Vocalist: Hardware advice?

[Strati]

So, I'm a decent rock/metal vocalist. I've had singers from bands in the local area tell me this. I'd love to donate my talents to OCR somehow, but I'm wondering what sort of microphone would be good for this. A vocalist is only as good as his microphone. I'm looking for brands, prices. Any advice?

[suzumebachi]

if you have a good, pristine, quiet recording environment, your best bet is to go with a good condensor mic. a Røde NT1-A is a good place to start. keep in mind condensor mics are very fragile, so if you're gonna be screaming at the top of your lungs, it may not be the best way to go.

otherwise, you're probably better off going with a dynamic mic. like a Shure SM57 (yes i know they are "instrument" mics, but i'll be damned if they can't record a good vocal as well).

don't take my word for it though. you should check out sites that have user reviews and do some research, figure out what you think would work best for your situation. if you can, check out a pro audio store and see if they'll let you test out the mics (the guitar center in albuquerque has an isolation booth just for messing with mics and stuff).

[klm09]

Rock / metal, eh? I have a project that I'm planning where I might be interested in getting some vocals done for it, but I can't yet say when I'm going to start that.. I'm quite busy IRL at the moment, and I want to make some hardware and software purchases before then. In any case, if you're still here and have sorted out some manner of decent recording setup by then, I'll definately contact you.

The project, btw, is going to be a progressive rock / metal album, remixing the complete OST of Gradius 3, in case you're interested.

[Malcos]

ADK A-51! (condenser mic) Should cost you about $250 perhaps? Cost me £100.

http://www.adkmic.com/specs/A-51.html

Although I agree with suzemebachi, it depends on what kind of vocals you're gonna record.

[Strati]

Well, I range from clean singing to screaming, so I don't think a condensor mic would be best for me. I've even got somewhat of a metal vocal scream. Thanks for the advice. klm09, that sounds good, I might be interested. I've got to get this situation worked out first, though.

[zykO]

although the sm57 is not traditionally known for recording vocals (it is, afterall, a directional mic), remember that steven tyler recorded the whole eat the rich album through one. the lesson here being that it's what you do with the gear that dictates your sound.

the traditional way of recording your vocals would be through a condensor mic much like the Rode NT series. a nice warm tube mic pre and a pop shield and you're well on your way. i noticed you said something about a condensor not being a good fit due to a broad range to your singing. quite the contrary; that's almost precisely why you should get one. of course, i'm not saying to have the thing in your mouth while you're screaming so do record from a reasonable distance but the condensor will do wonders for the fullness of your recorded vocals.