Sennheiser - e 835

Lots of cheaper mics that IMO sound better than the ol' 58. Samson Q series, Berhringer. The Sennheiser e35 is a better mic for the money. The Shure PG48A and 58beta are also great.

This is a polarizing conversation! I can work with them all, don’t mind the 835, typically choose sm58 for general use. I find that the more specialized the mic is (especially super or hyper cardioid) the more it favours a certain voice type and handling technique becomes much more important. I used to be really really picky about the vocal mic but after feeling like I was going around in circles for a long time I went back to more general vocal mic models, instead relying a bit more on compression and dynamic EQ. I work with one singer who sounds absolutely incredible on a 935 but he sounds really really good on almost anything. However it’s generally not my go-to vocal mic.

I think you're alone dude: ) They seriously crank! I think the e835 beat SM58 for clarity hands down, and the e935/45 are easily superior to the beta 58a. The midrange complaint you refer to is less problematic in Sennys than Shures, IMHO. ☺️

e835 is great, but A/B with the e935 and it's like taking a blanket off the PA.

Absolutely hate the 835. The 935 and 945 can be pretty great on the right voice though

I’ll take an 835 over a 58 as a starting point almost always. I prefer the clarity where as I find 58s boxy. 🤷‍♂️

Try an SM57 for lead vocals onstage at a small gig. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is. It's a little bit unusual, but I recently made a whole bunch of excellent singers happy that way, and I even had the usual SM58 available for them. One guy, a certifiable old school jazz legend, specifically requested the 57 after seeing it used by someone before him. For the newbies... Branch out from Shure. Spend the same amount though. EV and Sennheiser make great vocal mics that address different vocal styles. I like a Sennheiser e835 for mousy female vocals where a Beta 87 or SM58 would feed back. EV ND series sound pretty good on a guitar amp for hollow body jazz stuff. Grab a cloudlifter and an inline DI-style phantom power source to round out your toolbox. You never know when you're going to need either of those.

Theres a lot love for shure sm58. Ive been using a sennheiser e835 for years. Mostly meant for live vocals but foes great in an untreated space, good for micing amps as well

Totally agree. In want to hear a mic flat and unaffected before I apply any EQ or processing. I’m gonna treat a powerful singer who eats their 835 very differently than a weak singer who’s afraid of their 58. Way more about technique and approach than choice of mic, all other things being equal. Mix with your ears, not your eyes.

The e8xx are the budget range, you can't expect too much from them. There is a reason they are cheap. A better comparison would be the e9xx mics. I much prefer my e935s to the SM58.