Can you suggest a good headset mic for live singing?

I searched threads and found nothing here, so here goes....

I am a singer/songwriter/piano player. I would like a good-sounding mic that I can wear on my head for live performances. I guess that's a "headset mic." Any recommendations? I know that 10 years ago Countrymen mics were all the rage....are they still the ones?

I am tired of being imprisioned by a three-point triangulation when performing: My hands are on the piano, my mouth is stuck at a boom stand, and I can't move around at all. It effects my playing and it certainly effects my stage presence: I look frozen up there. As I am gearing up to tour, this seems like a good thing to invest in.

I'll pay extra for it sounding righteous and not feeding back. I don't need wireless capabilities.

Input appreciated!

 

The Countrymen mics are very good, but Sennheiser and DPA really make the best ones. If you get a good Sennheiser or DPA, your front of house guy will LOVE you. I have mixed a ton of live shows and there is nothing I hate more than when an artist shows up with some piece of crap mic that they insist on using. Get the best one you can afford. It will make everybody's night go better. Also, don't get an omni, your monitor guy will hate you! BTW are you on ears or wedges? Also, do you have an engineer going on tour with you? If you do, I would talk with him/her about what they like.

 

A caveat: using a headset mic takes some getting used to. You can't just move away from it in the middle of a coughing fit or some of the times when you do NOT want some things audible. It's a commitment...just some devil's advocate here. I used to use an old Audio-Technica. I really liked it, until I realized that I can emit strange vocal sounds as I drum. Growl!



Dan

 

You could try the one Britney Spears uses; it makes her live vocals sound exactly like the records.

 

I second this post... I used a Crown for about 8 years, playing 6 nights a week, I think I went through three of them in that amount of time.

As Dan said above... You can't just move away from it.

I felt like I had to sing differently as you can't back away from the mic if you really need to put a little more power on a note or if you wanted to put your lips on the mic for a quiet tone or back away just a little bit to put a lot of air around the note for a very breathy tone.

Then having to find the switch to shut it off to talk to a band mate was a hassle also like Dan said.

It was a true blessing when I was able to go back to a regular mic (Shure Beta 57).

Plus I believe if you have really good mic technique it can become another instrument you are playing. (this may be a little far out there as it is hard to explain, so I hope I did an okay job)

 

Oh, yeah I almost forgot... I used the Audio-Technica's brace instead of that goofy thing that came with the Crown. I dismantled the mic and cord and fit it on the the AT brace plus the AT end piece as well.

And as for using a Shure Beta 57, I'm a female and that mic works best with my voice in live a live setting.

 

Omnis sound better(DPA,Senn)
Less popping too
Use IEM not wedges

 

I do not have a personal engineer, nope, and usually end up dealing w wedges. Does that rule out omni's? There seem to be some diverging views on them in the feedback so far....and speaking of "feedback"....I'd guess that's an omni issue.

 

Head over to Gearslutz.com. You'll find some recommendations there.