Suggestions for a dynamic mic

  • Hi all,


    I used to sing in my bassist’s cheap mic which was doing well but I lost it recently after a rehearsal. So I am looking for a live dynamic cheapo mic for him and a SM58 style for me since I have to have mine. This is for lead singing.


    Money is always a concern so I am open to suggestions. There are lots of SM58 alternatives e.g. Samson Q7 or Thomann has made some as well but I don’t know anyone who has used them. Also I am taking any info about good deals / sites that use to do black Friday discounts, yeah it’s coming.


    Cheers

  • That's a tough one. The SM58 is still one of the best bang for buck decent performing mics out there (along with the Sennheiser 835 imo) and unless it gets lost will typically last a lifetime.


    For half the price you might want to consider the Shure SM48, but imo one of the first 2 suggestions is what you should be aiming for to be content in the long run.


    Oh, and be cautious buying mics on fleabay etc. Alot of extremely convincing fakes on there that look the businsess and appear to be a genuine bargain, but are totally counterfeit and perform awfully against the real mic. I bought a bargain SM58 from an auction site a few years back (out of curiosity mostly.. was always suspecting it was fake. Think I paid maybe $30), and physically side by side it was almost impossible to tell the difference (actually pretty impressive work)... but performance wise - it was trash compared to the real SM58.

  • Yeah, but the OP said money is an issue, Will.


    The Telefunken M80 you suggested is twice the price. It's a little plosive-sensitive and not-as-tough (few are), but it does sound great for a dynamic.


    Nothing new to your ears, but my "SM58 moment" was:

    30 years ago a mate of mine dropped his brand-new '58 from several metres' height onto a concrete-basement floor. He still uses the mic to this day and it's performed flawlessly. We'd only just tested it out fresh-from-the-case (brand new) when the accident happened, so we were able to compare its before-and-after performance. We couldn't detect any difference.


    I was so-impressed that day that I've been sold since then, hence my default suggestion for the OP.

  • I actually think it’s EASY to beat a 58.


    They’re indestructible but they’re not great sounding.

    I agree. My duo partner was using a 58, and we found other options that sounded better for the money. Being indestructible is a good thing, but sound is foremost for me.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • Please tell me what models. My mic knowledge is limited to the 58. Blue encore is more expensive on Thomann

    The Blue Encore 100 was on sale when I bought it. Even at full price it's essentially the same as a 58 from what I can see online. I would hang on for holiday specials. It was my favorite of the mics we tried (none of which were high priced ...).

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

  • I just bought this for 129.99 CAD from my local music store, (same price on Amazon) they are great mic's too!


    https://www.thomann.de/gb/senn…_e945_gesangsmikrofon.htm


    Some comparisons:


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  • Please, go to your local musicstore and try some mic's that are within your budget. To choose a SM58 ("because it's the best bang for the buck") is a stupid choice. You're playing guitar? What guitar(s) are you playing and why did you choose them?


    Yes, it's the same as choosing your guitar. Your voice is an instrument as well, you must get the mic that suits your voice at best.

  • Try an AKG D7 - very clean and balanced.

    I use the same and it fits to my voice.

    One of my bandmate tried but was'nt lucky with it.

    He stick on his Sennheiser E 945 which is surely a good mic - but not for me;)


    The best is to try many in your music shop. Most of them have a certain place to try

    Perhabs use e.g. a mp3 player for a playback to get a feeling how it sounds for you.

  • Please, go to your local musicstore and try some mic's that are within your budget. To choose a SM58 ("because it's the best bang for the buck") is a stupid choice. You're playing guitar? What guitar(s) are you playing and why did you choose them?


    Yes, it's the same as choosing your guitar. Your voice is an instrument as well, you must get the mic that suits your voice at best.

    Oh man I know you are so right, but i will probably likely not do that because i’m pretty sure I will get confused then. Hearing my voice is still not something I’ve totally made through (does that sentence make sense englishwise?) Oh and I bought my first guitar blindly, just by the price tag ;)

    Anyway I appreciate your advice

    Cheers

  • pamplemousse What is your target budget for the cheaper SM58 alternative? Knowing that might help dial in the suggestions a bit more?


    Please, go to your local musicstore and try some mic's that are within your budget. To choose a SM58 ("because it's the best bang for the buck") is a stupid choice. You're playing guitar? What guitar(s) are you playing and why did you choose them?

    DML I see your point & imo handling cheaper performance mics at a store is totally worthwhile as in some cases they look decent in photos etc but just feel super fragile and scream poor build quality in person. Actual performance though is hard to test. He may find one that sounds great on his voice in the shop (with whatever is being used for monitoring there.. thats a whole other can of worms) and the price is right on it, only to find that it gets totally lost in the noise of rehearsal requiring massive eq tweaks (does that make it the wrong mic?).. or maybe it loves to feedback like a screaming banshee because it's rejection characteristics don't suit their needs in real use.. Imo the shop test could be very misleading is all I'm saying :)


    The boring 58 is obviously far from the only choice, but its a relatively safe one with very well known performance characteristics (for good or bad), and proven reliability at a pretty fair price. I'm sure there are cheaper and decent 58 alternatives out there that will suit the OP's humble needs so I'm interested see what people recommend.