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Mastering.com Members Club

30.3k members • Free

13 contributions to Mastering.com Members Club
Recording Vocals
After a few questionable gear decisions, I now own a Sennheiser E965, Rode NT1-A, and AKG C3000, and I’m overthinking which one to use for vocal recording. Which mic will actually make my recorded vocals sound great instead of exposing all my bad habits? What are the key sound differences between them? Or take a vote which one I should use 😊
Poll
13 members have voted
4 likes • Dec '25
It's hard to say which mic is best for your voice without knowing what your voice sounds like. I have a great selection of mics from a vintage Neuman all the way down to a cheap plastic home Karaoke mic and they all sound good on something. EG, just 2 weeks ago I was recording vocals for a major female artist and couldn't get her to sound good on the Neuman (which is my go to for vocals usually) and after going down thru the mics she sounded amazing on the Rode NT1-A. I've got a Rode NT1 & NT1-A and in my opinion they're excellent vocal mics. The WA-87 recommended by John is also a great mic but very similar to the NT1-A that you already have (they're both Neuman U-87 clones) so I wouldn't spend money on that mic as despite it being slightly better than yours you will not get a massively different result for the money. All of the mics you own are capable of recording a quality vocal, as long as you make sure your recording levels are not clipping and you don't have anything altering the sound on the way in (eg noisy pre-amp, compressor etc etc) and you pay attention to the proximity effect (a decent starting place would be 3-4 inches from the pop shield and place the pop shield 3-4 inches away from the mic, then if the vocal is too thin get closer by an inch at a time till you get the right amount of body in the recording and if it's too boomy then move away an inch at a time till you get the right balance. Do the same thing with each of your mics, then see which you prefer.) The environment you're recording in is just as important as your mic choice as a £16k mic will sound very cheap in a poor room, If you have little or no room acoustic treatment then try to avoid symmetrical reflections by positioning your mic so it's not in the middle of any walls (length, width & Height) and have plenty of padding from thick curtains or blankets or even a mattress or 2. If this is the case then I'd be spending money on acoustic treatment before a new mic, and if you do want a new mic then try a Shure SM-58 or a podcast mic like the Shure SM-7b or Aston Mic's Stealth as they only record what goes directly into them so they're far less likely to pick up room noise and reflections.
Question for Pro Mix Engineers
Hi everyone I'm a fairly new in the game of mix engineering & I'm guessing there are more experienced guys here. So my question to you guys is- What are the practical habits that one can follow in their daily life as a mix engineer to make better mixdowns?
0 likes • Oct '23
@Alien V. 100%
0 likes • Oct '23
@Mike Bass couldn't agree more
My Humble Opinion
I'm sure most people here are very enthusiastic when it comes to mixers, hardware and plugins - just like me. Anyone else dreaming of having €100,000€/$ to go shopping? But what is far more important than the technology we use is the experience that comes from listening to music that has already been produced. I keep realizing how much I benefit from the fact that I've already heard thousands (!) of albums and have thus developed a good idea of ​​how music should sound (for me) - or should NOT sound like. It is important to learn how to work out the emotional message of a song in the production and in the mix. Ultimately, we always connect through feelings with the songs that accompany us through life. It's great when you have the chance to develop the technical skills to make it sound great. That's why I want to thank the mentors: I'm one step further :-) (in just 3 days - how cool is that?)
3 likes • Aug '23
I've done the big shop and had the full room of gear and then I sold it all and went completely in the box but now I'm getting it all back again cause I love the feel of a console and I cant get over it.! this is where i'm up to now
1 like • Aug '23
111% agree with you on thanking the mentors as you can never stop learning
DAW
I just joined. Ready to put the work in! Which DAW does everyone use? & Why do you prefer it?
2 likes • Aug '23
Cubase 12 pro... been using cubase since the atari st days in the early 90's
REPLAY: Day 3 of Fix-The-Mix
Day 3 replay is up now in Classroom or by clicking here: https://www.skool.com/fix-the-mix-challenge-2089/classroom/ac097929?md=d8084fb16e214154912ee9c1309cb4a6 Thanks for everything y'all. We truly appreciate the support and hope you had a ton of great takeaways. ❤️ Michael GM - Mastering.com
1 like • Aug '23
Unfortunately I had to work during the last 2 days but I've watched the replay for day 2 and starting day 3 now. thank you guys.
1-10 of 13
Michael Richmond
3
21points to level up
@michael-richmond-3781
I'm a mix engineer from the UK specializing in Vocals (Tuning, Comping, Effecting & Recording).

Active 20d ago
Joined Aug 17, 2023
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