[stargirl]

Hey,

I have never been a big fan of my voice. But would a expensive mic make the tone or sound of them any better? Or is i just something i will have to work on myself?

Also, if anyone could recommend any good recording microphones for vocals (preferably USB but they don't have to be) that would be great.

Thanks

[tone]

Hey up Stargirl - nice to see you back on the forum

Of course, a more expensive mic will produce a higher quality sound, otherwise there'd be no such thing as a very expensive mic.

Having said that, a better mic will capture the full sound of your voice, and you'll prefer it to a crappy mic.

I would recommend spending as much as you can on a mic if you're keen to get a decent sound. A condenser mic is usually better for vocals, although I did hear on the telly the other night that Alison Moyet recorded Yazoo's Only You vocals using a Shure SM58... So a large part of it is in the fiddling with buttons & faders (or software these days.)

Personally the best sound for the pounds I've heard is the Zoom H2 http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/ it's much better than it looks and it records direct to its own memory as an MP3 file which you can download later. Great for recording practise sessions and the like. I'm sure it can be used to record as part of a multi track setup too.

[british anarchy]

shure mics are the one everyone recommends it all comes down to budget like tone says spend as much as you can afford

for vocals a 30mhz - 16,000khz is a good start

the samson gomic is usb and has 20mhz to 20,000khz is the best mic i have ever used personally but then till this one i only used cheap tacky ones this one is around £35 brand new on ebay

[emmapeel]

A better mic does not necessarily mean a more expensive mic. The cost is a rough guide but it is not accurate. Also it is good to get a mic that will suit your voice. It needs a bit of thought when you are thinking about upgrading your microphone.

[massa]

Yes an expensive mic is better than a crappy one. Example: I bought a really cheap microphone when I was starting out and I recorded myself singing and almost burst into tears as I thought I must sound like that. Then I got an expensive new one, and wow!

[Paul]

I've recenly bought a Rode NT1000 Condensor mic. It costs £200.00 new but I was able to pick one up from eBay for £86.00 inclusive of postage. It's in excellent condition and sounds fantastic. I have been using a good quality Sennheiser dynamic mic, which doesn't compete with my new mic. The Rode has improved my recordings beyond belief! It's worth looking out for a similar second hand bargain!

[Andy Price]

I think generally yes, the better your gear - the better the final product aurally speaking. Of course if you naturally have an amazing voice and musical expertise you can get away with using cheaper gear. I recorded some tracks round at my friends house using his condenser mic and was blown away by the sound quality and how far more natural my vocals sounded, rather than the double-tracked somewhat hissy recordings I'd been making with my 8-track. I've recently bought one myself (a Perception 120 condenser mic along with tons of other gear - a month's wages worth!) and hopefully the sound quality should be a great deal better. It is definately worth the investment

[mihkay]

A better mic will not improve a vocal, but it will make the existing vocal clearer and capture a more intimate sound. Cheaper mics tend to lose the higher frequencies and muddy the sound a bit.
I bought a Samson C01 condenser (Available from £60 to £75) as an alternative to my AKG D65S dynamic.  Made a huge difference to my vocal and acoustic guitar recordings. Not an expensive mic and I believe there is a USB version available.

[Gabe Carter]

Yes and no. The audio quality may get better but your vocals won't get better. Practice makes that better.

Also stay away from USB mics because they leave you stuck with no options to expand and grow in the long run. Try a usb to xlr converter with a real mic.

[Ramshackles]

agree with above - the best mics are designed to simply perfectly pick up what they hear. Often condenser mics specifically have a certain freq. response to add a warm colouring to it, but the bottom line is if it rubbish going in, it is rubbish going out. A good voice sounds good in a bad mic and great in a good mic, a bad voice sounds bad whatever.
BUT - how do you know you have a bad voice? I think no one really likes the sound of their voice. The singers in my band hate their voices but I think they are awesome