The best gigging and finest mics which you can buy today are Lewitt, Shure, DPA, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica and many more. No matter how awesome the bandages or how good of a singer you are, the best live vocal mics can make a whole lot of difference in your entire stage performance. Live vocal mics need to fulfil certain basic needs in order to get the best out of a singer’s performance. The stage might be full of strange liquids, a very hostile environment for the mics. Furthermore, they might have sticky substances which are unidentifiable and might cause accidents to happen.
Things to consider before buying a Life vocal mic
Life vocal mic must be reliable and rhombus in order to survive the life on roads because it might need to be transferred from gift to get which might end up like mist steam room and it is not good for the mics. A vocal mic performance must pass with clarity and detail but not in order to make undesirable on stage noises and the host of other instruments which might be picked up by the mic. Live vocal mic sometimes become very much sensitive for real-world stage performance so it might be a compromise that should be called in. Live vocal mic needs to sound great for both the audience as well as a singer.
Best Live Vocal Mics in 2021
The Best Live Vocal Mics in 2021 are as follows:
Shure SM58
Shure SM58 definitely the best live vocal mic in the whole world and it is very surprising to believe that even though it has a huge success it has an extraordinarily key in pricing which makes it an incredible performer. Shure’s Engineers who have worked for six decades did astonishingly great work by making that iconic goofball shape grill which makes the distance between the capsule and the individual singer which is built in combination with the built-in pop filter which reduces unwanted tames sibilants and pops.
Makes it sound clean balance and wonderful across its entire frequency spectrum. The dynamic diaphragm makes the mic very tough like old boots and the internal shock mount makes handling noise minimum. SM58 doesn’t contain button switches features or allergies but it has its own charm it’s doing what it says on the tin kind of live vocal mics and it kind of goes by the phrase don’t fix it if it’s not broken.
Specifications
Pickup Pattern: Cardioid
Connection : 3-pin XLR
Pad: No
Low-cut filter: No
Type: Dynamic
Weight: 299g
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Sensitivity : 94dB SPL
Frequency response: 50Hz to 15,000 Hz
Reasons to buy
- Simple
- Versatile
- Star performance
- Tough epitome
- Astounding value
Telefunken M80
M80 is available in a bling of funky colours such as yellow gold flora pink orange and more than 15 colours. The colour of the grill and the body can be mismatched for the maximum stage performance presence. The engineers of the telephone have managed to build a microphone with sonic characteristics of a condenser and robustness of a dynamic. It has a wide frequency range with a thin diaphragm and lightweight capsule and it is a rugged belt without any compromisation. It is one of the most perfect live vocal mics with being authoritative yet and its high and pressure boots are best for handling noises and are well-tamed.
Specifications
Type: Dynamic
Connection : XLR
Pad: No
Pickup Pattern: Supercardioid
Low-cut filter: No
Weight: 430g
Reasons to buy
- Has a sleek design
- Funky colour options
- Sounds like condenser
- Quality build
Reasons to avoid
- At full pelt, some colours can be louder than Tom Jone.
DPA d:facto 4018
D: facto 4018 is a base in losing quality it is hand-assembled developed and design and Denmark and carries a reasonable price tag. The boffins at DPAhave spent days making microphones for the harshest environments. It is a studio-quality condenser mic that is being ruggedised for stage performance. This mic has been used for recording snowflakes in Antarctica and explores the red planet from the ears of Mars rovers. This d: facto 4018 condenser mic is a live vocal mic that has a much broader frequency range than a dynamic microphone and it gets very reference when you switch and swap the two available capsules.
The 4018V has a mild boost presence of 7k heard while the 4018VL capsule has an ultra-flat linear response and this gives you the opportunity to suit your style and range. Since it is a condenser microphone there can be a chance to pick up unwanted noise but its super-cardioid pattern help in minimising this and in addition to it it also has 150 GB SPL which gives no trouble to the powerful singers when they are screaming at it.
Specifications
Type: Dynamic
Connection : XLR
Pad: No
Pickup Pattern: Supercardioid
Low-cut filter: No
Reasons to buy
- Good background-noise rejection
- Robust enough for stage performances
- Dynamic Range of 120 DB
- At home in the studio
- Boost or flat -Interchangeable capsules
- Extraordinary built quality
Reasons to avoid
It is pricy if damage loss or mislaid
sE Electronics V7
This is a live vocal mic that has no-nonsense is keenly priced and provides good performance. It has a metal construction that allows you to perform stage performances years after years. It has a corrosion-resistant Steel mesh grill, bevelled strip around the dent-proof which stops the V7 from rolling away when it is put down on a stage floor.
The pop shield and integral windscreen are being coloured in rent but just in case it clashes with your lips the manufacturer has included a black version of it inside the box too. The DMC 7 aluminium coil which is being developed by sE electronics for V7 together gives the neodymium magnets and large diaphragm and makes the voice open, crisp natural. The super-cardioid pattern provides feedback protection and good isolation while noise handling is suppressed.
Specifications
Diaphragm: Large
Connection : XLR
Pad: Yes
Pickup Pattern: Supercardioid
Low-cut filter: Yes
Reasons to buy
- Nice touch design
- It is tough enough to outlive you
- Open and good sound
- Holds great value
Audio-Technica AE5400
It is a large-diaphragm element that captures every subtle hue of audio that is present and therefore can be best for any live concerts such as Lana del Rey. It is an AT4050 studio microphone that is skillfully re-imagined for live vocal performances. There is a difference in form factor entirely, the AE5400 is ruggedised with a hard steel body which is best for live use while the AT4050 is side address. It has a custom transformer to guard against noise and RF interference, a built-in windshield and an internal shock mounting. There is an 80 Hz switchable high pass filter that removes low frequency generated by wind handling or any other undesirable background noises.
It is a very useful tool for taming the proximity effect, reducing plosives and removing the low end so the vocal can mix better. To stop loud vocalists from chiming the AE5400 into distortion there is a 10 dB pad. AE5400 is a seductive package for a sophisticated gig where the sound quality is what really matters and is best suitable if you want to make your audience aware of every detail of your performance it is a sensitive and delicate condenser microphone.
Specifications
Type: Condenser
Connection : XLR
Pad: Yes
Pickup Pattern: Supercardioid
Low-cut filter: Yes
Reasons to buy
- Natural sound, Pristine
- 10 DB pad
- Hard Steel body
- The condenser has good value
Reasons to avoid
Dynamic mics are more robust
Sennheiser e 965
Source : AmazonSennheiser pulled off an impressive feat with e 965 a brand that is always being push towards technological boundaries. This product challenges the laws of physics because it is a large-diaphragm condenser that is designed for especially live vocal mic handheld use. Since condenser mic is very susceptible to handling noise this has been a very brave innovation German Pro audio brand that it provides 0 noise errors.
Dynamic microphones have limited frequency response because they own the stage and a very good at rejecting and handling noise but they aren’t any close to computing with the full responsibility of a condenser mic where the audiences can peacefully listen to talented singers who have extensive vocal ranges. Polar patterns can be switched between super-cardioid and cardioid to reject unwanted noise in e965. There is a built-in pop filter to handle plosives and low cut filter to omit rumble and provides the sound in complete detail to the audience
Specifications
Type: Condenser
Connection : XLR
Pad: Yes
Pickup Pattern: Switchable
Low-cut filter: Yes
Reasons to buy
- Built-in pop filter
- Outstanding noise handling rejection
- Brings vocals performances alive
Reasons to avoid
A dynamic microphone might still be the better option for loud genres
Choosing the correct live vocal mic
Noise has been referred to as sound pressure level or SPL by sound engineers. Some acoustic genres like classical flok and jazz will exhibit very low SPL levels can rock and other sub-genres, but this is just a generalisation for big band jazz or a full orchestra too and symbol and it together generates high SPL levels too. This matters because using a highly sensitive microphone will pick a broad spectrum and sound and then you have to hear every nuisance of the performers. A large-diaphragm condenser microphone is used in expensive studios only.
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Condenser vs Dynamic-Which one to prefer?
A condenser microphone will pick up a lot of unwanted sounds from cymbals, drums and any loud guitars which are being directly pointed towards them unless the stage SPL is extremely low. The additional sound will make it impossible to isolate the vocal track in the mixing desk and makes a nightmare and provides no clarity when you are running through PA speakers.
Condenser microphones are precision instruments that are delicate and more susceptible to feedback and are not really suitable for tumble and rough life stage vocal performances of very loud vocalists. They tend to range from pricing to super pricing and can be expensive enough to replace and repair.
Dynamic microphones are more user friendly and can be much more suited for even home performances and live settings. The range of these microphones might be limited but it makes even better in rejecting unwanted noises. They are very robust and do not need feedback very easily and are very reasonable.
Therefore if you want to send a vocalist who is well mannered and on stage and performs with low SPL and provide every detail of his performance to the audience it is worth using a condenser mic, however, if volumes are enough to push to set time a dynamic one makes more sense. However, there are times when the dynamic mic designers try to mimic the characteristics of condenser mic such as reassuring boosting for performers who are hearing themselves sing in a studio condenser.
Summing up
Choosing live vocal mics with a perfect pickup pattern that matches the on state physicality is the best thing that could have been done. To reject off-axis noise a super-cardioid would be great. But it would include the vocals noise if the person is constantly moving away from the mic while singing. If you pick of any artist from the 60s 70s 80s 90s or even in the last 20 years, it’s an 80% chance that the singer might have been using Shure SM58. This live vocal mic is a legend and an icon on the stage even a small young kid would draw you its structure when asked to draw a mic. It is virtually indestructible and embedded into the musical culture.
Even as a joke and it’s proven that anything that might survive a Mogwai concert or atomic blasts are DM58 and cockroaches. SM58 is probably the cheapest live vocal mic available. If you don’t mind paying a bit more for the quality with a broader sonic palette and a little more exclusive then we would recommend Telefunken M80. It has a wider frequency that delivers high-end pressure and more quality but is as robust as SM58. The build quality of Telefunken is outstanding well balanced and reassuringly beefy. It is also very handy it is available in a wide range of colours from wild floral pink to sophisticated black.
