Can someone recommend a good bit of kit to use to record vocals? I'm only talking for home demos here, nothing too hot needed, I'm using Cubase and I've tried connecting the mic in through the USB audio interface but it was too low, and when I turned the inputs up to full it distorted the sound. The only way I've managed to get decent audible sound on my demos is putting the mic through a guitar multi-FX box and in through the audio interface, and it's better than nothing but I was hoping someone could recommend something good to use for recording vocals. I'm really a mess of a producer lol, so my self-produced home demos have always been hit and miss, so if anyone has any suggestions it'd be appreciated!

i don't know what all you have already, but getting a good sound can actually be kind of cheap.

 

first i'd suggest finding a mic that is good for both vocals and instruments. i'd look for a dynamic mic as they will be better for general use. this one will probably be good for now based on the reviews, but if you look around i'm sure you can find some you'll like as well. (sorry it isn't a UK store)

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-XM8500-Microphone?sku=270490

i have had exerience with behringer--even their really inexpensive products are very good. i have never used this mic but i wouldn't have any problems buying it.

If you want to go a big more expensive, one of the mics that you might look into is the shure sm57 or sm58. the sm57 is a condenser mic, but the sm58 is a mic designed pretty much for vocals. it is five times as expensive, but it might be worth it to you.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-SM58-Mic?sku=270101

 

next i would look into buying either a mic preamp or a small mixer with some less expensive preamps build in. i hate to recommend only behringer products so far, but the mic was unintended. i own this following mixer, and it's much more than i expected it to be; it really improved the sound i got from my mics, and it's so inexpensive.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHUB802

 

obviously you'll need some mic cables. if you buy a mixer, you can use the quarter-inch output and use an adapter to run the output of your mixer directly into the mic input on your computer's soundboard.

 

sorry if this didn't answer your question, and i hope i didn't tell you things you already knew.

 

edit: i'm speaking from my knowledge of producing. some of this stuff might sound completely wrong to others with a bit more knowledge in the subject.

Thanks for replying, I think it's really a mic preamp I need more than anything else at the moment