Best vocal mic under 2K?

[Phobos]

I have some decent budget mics, Rode NT1, etc. but I am looking to upgrade to a nicer condenser. If you could only have one, and your budget could not exceed 2K, "who would win"? Will be used on both male and female vocals and different styles of music.

[Magnetic Services]

I'd get an SM7B and a week's worth of vocal lessons with that kind of budget

[drumsound]

There are a lot of good options in that price range.

Advanced Audio has a bunch of things in the $1k range, if you're woring with various people something like their CM67 and CM251 would cover a lot of ground for $2k. Or you could get 3-4 Audio Technice or sE offerings. People rave about the Vanguard Audio mics. Some of the Telefunken and BeezNeez mics fit that price range as well. If you can stretch another 500 the Tonelux JC37 is right there for the taking. A custom Barbaric might be had for that money, you could have it built around your desires. That might take a little longer.

[Nick Sevilla]

AKG 414. Most any flavor.

[digitaldrummer]

the above are all solid suggestions. Also read the TapeOp Gear reviews. Or checkout the multiple shootouts on just about every site out there with real sound samples so you can compare yourself. There are now also modeling mics (Slate, Antelope, Townsend Labs) that, if you are into that, might get you even more for your $$.

now a few I put up frequently when auditioning vocals...

Weird Audio Little Red Monster (Tube -- I really like this one)
AKG C414b-ULS (condenser w/transformer)
Shure SM7B (dynamic/broadcast)
Cascade Vinjet (ribbon)
Mojave MA-200 or MA201fet (tube/Fet)
Warm Audio WA87
Slate ML1 (various models via plugin)

results vary greatly depending on the source

[kslight]

I think something like a 414 would be a solid mic to have in the cabinet, and maybe a nicer dynamic mic for when that doesn’t work out.

I’m not really convinced that spending $2k on a single mic is always the best use of money, assuming you’re in a home studio? Some people would argue about also considering the impact of the room, pre, etc...

[losthighway]

Some good ones on here so far, I'd add:

Groove Tubes Md1a
EV RE20
Audio Technica 4050
AT 4047

[losthighway]

Also Pearlman TM1 sneaks in just under the wire, but I agree with others, if you don't have other stuff in place you don't want to put all eggs in one basket.

Many of the ones mentioned above are also good for guitar amps, bass amps, percussion, drums, acoustic guitars, so on the flipside it's not too crazy to invest big if you're feeling serious about stuff.

[Scodiddly]

The SM7B is such a YouTube favorite that Shure has them backordered for, I dunno, until politics become civil again.

[joninc]

There really are so many types of voices that I don't think there's one mic that is universally best.

what kind of vocal sounds do you like? Thick and rich? Airy and crisp?

I Love tube mics on vocalists but some will accentuate different sibilances and they are not all equal so it's worth trying a few out....

I think the Peluso P12 is awesome for airy type vocalists.... P49 is a little meatier but still open on top. I also love a 47 style for something a little less bright and more mid rich (these get the most use around here for vocals) and then a U87 style fet mic is gonna be good for a lot of stuff too. chrck out Lawson mics and Soyuz (Bomblet in this price range) as well.

It's also hard to beat a SM7 or RE20 sometimes and they will do a lot of other stuff really well too so every studio should have one. there's lots on reverb and ebay.

i have a pair or 414 b-uls and use them for a lot of things but never really loved them on vocals... a bit too scooped or contoured sounding or something.

[digitaldrummer]

i have a pair or 414 b-uls and use them for a lot of things but never really loved them on vocals... a bit too scooped or contoured sounding or something.

I've always thought the 414b-ULS sounded good through a UA LA-610. If you have one or a similar tube pre you might try it sometime. Of course always depends on the singer... (and maybe even the mics -- they are "vintage" now).

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I'd divide up that 2k and get a few options. Look at the used market. There are very few mics that I have bought new. Many of my used mics have been with me for 20 plus years and still going strong.
An RE20 is a solid choice and works well on lots of voices and lots of other applications.
An AT4050 is a solid choice. Like the RE20 it can be great on vocals and lots of other things.
You can't go wrong with a 414 of any variety but it's not often a go to for vocals for me. That said, it's a good choice for airy vocals with body.

Vocal mics for me are always mics that will work well on tons of other sources.

[Rodgre]

I have tried many mics on vocals over the years. Somewhere around the mid-2000s, I used an SM7B for the first time on a scratch vocal. When it came time to do the "real" vocal, I put up a Neumann U87 out of habit, and it just didn't sound as good as the SM7B. From that point on, I started using the SM7B for pretty much every vocal track. I will still do a shootout on a singer when we first start tracking vocals, and in 15 years, the SM7B has lost out to another mic TWICE. It always sounds good. It always has a rich low end and midrange and just enough top end. It may not be the absolute best mic for everything, but it ALWAYS sounds good to me. I can rely on that. I use it with a Cloudlifter usually, but not always.

If you're going to spend $1000 on a mic, you really can't go wrong with less than $500 on an SM7B and a Cloudlifter. You will never regret it.

Roger

[Phobos]

I use it with a Cloudlifter usually, but not always.

If you're going to spend $1000 on a mic, you really can't go wrong with less than $500 on an SM7B and a Cloudlifter. You will never regret it.

Roger

I actually ordered an SM7B and it just arrived. Do I need a Cloudlifter? I do have some pretty nice preamps (UA Apollo x8p) that I'm hoping can provide enough gain. I have not had a chance to try out the mic yet.

[digitaldrummer]

I've never felt like I needed a cloudlifter for my SM7B. I just use a preamp with enough gain. I have a silver UA LA-610 that I really like with it. Your Apollo has 65dB of gain so should probably be fine.