What type of microphone do I need for rapping?

A

acerapz

New member
Hey,


I was just wondering what the best microphones are for rapping. Currently I have an at2020 USB PLUS microphone, but I heard that XLR microphones are better. Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks!
 
Depends on your budget to be fair...

Good Phantom powered condensers at the lowish end (the one I'm in) would be the SE2200ii, Rode NT2a (Both much better than the NT1a) Audix CX112/CX212, Oktava 219/319 definitely worth checking (bit dark but nice mics), Audio Technica AT2050 (maybe the cheaper AT2035), Sontronics STC-3X and AKG probably have something in their range worth checking...

I wouldn't discount a good dynamic either - you'll need to give it more gain (CloudLifter) but if your room sounds particularly horrible it could be well worth it...
Obvious choice is the Shure SM7b but I reckon it's worth checking the Heil PR-40 (weird one tbh... Good on kick drums but frequently used by local radio stations) and Electrovoice RE20

Dynamics often IMEx need a bit more EQ work but they capture well so also often worth it I still use my SM58 pretty regular (although my current main mic is the SE2200ii I listed above).

Any of the mics I've listed (both LDC or Dynamic) will get you better, more consistant results than a USB mic will achieve...

If you can... Find a studio local to you that has a well stocked locker and book a couple of hours to do a shoot-out to find a mic in your budget that suits your voice.
Be upfront with the engineer about what you want to do and your budget - get him to go though a preamp that matches your audio interface... Avoid the Neves for testing mics if you plan on home-recording.

Good luck man.
 
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What exactly do these mics do that the USB at2020 can't do as well?

And thanks for the reply. I appreciate it! :D
 
Also, what do I need if I do end up getting one of these mics such as the Shure SM7b? I need an interface right? But what interface should I buy? And what else do I need?
 
you can go as low as a scarlett solo and a mxl990 but really need to know a budget to give you a better idea
 
as far as any usb, in my opinion, they generally have really low gain and the noise floor is pretty shitty. interface gives you more control over your gear and allows you to expand down the road with better shit. usb limits you. i've recorded on a snowball and made it sound good with an izotope plugin but that was a last ditch effort for a session and it was really just for reference.
 
my man with that budget forget usb mic's exist. i'd say go with a scarlett interface, the 8i6 gives you lots of options for 200 bucks. then you can do a blue bluebird mic which will give you a clear bright sound or you can go with an AKG perception 420 around the same price and has switchable pattern. Bluebirds around 300 and akg is about 200
 
and like Guru said above, definitely hit up a local studio if you have one. that will give you a better idea of what's out there and what sound you're trying to achieve
 
acerapz said:
What exactly do these mics do that the USB at2020 can't do as well?

And thanks for the reply. I appreciate it! :D
Click to expand...

The only USB mic I have experience with is the M-Audio 'Producer' but I assume the way they all work is pretty similar. The thing is either 'on' or 'off'. There's none of the subtleties or control that I can achieve with other mics by messing with the gain on my interface... I get a better sound from my SM58!

With the SM7b you would probably need more gain (or a boost of) than a regular audio interface can provide; so we're talking about the addition of an external preamp in combination with your interface. For a boost of clean gain a CloudLifter would do the job, if you want a bit of colour (in a nice way) then something like the GAP-Pre73 (it's a Neve clone - but a well liked one) would be my choice.

I currently use a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 but I'm saving for a new interface with more ins/outs and looking at Steinberg's UR44 (could of got it last month but bought a new keyboard and a FaderPort! - Constantly changing priorities!)
 
thomann . de (cant post links) has very cheap prices i bought my mic and monitor there low budget no complaints.
 
bato said:
thomann . de (cant post links) has very cheap prices i bought my mic and monitor there low budget no complaints.
Click to expand...
OP is Statesides so he's paying less than us Europeans anyway but if he bought from EU he'd be hit with taxes from US customs.
Here in the UK DV247 hit similar prices to Thomann and the 2 stores I use (1 in Bfd, 1 in Leeds) will pricematch any UK supplier.
 
acerapz said:
What about the Blue Baby Bottle? What do you think of that?
Click to expand...

Baby bottle is great but in my opinion the Bluebird has been more versatile. Bluebird is more bright, crisp, and clear. If you listen to any of my recent songs they're all done with the Bluebird.

Note: I also have the ISA one preamp which makes a HUGE difference. Like I said before make room in your budget for a good preamp as well.
 
After doing some research I'm most likely going to get the Shure SM7B with a cloud lifter. What do you think?
 
I also wanted to know this. There are great answers in here. I was going to purchase the rode nt1a.
For now I have been using the sm58 for practicing also sm 57 which doesn't have much low end.

Looks like my choices are a bluebird mic or rode nt2a. I'm also going to check out the SE2200ii
And the other mics I'mNoGuru suggested.
 
I use the yeti microphone. It's a USB so i don't need to purchase an audio interface. It is a very good mic I recommend it to anyone on a budget. You can plug in you headphones/Earphones and it is a consider mic so it is very sensitive. You can change the volume, gain, and it has a mute button. Highly recommend it!!!!!
 
With a $600 budget i recommend a Blue Mic! State of the art and efficient... However, with a $300+ mic and a good producer a good full sound can be produced. In a sense, You kind of get what you pay for!
 
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