Best Live Vocal Microphone
How Should a Mic Sound Live?
My biggest pet peeves when playing live are feedback and sounding too bright. I’ve tried a Sennheiser and Audix mic before, but they were too difficult and they needed too many adjustments on the PA to get it sounding right. The SM 58 is just a general, great sounding mic for me and I’ve found many other musicians agree with me.
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Flickr: laffy4k
I have to say the Shure SM 58 is my favorite mic for live performances.
It’s also the most popular mic in the world for good reason. The frequency rise special to the Shure SM 58 is what makes it different than any other mic. In addition, it’s affordable compared to other VERY EXPENSIVE mics.
Many live singers like me want to hold the mic very close to their lips when singing. I developed this when playing guitar and singing very close to the mic. This mic sounds GREAT when putting your mouth very close and that’s another reason people love it.
The SM 58 is great for monitoring your voice on stage too. This is a big headache for a lot of singers because often they feel they are not singing loud enough. In reality, they just don’t have good vocal monitors set up. Well, the SM 58 is trustworthy in the live department when it comes to monitoring.
Durability of Mic?
You can throw this mic down on stage and it keeps coming back. I have more than a few musician friends who have had this mic for a long time. It seems like they just don’t die. So yeah, if you’re any kind of musician doing gigs around town or going on the road and you routinely move gear into or out of your car, get durable stuff including mics.
Order SM 58 From Musician’s Friend
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The Neumann KMS105 microphone is a nice choice for any amateur or professional vocalist. It looks good and it sounds great. The four-layer acoustic filter gives less feedback than most microphones, which makes it ideal for live vocals. The Neumann KMS105 eliminates the need to have to force your vocals, which also makes it great for recording. The electric and mechanical filters assure super-low noise levels.
Neumann KMS105
The Neumann KMS105 handles a most vocal ranges, but unlike the Shure SM-58, it may require some tweaking to achieve full clarity on higher vocal ranges. This mic is awesome if you have the right voice for it and have some vocal training under your belt, as it requires clarity and articulation to really reach its full potential.
Order KMS105 From Musician’s Friend
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AudixOM6
This microphone is an outstanding choice for anyone looking for a microphone with amazing clarity that is interference-free. The Audix OM6 has no distortion, making it an excellent choice for live singing. It’s extremely durable, which is also important when you are live on stage. The OM6 also works very well when recording, making it an excellent choice if you need a multi-purpose mic.
I also really like the look of this microphone. It isn’t so big that it takes center stage, but it isn’t tiny either. It is easy to handle and is lightweight. Since the mic does sometimes require a gate to neutralize the low frequency resonance, I do think that the Shure SM-58 handles better with instrument applications–especially with percussions. For the price this is a really good microphone that will not disappoint most people. It sounds great and it’s hassle-free.
Order Audix OM6 From Musician’s Friend
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Disclosure Policy: This is a professional review page, which I use to recommend products I trust. I get commissions as an affiliate for some products I recommend on my site, such as the products on this page. My professional reputation is affected by the programs I recommend to you so you can trust these are my honest opinions on these microphones. It’s ethical and lawful that I disclose my affiliate relationship with some products.
thanks,
Tyler Lohan
SingingCenter.com