What makes a good recording? Gives a live performance life? Makes the difference between a groundbreaking song that marks a milestone in music history and just another top ten hit? In most cases, if not almost all, its the vocal performance. In a few cases, maybe its a legendary guitar or drum performance, but more often than not, its the vocals that make us feel something special.

If youre like most of us who are into home recording and or studio recording, youve learned the hard way that you cannot compromise on quality when youre capturing a performance.  That being said, not everyone can afford a $10,000 vintage Neumann tube condenser microphone, and your choice of microphone also has to do with your budget and what kind of goals you have.

Adding a good vocal microphone to your setup is one area where you should probably spend a little more than you want to. Regardless of your end goals, you need to start with the best vocal setup you can afford. The truth is, most early home recordings aren't worth a listen simply because the vocal track ends up requiring so many boosts, cuts and effects to cut through the mix, that it actually ends up sounding horrible when it finally does cut through.

This is exactly why in this case, conventional wisdom prevails - start with the best vocal microphone that your budget will allow for. While you're in the early stages of setting up your home studio, set a budget, and then double what you wanted to spend on a vocal microphone... you won't regret it - I promise. There's just no sense in spending a whole bunch of money on Logic or Pro Tools, a nice tube preamp and some Tannoy monitors if all you've got is a Shure SM57 to record the vocals with. Believe, you won't want top hear those recording in six months and you will end up having to do it all over again.  

Getting a good quality vocal microphone from a trusted brand name is the right way to start building your home studio setup. Nowadays there plenty of reasonable priced large diaphragm cardiod condenser microphones from companies like Sennheiser, AKG, CAD, Audio Technica, Shure and others that can be had in the $200 - $400 range.

Let's say it again together - "start with a good quality vocal microphone..." save yourself the heartache and hours trying to do a fix-up on someones vocal performance. It's pretty simple, bad vocals will sound a little better, and great vocals will sound amazing. If you or the person you are recording has a message, don't point a crappy mic at them and hit record. Spend a few hundred bucks, get a good one, and thanks me later.

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