Choosing a live vocal mic… what to pick?

How do you find the right mic for you? You WON’T know just from a KZbin video. You have to TRY it to see if it fits you! So… what do you look for? And how do you test it? We’ll test it out in today’s video.
How to Lead Your Church Sound Team: www.attawayaudio.com/get-your...
Live Mixing Field Guide: www.livemixingfieldguide.com
Join the Audio for Worship Leaders course waiting list here! www.attawayaudio.com/audio-fo...
Mics in this video:
Lewitt W950: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...
Heil PR37: amzn.to/3QhG5x9
sE V7: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
sweetwater.sjv.io/baVMO6
Other vocal mics that often fit:
Shure Beta 87c: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
sweetwater.sjv.io/R5bM0y
Shure SM58: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
sweetwater.sjv.io/MmbMKN
Neumann KMS 105: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
sweetwater.sjv.io/3eenzB
Sennheiser e835: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
sweetwater.sjv.io/xkZgJO
Sennheiser e945: www.zzounds.com/a--3980957/it...
sweetwater.sjv.io/rQXmEB
DPA d:facto: sweetwater.sjv.io/DK3vWG
DPA 2028: sweetwater.sjv.io/LX2M03
P.S. Those links are affiliate links, so if you buy after clicking through, it generates a small commission for me at no additional charge for you. It's just a way you can help support the channel :)
00:00 Intro
01:19 Katie mic #1
02:48 Katie mic #2
03:29 Katie mic #3
04:21 Jory mic #1
05:12 Jory mic #2
05:39 Jory mic #3
06:22 Katie mic #1 + drums
06:46 Katie mic #2 + drums
07:08 Katie mic #3 + drums
07:34 Jory mic #1 + drums
07:52 Jory mic #2 + drums
08:10 Jory mic #3 + drums
08:29 Mic #1 features
09:10 Jory mic #1 cardioid
09:29 Jory mic #1 supercardioid
09:44 Louder sound source = less bleed
10:08 Mic #1 reveal!
10:21 Mic #2 reveal!
10:34 Mic #3 reveal!
11:07 FREE Guide - How to Lead Your Church Sound Team
11:25 Live Mixing Field Guide
11:51 Audio for Worship Leaders Course
12:25 Listening back + observations
16:29 Thoughts on mic #1
17:17 Thoughts on mic #2
17:32 Thoughts on mic #3
17:45 More money = better results?
18:23 My takeaways

[@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579]

Excellent demo James, as always. I was intrigued by how the sound changed when the Lewitt W950 was switched to supercardioid how it affected the audio. In a good way in opinion. Most of my mics are now wireless, my favorite is the Sennheiser XSW2 865. If only I could get my people to stand closer to the mic I'd be happier. Thanks to you and your assistants, from some random Church audio video guy in PA. PS there's a nasty rumor since I don't have much upstairs, I have to use plug-in EQ on my Studio One DAW used for my Livestream processing.

[@audioglenngineer]

I’ve worked with a few engineers that exposed me to the idea of using the same make and model of mics for your handhelds and headsets. At first, I thought it was silly, having come from a studio environment into the live world, but it can streamline the tuning process and make the physics of the room somewhat easier to deal with. You are of course compromising some of the priorities you consider in this video. Along with that - keeping an eye on your gain structure and making sure your kinds of mics are living in relatively the same world is also one of those surprises you encounter in live sound. And lastly, relevant to the two things I just mentioned, it is amazing what you can provoke from your singer by subtly adjusting their monitor mix (usually without them knowing or noticing). There are so many ways to work a microphone, but often what we need as the engineers, dictated by the physics of the room, is for the musicians to be consistently up on the mic. Yet, if they mix their monitoring to reflect a different style of working the mic or if they don’t have enough pitch reference, it can really screw things up. This is often where a good singer starts having pitch problems or you can’t get enough gain before feedback, because they have their voice turned up so loud they feel like they have to back off the mic.

[@BarnabY07]

We need more blind test like this 🎉🎉🎉. First time listening the v7 in a blind test. Very pedagogic video. Thanks.

[@AttawayAudio]

You're welcome! And thank you for the SAT-level word.

[@kulastrio]

I super liked Mic 2!

[@1998youngluv]

I love this! :) but what version of Be Thou My Vision is Katie singing?? The Hallelujahs are so pretty!!

[@wattanakaewmanee1516]

I believe there is a compressor in the signal chain too. Try to judge the drum rejection while the singer is singing, not during the silence period between or at the end of singing.

[@guyincascade]

We use sE7 wireless Caps and sE7 wired mics. They have great side rejection (bleed control).

[@orsoncorson9083]

Great singers!

[@AttawayAudio]

I know, right? I'm blessed with very talented friends

[@Dannys.channel]

On the male mic 1 is really good for blocking drum bleed while he sang but got loud when he stopped. Mic 2 and 3 too

[@damon_aaron]

I preferred the Heil on Katie and the SE on Jory. I didn’t expect that as I really like Lewitt mics.

[@AttawayAudio]

Yet another reason why I made the test more "blind"... at least for y'all :)

[@markperreault3351]

I didn't really notice a difference between the three for the vocalists but it seemed to me as though drum bleed was strongest on mic 3. Possibly place mic 1(?) in supercardiod and redirect it's position a little so as not to point in the direction of the drums. Could also hear the guitars in all three mics FWIW.

[@joeldrzycimski1629]

Addison!!! (JHS Show watcher here.)

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic 3 is way clearer for her but it needs more headroom for those beautiful frequencies that are louder

[@Dannys.channel]

Wow mic 1 for drum bleed. Very good

[@gatherstudio5219]

For Katie I liked the 2nd

[@robertvondarth1730]

I recommend high pass filters for all vocals, cut everything above 4 k, run serial compressors, and a doubler way down low. Before everything else

[@Dannys.channel]

Heil pr37 is a 7 out of 10 but it was good for the female. For the male it's the supercardiod mic you used

[@Binatone704]

I am using Sound-craft Si-3 Expressions Please tell me Ideal settings of FX for Vocal singing Mic

[@zionworship5047]

🙌

[@Dannys.channel]

But it gets stuck in a frequency I wanted to hear.

[@ZDDNK]

I think in first place, i would high shelf boost on female's voice, before comparing all mics, because in all three comparisons - voice was a bit dull.

[@Dannys.channel]

Choose senheisers 945 and 965

[@Avablink162]

Hey there can you make a video explaining how to avoid clipping on the master bus? I'm having issues with this

[@AttawayAudio]

Turn up your amplifiers by 10 dB. Then you'll have 10 dB of headroom on your master bus.

[@Avablink162]

@@AttawayAudio I am unfortunately using active speakers so no external amps are present

[@germanboza]

I liked MIC3 on her voice, MIC1 on his voice the most.

[@JoryValley]

Curious is jory his first or last name? James Jory here; farmer/sound tech/worship leader in montana.

[@AttawayAudio]

Jory is his first name

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic 1 sounds best with the male on supercardiod

[@akaniclarence]

What is the name of the software you are using on the phone

[@AttawayAudio]

It's the SQ Mixpad software for the Allen & Heath SQ series boards

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic 2 good but not as much rejection

[@JustinZak7]

Is that Addison on drums!?!?

[@AttawayAudio]

The one and only

[@HeOvercame1633]

now is that THE Addison?????? spotted out in the jungle ;)

[@AttawayAudio]

Haha yup, that's the one!

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic one for the male isn't good for him. Makes him try to compensate for something he's not hearing.

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic 3 good but drums are a bit pider than 2

[@user-xj5dj5lp3y]

Akd best cheapest live mic

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic 3 is better but the cuts didn't help with the vibrato or chest voice he was really giving

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic two is better so far..

[@Dannys.channel]

Mic two took away some mids for the male

[@18CC]

2 and 3 are ok, 1 is bad.

[@Dannys.channel]

I don't like the lewitt

[@thomasricks5737]

HEY CAN I SET UP A PHONE CALL WITH YOU