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Seems we all pretty much start out singing with a SM58. I certainly did. (Well if you sing anyway) I remember it well even if it was 30 years ago. I bought it used with a stand and cord for 50 bucks off a bass player who also happened to play my senior prom. I still have it and it still works like the day I bought it. About 12 years ago I moved up to a Beta58. A nice improvement to be sure. About 3 years ago I moved up to a Beta87C. No more dynamics for this guy. Condenser power on the stage. Yes! Miles better than the 58's. Well today I think I've jump forward a few mics, landing squarely in Deutschland...Berlin to be more precise. The Neumann KMS-105.
After getting it out of the box and snapping the obligatory pic I fired up my "Fishstick" and flipped open my fake book at random. Humm "Tequila Sunrise"...that'll do. I ran through it with the 87 first so that sound would be fresh in my mind. Very nice as always. Power down and swap out the 87 for the 105 changing nothing else. Power back up and get busy. The difference was astounding...in a good way. It's a tiny bit hotter than the 87 but not by much. But the power and clarity of the sound is akin to a large diaphragm studio condenser. I'll compare it to my trusty old AT4033 soon enough. Yes it's a pricey mic ($700) for the stage but honestly, it's worth it if your voice is out front in the mix.
After getting it out of the box and snapping the obligatory pic I fired up my "Fishstick" and flipped open my fake book at random. Humm "Tequila Sunrise"...that'll do. I ran through it with the 87 first so that sound would be fresh in my mind. Very nice as always. Power down and swap out the 87 for the 105 changing nothing else. Power back up and get busy. The difference was astounding...in a good way. It's a tiny bit hotter than the 87 but not by much. But the power and clarity of the sound is akin to a large diaphragm studio condenser. I'll compare it to my trusty old AT4033 soon enough. Yes it's a pricey mic ($700) for the stage but honestly, it's worth it if your voice is out front in the mix.
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