Karaoke Forums

Looking for Good Quality Wired Microphones & Microphone cords.


What do you guys use, and which ones are good?

I'm using API and they are terrible..... Been using API for about 6 years+.

for wired you can't beat a shure sm58... $100
don't buy off ebay because there are Chinese knock-off's running around.
so only buy from a authorized re-seller and you get the real thing.

the sm58 you can drop it, throw it across the room, pick it back up and plug it in and
it will still sound just as great as it did out of the box.

nothing else even compares to the quality construction and will last years. and if for some
reason the pickup capsule goes bad you can buy a replacement for about $60 bucks.

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It's all good!

I agree, for a wired mic it's an excellent choice.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

As far as wired mics go you really can't beat the Sennheiser E 835 for around a $100.00. Practically indestructible and has a ten year warranty, the company really stands behind it's product. If you want to pay a little more you might want to look at the e 935 it is around 169.95 and well worth the money. Anytime you pull out one of these mics and somebody has never used one they are always pleasantly surprised.

What about mic chords?

basically all the same, just the more you pay the higher quality cable your going to get.

and always try to use the xlr cables when possible and not convert to 1/4" TS

xlr to 1/4" TRS are ok as functionally they are exactly the same wiring from one
component to another.

TRS = Tip, Ring, Sleeve +,-, common
TS = +, Ground

TS connection use impedance matching and you also loose signal quality and the possibility of introducing noise when converting to it, so stay away from TS adapters and cables.

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It's all good!

we use both the sm58's and the e835's at church for our praise bands. I don't like the e835's as they are more sensitive and will actually pickup noise from anything behind
the singer. for karaoke this isn't a problem cause you usually don't have a live band
behind the karaoke singer.

the e835's have a little more expanded frequencies for a little better response. and right now you can get at musicians friends a 3pak for $250 of the e835's.

but overall I'll stand behind the sm58's for multipurpose use. if your just going karaoke
then either one is great.

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It's all good!

+1 on the Shure SM58. It is THE workhorse mic of the industry. I have several and they are rock solid. If you want to spend more and add some style, go with the Shure Super 55.

There are other mics of course, but I have never heard anything negative about these two Shure mics.

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-Chris

Whirlwind is one company that makes good quality XLR cables. All my XLRs are Whirlwind and they have survived the test of time and road use quite nicely. So far, I haven't had to replace one yet after several years of rugged use.

Can you guys post Links on sites to buy Mic Chords and Mics?


The main problem I have with Wired Microphone Cords is that the Input for Mic Cable tends to be bad, and the XLR connector is bad. All I know is that some of my customers tend to wrap the microphone cord around the Mic, and it pisses me off really bad. I would have to get someone to solder.


So I would appreciate the links of sites to purchase Chords and Mics. Thanks

Why don't you eliminate the hassle of cords by going wireless? And yes, cords are a hassle.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

You can't go wrong with the SM58. There is a reason (actually several) that they have been the industry standard for decades.

For cables, don't go low end or high end. Rapco/Horizon and Whirlwind are both great cables for a fair price. Mogami and Monster cables are way over-priced.

Personally, I think that wired mics are less hassle than wireless. Anything that runs on batteries has the potential to fail mid-show. Or you can buy and replace batteries mid-show. Not to mention the possibilites for signal interference/drop-outs. It takes less than a minute to swap out an XLR cable and fixing them is a simple and quick.

When I hosted I used a combination of both wired and wireless. It helps to have both if your batteries give out you have a backup. It depends on the singer some don't like being on a leash and want to move around the room. The problem with wireless is to get a quality one that is comparable to a good wired mic your are going to pay big bucks. I just never felt like shelling out that kind of money for something some singers toss around casually, or might take off with altogether.

I forgot to mention that I use LiveWire mic/speaker XLR cables. Pick them up at Guitar Center. Lifetime warranty. If it breaks, walk into Guitar Center and they replace, no questions asked. Priced well and the build quality is good. Only had to replace one ever and that was due to a VERY drunk singer standing on the cable and then raising his mic hand up in the air. It partially separated the connector from the wiring.

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-Chris

Seriously?? Well, I don't know what kind of wireless mics you've been using but I've been using 3 Audio Technica wireless mic for years and never and I repeat, never have I had any type of dropout. In fact, I can go outside of the building and walk 100 feet away and they still work flawlessly, without a hitch. And I've tried it.

As far as batteries, I use lithium ion rechargables. Again, If you start off with a fresh charge at your show, you'll never have to worry about them dying.

Sound quality? Just as good as their wired counterparts.

Hassle? Who wants to trip on cords? Plus they're unsightly. And they create a tangled mess.

I now added the GTD Audio wireless mics which are every bit as good as the Shure SM58.

Going wireless was the best thing I ever did and my singers love it.

**On a side note, I don't know any show, (Idol, The Voice, etc.) that uses wired mics anymore. Do you ever see them being used professionally anymore at concerts and these big events? Very rarely if ever anymore.

Remember, from the mics to the rechargeable batteries, if you buy crap you're going to get crap.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

yeah the gtd-audio 733 or 787 or 788
have been getting rave reviews for quality and sound.

if you want to go wireless I would go with them. and you can get replacement
handhelds for under $40 depending on model

just amazon search gtd audio wireless and all the different models will pop up

stay away from the 622's cause you can't lock the buttons, this is big because
singers hit the mute button all the time while singing.

and the 733's are only $189 for a dual set and the 787's are a quad set for $329

your singers will like the wireless better gives them more freedom to work the
crowds. and some singers are just a lot more fun when they don't have a tether
connected to them.

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It's all good!

In this day and age of digital technology, using wired microphones is like using an outdated picture-tube TV instead of an LCD flat panel monitor to display the lyrics. Time to get with the program.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

I don't know if they are available in the US but I buy all my xlr cables from a company called "Planet Waves". Not only do they seem to use a better quality of sheilding material, but they have a lifetime guaruntee. If they fail for any reason, you can get a brand new set.

I even had a set that was accidentally severed by someone who was careless pulling them up from where I had taped them down, and I told the store as much, but they replaced them anyway.


Cost a bit more than the average cable, but I have yet to have a cable fail on me *cept the set i mentioned*, even after being repeatedly yanked, stepped on, twirled and all sorts of other abuse.

-James

Have Sm 58 & sennheiser e835. SM 58 seems less prone to feedback. I use Guitar Center's Live Wire cords because of the lifetime warranty. People will dance while singing, etc. and twist a mic cord something fierce till it breaks. Never had a problem with exchanging for a brand new cord.

Even people who like wireless mics would be well advised to have a wired mic available as a backup. Wireless mics do fail from time.