I am setting up a Recording studio at Home with the Roland 2400CD Digital Recorder. I need to know what to look for in a Decsent Microphone. I have been told that the MXL Microphones are the best for its "money". If anyone is looking to sell a studio mic, let me know. Maybe I'll buy it off of you.
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AT Home Studio Microphone?
- Thread starter ne_husker_fan
- Start date
How does it sound on your voice? That's what you look for. Try some out. Some people like the MXLs...I hate the damn things. Never heard one I thought sounded good. Like most Chinese condensers, it's kind of a crapshoot. You may get a great one that sounds like a million bucks, or you may get one that isn't worth the gold sputtered on the diaphragm.
If you want ultra-cheap, the Audio-Technica AT2020 is REALLY hard to beat for $100. For a little more, I can't say enough good things about the Studio Projects C1. The C1 sounds more German than it does Chinese. Big low-end. The B1 is cheaper, and I've heard great things bout it also, though I have no firsthand experience.
The R0DE NT1-A is a great mic for about $200, though I personally prefer the Studio Projects C1. R0DE has a great reputation for quality.
I mostly use the Audio-Technica AT4040, which is still pretty cheap at $300. It doesn't have a huge low-end, but it has a super fast transient response, and a very clean, transparent sound.
All of those I mentioned are large-diaphragm condensers, which is very common...But there are no rules. Buy what sounds good on you!
If you want ultra-cheap, the Audio-Technica AT2020 is REALLY hard to beat for $100. For a little more, I can't say enough good things about the Studio Projects C1. The C1 sounds more German than it does Chinese. Big low-end. The B1 is cheaper, and I've heard great things bout it also, though I have no firsthand experience.
The R0DE NT1-A is a great mic for about $200, though I personally prefer the Studio Projects C1. R0DE has a great reputation for quality.
I mostly use the Audio-Technica AT4040, which is still pretty cheap at $300. It doesn't have a huge low-end, but it has a super fast transient response, and a very clean, transparent sound.
All of those I mentioned are large-diaphragm condensers, which is very common...But there are no rules. Buy what sounds good on you!
Hey guys, I liked ONE of the MXL mics but they apparently don't make them any more! :-\ If you find a MXL V77 Tube Condensor, THAT was the one that LOVED. I sold mine a couple of years ago like a big dummy! I wish now I hadn't! :'(
Like Emmett, I also really dig the AT4040. Nice mic and certainly cheap enough!
Like Emmett, I also really dig the AT4040. Nice mic and certainly cheap enough!
G
glmichaels
Guest
I'm a big fan of the Shure KSM27. Nice proximity and with a pop filter, does what I want it to. I also use an RE20 for consistancy when doing stuff for the station at home. I don't know if your mixer can provide phantom power though. You're call.
gary
gary
I'm using an MKH-416. Big price tag but I'm happy with it. If you have a very warm voice, it might not be the best choice. It does seem to have suprisingly good low-end. Not as nice as some, but if you have a deep voice, I wouldn't rule it out. Very crisp sound overall, especially with my Focusrite.
Joe
Joe
O
On_Radio
Guest
B
BobSacamano
Guest
I'm currently using an AKG C-1000..I know it's not much, but I plan on upgrading in the future..one mic that hasn't been mentioned is one I "test drove" the other day the ADK Hamburg edition for $299 I was impressed
BobSacamano said:
Never heard one, but I've heard lots of good things about both the Hamburg and Vienna.
I don't know if you guys and gals will laugh at this or not! I was looking for a vocal mic for my band. The dilemma being I sing AND play drums. I needed a mic that had a super or hyper-cardioid’s patterns with respectable frequency range, yet affordable. I selected an EV767a. I just got it today and decided to try and A/B comparison to the EV RE20 mic we use in our production and on-air studios at work. Run through the Symetrix 528e, and not adjusting the parameters of the processing, I have to say I MUCH prefer the 767a! It's hotter with a noticeable increase in input both audibly and visually on Cool Edit. It also has a fatter AND crisper sound, especially for close proximity work. Impressive to me in all those aspects and then here's the BIG PLUS! It costs about a third the price of the RE20!
I'm just wondering if any of you guys and gals have tried one of these mics and if so, what were your thoughts.
I'd also add that if you're looking to put in a BUDGET home recording studio, this may be a good choice!
I'm just wondering if any of you guys and gals have tried one of these mics and if so, what were your thoughts.
I'd also add that if you're looking to put in a BUDGET home recording studio, this may be a good choice!
LOL It ain't pretty, but I get the job done!
http://rock923houseband.com/images/grivers.jpg
http://rock923houseband.com/images/grivers.jpg
M
Mike Walker
Guest
At a pro audio dealer in Charlotte a couple of years ago, they had all their microphones set up so that you could put on a pair of headphones, walk from microphone to microphone, push a button, and talk into it...comparing the sound of every mic they sold in real time. They had some very expensive condensers, really exotic stuff. They they had the inexpensive models we all know. I was shocked that the mic that my voice sounded best on wasn't a 1500 dollar condenser, but the 89 dollar old standard...the Shure SM-57. Listen with an open mind!
Les Paul, the inventory of multitrack recording once said "you can have your expensive microphones. Give me a couple of SM-57s and 58s, and I'll get better quality sound than you do on EVERY instrument and voice! It's the skill of the person doing the recording that makes the difference". I believe that. Give a great producer an old Ampex 600 series reel to reel recorder, and a beginner the finest digital rig money can buy, and the old pro WILL PRODUCE THE BEST SPOT...not just in terms of the quality of the work, but probably in terms of sound quality too. Production is done by PEOPLE, not equipment
Les Paul, the inventory of multitrack recording once said "you can have your expensive microphones. Give me a couple of SM-57s and 58s, and I'll get better quality sound than you do on EVERY instrument and voice! It's the skill of the person doing the recording that makes the difference". I believe that. Give a great producer an old Ampex 600 series reel to reel recorder, and a beginner the finest digital rig money can buy, and the old pro WILL PRODUCE THE BEST SPOT...not just in terms of the quality of the work, but probably in terms of sound quality too. Production is done by PEOPLE, not equipment
Just a quick note...
In all of my research over the past couple of years, the Sennheiser MKH 416 seems to be the standard for VO work. Even as i watched the Academy Awards the other night, I noticed that they had live announcer and VO legend, Don Lafontaine, seated in front of a MKH 416.
I ordered a 416 this past weekend. The best price I found was at www.fullcompass.com. They're selling it for $980.00. The mic averages around $1,200. Sweetwater was even blown away by the price.
In all of my research over the past couple of years, the Sennheiser MKH 416 seems to be the standard for VO work. Even as i watched the Academy Awards the other night, I noticed that they had live announcer and VO legend, Don Lafontaine, seated in front of a MKH 416.
I ordered a 416 this past weekend. The best price I found was at www.fullcompass.com. They're selling it for $980.00. The mic averages around $1,200. Sweetwater was even blown away by the price.
Given the application, backstage at the Oscars, the MKH-416 is a great choice. With it's tight pattern it rejects a lot of background noise, and b/c of the tight pattern it's almost like built in compression.
KIIS-FM's Ellen K has done some awards shows. She's always in front of a 416.
A few years back the Oscars used Donald Sutherland, and I believe Glenn Close, to do the announcements. Both were in front of Neumanns.
KIIS-FM's Ellen K has done some awards shows. She's always in front of a 416.
A few years back the Oscars used Donald Sutherland, and I believe Glenn Close, to do the announcements. Both were in front of Neumanns.
12-Step Program
The bottom line on mic selection depends on three things: your space, your voice, and the desired presentation.
Don LaFontaine can probably make a crystal mic sound good - especially coming through the 4" stereo speakers of most home TV sets...
If a 416 responds well to your voice, it's pattern helps you control noise in your studio space. Keep the noise out of the mic's pattern, and you can get away with a lot more noise than you can with a ribbon omni.
If you have a very quiet space, or even a space with a little natural reverb, an omni with a big diaphragm like a Neumann might give you even more warmth.
You also need to decide what you want for a particular session - the broad warmth of an omni, or the focused cut-through capability of a shotgun condenser.
You may be pleasantly surprised to find that a $100.00 Marshall works well with your voice, your space, and your delivery for some presentations. Or, it may sound like crap. There have been a lot of mics talked about on this thread, but the only way to really determine what works best for you in your space is to try them.
If you can find a seller who'll let you test & compare mics in your space, you may find one mic that fits your voice and your budget, or it make take multiple mics, depending on the type of delivery for a particular spot. That seller may cost you a little more for a particular model, but that's a lot cheaper than buying the wrong mic, reselling it, and trying something new.
There are suppliers out there who'll let you try a demo if you put down a deposit - which is why you have mic junkies like Mr. Laurence, Emmett, and others. Just be careful, or you'll be in the 12-step program, introducing yourself with "My name is (state your name), and I'm a micaholic."
The bottom line on mic selection depends on three things: your space, your voice, and the desired presentation.
Don LaFontaine can probably make a crystal mic sound good - especially coming through the 4" stereo speakers of most home TV sets...
If a 416 responds well to your voice, it's pattern helps you control noise in your studio space. Keep the noise out of the mic's pattern, and you can get away with a lot more noise than you can with a ribbon omni.
If you have a very quiet space, or even a space with a little natural reverb, an omni with a big diaphragm like a Neumann might give you even more warmth.
You also need to decide what you want for a particular session - the broad warmth of an omni, or the focused cut-through capability of a shotgun condenser.
You may be pleasantly surprised to find that a $100.00 Marshall works well with your voice, your space, and your delivery for some presentations. Or, it may sound like crap. There have been a lot of mics talked about on this thread, but the only way to really determine what works best for you in your space is to try them.
If you can find a seller who'll let you test & compare mics in your space, you may find one mic that fits your voice and your budget, or it make take multiple mics, depending on the type of delivery for a particular spot. That seller may cost you a little more for a particular model, but that's a lot cheaper than buying the wrong mic, reselling it, and trying something new.
There are suppliers out there who'll let you try a demo if you put down a deposit - which is why you have mic junkies like Mr. Laurence, Emmett, and others. Just be careful, or you'll be in the 12-step program, introducing yourself with "My name is (state your name), and I'm a micaholic."
My wife would LOVE it if I would join a 12-step like that!
Something else to consider is mic placement. VO and radio people tend to forget this one and usually just go straight into the front. But you can get a million different sounds by moving the mic around. Somewhere there's a video of a bunch of HUGE talents reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas". In that video, every one of those people is on a Neumann TLM103. Each one had the mic placed differently...As far as I can remember, the only one who fired straight into the front of it was Don LaFontaine. One guy had his placed about 18" in front of him, and only slightly higher than his belly button. It looked like he was micing the sound of his stomach growling.
If I'm on a 416, I like to go straight into the end. But I've found that with most condensers, I like it above my head. I keep it tilted down at a 45 degree angle, usually off to my left, about even with my hair-line. From a sound perspective, I get a nice low-end this way, without mud. I've got a pretty thin voice, so I need all the help with low-end I can get...And I refuse to boost bass with EQ because I think it sounds cheesy and fake. You would think I would do better just getting close and using the proximity effect, but it just doesn't sound good on me. From a convenience perspective, the mic is completely out of my line-of-sight...I see a little bit of the pop filter in the corner of my left eye, but for the most part, I have a straight shot to my copy stand or computer monitor.
Moving a mic around to find the sweet spot sounds MUCH better than EQ'ing and trying to create an artificial sweet spot.
Emmett
Something else to consider is mic placement. VO and radio people tend to forget this one and usually just go straight into the front. But you can get a million different sounds by moving the mic around. Somewhere there's a video of a bunch of HUGE talents reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas". In that video, every one of those people is on a Neumann TLM103. Each one had the mic placed differently...As far as I can remember, the only one who fired straight into the front of it was Don LaFontaine. One guy had his placed about 18" in front of him, and only slightly higher than his belly button. It looked like he was micing the sound of his stomach growling.
If I'm on a 416, I like to go straight into the end. But I've found that with most condensers, I like it above my head. I keep it tilted down at a 45 degree angle, usually off to my left, about even with my hair-line. From a sound perspective, I get a nice low-end this way, without mud. I've got a pretty thin voice, so I need all the help with low-end I can get...And I refuse to boost bass with EQ because I think it sounds cheesy and fake. You would think I would do better just getting close and using the proximity effect, but it just doesn't sound good on me. From a convenience perspective, the mic is completely out of my line-of-sight...I see a little bit of the pop filter in the corner of my left eye, but for the most part, I have a straight shot to my copy stand or computer monitor.
Moving a mic around to find the sweet spot sounds MUCH better than EQ'ing and trying to create an artificial sweet spot.
Emmett
B
BobSacamano
Guest
Well, I have no idea who this guy is,..but this article is the 1st bad thing I've heard about the 416...
http://www.coreyburton.com/sennheiser.html
http://www.coreyburton.com/sennheiser.html
B
BobSacamano
Guest
OOOps, my bad, turns out this is the "Old Navy" guy..but he sure don't like the 416
Corey Burton is one of the great voice actors. I could see why he wouldn't like
the 416, which is really for just cutting through the audio clutter of tv promos.
The 416 was first used for tv because that's what they had on the sound stages.
My guess is that almost every voice would sound better on a mic other than a 416,
including Don LaFontaine's.
My personal opinion is, if you're only going to own one mic, is a Shure SM7B.
Forgiving for bad acoustics.
Does not "pop" easily.
Will not add sibilance.
Responds well to EQ.
Good for male and female talent.
There are better mics, but none more versatile.
the 416, which is really for just cutting through the audio clutter of tv promos.
The 416 was first used for tv because that's what they had on the sound stages.
My guess is that almost every voice would sound better on a mic other than a 416,
including Don LaFontaine's.
My personal opinion is, if you're only going to own one mic, is a Shure SM7B.
Forgiving for bad acoustics.
Does not "pop" easily.
Will not add sibilance.
Responds well to EQ.
Good for male and female talent.
There are better mics, but none more versatile.
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