Good Vocal Microphones that Make the Difference.
What makes the difference between a groundbreaking song and just another flash in the pan top 10 hit? What is the key to capturing a performance during a recording session or missing the juice? There's a part of every important song that has defines the milestones in modern music history - it's the vocal performance. Sometimes and amazing piano piece, or guitar par speaks to us, but almost always, it's a vocal.
If you are setting a home recording studio, then you are facing a hundred different choices about where to spend your money. Here's a no-brainer: get yourself a decent quality vocal microphone. Rest assured, none of your recordings will be worth a damn without warm, audible vocals. The first step is to consider your overall budget before you go shopping.
The truth about recording anything, including vocals, is that there is only so much you can do to repair a poorly recorded track after the fact. No matter what your budget, or your purpose or goals, you need to start with the best equipment you can afford. Too often in the home recording studios, the artist delivers an exceptional performance but is betrayed by inadequate equipment, resulting in a lackluster recording that cannot capture the original tone or energy.
This is exactly why in this case, conventional wisdom prevails - start with the best vocal microphone that your budget will allow for. While you're in the early stages of setting up your home studio, set a budget, and then double what you wanted to spend on a vocal microphone… you won't regret it - I promise. There's just no sense in spending a whole bunch of money on Logic or Pro Tools, a nice tube preamp and some Tannoy monitors if all you've got is a Shure SM57 to record the vocals with. Believe, you won't want top hear those recording in six months and you will end up having to do it all over again.
Start out right - get yourself the best vocal microphone you can afford, you will be glad you did. There are a ton of options nowadays from manufacturers like AKG, Audio Technica, CAD, Sennheiser, Shure and other for budget minded engineers. Good quality large diaphragm condenser microphones can be had ranging from $200- $400, and even a mic as inexpensive as one in that range can really make a huge difference in your setup.
Let's say it again together - "start with a good quality vocal microphone…" save yourself the heartache and hours trying to do a fix-up on someones vocal performance. It's pretty simple, bad vocals will sound a little better, and great vocals will sound amazing. If you or the person you are recording has a message, don't point a crappy mic at them and hit record. Spend a few hundred bucks, get a good one, and thanks me later.