Why don't singers have signature mics?

[Inflames626]

Posting this here because it's indirectly a mic question and so it is recording gear.

I noticed with all the endorsed/custom gear in the music gear industry microphone companies don't seem to design products to specific singers' specs the way a pickup company might work with a bassist or guitarist.

It would seem to be an excellent marketing strategy to me. Could you imagine how a Michael Jackson custom mic could have sold in the 80s?

I suppose people could say you're sort of stuck with the voice you have so what works for an artist might not work for the customer, but at the same time the pickup you buy might not work for the guitar you have.

I know most singers use various mics depending upon stage or studio (yet most get stuck with an SM 58), so what they use at any given time can vary. Again, same with pickups and amps.

The benefit of a mic designed for an artist is "If you have a voice like..." then the mic might work for you.

Again, seems like a solid strategy.

Just thought I'd get everyone's thoughts on why we don't see more endorsements in the mic category. For singers to have the sexiest/most sought after position in most bands, their gear seems to be the most overlooked.

And an endorsement would give Neumann another reason to charge you even more money: "U47 Frank Sinatra series," "U87 schwarze Serie," and so on.

I get it. Don't give them any ideas. But it seems legit for singers who know their range, timbre, and role in a group well. It's also an easier way to figure what you're looking for than relying on an engineer/producer or researching obscure Ibanez-type model numbers for mics.

Instead you just say, "Get me the Michael Jackson custom mic."

Thanks.

 

[Seashore]

I think that would make engineers' jobs even harder. Instead of going through the mics they have to pick the best fit and get a predictable result with the rest of their gear, they'd be stuck using something new based on whatever marketing tripe happened to appeal to any given vocalist. Good engineers know way more about what mics work in what situations than most vocalists do. Plus everybody knows the MJ "sig" mic is an SM7.

 

[Chistopher]

I'd guess it's because with any other instrument you need a good sounding instrument to sound your best, wheras when you're singing you don't need anything, all a mic can do is color your sound. If you have a Frank Sinatra mic, it creates the idea that Frank Sinatra needed a specific mic to sound good.

Hopefully I managed to express the thoughts in my head in an accurate way

 

[ICTGoober]

Because it hasn't occurred to mic companies that they could market them in such a way.

 

[Inflames626]

I think that would make engineers' jobs even harder. Instead of going through the mics they have to pick the best fit and get a predictable result with the rest of their gear, they'd be stuck using something new based on whatever marketing tripe happened to appeal to any given vocalist. Good engineers know way more about what mics work in what situations than most vocalists do. Plus everybody knows the MJ "sig" mic is an SM7.

Aren't we in this situation currently though with boutique pickups? Even with just production models from big companies, I know a lot more about how an EMG 81 or Duncan Distortion will sound vs. a Fishman Fluence or Duncan Pegasus.

Of course you can always just tweak your amp but you can't tweak your throat. That said, you can still adjust EQ quite a bit.

Interesting. I learned something. I thought MJ might have used a bright, detailed, expensive tube mic to accentuate his timbre and range, whereas SM7s were used more for people with lower registers, more vocal weight, and in rock and metal for its darker, less detailed tone.

 

[Inflames626]

Because it hasn't occurred to mic companies that they could market them in such a way.

But it did to me. Someone pay me for the idea now.

 

[Securb]

Seashore touched on it. For the most part, it is not the singer picking out the mic; it is the recording/live engineer. They will also switch out mics depending on the venue or application. I am sure singers have their preferences, 58 or a 57. But they are not as fickle as us guitar players.

 

[Inflames626]

I'd guess it's because with any other instrument you need a good sounding instrument to sound your best, wheras when you're singing you don't need anything, all a mic can do is color your sound. If you have a Frank Sinatra mic, it creates the idea that Frank Sinatra needed a specific mic to sound good.

Hopefully I managed to express the thoughts in my head in an accurate way

Would he have sounded the way he did through a mic besides the U47 though, especially in that intimate 1940s-50s crooner style? Chicken or egg question?

 

[Inflames626]

Seashore touched on it. For the most part, it is not the singer picking out the mic; it is the recording/live engineer. They will also switch out mics depending on the venue or application. I am sure singers have their preferences, 58 or a 57. But they are not as fickle as us guitar players.

And yet our pickups are pretty much just mics. Does the producer/engineer tell the guitarist what pickups to use that often? Maybe what guitar.

This is an interesting conversation that will hopefully go on a while.

 

[GuitarStv]

But it did to me. Someone pay me for the idea now.

https://www.long-mcquade.com/222794...s-Kennedy-V7-Signature-Edition-Microphone.htm

 

[Inflames626]

https://www.long-mcquade.com/222794...s-Kennedy-V7-Signature-Edition-Microphone.htm

You broke my heart, GuitarStv.

 

[Mincer]

I was gonna say...I think this sort of thing has been done before. But I also think singers think differently than guitarists and are less likely to be swayed by a celebrity endorsement, especially if they have a very different voice than the celebrity.

 

[Securb]

https://www.long-mcquade.com/222794...s-Kennedy-V7-Signature-Edition-Microphone.htm

.

 

[GuitarStv]

.

Man, Axle is looking a lot better than Slash these days . . .

 

[Fender_Punk]

It's a lot easier to for someone to believe that they can sound like Eddie Van Halen if they just get a Eddie Van Halen signature guitar.

It's a lot harder for someone to believe that they can sound like Taylor Swift if they just get a Taylor Swift signature microphone.

 

[ICTGoober]

For many years Tom Jones used a particular mike, but the company missed their chance to capitalize on it. It is much the same with other singers.

 

[beaubrummels]

Mics aren't customized per singer. One thing that might make sense is a "signature signal path", e.g. mic, pre amp, compressor, eq package. But three things wrong with it:

1. for every signal path, it was likely used by 100s of other singers by the studio; they are not unique to the singer;
2. it would be freaking expensive because it's studio gear, not player-grade instruments
3. it would never work for individuals because good mics only reproduce the source, so if you can't sing, a mic and preamp package won't change what you sound like

For example, here is the Frank Sinatra signal path

And here is the Van Halen signal path

​

 

[Clint 55]

Mics suck balls. You have 2 options, ultra detailed and tinny, or super dark only captures any interesting detail if the amp is at 300 decibels but sounds absolutely nothing like the rig in the room.

Time for some innovation I would say.

 

[Inflames626]

I was gonna say...I think this sort of thing has been done before. But I also think singers think differently than guitarists and are less likely to be swayed by a celebrity endorsement, especially if they have a very different voice than the celebrity.

I was thinking it would mainly simplify the process for people who already know they have a certain type of voice, but they aren't sure what mic would best accentuate those qualities or cover their weaknesses.

I noticed this when I was looking at the Shure KSM condensor mics. They're all slightly different, and some offer more features than others, which explains the price difference. But if you're going on frequency alone it can be hard to tell without trying them yourself, not only on yourself but with other singers.

I consider my voice rather low and dark being a bass to baritone (D2 to Db4 I think). I would want to offset that with a breath-y crisp mic, but it could also fight the qualities I naturally have.

In short, a fully featured mic locker can get expensive, but I would hope an endorsed mic could be a Swiss army knife for a variety of sources. I know through the grapevine something like an AKG 414 is reputed to have this ability, but I feel like a do-it-all mic (or pickup or amp) can sometimes be lacking in some areas as a result of trying to do too much.

I'm not a singer, but I'd want one mic as my go to that would bring out my best or at least cover my flaws. I'd prefer bringing my own kit than using the venue's. Maybe even for hygiene alone. God knows where that club's SM-57 has been...

 

[Inflames626]

Mics aren't customized per singer. One thing that might make sense is a "signature signal path", e.g. mic, pre amp, compressor, eq package. But three things wrong with it:

1. for every signal path, it was likely used by 100s of other singers by the studio; they are not unique to the singer;
2. it would be freaking expensive because it's studio gear, not player-grade instruments
3. it would never work for individuals because good mics only reproduce the source, so if you can't sing, a mic and preamp package won't change what you sound like

For example, here is the Frank Sinatra signal path

And here is the Van Halen signal path

​

Mics aren't customized per singer. But some mics sound better for some singers than others because of the frequency curve the mic has better suiting the singer's voice.

And the ending of VHIII was just misunderstood.