and to help you build a framework for finding the perfect mic for you!
From $100 Up To $700
The microphones I’m using today range from less than $100 on up to around $700. Not the full range of all microphones to be sure, but a pretty solid range for the typical home or project studio.
Specifically I’ll be using a:
- Behringer B1
- Rode NT1a
- Neumann TLM 102
- And a Shure SM57
I’ll let you you hear each one a few different times, both in solo and in context with the mix so you can hear the truth: that all microphones are different, but all microphones bring something to the table.
Let’s do this!
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
Liked the Shure the most, agreed that it cut the most through the mix. I’ve done something similar when we went in the studio, twice now we’ve ended up with non-condenser type mics, specifically Shure mics to do the vocals. Behringer a close second. I loved the Neumann through the verses, rich, but didn’t give that top end.
The Shure or Behringer sounded better to me dog.
Most of the parts seemed more articulated with the SM57. The TLM102 seemed almost muffled (needing more high frequencies) with perhaps the exception being during the louder part. I thought during the quietest part the 57 cut through slightly more then the other 3. Surprising , but as you mention not all mics are great for all vocals! great demonstration!
My second favourite would probably be the NT1, a fairly good balance over all.
The Behringer was the best overall on your vocals. The SM57 would be my second choice but it was close. The Neumann surprised me sounding so muffled on you voice. It definitely cries for more high end, although I did like the rich fullness of it. This mic picks up awesome crisp highs when I use it as a room mic when recording drums. The Rode sounded good in places and a little brittle in others. I always use 2 mics when recording vocals so I can mix in the best of both. I would use the Behringer as the main mics with the Neumann close by to add warmth and fullness.
Wow i didnt expect to likethe Behringer just wow it has so kuch clarity.i have bought Behringer C3 and havejt used for six years ,cause i tought if igs behringer its shit,well i should change my mind i will try record my vocals with it.Btw i found fod my voice the Sennheiser E845S to be a perfect nmatch,it has nice round warm full bodied tone and my voice sounds very natural trough it.
It would be nice to provide audio samples for those with smartphones with limited data cap.
Otherwise I will have to wait until I get back home.
I actually prefer the Neumann. It feels more balanced in the mids. Just needs a little eq and comp. The one you prefer sounds a little harsh to me in the upper mids.
Me too
I agree as well. I’d rather brighten up the Neumann a little than try to work with the somewhat harsher tones from the others. Rode would be my second choice.
The biggest takeaway – these are subtle differences at these prices, and leave you with no excuse not to get yourself a mic and to get recording. I prefer the SM57 on your voice. Saying that, I must recommend the Behringer XM8500 to everyone out there, which has a very similar tone – somewhere between the SM57 and Beta57A – but, you can pick up an XM8500 for $20.00 US. Seriously. Push that record button!
be published.
Hey Graham,
I love your writing. You remind me a lot of PFR, who were my favs. Yeah I’m old. Anyway, I thought the NT-1 sounded best if there was only going to be one. Really enjoyed it.
Thanks for all you do!
Pfr… Not old at all, I was born in 94′ and they’re my jam
Loved me some PFR!!! Who remembers “Goldie’s last day”?
Good observation about PFR! I though Graham’s voice sounded familiar, and I do remember “Goldie’s Last Day”. I preferred the SM57, myself.
Thanks Kevin!
when we were listening to you recording them, there was like this clipping sound on the mics. i heard it on behringer and rode nt1a. what causes that? i have a rode nt1a and i notice it when I’m recording. i thought it was just something i was doing but then i heard it in yours too. (the audio used while standing in front of mic) i didn’t hear it when you did the playback later
I remember PFR! And I also thought of PFR when listening to Graham sing. This is a great song Graham, and you sing well, confidently, in-tune and with a vocal tone so perfectly suited to the genre.
Was interesting (but not totally surprised) that the 57 hung in there as well as it did on vocals. Have to go with the NT1a though – awesome all around mic and seemed a good balance between the B1 and the Neumann. Would probably use a multi-band compressor to notch down the “honky” frequency when it happens.
On the Rode again!
Sure thing ;).
* Shure thing ;).
I liked the Rhode, but all pretty acceptable.
I thought the behringer and the sure mics sounded the best. But of the two, I would say the behringer was the better fit in the mix. Both mics sounded good in the chorus but the B1 had a better fullness in the verse. I think the sound fits the style without having to change too much.
Great video and thank you for all the awesome training material you send out!
You’re welcome!
I prefer the Rode NT1a. I like the warmth it added without being overly cloudy. Seemed like it would need less corrective EQ to me.
Unfortunately, I like the Neumann the best. I say that because I’ve used $200 mics over $2000 mics in the past and I’d like a video that helps people recognize that it’s possible. However, I just think it wins out here.
To my ears, the richness of the 102 is what is missing elsewhere. Furthermore, I’d expect to be the hardest thing to ADD (for the other mics) via EQ, saturation, etc. The SM57 holds its own but is definitely lacking that character. The B1 and the Rode both sound honky to me at times simply because you have a little bit of a nasl-y thing going in this tune.
Thankfully, I agree that you could make any of these work and it’s a good reminder that we don’t need to sell our children to buy a legendary mic.
I fully agree with this dude! Awesome video Graham.
Haha. Please don’t sell your kids for gear.
The sale of children for buying gear should be prohibitted. It is unfair towards and disadvantages those who don’t have children. 😉
Hi Graham,
Great video! I don’t know if it is just my headphones that I listened on but I kinda liked the SM57 on your vocals. I really like the mid-range punch it brings out in your voice. I also like the way it sounds in context, reminds me a bit of a Bad Company sound (an old-school sound). Maybe it is just the dry and slightly empty sound that reminds me of the band, don’t know. But I agree, all have great sound and it all depends on what sound you are going for…
Bad company until the day I die…
I really preferred the 57 on your voice for this song. I think it would need very little EQ. You could always have a separate EQ just for the verses if you think it needs it, but I don’t. Of course, that doesn’t take into account the fact that you may have a particular vision for the mix.
I totally agree that the Neumann did not sound that great on your voice. I suspect it could be better with a bright (and loud) female voice for instance. The Shure did sound dark also. I am not so sure between the Behringer and the Rode. I like both. The Rode offers some lower frequencies which may add some warmth in the mix at times. So, I think: Rode it is for me!
I thought the Shure sound the best over all. Yes, maybe a little less dynamics, and needs some work. But as a starting point, that’s the one I thought would be the best to tweak. I was rather shocked actually..I thought from the start a condenser mic was definitely gonna be the best (in my personal opinion). The Neuman seemed a bit hot at times too, and after hearing the Behringer, I am definitely gonna pick one up used at the very least..you didn’t say whether or not you used any of the filters or not, I assume you didn’t for the comparison though.
overall – behringer B-1 interesting…interesting…
I liked the Neumann and was surprised by the sm57. If it were me I would use both mics and blend the mics 60/40 – 40/60 on different parts of the song.
Interesting idea!
Seems the Neumann gives you more to work with BUT I was listening on buds.
Thanks Graham, Fantastic content as always.
I am going from very little knowledge to actually feeling confident enough to do an EP.
Keep going brother:)
Mike
The Neumann TLM 102 was my favorite.
It really brings out the vocals in a very detailed way.
In general pleasing to the ear.
Oh and BTW.
Here is my first single: I owe that to your rethink mixing classes.
(I decided to go with the test mix as the final)
https://soundcloud.com/the-narrow-brush/acceleration-test-mix
–Joshua
The Rode NT 1 on the verse and Behringer on the refrain for your voice ! I would say !
Great video by the way !
I’m with @Jay Schaefer, both in being encouraged that the 57 was as good as it was, and that I think the Rode was the sound I liked overall.
Great, sent the link to my daughter who is doing some singing. She used a Oktavie 219 by Joly. Good suggestion to try other mics on her voice.
Graham,
I’d double-track your vocals; one pass with the Rode, second pass with the Neumann.
Run them together; time delay the Neumann by 4-8 ms for thickness and notch any offending frequencies or combs.
I think you ‘d get the best of both worlds.
If you were sold on just one Mic, I’d probably pick the Rode and EQ sections of the song accordingly – Jack
I like the Rode overall. Seemed like it would require the least amount of processing since it worked pretty well in all parts of the song.
I think the Neumann TLM 102 suited your voice best. Your voice on the verse sounded deep and rich, I think too much brightness sounds harsh on your voice. Personal opinion of course. Thanks for all the videos and tips 🙂
I’m more or less in agreement with your opinion – the Rode probably is the least work overall. I’d give the SM57 a shot if I wanted that “lo-fi” sound, since I think it actually had less spots where I felt your voice kind of jumped at me (i.e., “gotta fix” things), but, of course, at the sacrifice of that fuller, airier quality the LDCs brought, so maybe not right for this song. Save that Neumann for someone else’s vocals.
I think the sm57 allowed your voice to sit in a certain spot that allowed the other instruments to jump out still. Whereas the Berhinger seemed to cover up the other instruments. I guess it depends on how you feel about it, but I would go with the 57 because it almost makes your voice another instrument in the jam instead of just this loud predominant voice that distracts from everything else.
Great point of view according to 57!
IMHO, Behringer and Rode are excessively bright and kinda shrill. Neumann has some round and lovely high frequencies. Shure SM57 gives you that in the face sound.
I agree with most of your assessments. I really liked the B1 and the NT1a on your voice. I thought the B1 was a bit sharp while the NT1a had a bit of a softer edge on the higher end stuff. The Nuemann was just dark and muffled sounding to me. The SM57 was good – felt like across between the Neumann and the NT1a. If me, I’d go with the NT1a most likely.
If I had to use only one of the mics, I think overall the Rode is the best for this song/voice combination. However, what I would be more likely to do is slice and dice. Use the Rode on most of the verse, the Behringer on the really soft parts, and then the Neumann on the chorus. Maybe use the Shure for doubling on the real loud parts of the chorus. But that’s what I would do…
My vote goes to the Rode on this one! Thought the Neumann sounded a bit too laid back at points and the Behringer was a bit harsh for my tastes. The up-frontness of the 57 worked really well too and would make a good alternative. Just my two pennies’ worth…
Hard to call. Each mic has it’s own character, but the vocal performances are all different from one another. So it comes down to vocal tone + mic tone.
Hey Graham, love what you do man!! Thanks so much. With regards to which mic best suits your voice I would say the Rode. Rational: the song covers a wide dynamic from soft to full on. Your voice during the full on goes a bit mid rangy / nasally due to that I would not use the Behringer ( too hyped in mid / high vocal frequencies. I wouldn’t use the Shure due to the low sensitivity in the softer parts, although you could compress / ride the fader in that region of the song. For consistency through out the song and the price range I would go with the Rode although I do like the creaminess of the Neumann :-).
All good, but for my money the 57 got your voice “out there” in the mix.
Rode NT1a then Neumann
102 was the fullest, SM57 was great on chorus and darn good on the verse, the B1 was bright, maybe too much and the NT1a was a little less bright. They all sounded good.
If you only use one track, I’d go: #1 – Neumann 102
I think the b1 mic sounds the best on your vocals.
Wow! This amazed me so much, it didn’t seem to matter much, you can record everything with one mic if you know it well! I sensed the sm 57 as being the most colourful, which I liked. Having said that I also do acknowledge that the other mics smoothed out the high frequencies in a totally different way, and thus explaining why it’s sometimes hard for me to record my acoustic guitar with a sm 58. Thanks for the vid! You’re awesome 😀
Nice work Graham … I like the idea of using both, the Behringer B1 and the NeumannTLM 102 for doubling to get the richness of the Neumann yet getting the brightness of the Behringer in places. What really surprised me was the SM57 and how great it sounded in some places. Nice comparison … it’s going to help me in my work know how different each mic is. Thanks again Graham.
I liked the Rode NT1a the most on your voice !
Great video! I’ll go with the 102. For my ears, more natural and less fatigue.
Very interesting experiment/lesson this time… Listening to this on Sony MDR-7506 headphones at medium office environment volume, I like the Rode most. I tried again closing my eyes during the clips when you didn’t speak out what mic it was, then re-playing them to check – and it was confirmed then too. I think it has a warmness and clarity that is the most pleasant to my ear.
Having been a subscriber for quite some time, I think part of the point you’re trying to make is that the cheaper mics can still stand up well to the more expensive ones, especially if you can identify what needs tweaking and knowing how to fix it.
Point taken. Thanks a lot. 🙂
Glad to help
Wow! We were complete opposites. I really liked the 102 for the verses and love the 57 for the choruses. It really brings the vocal up in your face. I feel that for your voice the B1 was too crispy almost all the time. It made your voice very sharp. The NT1A was pretty good, but could use a little more body IMO. The 102 just tamed that harsh upper midrange enough to make it a lot more pleasant.
I just found you and Joe Gilder recently. Great video on the mice! Thanks for all you do!
Thanks Jason!
liked the B-1 and the Shure, and n certain spots the Neumann. Was surprised at how the Shure hung in there!
It’s a toss up between the Rode and the Shure but I think I like the sound of the Shure with your voice.
My mind wanted the Neumann to sound best (GAS), but I must agree with Paul, The Rode NT 1 on the verse and Behringer on the refrain.
(It could be that I’m more used to hearing your voice on the NT1-A?)
•Between the Neumann TLM 102 and the Rode NT1a
What about using 2 mics and 2 tracks together?
Ted
Thanx Grahm. This exercise is very helpful in picking the right mic. I found that the B1 produced the best sound all around. I listened as an engineer and also as a listener and on different speakers. I also thought that the least amount of Tweaking would have to be done on the B1.
Hi Graham!
SHEESH! sock it to us huh?
I don’t really know if it were me I would lean toward the B1 for the clarity, I would seem to think that it would require the least effort to “fix” to be honest, but all do have their +’s and -‘s, I was very nicely surprised a few weeks ago (and stunned) when I got to my favorite muso stockist and I wanted to get an SM58, he called me over to his rig and asked me to do him a favor and give the SM58 a whirl and then a MUCH LESS expensive T1 Lannen from PRODIPE, well I think you have to give it a try, I did not walk out with an SM58……….
As always thank you for getting the grey matter working!
Kind regards
Charles
Namibia
Really liked the TLM102 for the softer parts. Perhaps a little dark, but to me it has a richness and also an effortlessness in the representation that I think gives the vocal a very natural and smooth feel.
I actually didn’t like the B1. I guess it could work well for cutting through, and a lot of vocals in pop tend to be pretty bright, but to me it’s bright but thin, and I think it’s a bit lacking in detail (though it sort of masks that by being bright)
I think the SM57 is a bit “honky/shouty” on the softer parts. However, on the louder parts, it performs surprisingly well on its own. Actually liked it a lot. It has a slightly more “unpolished” and raw sound, which kind of fits. (We have sometimes recorded vocals using large diaphragm condensers, and then dubbed the choruses using a SM7B to sort of get the best of both worlds, so it’s not a complete surprise. =) )
Hi Graham
for your voice, definitely i think Neumann TLM 102 is really good with a great color signature
The NT1a is maybe more balanced
B1 is too crispy and to me Shure 57 is more close to the B1 than TLM 102
i was surprise with your comment for this one
thanx for this experience and i’ve the Nt1a
regards from France
Take care and Happy music
et voila
This was really interesting. I agree, I think they are all workable. Which makes me question what makes a bigger difference, the mic or the preamp/interface? Would be interesting to see how the mic you pick sounds through a small Focusrite 2 interface, or an Eleven, also through like an 1176, and an Avalon M5 and Avalon 737 for example. I feel like there will be a drastic difference in using those expensive pre’s versus not. And of course, maybe some tips on how to emulate or create that sound without that expensive gear 😉
Doh…
About the Rode. I think the Rode suited your vocal well, and while bright, I thought it was both more balanced and more detailed than the B1. For this song and your voice, i think it’s a great overall choice. Perhaps not quite as characterful as the 102/57, but also with none of the drawbacks. Very balanced and usable result with that one.
Hello Graham!
I think the Rode works really well on your voice 🙂
I’d choose the rode nt1a. It fits your dynamic the whole way through the song even on the most quiet parts and the loudest. If you wanted to double for the chorus or put affects on on mic I’d actually would want the 57 on just the chorus. Maybe cut the lows a little more and give a little delay an reverb for a more live sound. On a side note, the neumann is definitely a “pop” mic id use that one for dance and electronic cause it’s so smooth. But it definitely doesn’t “rock.”
Great video, Graham, thanks for doing it.
The differences seem subtle to me, but are indeed noticeable. The B1 seems a little too thin, even on the verses. It’s interesting that you added the 57, because that is what i have used live for decades, i love it. It sounds pretty good here, and i hate to be cliche and say that you get what you pay for, but i think i do like the richness of the Neumann best. I’m going to do this with my mics and see what i and others think – i like my voice live more than i do on any of my recordings, so we’ll see if i just end up recording with my 57 or if i keep trying with mid-quality condenser mics. 🙂
Thanks again.
I’d go one step further and say, regardless of how good a mic sounds on you for your voice in one song, it may not sound good on your voice for another song that is either more aggressive, or needs to capture more sibulance.
Also, a microphone’s off-axis response may be way different than its on-axis performance and so giving a totally order of preferrence for the tested mics in that orientation..
The distance to the source is another aspect that can make the one mic sound better than the other.
This shoot out is a good start, but a little more experimentation may be necessary to really find the microphone that is better suited to your particular voice, singing style or musical genre.
How about a “blind” test next time? Some folks may be influenced just knowing which mic it is versus mic 1, 2, 3 etc. That would really require more critical listening.
I like the TLM but it could be that I like it for the type of song, or that my friend has one and I like it. Just saying.
I agree, because there’s plenty of unwarranted prejudice in favour of big brand mics. In blind tests I’ve seen online, the Behringer usually rates surprisingly high.
Rode NT1a
Rode NT1a It seems to me to be clearer and open up your voice.
I preferred the sound of the NT1. It didn’t hear it cut through the top end like the others, but I thought the others were all a little too sharp on the ears, and I really like the mellow sound when you were singing the low singing/talking lyrics.
Based on what I heard, I couldn’t justify the cost of the most expensive one, since they all require eq – at least that’s my opinion.
Pete
The Neumann TLM 102 was the most “balanced”. The 57 had too much nasal mids
In solo I liked the neumann better, but in the mix i liked the rode more. It cut better in the mix.
I’d choose the Rode NT1a, bright but not raspy on the high end like the Behringer B1 or you could just take all four tracks and cut and paste (ha ha).
For your voice and this song the Rode sounded best to me. A very close call though as all four mics sounded really good.
Overall, I actually like the SM57 from A to B. I think the Lo-Fi sound kind of fits this song. The darker sound of the 102 is nice, but doesn’t cut quite the same on the vocal in this instance. Like you said, you could really work with any of them, but if you’re looking for best sound A-B with the least amount of “tweaking”, my choices would actually be the 57 or the B1.
sure sm57
This was a great, it is a hard truth that the difference between most microphones is subtle.
As you stated, you could work with any of these tracks, they each have their positive attributes.
None of them had serious drawbacks. For myself, I prefer the Neumann, as it had the smoothest top end and good mids without the honk of the Shure, but on this performance, the honk worked.
However, I have to say that generally most music produced in the last 10 years or so, sounds too bright and a bit clinical. That is not to say your mixes sound bad, your approach works extremely well, as you have punch and clarity in the final product. So what attracts me to the Neumann is what makes you feel it isn’t quite right. I like the slightly darker vocal that sits more in line with instead of in front of the rest of the track. But that is my personal taste, not a criticism of your work. Love the website, videos and materials, keep up the outstanding work.
Personal taste is so important! Thanks for your thoughts.
Definitely the Rode NT1a was my favorite representing your voice. Why? Because it seemed to reproduce the frequecies in your voice the best, for my ears. The Behringer seemed lowFi (meaning the rich range of frequencies in your voice were not fully reproduced). The Neumann was my least favorite because it really colored the voice, seemed to have put a veil on it, limited the frequency representation and sounded like it was choking your voice off. The Shure gave a nice first impression because it was brighter and more present than the Neumann, but the Shure also did not represent the full depth and spectrum of frequencies, ie. it sounded lower fidelity. The Rode did present a fuller range of frequencies without coloring, but sounded full, rich, natural, bright enough yet rounded and it simply caught my attention in a way where I thought: I like the personality of this voice and want to keep listening.
I think it was the SM57, because if you put on a little reverb and a little compressor mix, I believe it would be a great vocal sound for that song. For me it just seems to be clearer and more natural. When using the other microphone I hear equalisation already. Capturing the real natural essence of a voice is most important, I think.
I would go for the Rode NT1a, for me it has the Goldielocks factor, not too bright, not too dark, and not too much saturation, just right.
Great video. I’ve been engineering for 38 years, but your video opened me up to great sounding mic……the Rode NT1a. I always AB vocal mics and have some nice ones: SONY 800G, Neumann 147 Tube and Royer R122 MKII.
I have to say, especially for the money, the Rode really sounded good on most parts of your vocal and the type of music you were performing. I’ll call Sweetwater today. Plus, I agree with you in putting the SM57 in the mix with the others. Great mic, especially with hard rock vocals.
I’ve taught audio engineering before and I really like what you’re doing. Much success to you.
Aloha,
Jim
Thanks Jim!
The sm57 closes down faster on each syllable. Re-record it (or fix it in the mix, ugh) with a focus on that aspect. (compression, reverb, whatever) That’s your mic.
I really liked the neumann in the verse because it sounded very rich, but in the chorus it definitely lacked brightness. The shure really shines in the chorus. If I had to choose I would go for the rode since it sounded overall consistent.
Graham, I liked the Behringer right away. I thought it had the right character for your performance and the material. I thought it would be uphill from there, but as each successive mic came up I still thought that the B1 had the best tone for the material.
Hi Graham,
why not use the best mics for each part of the song?
e.g. the Rode for the verse and the SM-57 in the chorus.
cheers
Bernd
PS: you are blessed with a rather good singing voice, range and all, congrats!
Thanks!
I actually agree with Bernd! I thought the B1 was great in the verses and the SM57 was killer in the chorus! Could come out great!
Yair
I think they all make your voice sound good during certain parts I like the way the 57 sounds on the chorus but it doesn’t cut through during the verse. I like the B1 during the verses but not the chorus. So I personally would choose the 57.
Speakers/phones are biasing our choices! On Bose, the Rode wins for me.
Great shootout.
My favorites were the TLM and Shure. To me the B1 and Rode sounded strident, while the TLM and SM57 seemed to emphasize a bit more of your vocal body.
Ideally, I’d record with the TLM, SM57, and B1. I’d use a mixture of the TLM and SM57 on the verses and use the B1 in the choruses to punch up the energy a bit.
If I had to pick one and only one for you to use through the whole song, it would be the TLM.
As for me, I’ve used an AT-2020, an AT-4040, a Rode NT1A, a Cascade Fathead, a Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina, and an old Shure SM61 to record vocals for various songs. They all have their charms and fit various kinds of songs better, though these days I tend to use the Edwina and Fathead for my go to mikes.
I’d use a combination of which ever mics you felt give you the sound you wanted.
Especially if you were tracking the vocals. After all nobody say’s you can only use one mic 😉
Fascinating segment! Thanks.
Question:
What would happen if you used two — same vocal, different mics — not even at the same time (your vocal timing was good enough to record them separately)?
For example: the smooth Neumann AND the bright Behringer? Would each make up for the other’s weaknesses, complementing one another, or would they be get locked in battle?
The SM57 sounded best for me, but have you tried the Sennheisser e835? I feel like it cuts through so much better and is much clearer overall, compared to the 57.
Also, what are your thoughts on the Shire SM7b? It’s a little quiet (a Cloudlifter is a must) and overlooked ask simply a broadcast mike, but I feel like it also a “thrill” to sing on !
Interesting test.
The Behringer B-1 sounds the best to me. The Neumann TLM 102 sounds very good too, you’ll get that 80’s rockstar sound with the Neumann, it seems to have it’s own form of built-in compression, just sounds right despite not having brightness or air in the top end. The Rode NT1a sounds a tad nasally and dry to me. The Shure sounds amateur, clean but amateur.
I would like to hear the Behringer C-1U USB Studio Condenser Microphone. If you can do another comparison test with this included, would be interesting.
Peace out.
I’ll have to agree that the different mics on the different sections have their benefits. I’d choose the Røde or the Shure on this song. Shure on the chorus, and the Røde on the verse.
All the best.
Hi, Graham!
The Behringer is brighter, cuts better, but I think it’s also more sizzly and it makes the voice a bit grainy.
The Rode is a lot smoother, finer – I like it best on your voice, PER SE, BUT, for this song, exactly because you need a little edge in the vocal, I would go with the Behringer – and add a little body there, maybe reduce just a little bit of graininess – although, in the mix, in doesn’t really appear you need to.
On the whole, if I were to chose on mic for all songs, for your voice, I would choose the Rode, and brighten in up using a little reverb first, for air.
The Neumann seems to sound the most natural of them all in that it gives the impression of the singer being IN THE ROOM, singing close to your ear. I like that. It’s a little muddy in the low mids, needs to be a tinch brightened up, as you said yourself, but it’s the only one that presents a voice that seems natural, and not… recorded with a `professional` mic – a lot of producers seem to go for that sound – the vocal through their studio microphone to sound like a vocal recorded through… a studio microphone. I think a mic that produces a vocal that sounds just like a natural voice is a good place to start. This Neumann, however, has other shortcomings.
But you can kind of eq that closeness in and out of any mic – in the low mids and the presence, so that’s alright.
As for the Sure, I think the lack of body just comes from hte way you recorded it. As you said yourself, dynamics are a lot more sensitive to distance than condensers, and you recorded on the Shure as far away as for a condenser. Had you beed about 2-3 inches away from it you would have had tons of body – and also some more low-mid mud, which you also noted in this recording. With a little more body, the dynamic would have produced an a lot closer vocal, a bit similar to the Neumann, but also a bit brighter, and maybe a little muddier.
So, of the bunch, as a whole, I would choose the Rode, IN GENERAL, and the Behringer, for this song, for YOUR voice.
I own a B1 and a Shure C606, so I’m not choosing the Rode out of personal bias, and have also been able to experience the body on dynamics first hand – on a cheaper microphone than the SM57, and not only on that one.
Great comparison, great lesson to take away. Thanks a lot, and God bless!
”if I were to choose one mic”
Graham,
You should ask this question again but without revealing what mic is what. People tend to be bias based on mic price, brand, and personal favorite (if they have that particular model). That way we will be relying strictly on our ears to make our choice. Just label them as mike 1, mic 2 etc. Now those results will be interesting to know which one (mic) people prefer on your voice for that song.
Just a thought.
i’d use the behringer.
with the shure a close 2nd.
the others were a little too cloudy, didnt have enough character for my taste !
🙂
nice video btw!
Alex
The Rode suited you but I would like you to do the test again but don’t reveal the make of the MIC until the results are in
Cheers TOM
I agree that the Behringer mic is great for the cost. I have one myself. It was my first condenser mic. If I had all of those to choose from, I would use the nuemann because the richness is something I’d struggle to duplicate, however a 10k shelf boost of maybe 2 db would probably give enough air without being as brash as the B1. The shure track might be good if you desire a lower overall volume for the vocal because I bet it would still cut through.
I’d have to go with the SM57 for your voice. Because of the pitch of your voice, not a lot of low end was needed for your vocal track which, with the other offerings, would require the use of low cut filtering and the inevitable phase problems associated with it. The highs were not as sharp on the 57 but sonically that gave a sense of warmth to you vocals. The 57 just seemed more mix ready . Frank Adrian’s solution would be the best!
hey graham, I think the the rhode has it ,fit your voice well all of them do ,but the rhode bring it ou t better thanks
I liked the Behringer B1 because of the brightness, Event the Sure sounded pretty good, I can see where the Neumann TLM 102 would be good for a different type of voice, but for the demonstration it was too flat.
It really depends on the kind of vocals and genre. I used a Behringer B1 for a gentle, intimate vocals that I sang on a ballad, but it proved hopeless for another project that was a rock song where I sang with raucous baritone vocals, and for that the darker Audio-Technica AT2035 worked much better. Conversely, the AT2035 was hopeless for the ballad.
Rhodes nice overall !! Keeping it simple and satisfying. Not alot of tweaking! Leaving u more time to work on other stuff. Keep up the great work!
I think the Rode gets closest to what you want with the least amount of EQ. Neumann gets you there with perhaps a subtle low shelf. The 57 could easily be made to work. The B1 is my least favorite.
I vote for Rode for your voice. It’s definitely bringing out the fullness of your voice and handling the frequencies pretty well. Wondering how it would sound with a soprano though, since it picks up more higher frequencies. I was surprised how Neumann TLM 102 sounds on the verse, but it did good on the chorus. Have to tried layering vocal with recording with different microphones? By the way, great video! Lots of people always try to buy expensive microphone thinking quality would be better, but forgetting to know what they are recording and what less expensive microphones could do.
I like the 57 Graham. It just seems to naturally capture the vocal energy.
Hi Graham, I actually think the Neumann TLM 102 sounded great. I listened with the same KRK KNS 8400 phones as well.
That would be a subtle CUT on the low shelf for the Neumann
That was cool. I think all-in-all I really liked the Rode, but I was surprised how the 57 held up…in fact every time I listened to the 57 in the context of the song, it made me want to take the last phrase, “Where do I sign?” and put it thru a cool filter, kind of a mega-phone effect blended in. I only hear that when I listen to the 57 track…weird. Very cool! Dave
The Neuman sounded almost like you had a saturation plugin on it, and the SM57 sounded too mid-rangie to me. The Rode sounded good, but the Behringer might be the best choice for your voice in this song.
This surprised me, but I actually liked the Shure for this song. It may be song specific. But it had none of the “honkyness” (I heard it too, before you said it) of the Rode. It had the air and crispness of the the Behringer but without that annoying bump sound, and the TLM102 seemed to take away energy from your vocals. I wouldn’t call it “cloudy” more like an energy sap.. at least that’s how it sounded to me.
The 57 might not always be the right mic, but for this song? I really think it jived well and works with the “sound”.
Cool. Good for you for putting yourself (and your voice) out there.
I was surprised to be liking the sm57 so much for this demo. The Behringer didn’t sound like it had enough character to offer your voice. The Nt1 was probably the best all round mic but didn’t do it for me either. I liked the TLM 102. I thought it had a nice smoothness to it but for this type of music I would have to say the 57. But I may use the TLM for doubles or maybe the NT1.
I have done this with my mic set with our 3 singers and it was very helpful.
Thanks,
R
A great and interesting shoot-out. Thanks. It would be interesting to hear all of the comments if everybody was listening on the same speakers. On my studio monitors, I prefer the Neumann TLM 102 and the Rode NT1a. What you call ‘dark’, I call ‘natural’. I always want the vocal that sounds most natural and clean. We can always use EQ to tailor the sound as needed/wanted. But the biggest takeaway for me is simply to experiment, and don’t ‘assume’ that a certain mic is the only one to go to. Different mics for different voices and different music….
I guess, I would choose by how I like to postprocess.
Maybe try out re-recording the track singing into a blend of two mics at once.
Okay, so I’m back home, watched the video, and here’s my opinion: If I have $100 to spend in a mic, it seems SM57 sits right in the mix, but if I prefer the fullness of a mic, it’s the B1, even though I have an Audio Technica AT2020 microphone. For the Rode, I thought your voice sounded too bright in the upper midrange. As for Neumann, I don’t care for legendary mics, so $700 is too much for me. Even $200 seems a little too much, but then, regardless of prices of microphones, they seem to be quite subtle for vocals.
But then I do have plans to use mics for instruments and not for vocals when it comes to instrumental music.
Now I do wish to comment in previous videos about amp sims. In my opinion, when it comes to conserving space. In my opinion and when it comes to aesthetics, I’m not a fan of amps and I don’t like having a couple of them when stacked on top of each other or sitting in the floor. That’s why I would prefer ELEVEN RACK.
I could see myself recording a clean electric guitar right into Harrison Mixbus and route the output directly to ELEVEN RACK. From there, I can print out the MIDI portion of the amp by dynamically changing controls and print out the audio portion of the processed electric guitar sound. Then if I want to, I can print out another guitar tone using a different cabinet with different mic emulation and so on and so forth. And from there I can modulate the two different guitar tones if I wish.
Now, please pardon me if I am starting the same old debate about real amp vs simulated amp. Here’s the thing: how about I quote Morpheus from the movie “The Matrix?”
Source (hope it does not show up in moderator queue): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/quotes
But then there may be exceptions such as when it comes to drums which I believe you talked about in previous videos such as the feeling of playing drums. And yes, I should have left my comment in your previous blog entry, but I’m trying to bring up an important point in case others miss it and I do not mean to go off-topic about mic choices for vocals, but I want to share my thoughts.
And this is the first time I got a weird error when I submit my comment “You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down.”
Wow great video, this is tuff because they all sound good. This song is awesome as well. I think the b1 is to bright for your voice, the nt1a is a great mic and sounds really smooth across the whole track, the 57 sounds good because it ads a little “rock” to the sound. But I have to agree with some of the other folks, that Neumann is great on your vocal, so smooth, I believe it makes you sound more like a man…man! Jk, but it helps mellow the highs in your voice, clean up some of that low/mid and that’s my pick for you! Sounded awesome, thanks for this video!!
I do like it when I sound like a man!
Very cool to see how you changed your distance from the mic from verse to chorus.
I felt that the Rode NT1a was the best in this case. The Neumann 102 is a great mic, and I WILL have one or two someday :-), but in this case it did need some good tweaking to work for you. The NT1 just seemed to work with your voice better, allowing us to hear it in a full range of frequencies. It sounded natural and bright, but not brittle (i.e. rounded). Love that Rode mic.
OK, so, I know you weren’t aiming to be scientific and stuff, but I can’t help wondering if the fact that the takes were not the same might undermine the lesson to some degree. I watched the video carefully, and I could see that your proximity was different among the takes. If there was a way to make one take with all four mikes, would that allow for a more even comparison?
Other than this concern, here is what I heard.
Mike 2 (Rode) picked up more of the “p” sounds (plosives, right?) than the others by far, which I understand isn’t normally a good thing cuz we’d have to tame them, but could be a good thing for certain instruments.
The Neumann doesn’t sound particularly better for the price, and I wouldn’t spend my money on it.
BUT, compared to the Shure, it seemed to cover its frequency range more evenly, whereas the Shure seemed to have a scoop right in the middle of the range somewhere.
For the money, I’d say the Behringer is the best for voices like yours. For #2, you’d need more pop filter, so it’s not worth the extra $130 as a vocal mike (again, it’s probably better as an instrument mike). The Neumann sounds overpriced, unless perfect reproduction of its specific frequency range is a life-or-death issue. For the Shure, I’d probably try some distortion (or fuzz!), but I like crazy music, and the lyrics sound like you’re going for a Trickster or Tempter of Souls vibe.
I’ll take my feedback and grade off the air–LOL!
I recently started mic shoot outs for my recordings. I just bought an NT1 thanks to you! I love it but I will say I actually prefer the ASTON Origin and Spirit mics over any mic I have ever used (depending on the song obviously). I did a mic shoot out with my $250 Aston Origin with a real u47, ADK, 414, 4050, TLM103, u87 and other super expensive mics and my Aston mic was way better for my tenor voice!
Hi Graham,
Great suggestion and tip, and a great demonstration of the characteristics of different microphones.
I’ve got the chorus hook stuck in my head , and am enjoying seeing this song come together.
For my choice, I would go with the Rode Nt1a. I thought the Behringer made some of your higher / longer notes sound a bit nasally, the Neumann was very smooth on the lower stuff, but it lacked punch, and the Shure lacked depth. The Rode was a good balance between the sharpness of the Behringer and the smoothness of the Neumann.
thanks again Graham , am loving your tutorials.
Frank
Live Coal Music.
Thanks Frank!
Graham,
I had a hard time deciphering from the four. When I did noticed a difference it was very very slight. If I had to choose I would say the Behringer, what can I do to train my ears to hear the differences more clearly?
Thanks,
Tim
Just more listening, more music making, more time.
B1 on the verse was outstanding IMHO, BUT the 57 rocked the chorus! Dude I would be switching back and forth. Doing double duty blend to thicken some parts up.
Two $100 mics and your good to go!
Haha. Double microphones is the new secret sauce!
Use the Shure for versus. Use Neumann TLM 102 for chorus.
I have to agree with many other that for that song and your voice the Rode would be my choice to use recording you. Interesting that others noticed how good the SM57 responds to a louder stronger vocal. We’ve been using the Beta57 for live vocals and were pleasantly surprised when we started mixing down the live shows the improvement over the SM58’s we were using. Great video keep um coming.
I liked the Rode overall, echoing some of the other comments about the Rode. But your comments about how you could work with each of these make senses.
I was surprised at how cloudy the Neumann sounded. Really was not impressed with it.
I was also totally surprised by how good/usable the Shure sounded. I have never considered using an SM 57 on vocals in the studio but my mind has been opened. The Shure seemed to me to almost add some compression to the vocal which would sound great on a loud rock some I think, and could work for your song as well.
Thanks for much for doing this.
QUESTION FOR YOU: Is there a trick to getting your hands on different mics to try without buying them first? That’s what has prevented me from doing this kind of mic test for my voice.
Some places let you rent microphones. Also consider buying them on eBay and then reselling if you don’t like them.
Man I love that song!!! Also, I liked the sm57 the most. It just seemed clearer and always cut through. Thanks for sharing. I never thought about singing through a sm57. This was fun!!!
Thanks!
This is a great vid for the home studio people, Amazed at the B1 overall sound on your voice, you have very good clarity in your lyrics, I like the less expensive mic’s, go with the SM57 on this song.
Really think the SM 57. It just seemed to cut through the mix the best without any compression or EQ. Awesome Video!!!
TBH, I am at a toss between the Sure SM57 and the Rode NT1a. All things considered, I would go with the Rode NT1a. Maybe if I could hear them down into the mix, I would have a different choice based on what cuts through, but they were all on top of the mix. I just liked the way the NT1a sounded overall in the song and it’s all about the song.
I prefer the Neumann. More Balance & probably easier to correct
It seems that your voice is a bit bright for a male voice.
Therefore the B-1 and Rode were a little to bright or missing a bit of the low mid, but it is probably great when EQd.
I think The Neuman did more of the lower end (detail and amount), but didn’t sound particularly well for your voice, but again proper EQ will do.
I have the feeling it would do much better in female vocal range,.
Shure did OK, definitely not as detailed but OK for that type of song.
Having stems of your singing to try on our own (fiddling with EQ and compression) would definitely be educational.
As it stands, it’s a toss between B1 and Rode for me (need a bit more on the lower end), but all are fine, really.
I agree you loose a little on the soft parts with the 57 but I’m amazed how good It sounds overall compared to a $700 mic. I think the 57 sounds best overall. I own two but I’ve never tried them on vocals… that is, until my next project!
Haha! Love it. Tell us what you think when you do.
Hi Graham, I liked the Rode overall. On the plain vocal track the Neumann sounded so over compressed. But in the track sounded better. Maybe vocal comp with your fav vocal takes n mics.
Goodluck Thanks
Kimball
Clinton Carlton
Another excellent and informative video. Thanks Graham.
As far as my mic preference; I would have to say the Neumann or Shure.
The Neumann sounds really natural and produces a kind of creamy texture to the softer parts.
On the other-hand, the Shure has a bit more bite, especially in the grittier parts of the song.
Would you ever recommend using more than one mic for each individual part of a song?
Thanks: Clinton Carlton
[email protected]
BTW. Love the song…
Indeed it’s not a bad idea to consider different mics for different parts of the song. Not my favorite idea though 🙂 Glad you’re digging the song.
At first I preferred the Rode. Certainly it cut through and you felt this yourself as you sang and it was a better performance. However I think that if you can get as good a take through the Neuman you would find it in the end more acceptable. The Rode has such a strong character that it is hard to fix what is also annoying about – which is its sharpness. I thick because of the rich creamy texture of the Neumann I would go with that. A little compression is gonna make it spark. You have to accept that your voice is strident and any richness you can get that adds a maturity and roundness to it makes it more listenable. The aim is to get the listener to want to stay with you. The ‘saminess’ of the simple song and backing dynamics makes the Role of the vocal paramount and therefore you need to use the mic that deals to the edge in your voice.
Hi Graham , On your voice and on that particular song I found that the Rode NT1A was the best sounding over all.
Neumann. If you think of the music as a bed, the vocal laid in the bed nicely. Never sounded harsh.
i think that I would cut and paste between the Behringer and the Shure. I have done this in my studio, and I was more pleased doing this than fighting an inadequate response with EQ. done this many times for many clients,,,,,,,,,,,,,
If only the cloudiness wasn’t going on with the Neumann… but since it is, I like the Rode most. It was most consistent and smooth for your vocals. Thanks for this video, I enjoyed it.
If I were to pick one overall I think I like the Rode best but they all sounded decent. One great thing about the 57 is if you’re recording live off the floor, whole band at the same time, their’s very little bleed into the 57. Pretty tough to do that with a condenser unless you have some isolation. Always fun and great information thank you
Hey Graham. Great song. I thought the Shure sounded the most congruent with the song. It put a nice edge on your voice that sat well in the style.
Hi Graham,
I think out of the four mic’s, I tend to lean towards the Røde NT 1,
I personally use the Røde Classic, I have used this mic for the last 20 years,
I have also used the Sure SM 58 , Neumann U 47 and a lot of others,
but for this song, I like the NT 1 and also the SM 57.
Neumann easily, the 57 a close 2nd but its more aggressive hence possibly better in a mix.
I myself prefer a mic with a flat response, hence why i steer clear of behringer mics, beats headphones, etc.
All of them sounded pretty good, but I would go with the Sm57 bro!
Proves a 700 buck mic is not 7x better than 100 buck mic.
Without a/b head to head to split them any would fine with eq treatment.
This was great. I have b1 and at2035.
I was gonna blow a ton on a ‘better’ mic.
At my level of pro simply a waste of dough.
SM57 somehow has an oldskool feel, for me it fits the feel of the song. Also Rode sounded good to my ears. Behringer was quite harsh in highs and Neumann sounds better suited for smooth jazz or r”n’b vocals.
SM57 Best, Sounds like there will be less to do to sit the vocal chords in the mix nicely
Neumann and then Shure. Neumann was smooth and upfront. Classic sound. Shure cut through without being harsh. Very rock, and almost Soundgarden. The Rode hurt my ears, and was too harsh. The Behringer was fine, and usable.
You had me at Soundgarden 🙂
Greetings Graham,
As you said, I think anyone of the mics could work just fine. The performance is most important. I think your performance on the Shure was the best. Perhaps because its a “live” stage mic, maybe it had a psychological effect on you, or you recorded that one last and you were warmed up. Having said that, overall, the Neuman had the best sonic quality to me. Very rich and warm sounding. I’m assuming that’s the $700 one. But I ask myself, (and everyone else)this: It was clearly the best of the lot, but was it $600 better than the others??? probably not…
I think I was definitely warming up as I went 🙂
Great experiment! I think the Rode NT1a sounds best overall on your voice. The Behringer cuts through well but is overly bright at some spots.
The Neumann sounds like it has a compressor built in – also looks like it on the waveforms.
Shure sounded the best to me listening on my headphones.
Hey Graham. Yeah, each mic has various characteristics. Interestingly, I didn’t like the Behringer or Rode much in solo. I preferred the Neumann simply because it felt more balanced and the former two brought out more of the nasal character of your voice. In context with the mix I was torn between the Neumann and the Rode. I guess at this point it’s a matter of taste. I like the Neumann for its overall balance and fullness and the possibility to subtly add/remove frequencies that aren’t needed. The Rode made your voice come out more, certainly, but there were points were it felt a bit nasal.
I’m surprise what SM57 can do. I find the 57 is cutting through the mix. While the Rode NT1 is better when solo-ing. TLM have the rich tone (but I don’t think its a go to when recording this kind of music). Beringer is average, you can definitely work with it but not great.
SM57 is perfect for you with this song. Compressor can smooth the dynamics, so no worry about the low signal coming in.
Yes – the SM57 always surprises me. I never tend to love it in solo, but in the mix it can really present things (voice, acoustic) in a great way.
First off, best mic shoot out set up and format I have ever seen! For your voice, in the upper mid to high range(5K – 10K), there is a bit of a nasal sizzle that the Rode and Behringer accentuate. The Neumann and the Shure naturally eliminate the sizzle, and I think give your voice a more natural and pleasing sound to the ear. I think the Neumann is your best choice after a little polishing up with some EQ to give you the smoothest and fullest sound.
Interesting point.
Very nicely done Graham. I like the song too. My choice if I had to pick one as is would be the Rode, however I think with just a little EQ on the Neumann I would prefer it. An interesting follow up would be for you to do whatever compression and EQ you think optimizes each mic for the track and compare again. I suspect that the Neumann would come out on top then, but…who knows!? Thanks again for posting.
Thanks!
I prefer the Nt1 for its overall balance with clarity in the soft and loud parts of the song. It seems to offer best of both worlds with some richness and warmth while still cutting through the mix. Your voice is already fairly bright so using a mic that tends to offer something in the mid range to round it out sounds great.
In my opinion,the Behringer and Shure match closely as far as brightness,clarity and plosives in your voice,but the Rode sounds fuller as well as what the previous two mikes bring.The Neumann,I think would be great as for a more melodic ballad which gives you a richer sounding voice.My choice would be the rode.Bightness,clarity,plosives with a little richness to fill in.
I really liked the Rode for most everything, but for the choruses I thought the Neumann sounded the best.
for the silent parts I like the neumann or maybe the rode for some parts the most,. Behringer is a bit thin I think,. for the louder parts I would definitly go with the Shure,. as it brings in a bit of a distortion which fits very nice with the guitars and sits the best in the mix.
1. NT1a less to deal with in post
2. 57 or B1. Lift highs/scoop mids on 57, lower highs, lift mids on B1.
3. TLM 102 not right for your vox on this tune without more treatment than the others. Nice definition but muddy and boxy. Might be your room or proximity with the Neumann.
I could work with all of them. In this case, less work with the Rode. Saves time and money.
Perfect example of mic choice. Thank you for sharing!
N2N
Enhancement always sounds more natural than controlling a sound. The Neumann sat in the mix right out of the gate, and only needed a slight enhancement for ‘air’. The other 3 mics needed to be ‘controlled’ and that’s where more editing (or even re-singing parts) comes into play. Think of it as sunlight in a photo. When starting with the right amount of sunlight it’s more natural to slightly enhance the sheen of light rays, but when you attempt to control how the sun is hitting a subject, or a reflection, or a hot spot, or the bleed-through, or how it’s casting a harder shadow elsewhere (like sound would step on neighboring freq and harmonics) then you are in for a battle and the end result is seldom as natural.
As an opening comment, I have done many tests like this and I would much rather add and subtract a touch…Rather than add and subtract a ton to make something sit in a mix. Also, after doing so, I own a Neuman TLM 49 and may be a bit biased. I liked the Neuman the best. The reason: it was not hyped anywhere. It was really smooth. All of the other microphones were out of balance therefore making the Neuman sound dull in comparison….when it really wasn’t. It had what the Behringer did but not way out of bounds. The Behringer was really hyped in the “airy” range 8 or 10Kish but in my opinion lacked clarity at 5K and really fell off on mids and low end. Same with the Rode, but it didn’t hurt as much to listen to on the higher end. The SM-57 was bumped at 5Kish and then sounded hollow.
My order would be:
1. Neuman – knowing I would bump a little air and subtract a little low mid
2. Rode – I would take out air and add lower end
3. Shure – I would bump a little air and add mid to low mid that was scooped out.
4. Behringer – I would throw away…LOL Subtract a ton of air, and add the rest of the spectrum to balance it back out a bit.
I was wondering when someone would make these points. Essentially the Rode and Behringer already have some “hype” EQ out of the box. I’d be curious to see a comparison with EQ and other post between the Neumann and something like the KSM 32
Listening on Bluetooth earphones. Probably what most people will use when listening to their music. The Neumann sounded the best because it wasn’t as mid-rangey as the other mics. Thanks for the great videos, Graham.
Surprised!!!! ShureSM57
Always thought of it as a utility amp mic—I have a couple… You’ve opened my eyes.
As for your test— thank you for sharing
Surprising indeed!
I liked the Neumann the most, the 57 was too honky/harsh. It just fits in the mix better and better represents the feel of the song. The first two were brighter as well, but in a different way than the 57, but I still don’t think they fit as well as the neumann. I think the air on the NT1A sounded best though, so I think all thats needed on the Neumann would be to add some air/crispness (maybe some presence too) and scoop out some mud in the lower mids and then obviously high pass it
Hi Graham,
Another vote for the SM57 on this track. The track itself has a very 90’s rock kind of feel to it and I think the SM57 did the best job of “melding” your vocals in with the music. It picked up the quiet parts nicely and gave the louder parts that percussive “in your face” feel. Looking forward to hearing the finished track!
Play on, mate
Frankie
Hard for me to get away from 90s rock 🙂
The Neumann 102 to me sounded full and would sit best in the final mix. I didn’t like the B1 to fizzy, the Rode sounded really good as well for the song and your voice. The Shure wasn’t warm it was edgy which in the long run would become tiresome. Toss a little EQ on the 102 and let the mic do the rest. There is a huge difference between the microphones, I would consider doubling up there 102 and the Rode to get you a thicker overall sound.
You have just encouraged me to start tracking using this method. Taking the parts of each section that sounds best for the song, mix and voice. It may free up some CPU. Thanks,
Tim
I liked the sm57 (and the neuwman the second best), sm57 made it in the verse (not as good as the neuman) and did nice in the chorus (better than the neuman). If i wasn’t allowed to EQ, I would definitely choose this mic. And maybe I would choose it anyways depending on what feeling I want the song to communicate. It goes nice with the rock attitude of the song that I believe you’re looking for. A bit bad ass.
But otherwise I liked the neuman with your voice in the verse, it was rich and felt intimate, like it was really listening to you and took in every word and every note. Yeah, can’t really describe it so well…
i love the Rode
For this particular song I’ll pick the Rode for your voice. If think it is a perfect mix of all the other mics. My second choice is the SM57. Thank you for everything you make Graham, it’s great to learn with you !
You’re welcome! And thanks for learning with me!
Graham,
firstly, thank you so much for your awesome training, I use them as much as my time allowed me. I saved them to watch all of them at the time.
Secondly, thank you for asking your trainee their opinion as well: I think in Vers part B1 worked good , but the in chorus part RODE is warm and clear , the Neumann 102 is working for your bridge part But what I did not like at all for this song is Shure…despite its clear sound with a great deal of HI ends on it surprises me .
Good luck toward your album .
SM57, though I am a Neumann lover and even more NT1 for the vocals. But, honestly, in less than ideal recording rooms the SM 57 becomes stronger and stronger, just because it doesnt allow as much room rumble as the others. Just a tiny little bit closer to the SM 57 and it will shine even more, because you cannot do that with the others without getting boomy.
Expensive mikes pick up a lot of our room modes, thats the bitter truth.
The sweet truth is, even Michael Jackson used the SM57 sometimes as his preferred studio recording mic. Why cant we? And benefit from the side effect, that it nicely kills our room modes enemy.
You just sound a little bit more aggressive in a positive sense with the SM57 and much less muffled, the smaller the speaker the more obvious it becomes.
In my experience with that little muffled lifelessness, that the Neumanns (and other large diaphragm mics) tend to produce in boomy rooms (like mine, despite the many efforts and struggles that I had to suppress the room modes) it does not help a lot to eq it, because it really takes a lot of treble boost to make up for it and that often ruins the vocals finally. 10 db up there and 10 db down in the low mid problem range is sometimes what it takes and thats too much.
But that is often exactly what the frequency build up produces through the different room modes in small recording spaces. Sometimes a lot more.
The SM57 s strength is the signal to room noise ratio by simply being closer to the sound source without getting boomy.
The SM57 sounded the best overall.
Yes Graham, this was quite interesting!
I liked each for certain parts of the song, so I took it a step further. I listened on a CAD MH310 headset, then studio monitors, then on a Sennheiser HD280 headset.
On the CAD, I tended to favor the Behringer in more cases, but on both the studio monitors and the HD280 I favored the Neumann and Rode in more cases.
On the solos, I favor the Neumann in all 3 monitoring methods because it sounded so real, but in the mix, it varied more between parts of the song. Some places, the Behringer sounded more present than the Neumann and Rode without being as shrill and overbearing as the 57, but in other areas the realism of the Neumann and to some extent, the Rode, caught my ear.
If I had to choose one overall, I would not choose the 57, but the others made it a difficult decision – maybe for me it would be between the Neumann and Behringer. That’s difficult for me to admit since I’m generally so much more partial to Rode than Behringer in general. 🙂
If I had to make this choice for the mix, I’d go through the whole song on studio monitors with each one (in the mix) and see where I felt the best overall vibe. (Maybe the head-bob test.)
I guess I’m unusual, though, in that I’ve never been a 57 fan. I’ve got some 57 clones – DRI100 – that are dirt cheap and I like better than the 57 on most sources. This definitely shows, though, that a more expensive mic does not necessarily help you make a better mix.
Thanks for another cool episode!
I forgot to mention one other thought:
It would be interesting to hear this same comparison with you standing about half the distance from the mics.
The proximity effect might bring a whole new dimension to this shootout.
They all could work! The Rode Nt1 seemed the most consistent throughout and didn’t feel the need to grab eq. Behringer seemed ok but a tad bright in spots. Neumann TLM 102 has that smooth thing about it but it’s not always the best choice. Feel the need to eq it here. The Shure sm57 is surprisingly decent but lacking a fullness and if you back off a bit it can disappear on you. Myself I will use a Neumann TLM 103 on my voice, but I’ll drag out an inexpensive Samson Co2 condenser or perhaps an Sm57 if that isn’t working on a song. One of my friends I’ve used an Audio Technica Atm41 which is a Sm58 wannabe when the TLM 103 isn’t working on his song.
This is a bit misleading… Let me explain. Sure the 57 had nice midrange cut and the behringer had a sharp crisp/hyped top end BUT i’m sure if you tried compression/top end boost on either of those mics you would got an overly sibilant vocal that would need de-essing and further processing.
In my eyes the R0de and to a greater extent the Neumann would take to processing much better. You could clean up a little low mid in the Neumann and do a crazy top end boost+even add in high end saturation/harmonics and not end up with something that hurt your ears or was sibilant – in fact you would end up with what i’m betting would be an overall better sound. Try compressing and then adding top end to the behringer… You will end up with hurting ears unless you heavily de-ess/go with no top end boost or even have to notch out some high end freqs.
Sure doing a mic shootout with no processing DOES reveal something about your mic locker, i love doing this, but you must also take into account the style of music, the type, and the amount of processing you are planning on doing as well.
P.S Thank you Graham for making videos about music and mixing! Much love.
That was in the back of my mind, too, Will. The mic you choose might also be more conducive to one effect or another. Of course, at some early point in the recording, you have to pick a mic and commit to it, or you can end up with endless takes…
You’re welcome!
I’m using ear buds ,however most consumers do these days.
1St
The SM57 was the least colored and handled the stronger sections better. Also seemed to cut through the mix you had and sat well. A nice pre amp would improve the it’s weaknesses characteristics which were demonstrated at lower sound pressure level 2nd
I liked the Behringer it was smooth through out but I did not like the way it responded to changes in sound pressure when you got louder.
3rd
The rode was better on the louder parts then the Behringer but over all I thought the Behringer was less. colored,
Last
Neumann TLM 2 it is 3 dressed up as a 9. I own a few expensive Neumann mics and yes they are excellent when they are used on the proper source .However These cheaper Neumanns are out classed by so many other great mikes in that $700 price range Mics, by RODE, AKG, ,Audotechnica, CAD , BLUE, and many others. I find the lower priced Neumanns are over colored so much that making vocals sit in the mix with them is nothing but an Eq head ache. Don’t buy for the name , rent and try many mics for different applications then buy a few that will meet most your needs .Then in rare cases rent that special mic you need for a special project.
Every time I hear someone saying one mic “outclasses” another, I’m desperate to understand why is that? How do you compare?
I couldn’t say I “liked” one of them more or less on your vocals, but from what I’ve heard, I can say that whatever came out from Rode looks like more suitable for the average mixing “cut the nasty low mid – boost the nice hi mid – add some gentle crispiness – compress – hey presto vocals is ready” procedure. I mean, when I hear the Rode sound I instanly feel like I am listening to a raw vocal recording that needs some processing, some mixing moves which are very clear to me, the moves that resemble the ones I have done many times. What to do with behringer/neuman/shure – I of course would have tried a couple of moves and figure it out eventually, but the Rode raw sound looks much more black-and-white mixing-wise. Like, there are flaws, but these flaws are typical and when you hear them, you know how to address them.
I preferred the SM57. Curious, why not an SM58?
After that the Rode, then the Neumann and then the Behringer
Another question: Have you considered using 2 mics at the same time? Double tracking with 2 different mics?
Cause I don’t own an SM58 and they are the exact same mic 🙂
Hi Graham,
I liked the Neumann TLM 102 best for its smoothness followed by the Rode NT1a.
Both the Behringer and to some extend the Rode were too harsh, I think. You should easily be able to get the same air with the Neumann using EQ, without getting the harshness of the cheaper mics.
The honkyness of the Rode in some cases can easily be EQed out.
Nevertheless, it was surprising how close they really were. For your voice and genre, all mics except the Sure would work very well, I think.
The Sure was too Lo-Fi to me.
Actually, if each were EQed well and compressed, it would be much more difficult to hear any difference at all.
Perhaps that can be done as a second video?
I actually liked the 57 & the Behringer.
The 57 is a bit hollow, but it was a good sound in this tune!
Overall the Behringer is probably best for this song, but there are certain character things I really liked about the 57!
Either the Rode or the 57.
Another thought: I’ve seen you use the Blue Spark on some of your vocals. I’d guess that could work really well with your vocals on this one, due to its nice punchy midrange.
I have to go with the rode. With some midrange eq, it will shine. The sm57 is a close second. For the record Graham, the difference is still very noticeable on cheap earbuds.
Can I use my android phone as a mic(just for vocals)? I Think it sounds good and I don’t have a mic and also on a tight (or no) budget. Can I get good result. I create music tracks on my daw and just for vocals, can I use phone? And I don’t have any studio in my small town! Please Answer!!
Hi Aman,
It is possible that you could use your phone, but whatever device your DAW is loaded on might have just as good of a mic and that might also be a possibility if you can figure out how to route it into the DAW.
With your phone, you could try this: Play your track into your headset while you sing and record the singing on your phone. Transfer the audio file from your phone into your DAW and align it with the soundtrack you’ve created.
The vocal audio will almost certainly be quite limited in frequency range and dynamics, but it might be a cool challenge to try to make it sound good. I have the feeling it will take a lot of careful work to get it sounding good, but if you could, that would be an interesting story.
I think it would be more feasible to turn out something listenable if you are after a very processed vocal sound. This could be an interesting project, but as Graham always says, it is up to you to practice, practice, practice your recording and mixing to hone your skills. Find and watch all of Graham’s videos and that will be a good start to your audio education.
I bet Graham could find a way to come up with an interesting recording with just some synthesized music and a phone for a mic. Sounds like an interesting challenge…
Sure can! Had a reader send me a song that was recorded just with the iPhone mic. Fantastic sound.
Graham its kind of interesting how the SM57 sounds really good in this application. For a 51 year old mic design it is great in this application. I think the genre of music has something to do with the sound one is after too. While the others are smoother , I think the Behringer with its somewhat raspy on the edge of breakup sound fits the song well.
The SM57 sounds good to me all throughout. Seems like its the mic that will suit the best for the song and your voice.
This was a great learning experience!
Overall, I liked the Behringer for the total vocal. Excellent music for this test also. Would like to hear the finished product.
To my opinion The Behringer B1 and the shure SM57 are the way to go mics. I think a lot of gear sluts don’t like what i’m tellling here but they cut through the mix, especially the Behringer B1. The shure will do his job in the chorusses. Good to have such a comaprisson from time to time to save a lot of bucks on buying mics. A lot of home recorders would be gratefull for this input.
Me, I was convinced several years ago when i bought my Behringer C3! It didn’t cost me a lot and vocal recordings are great. Three diffrent patterns, 10 dB pad, dual condenser…. Two years ago I added a Shure SM57 and not for guitar parts (since I record them D.I. using Peavey Revalver 4 plug in) or other instrument but for vocals because i had the idea to use them on vocals and it became that the singer in my bands sounds best through this mic.
Graham,
What I find More interesting than the mic shootout is the “attitude” you had on each track.
Even though you tried your best to match each track/ performance you are human and you didn’t.
You were straight up and “casually strong” with the B1 and the NT1
Then you got a little more laid back and almost cautious with the TLM102 almost like “whoo, careful, I’m singing into an expensive mic”
And finally just let it rip in the SM57 “any old way you like”… That’s the “attitude I’m hearing in your performance.
So I guess the lesson I learned is…The Performance Matters way more than the mic choice.
If you happen to win on both the mic choice and the performance then that’s awesome.
But if an expensive mic subconsciously changes your performance in a bad way grab a cheap mic and let it rip!
I have both and Im going to try the same test on myself, but knowing that the way I baby my “good mic” may actually hinder my performance I am now going to treat them all the same in my mind…
Very keen observations – the crucial point being, the performance is what matters!
Rode NT1a sounded best all around to me.
Hi Graham,
What mic-pre did you use? I believe it’s important to know that too.
Just into my Focusrite Clarett interface. Same preamp for all mics.
I couldn’t pick out the subtleties as well as you could, but my ears told me right away that the Shure is the one to go with. I just like how full-on it sounded… all the way through the song. Personally, I like things to be a little more “raw” sounding, and to me, this song demanded that kind of very up-front sound. The Neuman I found to be the least effective though really, none of the mics sounded “bad..” My second choice would be the Behringer – clear as a bell! Thanks for this shoot-out!
for dynamic microphone you don’t need to stand it far from the source because it will not capture more low explosive like condenser mic.
Hey Graham,
After watching the video and read all the comments I have a fun idea…. how about you record another video for us with the same tracks, but use only EQ and compression and show us how to make all 4 tracks sound as good as possible with the rest of the tracks. So this way anyone who owns either expensive or budget mics will know how to get the best sound out of their mic for their voice! I think it would be great, cuz all of us would like to see how you work the magic with just EQ and Compression on those 4 tracks!
Thanks for the video. Watched it with a friend so we could discuss it as it played out.
Liked the smoothness of the Neumann, but it was a little too muddy in spots.
The Behringer was good in the quiet passages, but a bit harsh in the louder ones.
SM-57 seemed to lack clarity in quieter parts.
Favorite mic was the NT1A. It had the best consistency throughout the different types of vocal passages.
Could be because I have one. Then again, I also have the SM-57.
Anyway… this made for a great discussion.
Thanks.
I’m glad! That was the point.
What Ho Graham!
I’d go with the Behringer. I just think it’s brighter and cuts through better – less to edit.
Thanks for all you offer.
Bob
I would use the Rode as primary in the verses with the 57 tucked underneath it and maybe panned right about 2 o’clock (maybe). For the chorus I might flip them and make the 57 the primary tuck the Rode underneath. Or I might even mute the Rode and let the 57 handle the chorus by itself.
For your voice the Rode NT-1a sounds the best in this video. As for me and my friends bands a large diaphragm condenser doesn’t usually work on vocals, because my bands and all the bands that I record are hardcore punkrock, or similar style, so on that kind of screaming a dynamic microphone is better. But I have never been a huge fan of the sm57, but these are just taste issues. I’m Finnish so my English is probably not perfect.
– Miika
They all sound great. Neumann #1 for me for this song. add just a little air and you are perfect. Behringer would be a close 2nd but it certainly seems a little crisp in spots. this might be the best tutorial you’ve done mainly because it shows your theory is correct… price is not the most important decision for a home studio.
I thought the Neumann was very smooth and silky by comparison to the Rode and the Behringer. I don’t know if I would be trying to brighten it up, but rather working with that smooth sound and making a space for it. I found the Behringer and Rode to be too sibilant. I ranked the SM57 second. But it was the silky smooth sound of the Neumann that got me. A rich sound like that just needs to be exploited.
Great exercise.
I love the 57 on your voice, Graham…..closely followed by the Behringer. They sit the best for me as raw tracks. I think with some compression and saturation as you mentioned they’d both sit as killer vocal tracks in the mix. I’m due to record some our originals in the next few weeks and will definitely give the 57 a crack as our vocalist has a similar tone to you. Awesome video!
Thanks Simon!
I liked the Neumann in the choruses, it was more controlled and smoother. Regarding the verses my choice of mic would be the 57 for your voice Graham.
I have a suggestion for the mic to leave out. — The Neumann TLM 102
As for what sounds best, in order of preference:
1. Rode
2. Shure
3. Behringer
With that said, I think with EQ the Rode and Shure would give you the most to work with.
I didn’t like any of them by themselves. I B1 was to spitty on the top end, to thin in the mids, the rhode nt1 was ok . I thought it was still harsh on the top end, there’s a mod for the nt1 that imho really makes it a great mic. I liked the TLM on the top end, nice and silky smooth but, I think it needed some cleaning up, and I don’t think it’s the best mic for your voice. by itself. The shure was good, I little upper mid sizzle that worked well with your voice. I think a SM7B would be a great mic choice for you, or an AKG C414 BXL, If you like the sizzle then an AT 4047.
Since that wasn’t in the pic, I’d go with using 2 mics blended, The rhode NT1, and the TLM102. I’m not that big of fan of the TLM 102 but, with your voice in this shoot out, I did like the top end on it.
For this song – my preferred mics are in this order:
SM57
Rode
Neumann
Behringer
In solo mode I like Rode the most, but for this particular song, SM57 makes your voice more a part of the song. I would say it is a matter of ‘context’ of the song more than just the specific ‘sound’ of the microphone…
I liked the Rhode, in that is was good for almost all parts of the track. B1-too bright. Neumann too dark/muddy for this project BUT I bet it would be great on a females vox singing a ballad. Sm57 okay but I’d like to compare the 57 to a Beta 58. On stage I’ve always felt the Beta 58 was a better EQ curve than the original SM58
Hard to say, but I’m going to say the Rode – did all right on all parts.
Neumann! More balanced! Fuller! Just a bit o eq and you are done.
I liked the Behringer B1
definitely Neumann !
Thanks for doing this comparison video. Nicely presented.
I liked the Rhode even before you mentioned in the video that it sounded good on most parts. It was neither overly bright nor muddy.
The 57 would need a de-esser. ( irritating highs )
Neumann needs lows rolled-off. It’s capturing everything and allows one to tweak with eq.
The Behringer seemed a little lacking. But I agree that for the price it’s pretty good and could be eq’d for improvement.
To me, the Neumann TLM 102 captured more overtones and detail of your voice, however this resulted in less high end coloration of the vocal recording, as you are a tenor. Surprisingly I liked the Shure SM 57 the best for your voice, but as someone mentioned above, I’d like to record you simultaneously with the Neumann and mix it with Shure to get the best of blending the grittiness and cut of the SM 57 mixed with the velvety midrange of the TLM 102. That said, I hated the Behringer and could live with the Rode NT 1A, though it was a bit brittle at times.
First up, awesome shoot out. Rode was hands down winner for me. I liked it during solo but loved it in the mix. The Behringer was a bit harsh and hyped. The 57 seemed to work better as you say with louder sections but also i note where you were singing further back. Psychologically, i really wanted the Neumann to win because the U87 is my dream mic, but yeah, probably my equal least favourite with the B1 FLAT. I hope (for the sake of my possibly delusional dreams) that the Neumann would actually come through after some EQ work – my guess is that because it is so unhyped it would have some really smooth, natural sounding presence once revealed and probably hard to go wrong once a bit cleaned up, whereas the other mics might perhaps prove to be quite fiddly to get just right – just guessing here.
Hello Graham,
Great video and song! I preferred on some parts the Neumann and on others the Shure. So I think it’s a great tip to record simoultaneously and mix both tracks. I am going to try this myself. I am a female singer songwriter with a lower voice and it’s difficult to find a good mike.
Thanks again, Jellaso
Graham,
Personally it was hard to tell the difference. There were very slight differences and as you said you could probably work with any of these mic’s. However I did notice that the Behringer was the “brightest” of the bunch and could be useful in some circumstances. The Rhodes did sound nice and was probably the “best” over the spectrum. The Neuman did sound a little too dark for me and given the price tag, I’d probably opt for the rhodes or the shure. The SM57 although a little bassy as you said does pick the higher volume vocals up well. I (like most) use the SM58 all the time for live vocals and technically they’re and equivalent mic. In the end I think it depends on whether you’re recording vocals separately or together with the band.
Keep up the good work, I very much enjoy the emails and videos even though I don’t get the time to try everything.
Pete
Hello,
thank you very much for this shoot-out. It was a very good shedule for my ears. I definitly would take the Rode NT1a or 😉 the Shure SM57 for your voice.
I like the SMs sound very much on your voice. For my vocals I just bought the nt2a but I will test teh SM too.
Have great weekend
This may sound totally unprofessional but for my needs in my little studio the small differences in sounds were not significant enough to really matter. I am only interested in making a singers’ voice sound as good as I can to the average listener. Individual tastes vary so much that it can be hard to say which mic did the best job. They all captured the vocals good enough to use in the mix.
Actually in many ways that IS the point 🙂
To Me: I found the SM57 too ‘in your face’ and almost like a high pass filter was run up to around 150hz – cutting out a lot of the lows – also a little harsh in places.
I think the Rode NT1a had the presence and fullness the others lacked, probably easiest to make the eq choices on to really sit well in the mix.
The B1 was a little too bright and lacked the smooth lows of the Rode or the Neumann and the Neumann was great for the up close intimiate parts but lacked the presence of the Rode.
I was really diggin’ the 57, even with its “lo-fi” character, and especially when things get hot in the chorus. With the Neumann, you heard “cloudy”; I heard “richness” and “clarity.” Still, the Shure seemed like the best aesthetic match to the attitude of the song.
Until you put it in the mix. With the other sounds, the SM57 sounds out of place — too much dirtier than the rest (at least pre-effects). So the Neumann is my call, because it comes closest to what I initially liked about the aesthetics of the Shure.
I agree that all 4 tracks are useable. The 102 had fuller/richer tone, which I like, but agree could use a little EQ enhancement. Of course, the same could be done for the other 3 as well. I think I liked the 57 best of those 3. Another approach would be to record the track using the 102 and one of the others, and blend them to taste. Or double the track to beef up where it sounds thin. Bottom line . . . experiment !
Thanks for the video and everything you bring to the table.
all are great mics but i would use Neumann at the is more full body, it give you more room to work with to cut or add.
Hi Graham. Great video, and you’re a (very) good singer. Like always: great performance = (mostley) great sound. What kind of mic you use is IMHO not that important. You’ re singing is.
If you record a “singer” who can not sing with a 2.000 $ mic, will still sound bad. You’re voice shines to my ears on every mic you used.
Thanks!
With the exception of the SM57, all other microphones are equally suitable for your voice. All other microphones are more or less universal. No specialists for vocals. From your selection I personally would prefer the Neumann TLM102. Followed by NT1. The B1 is too flat, less response on dynamic and can not be placed precisely enough in the mix. The mids of the TLM102 are very precise and the slightly missing heights can be balanced with an EQ. A good addition would be an SPL Channel One. Personally I have had the best experience with the TLM49. This microphone is specifically designed for voices and I use it for almost all vocal recordings. From rock to classic. Another, very good microphone in my setup is the U47. But this is another story. Greetings from Germany, Roland
good shootout,I”m surprised how well the lower costing mics did against the more expensive mics I like the Shure 57 it cut through pretty good , good demo Graham. thanks
Interesting isn’t it? 🙂
I would choose the Rode for this recording because I think it needs very little additional processing to mix well with the rest of the tracks. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with those of us who need more.
At first best ? the node, then the shure. The Neumann is better as overhead ? by drums
??
I think a last step I’d like to hear is you come to these four tracks fresh on different days/ hours/ (whatever it takes to cleanse your audio palette) and eq it to the way you’d make it sound if it was the only take you had to work with. Here’s why, you know what you’d like your voice to sound like… we can’t tell if the mike has funny resonance, or whether your voice has those (uhhh…funny) resonances. Things you’d of course want to keep to let your folks know it’s you singing.
To me the Neumann sounds nice, but not for this song, compared to any of the others it sounds like you’re singing through a curtain, too cloudy and sort of dull. But eq’d? not sure. It’d be dreamy on a ballad.
I think my favorite raw was the NT1 or the Shure. I certainly wouldn’t pay the extra 500 to get from the NT to the Neumann at this point in my financial life. And when home studio buddies started mike-bragging, I’d just shut up and wait it out with my own inner grin. Because it doesn’t matter what mic captures the input… the input itself makes the most difference. Great performances make great recordings. (now if I could just get great performances!!!)
And by the way, any of these four performances were spot on.
Great thoughts. Thanks David!
Hi.
I know this is old, but I just found out. I’m recording at home and I’m not sure about the mic. I use a sennheisser e935 live, and I love how it sounds, for my voice I really like it. But when recording I don’t like it that much. Too much high for what I want in my songs (My voice tends to peak high).
I’m on a budget, so something around the price the behringer would be great, but I doubt I’d like the sound of my voice with it… Any suggestions? Thanx!