Shure SM7 vs. Rode NTK for vocals (ala Tool, Deftones, System, etc.)

[in10shun]

I'm want to purchase a nice mic for recording vocals with my 001. I've heard good things about the Shure SM7 and the Rode NTK models. I know that they are very different mics, but does anyone have any experience with either (or both)? Sadly, I can't afford both at the moment so I need to make a decision. Or maybe someone has a better suggestion? Most of the music I'm recording could be categorized with Tool, Defotnes, System Of A Down, STP, etc.

Thanks,
James

[Datus]

I would love to find out what mic maynard uses....

[mattm]

i think you'll find they're at least doubled. i'm not a huge fan so i don't know who engineered the last album and therefore can't offer tell you weather or not i know any of their tricks.

[Stone Knife]

Shure SM7 is common in small-medium market radio station live studios.
They are really rugged, lend themselves to easily being suspended from a spring-type boom, have some tone switches in the back, so pretty versitile-
The sound is lots more defined on voice than is the Sennheiser MD 421 but with lots of bottom.

The SM7 is a dynamic mic, so doesn't have the sensitivity and upper 'air' that the NTK has, but may work better on certain voices than the NTK especially if you're recording someone with poor plosive control, as the NTK is quite sensitive to breath blasts.

Also the SM7 is more resistant to handling noise. They both would be very useful because each has distinct advantages and different response characteristics.

The '7 looks to be going for about $365, the NTK available from BPM Express at $405.

Pretty much echoing what mattm said:
For the money the NTK is probably the better deal, technology-wise, but I worked in front of an SM7 for 3 years and it was a good friendship. Gotta match the mic to the voice!

[mattm]

i have used the SM7 on several occasions for vocal recording. whilst i think it is a fantastic mic, i dare say you might find the NTK better suited to a wider range of applications. if you can, try both of them out - i am hesitant to truly recommend one over the other as i like both.

Datus, the last pictures i saw of tool in the studio, he was singing into a Neumann CMV-3. (it could also have been a Telefunken Ela M 302/2 or Ela M 303/1. hard to tell exactly from the photograph)

you could buy about 20 SM7's for the price of one of them!

[fresh_meat]

maynard uses an Audix OM6

[JMS40]

Live, not in the studio... to the best of my knowledge.

Originally posted by fresh_meat:
maynard uses an Audix OM6

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[mattm]

Originally posted by fresh_meat:
maynard uses an Audix OM6

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">really!? an OM6 in the studio! why, surely the engineer would have steared him toward the Shure Prologue range?

[fresh_meat]

i think that he uses it live. which i thought was odd in itself.
i would be definately interested to hear what he uses in the studio for some of the real powerful yells.

[in10shun]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'm gonna go for the SM7. I think the NTK might be overkill for what I'm doing - too sensitive.

James