Shure - PGA181

A simple question, but much more to unpack. Is this for live vocals or are you tracking for a recording? What preamps, audio interface and digital converters are you using? If you're just going into a cheaper audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett) for a bedroom recording then sure, it's fine. If you're trying to get great vocals for a recording in studio environment, are you matching the type of mic to your vocals? Male vocals and female vocals sometimes dictate what mic an engineer may gravitate towards. Are you going to get the same results as a male vocalist singing into a high-quality, large-diaphram condenser mic – like a Neumann U87 or U47 – going through a Neve 1073 preamp and a Lynx Hilo digtal converter, in a professional sounding, acoustically treated room. No. Is the PGA 181 a decent mic that can capture a vocal recording – sure. Can it do 90% of the work, yep. But the other 10% is the difference between decent and great. As professionals all know, that additional 10% comes down to knowledge, experience, room, placement and gear.