What makes a good recording? Gives a live performance life? Makes the difference between a groundbreaking song that marks a milestone in music history and just another top ten hit? In most cases, if not almost all, its the vocal performance. In a few cases, maybe its a legendary guitar or drum performance, but more often than not, its the vocals that make us feel something special.
If youre like most of us who are into home recording and or studio recording, youve learned the hard way that you cannot compromise on quality when youre capturing a performance. That being said, not everyone can afford a $10,000 vintage Neumann tube condenser microphone, and your choice of microphone also has to do with your budget and what kind of goals you have.
The truth about recording anything, including vocals, is that there is only so much you can do to repair a poorly recorded track after the fact. No matter what your budget, or your purpose or goals, you need to start with the best equipment you can afford. Too often in the home recording studios, the artist delivers an exceptional performance but is betrayed by inadequate equipment, resulting in a lackluster recording that cannot capture the original tone or energy.
This is exactly why in this case, conventional wisdom prevails - start with the best vocal microphone that your budget will allow for. While you're in the early stages of setting up your home studio, set a budget, and then double what you wanted to spend on a vocal microphone... you won't regret it - I promise. There's just no sense in spending a whole bunch of money on Logic or Pro Tools, a nice tube preamp and some Tannoy monitors if all you've got is a Shure SM57 to record the vocals with. Believe, you won't want top hear those recording in six months and you will end up having to do it all over again.
Start with the right equipment " get yourself a quality vocal microphone, you will be glad you did. These days, there are tons of manufacturers like AKG, Audio Technica, Shure, Sennheiser, and others who make decent microphones in the $200-$400 range. A large diaphragm cardiod condenser microphone will give your vocals shape and clarity, allowing your vocal tracks to cut through the rest of the mix.
It really cant be said enough. Get yourself a quality vocal microphone before you record anything. Bad vocals will sound a little better, and great vocals wont be wasted. If youve got something to say, dont let your message get lost in the mix.