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2 MICS BETTER THAN 1???

N

nightfly61

Guest
I'm still setting up my home studio & have 2 identical Sennheiser MD 421-U-5's & wondered if 2 of them would be better than 1. In fact, would even 1 of these mics be okay since they're pretty old ascool, or shouls I get a new digital mic? I have an Emu1212m soundcard & daughter card setup on my Windows XP.
 
In my opinion, I think you should have a couple of different mic for different styles. For instance, a warm, smooth mic for your soft sell delivery and a more "cutting" mic for the hard sell stuff. Go with what sounds best for YOUR voice. Certain mics work good for some voices and not so good for others. Also, it's not a bad idea to have 2 of each (if budget allows) so you'll have a backup in case something goes wrong with one of them.
Good Luck!
John
 
Mics are cool, Dude! You can't have too many mics. It isn't possible. I also believe there's no such thing as a "bad" mic. Every mic can be used for something. Even cruddy sounding, super-cheapies will eventually have just the sound you're looking for in some situation. I keep an ancient Electro Voice omni that looks like it's been to war for situations where the mic may be damaged (getting really closeup recordings of water beign poured, for instance...I LOVE to "roll my own" sound effects!).

Learn to love mics! There are far worse addictions!
 
Mike Walker said:
Mics are cool, Dude! You can't have too many mics. It isn't possible. I also believe there's no such thing as a "bad" mic. Every mic can be used for something. Even cruddy sounding, super-cheapies will eventually have just the sound you're looking for in some situation. I keep an ancient Electro Voice omni that looks like it's been to war for situations where the mic may be damaged (getting really closeup recordings of water beign poured, for instance...I LOVE to "roll my own" sound effects!).

Learn to love mics! There are far worse addictions!
Click to expand...


Hey Mike! Can we call you "Mr. Foley"?

(no reference to the Don Knotts character on "Three's Company", has to do with "rollin' your own sfx, :0)
 
Back in the 70's I had plenty of sources for "rollin your own" sound effects. Even one with a strawberry scent!
That reminds me of a client once who wanted the sound of a "candle in a pumkin" for use in a high energy car spot! I had to ask, "What DOES a candle in a pumkin sound like?".
 
SkinnyJohnny said:
"What DOES a candle in a pumkin sound like?".
Click to expand...

That reminds me of the famous BBC Goon Show sound effect from the '50s .. a man being hit over the head with a sock full of custard. Try it some time!
 
Hey! How about a favorite foley effect thread?

:)

My favorite moment making my own sound effects was back at my first job in Austin.

We were doing a Spec for a leather furniture store. Don't ask me the name...I have killed many brain cells since then.

Anyway, my co-worker and I were busting our heads against the wall trying to figure out how to show the difference between fine quality leather furniture, and cheap leather or pleather...

"How do we make leather SOUND like quality, or cheap...i...ty?"

Finally, we decided to use a balloon to give that awesome, squeaky, skin against cheap leather sound ( and feel )...and then we actually ran out to the lobby, where we just so happened to have a really nice leather COUCH...

We grabbed it...ran it back into the studio area, and wedged that sucker in the studio door, and mic'd it with a pair of AT-4037s...

It sounded amazing...just the right amount of..."Poof" whenever we'd sit our fat rears down on it.

The spot came out great...and the client bought a full schedule!

Those were the days. Now, you're lucky if you get more than 5 minutes to rip-and-read a laundry-list.

I miss radio in Austin...my friend Jim Kipping is still kickin' arse and takin' names there...

Ah well...that's why I'm in the VO game now.

:)

Best y'all

Mike Bratton
Voice Guy

www.mikebrattonvoice.com
 
I'd be honored to be called "Mr. Foley". However, I'll consider it a reference to the sound effects guy on the old AMC show "Remember WENN", about a Pittsburg radio station in the late 30s/early 40s. "Mr. Foley" never spoke (though he often came close). ;)

Great old show. I'd love to see it on dvd! I often think I missed the best days of radio (pre-tv, pre-WW-II). But then, I was "in the biz" for part of the "glory days" of AM top-40. Close enough!
 
Nightfly, the way I interpret your original question is, "Should I use two mics for 'stereo' on my voice?" And if that's the case, the answer is a qualified "no." Using two mics on yourself will give you an unstable image from even minor movements, not to mention head turns. On the other hand, maybe you think that's a neat effect, hence the qualified no. Using two mics will not give you a more powerful sound, and in fact will introduce some phase cancellation that will seem to push the vocal back. The first FM station I worked for had a pair of RCA 77DX's on the announcer, and it was very trippy 'n groovy 'n stuff. Just don't look to your left and check the cart machines, tho!

Now, having two mics, especially matching mics, is great if you want to do a dual or interviews. And the 421 is a great all-round mic that usually needs no EQ. Some guys like to use the bass rolloff position that's one click from "M," but I prefer to just give the mic a little distance (8" or one hand-span) and the bass falls naturally into place and the imaging is natural and clear. Eating the mic enhances nothing.

If you're gonna buy a condensor mic, buy a good one. That means nothing from Samson, Carvin, or Radio Shack. And of all the USB-input mics I've heard, none sound as good as your MD-421s. They're all basically toys for hobbyists. You'd do better with something as simple as an AT2020 and the cheapest Mackie board or good name brand USB pre. No cheap tube pres allowed!

Good luck, and happy shopping!

JJ
 
Thanks tons!!! Is there such a thing as a DSL to 3 prong mic cord to just plug it in like that?
 
nightfly61 said:
Thanks tons!!! Is there such a thing as a DSL to 3 prong mic cord to just plug it in like that?
Click to expand...

Reword your question. Are you talking about a cord that connects to the XLR (3 prong) on the mic and then has a USB on the other end to connect directly to your computer USB? There are some devices that have an XLR input, analog to digital converter, and USB output. Plan to pay anywhere from 50 to $150.

There are mics that have the converter built in and the output of the mic is USB. I am not aware of any converter to turn that into analog XLR (3 prong) output.... and can't imagine a situation where you would want that.

You used DSL in your question. Is that what you meant to ask? Do you want to plug a mic into your DSL internet connection? Can't imagine a scenario where that would be done.
 
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