Question for singing drummers

A regular (not Beta) 58 has a cardioid pickup pattern, which is only somewhat directional.

Shure Beta 57 or Beta 56 are decent choices here. You want a super-cardioid pickup pattern to reject off-axis sounds as much as possible. Personally, I really like Beta 57s on vocalists, over 58s, regardless of off-axis rejection.

There's still going to be some bleed, of course. If you can move your hi-hats even a few inches away, it'll help.

Beta 58, 57, and 56 all use the same capsule are all supercardioid, similar to hypercardioid. You can check Shure'a website if you don't believe me. They're all much more directional than an SM58. I prefer SM57s over SM58s, Beta 58s over both, and Beta 57s over all of those.

If I was doing more singing on a regular basis I'd get either a Beta 56 or an Audix D4 and put it on a gooseneck. Low profile, sounds great, and finally, eat the mic like you've been backpacking for two weeks and just got back into civilization!
 
Beta 58, 57, and 56 all use the same capsule are all supercardioid, similar to hypercardioid. You can check Shure'a website if you don't believe me. They're all much more directional than an SM58. I prefer SM57s over SM58s, Beta 58s over both, and Beta 57s over all of those.

If I was doing more singing on a regular basis I'd get either a Beta 56 or an Audix D4 and put it on a gooseneck. Low profile, sounds great, and finally, eat the mic like you've been backpacking for two weeks and just got back into civilization!
This is good info. Pretty sure we have a Beta 58 in the mic box, which would be a more immediate attempt before my going out to purchase anything. In the past, when I've used the Beta, it seemed much brighter...I wonder if thats why we pulled it out of regular usage. I shall engage with the boys running this operation, heh. Thanks
 
This is good info. Pretty sure we have a Beta 58 in the mic box, which would be a more immediate attempt before my going out to purchase anything. In the past, when I've used the Beta, it seemed much brighter...I wonder if thats why we pulled it out of regular usage. I shall engage with the boys running this operation, heh. Thanks
Yeah the Beta is a muuuuch brighter sound than a regular SM58. I usually prefer it, but not always, and it can definitely lead to more cymbal bleed. Good luck!
 
Yeah the Beta is a muuuuch brighter sound than a regular SM58. I usually prefer it, but not always, and it can definitely lead to more cymbal bleed. Good luck!

I clock them about the same in terms of brightness, and the specs bear that out. Grimy mic grill maybe?

The beta 57 has a hotter output, so if you’re leaving the input gain the same, the beta will of course sound louder and brighter, and possibly feed back. Got to adjust the input trim at the board first.

But any added brightness should be offset by the added directionality. Using a cardioid mic on drummer vocals is for amateur-level, low-budget situations. More broadly, cardioid vocal mics are practically non-existent on professional stages, nowadays — it’s super cardioid all the way, especially when live drums and guitar amps are also on stage.
 
I clock them about the same in terms of brightness, and the specs bear that out. Grimy mic grill maybe?.

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The upper midrange on the two mics is pretty different in where they peak. In fact, that dip in the upper midrange on the SM is the highest peak on the Beta; around 8k, which is in the range of sibilance. The Beta also has a lighter neodymium magnet (SM series are ceramic) and the transient response is faster, which makes it sound brighter still. Similar to be sure, but definitely brighter.
 
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The upper midrange on the two mics is pretty different in where they peak. In fact, that dip in the upper midrange on the SM is the highest peak on the Beta; around 8k, which is in the range of sibilance. The Beta also has a lighter neodymium magnet (SM series are ceramic) and the transient response is faster, which makes it sound brighter still. Similar to be sure, but definitely brighter.

True, the beta 58 is much brighter. I was talking about the Beta 57.
 
I use the Telefunken M80 low profile mic. It's not a hot mic so you can crank it up and I think it sounds good. The short body helps me not to hit it.
I want to give the AKG head worn mic a try though.

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Believe it or not, this is how I do it. I have a Shure '55 like this & it works really well for the rockabilly I do. The stand is close enough that it's not in the way and I'm heard really well.

Were I doing technical stuff or had a lot of movement I'd go with a different set up.

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I've never used a wireless headset.. but if I was doing a lot of singing I'd look into it.
For mic on a boom - check out Levon Helm from the Band. He always had it pointed slightly angled down from above which keeps the cord and stand out of the way and also positioned high enough to keep his head up and open up his throat. I doubt if his soundman ever complained :)

 
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If I were in your situation, i would use a headset mic with some envelope following pre-send-processing until I get my vocal skills together.

Ahhh..the satisfaction of turning that auto-tune off....
 
I like Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth's set up. Easy side boom and he's a maniac on that kit.
The mic never gets in the way.

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Yeah, I like it even better if you can come from behind more but that's rarely available in my situation. Roger Taylor always has room :cool:
Plus it's off to the side, out of the way. He has to turn his head to sing though.

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When I do backing vocals, I use a mike with an on/off switch so if I'm not playing I can turn it off. Right now I'm using a Shure PGA-58 which is a lower-budget SM58 with a switch and a slightly different pickup pattern.

For my mike stand I use a Gibraltar multi-purpose stand with a wide double-braced tripod, with a heavy-duty counterweighted mike boom clamped in that (which can tilt and be rotated) and an 18" gooseneck at the end of THAT. This allows me to fly the mic in from a lot of angles overhead, keeping it out of my way, and it's almost impossible to tip over. 1620841686749.png1620842019108.png
 
If I were in your situation, i would use a headset mic with some envelope following pre-send-processing until I get my vocal skills together.

Ahhh..the satisfaction of turning that auto-tune off....

We've been joking about this throughout the thread, and I'm completely in favor of that, it is funny. And make no mistake, I'm certain my "vocal skills" could use plenty of improvement.

I do feel that some folks are missing one of the points...there are songs where my volume gets loud, on purpose, to an extent. The last go-round of the chorus on Turn The Page, i really project it, in upper ranges. There is a point in Roadhouse Blues, again at the end, where I project it, a lot. The middle sections of Oh Darling, I project it a lot, partially cuz I like it, partially cuz I can't get there quietly. In our arrangement of the Gretta Van Fleet song Highway Tune, I do my best Roger Daltrey impression, beyond "projecting". (Too loud some times, but the point is the scream)

None of that is gonna work on a headset, directly in front of me. I HAVE to back off the mic at those times...thus my conundrum. Yes, I could use a headset for much of the rest of my singing, in our catalog, regardless of my skill or lack thereof (with an off-switch). Just won't work well, for me, the way I sing and some of the stuff that I sing.
 
I use a Samson SAQ7 Supercardioid mic. It's good for my lower range and growly shouty stuff. It handles my excessive volume pretty well, sound engineers comment on how loud I am without a mic during sound check so that's a sort of gauge of where I am at.
My profile pic is me using it, so you can see how I have it set up.
 
I use a Samson SAQ7 Supercardioid mic. It's good for my lower range and growly shouty stuff. It handles my excessive volume pretty well, sound engineers comment on how loud I am without a mic during sound check so that's a sort of gauge of where I am at.
My profile pic is me using it, so you can see how I have it set up.
Very cool, I'll check into them, thanks
 
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