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The best of vocals
I admittedly do not go top of the line with vocals so before answering my students question I want some knowledgeable opinions.
My student wants to use a Blue Bottle mic with her iPad. Clearly at a price like that she is looking for the best way to connect... And the best apps.
Any real serious vocalists on here that can name the best of the best. ( btw I use singaling and VocaLive normally with iRig mic or shure plugged into tascam iXZ.... )
Comments
Apogee Mic would be my pick. (Not a vocalist in any sense here..just my 2cents)
The baby bottle is twice the price of the apogee. Now that's not a guarantee it is better, but high probability. I assume there are not many vocalists in the iOS world yet. One reason I am trying to get this young lady to join in iPad recording, she will bring something different to all the men and their drum and synth apps.
Great vocalists like great mics, so I need to find the interfaces and apps that handle something like the baby bottle. Perhaps the iXZ or irig pro can... I was just hoping someone on here was a user of $400 plus mics and a stickler for their vocals.
I have neither a bottle or an apogee mic but I do own an ev re20 and from the one youtube clip I've heard of the apogee I was highly impressed and will be getting one who I can.
My background is radio and the re20 is standard that's what I'm used to so I don't have as mic experience as most people here but considering radio is vocal I would like to think my ear is keen on vocal audio.
I've also been drinking so there!
I would imagine you should probably be looking at something like an Apogee Duet, if you want something high-end to complement the Blue Bottle mic.
As for apps, Auria is really the best bet. Vocal Live and Singaling are OK, but really if your singer can sing in tune, and I presume she can, the effects aren't really high-end, unlike the effects in Auria which are studio quality.
The first post says Blue Bottle microphone, which is a $5000+ mic. Into an iPad?
@MrNezumi said:
Well why not?
With a good interface + DAW the ipad is pretty decent. It's also very quiet compared to most workstations.
(Edit) to be fair the OP has clarified that it's the Baby Bottle, not the Blue Bottle, so $500 rather than $50000
Another option to consider: if your vocalist wants to spend a bit less than the Apogee line for the interface, then the Focusrite Scarlett line would also be worth considering. The Apogees have quite a bit more gain though, so it depends to some extent how loud your vocalist sings.
I use an Oktava mic (roughly the same price range as the Baby Bottle but with a very different sound) with a Scarlett 2i4, but my voice is relatively quiet so I do have to use a gate to cut out the noise from the interface and the gain is set close to maximum when I record.
I'm a singer/songwriter and I use the Apogee Mic into Auria and Cubasis. I highly recommend it.
One drawback with the Apogee Mic vs. an interface + a regular condenser mic will be latency when monitoring - because you have to monitor via the iPad headphone socket.
No vocalist here (not even gonna lie), but reading this thread begs a question, what type of singer is she, are we talking Sade or Aretha Franklin? What vocal range as well?
You should match the mic to the singer and not the other way around. Certain mics perform better than others within a certain frequency range. You might be better off with several less expensive options and room treatment, more versatility that way.
If you feel you need just one bad ass mic...better get THE Neumann.
Can't wait for that something different you mentioned, I like different.
I'm not implying the iPad is not up to the task per se. Just that most people with that expensive of a mic also have a super expensive pre-amp, cables and, well, studio that go along with it. And they would know how to use it with an iPad, if for some odd reason they wanted to use one to record with.
Yes, but it was just a typo, it's actually this microphone:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000RLF7HI/
Yes, I got that, a mistake.
My favorite mic is a good ol' cheap SM57. They compliment my voice perfectly, don't need phantom power and are inexpensive. I got a Blue Snowball a while ago, but haven't really used it yet. Hopefully I will get the chance to use it this week.
I used the iPad's internal mic for a rough guide track and it was really bad for my voice. It severely cuts the low end.
I prefer and like the SM 57 too and no this individual does not know how to use such a mic with iPad. A young singer who prefers r&b and vocalists such as Amy Winehouse.
My goal was to start her off with something simple like iRig learn the basics of iPad recording and move on. Yet the question has been asked about this very high end mic. As far as my typos I need to clarify which one is being used with individual asking. No joke.
This is new territory as far as I can tell, because yes it seems why would someone with such access to expensive equipment bother to record in this method.
There is method to my madness. Learning a daw on an idevice can be easier than protools for a teen. I am tryin to give this teen the ability to take track making into her own hands. Plus iOS recording is still a new thing, with obvious buzz, so who knows what it may become and what will be accomplished.
I am just trying to get some other opinions on high end mics plugged into an idevice. I admittedly do not have the financial means to buy high end equipment. I make livable money still using gargeband 6.0.9 and still am patiently waiting to upgrade. So I want to give the best advice I can on the best vocal apps and interfaces for very pricey mics. Some of the advice so far is very helpful.
OK, so if it's a teen then you probably need to keep it relatively cheap and simple.
I would suggest a Scarlett 2i4 and Auria, or even MultiTrack DAW. The 2i4 has the best monitoring, which is why I chose it - and this is really important when doing vocals, she needs to be able to hear herself singing.
The benefit of Multitrack DAW is that it's really simple, so no learning curve, and she can still add reverb and compression to her vocal and monitor herself with the reverb and compression applied to her voice while she is singing - this is a big help, makes a huge difference to the vocal take. There is a dial on the 2i4 that lets you blend between the latency free live signal and the processed signal from the DAW, so you can adjust the levels very easily and since you have no latency on the live signal the latency on the reverb doesn't cause any problems.
You can also do the same with Auria, but Auria is more complicated to learn and use - the upside though is that it has far more power and will do a much better job at mixing and processing the vocals.
I have a good collection of mics. The Baby Bottle is not a very good vocal mic. It's sonic character is a bit like a 57, actually, a bit pinched on top and aggressive bite in the mids. I used it mainly on snare and guitar cabs for that reason. Better off looking at sE or Cascade for a better mic in that range.
I think the Apogee duet or one will be a great choice since the preamps sound really nice and no camera adapter to deal with.
The parents are asking me about the more pricey mics. Honestly it's kind of a relief, I teach music and donate instruments. Most parents "want the cheapest way possible" which is always a bad idea. However my goal is to push for learning the basics on regular and popular mics, and then move up.
However if i am asked I always aim to provide proper advice, hence my questioning the forum. However to be clear all vocal advice is appreciated. It will help with future students.
Uh, now I am confused about which mic is being used. And this goes hand-in-hand with what is your definition of "high end" and "expensive". Are you indeed talking about the Blue Bottle which is thousands of dollars or the Baby Bottle which is only a few hundred dollars? I know "a few hundred dollars" may seem expensive (I certainly don't have that much to spend on a mic now), but in the world of expensive mics that is chicken feed. Pre-amps can also run tens of thousands of dollars. A good pre-amp can make a bad mic sound good, but even a great mic will probably sound like crap through a bad pre.
The question I recieved in email was "does the baby blue bottle work with irig pro"
So I decided to just go and ask about the best mics and interfaces to see what advice I was given.
Yes, if money's no object Apogee will be a much better choice than the iRig Pro. The iRig is pretty thin sounding according to the reviews I have read - that combined with a bright microphone like the Baby Bottle might not be all that great.
I see that we posted at the same time and your message just above mine clarifies things.
@ShawnLeonhardt For ios apps, go with Auria and some IAP. Proper eq is gonna be important. Especially if your singer is sibilant. But you are gonna end up making cuts no matter what.
Amy Winehouse!...now I'm excited. Better have a look here:
http://thegarynobleshow.tumblr.com/post/19344210619/amys-favorite-studio-microphone
SOS had an article on a mix engineers experience with Ms. Winehouse some time ago. That may give you some tips.
Many good options mentioned above.
As far as interfaces go, I've found most are comparable In the under $500 range, but someone else may have a gem up their sleeve.
Take care.
Scarlett 18i8, Auria, SM beta58. That's all, folks.
Did you by chance actually read the OP? He's asking for the best of the best, not budget.
Welcome to the forum btw. Aka the musicians graveyard.
Look closely at the following brands in increasing price:
Cascade
sE
THE Audio
Mojave (David Royer from Royer Ribbon fame)
Peluso (makes versions of vintage mics)
If you want more I got loads. Of course, these are just one person's opinion.
Personally, I think most new Neumanns suck butt. Very bright and hyped in a non-awesome way.
Large diaphragm dynamic is where I'd start her. Easy to find a good preamp, easy to keep background sound down in a bedroom, lots of sounds available as she learns to play with proximity effect. RE20 already mentioned above, the shure SM7 and Heil PR-40 (my fave) are all friggin great vocal mics for under $500. I agree that the baby bottle isn't a great vocal mic but these sorts of things have so much to do with the type of voice and preamp combo it's hard to ever really say 'not a good vocal mic'.
Then, don't plug it into an interface - plug it into a good preamp. There are nearly as many preamps as there are mics it seems so it really depends on budget. Then from the pre into a good interface like the apogee or the focusrites. You might look into finding a pre->spdif out->interface combo.
I'd try searching around on the TapeOp message board. An unbelievable amount of good information on there. Better to search via Google with "vocal mic under $500 site:messageboard.tapeop.com" or whatever the URL actually is. If you search first and are trying to narrow it down people are pretty helpful if you share your current thinking and scenario.
For cheap, it's hard to beat an SM58 (not a 57 unless it's rock and roll) or the Heil pr-30. Shure's Beta line are good too but cost a little bit more. Those are all hand held dynamics. I think the MXL V67G is actually an incredible vocal mic for lots of voices for under $100! Large diaphragm condenser.
For mid range, I've had good luck with the AT line of condenser mics from Audio Technica. The AT4047 is an incredible mic. I picked it over Neumann mics costing 2-4 times as much regularly at the studio I worked at and eventually bought one for myself. It and the PR-40 are my "try this first" mics.
Ramble complete. Try tapeop!
For the best of the best (as you put it in op) vocal mic for this type of singer, look no further than U47 or U87. Buy right, buy once.
Well, I don't think recommending a $2000 dollar mic to a teenager is all that sensible
On the other hand there are some interesting shoot-outs on YouTube comparing the u87 to the Oktava mk319, where the much cheaper Russian mic fares pretty well, considering it is only one tenth of the price:
I can't help feeling that the Neumann made the singer look much more attractive...
@Paul B. I was wondering if it was just my imagination.