Still no explanation for your claim that the newer Neumanns are "badly produced" but you made your point.

Wow! this thread has taken unexpected turn!

I'll chime in since I'm the OP and only a hobbyist albeit a serious one (I like to think so at least).

I tried the Soyuz and now own the Flea 47 Next. I also own a pair of Aston Spirit, a c214, an MXL V6, a CAD M179, a KSM137, a Fat Head, an R84, an sm57 and an SM7b.

Of all my mics besides the Flea 47, I think only the ksm137 and the R84 have an excellent sound for acoustic guitar. The other condensers are just bright bright bright with a top end I can't endure. Don't get me started on the C214.

The Soyuz and the Flea are just in another league. It just instantly sounds good with no eq. Not perfect but already more true to the instrument. And for vocals they are just so fun to sing into, really soooo fun. I feel like a pro singer

As for vocals, The SM7b is pretty good. I like it, especially when I know I will rock a little and sing louder and if the vocals will be in a dense mix. Just not the mic for slower more exposed and delicate vocals. But it can work - Just listen to Bon Iver.

The R84 is also really sweet sounding, I really like it. It teams up really well with the Flea or the Soyuz for mid side stuff. It's actually really creamy in the mids and the top end is there to be eqed in easily.

The Aston Spirit just lacks body in the mids - so much so it's hard to sing into it. You just only hear low end, SSSS and mouth noises.

The C214 is even worst. It's actually the worst mic I ever owned. I wonder why I am not selling it.

The MXL V6 is also way too bright, but it does a marvelous job on kick drum with a LPF, so I keep it.

I need most of these mics for when I track my drum kit. But I am now considering getting rid of the C214 and perhaps one or both of the Spirit to get a WA-47 to team up with the Flea for overheads. I could perhaps not have to spend a cent.

I think your post pretty clearly, if accidentally, illustrates the "quality threshold" for professional tools. The Flea, Neumann, AEA, and Shure are above that threshold, while the Aston and 214 are not. The MXL likely isn't either, but all three of those lower-quality mics are still mics, and in creative hands can still be used to get decent results if you just need more inputs for, say, drums.

But yeah, you should stick to professional quality stuff that holds its value from here on out, in my opinion. I highly doubt a Warm 47 would sound like a match for the Flea (maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it). You could get a pair of Beyer MC930s for the price of a Warm 47 and you'd be getting a pair of genuine pro German mics for your overheads instead of a somewhat questionable clone to try to pair with an actual high-quality 47-style mic.

I don't think you'd regret selling the Aston or the AKG in the slightest. Replace them with tools you can use for decades happily.

I agree with Progger above..
Get a real tool..
there are some nice sounding pieces that while not the same as a tube mic (like the flea), are very good tools and can last a LONG time.

Shure KSM line is a great exemple of this.. their 32 is one of the most versatile mics out there.. works great on basically anything..

I’d suggest you look into the Milab DC196, multiple polar pattern, so you could use it in conjuction with your flea (if you use MS technique for OH)..
Otherwise you could look into the Austrian Audio OC18 or 818, they’re great modern punchy sounding OH mics..

Or from Neumann the TLM 107 is pretty nice.. or used TLM193 if cardioid only and a more “natural” mellow tone is wanted..

Also a used Schoeps cmc5 or 6 with an mk4 (or your caps of choice) is a GREAT addition to any mic locker.

On the very cheap the line audio cm4 do really great OH mics imho, very “natural” non hyped.. quite amazing for their price.
I’m not saying these are the same as the schoeps or an LDC, but they are still in my locker, and I own several schoeps and neumann’s..

Buy quality, not quantity.



Cheu

One thing I will most likely do is get a second R84 at some point for overheads.

But I'd also like to keep a condenser pair for that.

In the mean time, mid-side with the Flea and the R84 should pair up nicely I'm sure. I've yet to try it.

Or pair of CC8

I haven't heard anything from those yet but I know the reviews have been quite favorable. I've liked what I've heard from the 818, and I think Austrian Austrian is a cool company in general, so I'm sure they're good mics! The Beyers have just been around forever and used on thousands of records, so they're a very safe investment.

I think if they were better produced they would have a better build and a better sound than their 50 + year old relatives. They don't.
Compare a M149 to an M49.

Where? Places on the internet devoid of hatred like Facebook or Youtube?

Back to the OP's quest, I am not sure that a U47 style mic is necessarily the panacea for sibilant voices. It is a mic that does not work for everyone.
Ideally, renting and testing a few good mics prior to purchasing would be my recommandation. I assume that you can find that in Montreal QC.

All comes down to what you are willing to spend. It seems you don't want to spend much. If that's the case, I highly recommend the WA 47jr which I got for $200 each (pre xmas sale) new. Much better than any of the cheaper mics you are listing. Otherwise suck it up, sell your car, and buy a pair of Microtech Gefell UMT-800 and forever be satisfied. (I lucked in to a used pair for $3K).

Most of my recording is live acoustic instruments and voices in various environments. It soon became obvious (about 20 years ago) that what I generally was after was mics that "transcribed" what was occurring in the space, with as little added "character" as possible.

My RODE NT-1 and NT-1A LDCs were OK as occasional "solo" spots, but needed "tamed" a good bit on the top end. A Joly-Mod K-47 NT-1 (with a redesigned and less-"spitty" headbasket) soon became my primary LDC "solo" spot. It was joined a decade ago by a used pair of Neumann TLM193 LDCs. They are generally used as solo spots or a LDC grand piano pair, and the RODE pair are usually on perc duty. Both the Joly and the 193s have a bit of "character" but, for the most part, it doesn't get in the way, and vocalists/soloists have been well pleased. More pricy than a RODE, to be sure... but not a bank-breaker.

I've also gone the "transcription" route in SDCs in my more regularly used pairs for choir, orchestra, and piano work...Gefell M296 omnis; Sennheiser MKH8040 and Line Audio CM3 cardioid/wide card; and, recently, Shure KSM141 switchable omni/card.

Maybe 193s might be another solution for you?

They work pretty well for me!

HB

After listening to your songs - if you do have the possibility to give the rode TF-5 a try - they're SDC but really nice and warm that might flatter to the tone of your voice. Excellent tools for acoustic guitar and percussion / OH as well. As Progger suggested the Beyer 930s, i've used both of them side by side and while i think the 930 might give the more accurate response, i suspect you might like what the TF does.

Independent of mic choice:
As has been stated, that the room is just as or maybe even more important. Kind of like the body of your guitar, while the mic were your strings. If that analogy is allowed.

With sibilants, these high frequencies just are much more projecting than the rest of the range of our voices. So the mic that on its own sounds right on the sibilants might lack clarity/definition/"air" in any other vocal expression. Therefor deessing imho is just the way to go. Eventually, a deesser is just a compressor triggered by a sidechained signal of your voice with exaggerated (eq-ed in) sibilants. This can be fully automated once carefully set and forget.

Further helping could be adding a parallel compression path with pushed lows and air bands. This realises a dynamic eq / automatic loudness effect that's pleasing to our natural hearing. Instead of ducking from above it builds a fundament from below that allows you to become very soft and quiet and even whisper with then so to say automatically increased bass and air. Naturally, the sibilant frequencies tend to be harsh in high volumes but between nice and needed in low volumes and the same is true for the low end of the range, so finding nice settings for a p.c. path might benefit to a controlled yet natural and open sounding voice and help with less harshness on louder sibilants. Maybe you already added this in your mixdown.

Nice work btw, regards

The Warm WA-47 is an excellent "Character Mic".
I know about some Producers, who obtained a great sounding lead vocal out of it. Just not as predictable as other choices.
Chris

A Neumann 47 FET was a classic choice, for sibilant singers, among LDC's.
It was a fave vocal mic, for Bruce Swedien.
Chris

IMHO the Warm WA 47Jr (I have one), is a very nice vocal microphone.
But it still falls within the "Character" designation above.
I was able to snag one for $200, during one of those sales.

It's a nice alternative for music get togethers, at a friend's home,
as a "Room Mic"-set on Omni. That way we keep his U87i "safe and sound put away.
Chris
P.S. While we all have our perspectives... Paul G has to be one of the top evaluators of the 47 style microphone
around. Hey, he's got them ALL! (well almost)

Thanks for your comments and listening to the songs. I just want to reiterate for the benefice of the thread that I did buy my microphone and I settled on the Flea 47 Next. I'vs been tracking a little with it these past 2 weeks. And I really like it so far. It does have a good bit of air around the 10khz area but it's quite reasonable and deals much better with sibilance than my other condensers. Obviously my R84 has less sibilance but it also lacks in the «detail/definition/sheen» that condensers have.

For what it's worth, has long as the sibilance is not annoying when I sing in the mic, it's fine on that matter. I know I can easily take care of it in the mix anyway. I do this with a combination of manual leveling on the wave file, a de-eesser and comping the best takes.

I also find if just track with a slight eq cut at 7200hz it's already almost perfect.

So far I really like the Flea 47 for vocals. It's really well balanced across the frequencies and without any eq it already sits pretty well in the rough mix as I track other stuff along the voice. It sounds pretty much mix ready for my type of sound. I could see some would like more top end but I don't and I think there is already plenty enough in the 10khz. It's far from a dark microphone.

Also, the bass is really nice sounding with some warm and pleasant low mids and the low end is really soft and contained. The proximity effect is just right and it helps to control the amount of bass you want and also the volume when you sing lower notes. I just approach the mic for these notes. It's not bass heavy - a quick comparison with the Aston Spirit and the Aston has a much bigger bottom end and you can't approch the mic too much because it's overpowering.

Hey Chris!
Just for info I’m selling a great U47 FET style mic..
It’s a Violet Design Globe Vintage.. it’s in my signature (or in the GS classifieds)..

It’s an early version, means with the VD47 capsule (afaik the new versions today the capsule is a different one)..
I also wrote a review about it.. everytime I read it I want to pull the ad..

maybe you know somebody interested..

Maybe Kharma could be interested..
Feel free to make me an offer..

Sorry for the shameless plug



Cheu

Dave Pearlman makes some pretty good tube mics. We have his TM-1 and like it a lot on vocals, especially female vocals.

Thanks Cheu for invitation to consider, for a "friend".

Personally, I feel rather (poly) saturated, in my mini-arsenal.
Which effectively, became a home for (around 14) wayward vocal mics.
(what's next 50 feral cats? )
Chris

I bought the Flea 47 Next!

Well, thx for the offer, but I won't buy another mic on top of the Flea for a while. Unless I get rid of a few other mics first.

Famous last words...
Chris

? Perhaps here they are legendary! It's just I, myself, really rarely sell music stuff. But perhaps I should!

Especially after you read my review from a decade ago..


I simply thought to write it here, because it might have some relevance and interest for the OP..
And maybe you know somebody eho might be interested in getting a great, unobtanium mic for a great price.



Cheu

Don't get me wrong, Chris, I know a lot of folks who get wonderful results from Warm gear! One producer friend of mine in particular, who's an utter genius, uses it extensively (the 412 pre, 47jr, and more recently 67). No doubt, a WA47 can be used to make great recordings. With that budget, though, I'd make a different choice – if I were trying to maximize my dollar/mic quality ratio, I'd go (and have gone) straight to 3U.

In a recent 87 style blind shootout (on a different website)...

The Warm 87 R2 had quite a high evaluation, finishing in around the upper mid of "the pack".

IIRC Vintage 87/U87ai/Beesneez 87/Serrano 87 were the other ones included.
Chris
P.S. BTW I consider the Blue Baby Bottle, that can be had under $250
used, a very cool Rock vocal mic.

Sure that wasn’t a deaf shootout?

Unheard of!
Chris

I’m really happy that you found “your” new vocal mic and that we got to share the journey.

I have been on that journey for a while and finally got my own a few months ago.

And from hearing your recording I can agree that a C214 is not a good mic for you, but it has been a really good mic for me. It’s been my main mic until I got my new main mic (OC818).

So to you and to everyone reading this thread, it’s really important to find that mic that is right “for you”.
Just because a mic is great doesn’t mean it’s great for you.

This is also why almost all recommendations in this forum boils down to the same advice: test it with your own voice and in your own space.

Of course, we can all make suggestions based on our experience and make relative advice.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your process.

https://www.facebook.com/noiselab.studio.7
Just for information

Matti