going nuts over the different choices, I don't have the chance for listen before buying.. could someone just give me a solution like "buy these two and call it a day now go make music" ??

I have a 58 i've been using for years but the other day sang into a beta 87 at my buddies house and was like.. damm, i like this.. thank you!!

p.s i have a rnc, so i got that covered. thanks

I am not an expert on the matter but I have a Symetrix 302. I was trying to get rid of it but it actually is good. Has lik 60db of gain to it. I get told by associates that it is used at times for it. It's <$300. Maybe someone else has used it that can comment further

There's a Rane preamp (forget the model#) that's super cheap and is supposed to be great sounding. More than sufficient for live use................

GT Brick?

Universal Audio Brick

Since you like the 87, get a Shure wireless system with a beta87 transmitter.

Output is line level - no pre-amp needed.



But, since this is Low-end, maybe I should steer you towards a Heil PR20 and Rane pre-amp. Don't you have a mixer to plug into with a pre-amp on-board?




-tINY

just wanted to step up a bit from the cheap consoles they have at the venues.

and yes I love the wireless idea.. but to expensive for me : (

Even a Beta 58 could be a step up....

New cheap consoles will have p48, but older cheap ones may not.

The beta58 is alright, but I really like that new PR20 that I got recently.

I think living with the pre-amp in the gin-joint is probably the way to go. The newer N-Dym mics like the the beta58 and the PR20 and all the ones from EV have a stronger output and don't need as much gain (not to mention that the output impedance tends to be sorted out better.

But, I have to put in another plug for the Heil mic - really good mic for $150



-tINY

Bingo.

There's enough that can go wrong at a gig, plus the fact that the house system will probably not show any difference at all between the house board and a better preamp.

Skip it.

Just sing real well.

I know this is getting stupid.. but, you compared it to the beta58 havent tried that one out.. the one i liked was the beta87 , how do they compare ?? I´m a fan of proximity effect, and read reviews the beta87 is nice on that.. maybe thats why I liked it.. promise, last question thanks?!

good point, I´ll skip the pre.

anything beta and up...

anything senn. 8 or 9 series...

the heil mics get rediculously great reviews...

uh... i'm tired, that's all i can think of now.

oh, grab up an effects box maybe and set up some presets that flatter your voice/singing and have them patch that in on an aux on the board maybe? just off the top of my head...

I've only used a Beta 58 a few times and it was long ago. If you really line the Beta87 (was it the A or C?) then get it. The worst that can happen is that the gin-joint doesn't have phantom power and you have to use the house mic for that gig.

The Heil PR20 has rather pronounced proximity effect. It's not obnoxious, but it's more than the SM58. The high end sounds more like an LDC - it's got a bit of presence peak, but its not a lot and it's up around 5kHz, not down in the 2kHz range.



-tINY

Despite the less than glowing review i wrote about it, I would at least try the rode s2. If that peak I was bitching about doesn't bother you, you would probably like it. It has a very tight spot. For the pre, I would just go with whatevvers on the board. The speakers are likely to be so crappy you won't hear a difference from a pre anyway.

for monitors sake, the dynamic mic.

I also would recommend the Beta58, just like your SM58, but with a lift in the treble. If you could get around the looks, the Beta57.

ez

For live performance I would always choose the Audix OM5 over a SM58 or Beta 58. The only thing to watch is that it is a tight pattern hypercardioid mic, so if you move your head to the side you will lose lots of volume. You need to stay right on the mic. If you do, it will reward you with an excellent tone which really cuts through average PA systems and delivers very high gain before feedback. Many vocalists I've mixed who are used to one of the 58s are blown away by the improvement of moving to an OM5.

It's a dynamic mic that doesn't need phantom power. It is also very robust, like the 58.

Andrew

Yes, I've got a solution like that. We're in Low End and you might not like the cost. What's your budget? How many channels/mics do you need?

I agree with your reasoning. I have enjoyed playing out far more since I started using my high quality studio preamps and good live mics. But I can keep control of them, wouldn't take them if I had to turn it over to someone else.

Steve

http://www.heilsound.com/pro/products/pr20/pr20.pdf


This is a good mic, in spite of how proud they are of it. If I were outfitting a band or club, I think I'd skip the 58s for these (but you have to have a couple 58s around for people with superstitions or poor mic technique).



-tINY

The Audix Om5 is a great alternative to the 58. The 87 can be touchy with monitors, some sennheiser 900 series stuff is great to. In my opinion the om5- has great off axis rejection and more extended highs. It may be a bit much for twangier female singers. Great feedback rejection from monitors, for those singers who can 'never hear their self' - It was my go-to live local mic.

cheers

The 87c can be a problem with the monitors. The hypercardioids aren't usually a problem. Your results may vary.

Another good dynamic is the Sennheiser MD431 - but we're getting pricey again....


-tINY

corr4ect me if im wrong but i thought you have to mod the pr-20 first for it too sound good. THye have the tutorial to it on the heil site (or they did a while back)

I used mine straight out of the box and it sounded great.

Maybe there were other models. I think that the line was revamped in the last year or so. There are some ham radio mics that might be interesting, but becuase they have very pronounced midranges for clarity when talking to people half way around the world.




-tINY

The pro sound version has been out a couple years. There may have been a mod you had to do to the Amateur Radio version-- which was designed for ham radios and had several versions with different impedances and even connectors, I believe, and was unbalanced. I never dealt with that version so I am not really clear on it. But it has the same body type as the PR20.

Like Tiny says, the PR20 mic works great out of the box.