Best Live Vocal Mics
By: The Gear Dude | Date: 2nd May 2020
Chances are if you are looking for a live vocal mic that you’ve already had to sing into a gross dented foul-smelling house mic in a bar/club/venue before. ITS OKAY!!! Everyone has been there before, I’m no stranger to it either. This is why I like most musicians will carry my own microphone when I go to gig. There are many different options available all of which suit different singers for different reasons. Im going to discuss what I think are the best choices available under $700.
Shure SM58 Microphone
Shure released the SM58 in 1966 and since then it has become the most widely known and recognizable vocal microphone available. The design from its recognizable silver round grille and black metal body as well at its functionality have since then remained unchanged. They’re not the best sounding mic ever and many engineers have moved on to newer and more modern mics as technology improves. Regardless it’s still a workhorse and will never let you down night after night, even if you use it to hammer in nails!!!
Pros
Affordable
Most durable mic ever
Tried & true since 1966
Cons
Not the best tonally
Better options for $$$
Shure Beta 58A Mic
The Shure Beta 58A has become the most popular and widely used professional microphone in the world. When you put it next to an SM58 it feels the same and other than being blue looks nearly identical. When you plug it in however you will immediately notice that it has a much improved gain before feedback ratio so you can get it up way louder in a mix. If you are a quiet singer this is a huge help. Tonally it’s a bit brighter than a sm58 as well.
Pros
Excellent gain threshold
Very versatile for singers
Reliable
Cons
Others sound smoother
It's Blue
Shure Beta 87A Mic
The Beta 87A comes in at nearly twice the price of the Beta 58A and if you are the right singer for it the mic is worth the price. This microphone is a condenser microphone with the same pickup pattern as a Beta 58A. Sonically this makes it very suited to a female singer or a male singer that does not sing as loud. Condenser mics require phantom power to operate but most mixers you will encounter should be able to power this mic with the flip of a switch.
Pros
Needs little EQ
Very clear sound
Cons
Needs phantom power
Feedback prone, cupped
Shure KSM8 Microphone
Many people believe that microphones are a technology that has not changed widely since the late 60’s. Shure has aimed to prove everyone wrong with the KSM8. Shure calls the technollgy behind this “Dualdyne” referring to the two microphone diaphragms that make this beat function. The end result is that you get a dynamic microphone which has little to no proximity effect and a much larger sweet spot. Sound engineers will love this as it means that much less need for compression and EQ as tonally this mic shouldn’t change a whole lot. Even if you are one of those guilty of “cupping the mic!”
Pros
Minimal proximity effect
Clean w/o phantom pwr
Cons
Expensive
Sennheiser E835 Mic
The Sennheiser 835 is a German made SM58 killer. Coming in at the same price as Shure’s equivalent microphone the E835 sounds like a brighter SM58 which can be very flattering depending on the singer. Plus if you handle the microphone rather than leaving it on a stand it has a killer internal shock mount which reduces loads of handling noise. Sennheiser includes a 10 year warranty in case the mic fails.
Pros
Very affordable
Internal shockmount
Balanced low end
Cons
Bigger than SM58
Not as durable as SM58
Sometimes tough to EQ
Sennheiser E935 Mic
Every manufacturer has an upgrade from their standard model and Sennheiser is no exception. The E935 is a quite powerful upgrade from the E835 for a price increase which won’t break your budget. Sonically compared to its little brother it has a very music boost of brightness which will put your voice ahead of the instruments in a mix without sounding too hard. This will help alleviate the need to strain your voice in order to be heard. I really loved the feedback rejection though. This mic on loud stages performs very well at reducing unwanted feedback.
Pros
Natural & smooth sound
Quite feedback resistant
Cons
Heavier than some mics
Neumann KMS105 Mic
This mic is truly in a class of its own. Neumann is usually known for their top of the line studio microphones and their foray into live mics sets the bar about as high as it will go. The KMS 105 is a supercardoid condenser microphone so it will require phantom power to operate. What you get in return is the most transparent and clean sounding live vocal mic available. It even sounds great on an acoustic guitar too for recording! Norah Jones and Michael Buble are two of the many professionals who put this mic to good use, but it sounds great for just about anyone. I always like to tell the story of the time I sold one to Atilla the singer of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem!
Pros
Good supercardoid mic
Great feedback rejection
Rugged build for live use
Cons
Expensive
Needs Phantom Power
