Quote:
Originally Posted by
popmann
β‘οΈ
I know someone who traded me a 4033 because he hated it on his voice--
I knwow this is an old thread but I simply could not help but re-open it.
Here is how I approach this - I do not like to match mics per singer, I would much rather match it (or contrast it) to the mix. Think of it like a painter with a pallette of colors. So your singer has to have great tone regardless of the mic you use. Never let the type of singer determine the mic you will select.
I can't wait to get my hands on a 4047, because its soft warm "rounded highs" and heavily colored quality with dark, yet warmly dark mids - will blend vocals in perfectly with the softened quality of the guitar sounds coming from the softened style of sound coming from the Axe FX guitar modeler as well as the softened quality of the Access Virus synthesizer (IMO the two greatest pieces of musical instrument technologies in history).
An accurate analogy to the combination of these tools is like in soap operas with that softened filter on the lens slightly softening the details which would otherwise be sharp - the equivalent idea in audio is these tools I describe in a mix - warmly soft highs, but at the same time still huge and 3D sounding and still very clear because they are all "gooey". This combination of tools in my pallette will generate a very dream-like vibe enhanced by the 4047 because the F.E.T. style overtone are stunning in their color - that the mic has a vibe that words cannot describe.
But on another occasion, I may wish to use the bright and very present and lively sounding 4060 as a contrast standing out much more from those "softened instrument technologies" instead. But I also love the 4050 because it is very honest and simple. A mic that will not in anyway lack any quality with a great singer. Do not listen to those who tell you its a boring mic - it is an amazing mic, but just not too colored.
But the 4033 and 4040 are also breathtaking - sparkly without being too harsh. But I believe I read somewhere in audio technica literature that the 4050 is just a multi-pattern version of a 4033, but I could be wrong. But what I love about my own 4050 is that when you switch to the multi-pattern modes, especially omni-directional- that I can hear a neat effect of my diffusers in my vocal booth. (Yes the one you see that is black in my icon - available on ebay in any color).
I can't wait to have the multi-pattern version of the 4047!
But I absolutely think the 40 series is a line that competes with mics costing many many times the price, but I will not state any names of mics so that no one who spent the big bucks gets offended.
But it is industry standard knowledge that Audio Technica is a firm that makes extremely high quality mics for a fraction of the cost of the highest end mics - just like Aphex and their preamps which are so close in sound quality to preamps costing 3x the price (in some cases even bigger, and more brilliant). So its not always about the money.
I simply wish to own every single mic in the 40 series one day! Enough said.
But with that said, please note that a good singer will sound good on any microphone. I know of a few vocalists I have heard in my life who are have pure tone - nothing but quality tones and overtones coming out of their vocals. They even sound good if you put a $60 SM57 in front of them. But there are others who simply do not have the tone no matter even if you put a 10,000 dollar microphone in front of them. No mic will fix a horrid vocalist with bad tones.
So never use a mic to try to cover up bad overtones or people who have annoying or terribly ******* sounding voices, it doesn't matter how good their intonation is if they lack proper tone. If someone thinks a particular singer sounds terrible on any particular mic, and if anyone suggests that another mic should be used, I disagree because chances are - its not the mic. LOL. Microphone selection for a singer is like providing various color palettes to a painter, but if the painter can't paint, it does not matter how many colors you give them. So again, approach microphones relative to your mix, not relative to a vocalist. A good vocalist will shine through anything. So it just depends on what you call for in your mix.
If someone tries to tell you that a particular mic is terrible for one type of voice, or "boring" for another types of voice - I would run away... and FAST.
For my own project, I can go rent any mic and my vocalist will sound full on anyone of them, and has never ever sounded bad on any mic whatsoever.
NEVER try to match a microphone to try to suit a vocalist, but ALWAYS try to match (or contrast) different mics in relation to the rest of the instruments until you have the right match or contrast that you prefer regarding the vocals atop the instruments - or to bring out one particular characteristic about a persons vocals. (but never the reverse masking method). In other words, NEVER never ever try to approach the matter by trying to hide any unwanted vocal characteristics with microphones. If anyone says that is possible, then you my friend are facing a total quack and their words must be avoided at all costs - no matter what the cost.
While it is true that certain mics bring out certain characteristics in certain types of voices better, it should still matter little what mic is selected. Because if the vocalist has any unwanted characteristic in their vocals coming across in microphones, then such individuals may want to look into expressing themselves in other ways - perhaps with paint & brushes, or with a hammer & chisel, or any of the many other art forms. Because vocals or maybe even music simply is not their calling.