PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Which Mic Do You Prefer?

The audiobox 22vsl is a USB powered device, correct? I'm thinking that it's quite possible it does not have sufficient gain before noise is apparent, not room noise, but self-noise of the mic/preamp combination.

As for the reflexion filter - you shouldn't need that with the existing Beyer Dynamic mic. Use the biggest room in your house/flat, that has the fluffiest furniture and carpet - you won't pick up room noise with the Beyer Dynamic recording that way.

Where you will start to need some type of acoustic treatment, is if you buy a condenser mic that has a broader polar pattern and you are in a room that has lots of reflecting surfaces (hard floors, little furniture present, no curtains, etc.)

Before buying the reflextion, does the room you record in have a clothes closet or wardrobe? If so, stuff it with clothing and put the condenser mic in front of that when you record - it will do a much better job than the reflexion filter. At least give it a go first.

Rode is a great brand with a forward looking development view. Hard to go wrong with their products, although you can probably get similar performance with any of the other condenser mics mentioned in this thread, for less financial outlay.

The issue with the tambourine jingle is likely related to the Beyer Dynamic's hypercardioid pattern - might get the pop from the head, but it's going to reject the jingling, because they are off-axis from the mic. It might be a great microphone for acoustic guitars, however - in an untreated room.

Here's what I would do if I were you - I don't know where you are in the UK, but I would call Dolphin and ask if you can order a couple different mics; those in your list, and then some of the cheaper ones like those from sE or MXL, and ask if they will let you try several and take back in the models you choose not to keep. Or perhaps they have some that have come back in from other folks that they are willing to let out for a small price for this purpose.

I think you'll find very little difference between most of the models in the price range of the Rode and on down, similarly featured (same sized capsules for example). None of the recommendations have been necessarily wrong, other than some of the cardioid dynamics would still give you fits with the tambourine sound - the SM 58 and the Sennheiser MD421 (both mics I love for vocals, MD 421 I used to use as a tom and snare mic)

I would instead look for features that I consider to be more important like a high pass filter and pad switch on the mic. In my book, those are more important than the brand. Even the lowly Samson mics on the Dolphin link I provided above will sound very nice paired with a fairly quiet pre-amp. The Samson C03 would be one I would include in the short list and it's less than 100 quid. Multi-pattern, high pass filter switch, and 10 dB pad - boom, that would be on my short list. HIGHLY likely the capsule is made at the same factory as more expensive mics from more respected brands. The Samson SM58 knock-off I have is a great microphone.

You WILL want to high pass filter nearly everything that you record with whatever condenser mic you choose, and having it on the microphone takes away a bunch of low frequency rumble that will find it's way into your recordings without it. Having an on-board pad switch will also increase the mic's versatility immensely for whisper quiet vocals, to overhead microphone use. The NT2-A has all of those features, actually a 2 position HP filter (40 or 80 Hz cutoff), multi-pattern, and a multi-level pad (5 or 10 dB). However, it's probably overkill for the home office recording situation. Save yourself a couple hundred quid and get a nice pre-amp paired with a less expensive multi-pattern condenser.

I suggest high-pass filtering on the mic because you did not mention a mixer - good for you. No need for a mixer with low channel counts, as it is a noise source in and of itself. Most decent mixers will provide a high pass switch on the channel strip, but if you have it right at the mic, you can plug in directly to the interface and record to your heart's desire. However anytime you are routing signal through analog gear, you will increase the overall noise floor of the signal chain. It's unavoidable. Using less gear in the signal chain normally means a cleaner recorded signal.

Back to recording your acoustics with the TG x 80 mic - you will have to remain pretty still as you record, otherwise, you'll get quite a bit of volume inconsistency throughout the recording, the closer you get to the microphone as a nominal distance.

But it probably is a great mic for recording that in an untreated room.

-Scott

I have an Audix mic that is matched to the Bose L1 I bought. It's getting dusty. I need to get back to music. My Mother had 2 serious operations and we have to put her in a nursing home. While that was happening my Dad had a minor stroke, and in a week he got back the use of his right arm and it quit jerking about. I have to get hime twice a day to drive to the hospital, they doctor told him 6 weeks and no further problems and he can go back to driving. He's 85 and wants his car back very much. Oh well....

You have been missed CCCC! I'll hafta take more careful aim, I guess. Seriously, your caustic wit is always welcome and obviously missing of late. Is there anything I can do for you or Dad?

Thanks guys for your feedback and advise,

rockstar_not; I mentioned the acoustic filter for use with a condensor mic and not for my dynamic mic. My room is untreated so a filter would be a must. Anyway, all this talk about treating the room is giving me doubts about getting a condensor mic now in part because my PC (on the floor) gives a steady hum.

"...above the gate threshold..."

What 'threshold'? (The threshold is infinitely adjustable). A properly set gate will eliminate 95% of any dreaded "early reflections".




Here's what you do:


Go into the closet, cover yourself with a heavy quilt, and stand on one leg, holding the mic just above your head (under the quilt, of course).


That will give you that "Pro Studio" sound.

90 dB, sent you a PM.

OK, I made a demo tonight to demonstrate that even with a noise gate in place, the room effect on any mic that has a pretty broad polar pattern can affect the quality of the recording - in this case it's a CAD M-177 LDC. It's a single pattern version of this mic: http://www.cadaudio.com/M179.php Quite typical Chinese made capsule, assembled in USA.

Here is the link to the .mp3 file http://rockstarnot.rekkerd.org/misc/demo...20place.mp3.mp3
It's a few minutes long, just me narrating what the recording environment is; first sitting in front of my DAW - about 24" from the computer screen, getting up and then speaking in my 'booth' which is an open clothing closet, with a GOBO that is adjacent to the open sliding door of the clothes closet, with 4" deep wedge material on it - which I garbage picked over a few months, then walking out into the hallway outside the 'studio' then into the bathroom across the hallway.

All the while there is a noise gate on the mic signal, which shunts very low level sound, but passes all sound above the trigger level. I have also high-passed the signal at about 150 Hz, which is sort of where I like to HP filter my vocals, to keep them from being 'tubby'.

Note that when I'm in the home made 'booth' the high and mid frequency reflections are basically eliminated. This is not a treated room, but I have taken precautions to try to eliminate reflective surfaces in the vicinity of the mic - which is all that the reflexion filter which costs quite a pretty penny, is doing.

It's easily accomplished with clothing and some elbow grease, and just eliminates one more hassle in the recorded signal. I can sing quiet, and loud in this 'booth' and not have significant interaction with the reflective surfaces in the room.

Not trying to sell Auralex or Primacoustic or any other supplier's foam here. In fact the opposite.

Thank you, the changes in sound quality are impressive.

Now I've a question that Dr. Google and Dr. Wikipedia couldn't answer: What is a GOBO in your setting? (I only found GOBOs with lighting equipment.)

Guido

Well, it was meant to be a PM. I also asked if there was something that I was missing from your inference that a noise gate can manage reflections. Dynamics settings for the gate can be tweaked, but for this type of a signal - my experience (though not 40 years, perhaps 30 if I count a guitar pedal type gate - but that really isn't the same type of signal situation as mic'ed signals) is that this ability to hide reflections has to do with the direct signal to reflection level - like the guitar amp mic'ing that I mentioned in the PM, where the direct signal is fairly overwhelming compared to the reflections.

You now have the source signal. If you can make the different acoustic influences go away with noise gate dynamics settings - then it should be able to be done on this signal - where the direct sound isn't terribly loud compared to the reflected sound at the mic. The signal demonstrates 3 or 4 different qualities based on the local acoustics near the mic - reflections off of various surfaces (computer monitor, foam wedges, light-weight bedroom door, semi-tiled bathroom).

To answer the question about BIAB - no I haven't purchased it yet - I didn't see where that has anything to do with the question about what mic to use nor the ensuing discussion on whether or not to buy a reflexion filter.

I am getting closer to BIAB purchase, for whatever that's worth - and since you asked. I've had my first go with auto-accompaniment software and the experience was generally good and has me thinking about it.

Back to this thread topic. Perhaps we are still talking about two different things? - I'm talking about the early reflections that change the timbre of the recorded signal like what is evident in the demo recording. I think that trying to use dynamics settings in a noise gate will affect the timbre of the recorded signal in a negative way, with some pumping becoming evident - but I would like to hear the result also - maybe you are talking about something different than what I demonstrated in the recording.


For GHincH:

GOBO, at least as far as I know, is a moveable physical screen meant normally to isolate acoustics between various players in a recording space. I think it's a modified abbreviation of 'go between', but I'm not entirely sure about that.

I started a different thread about acoustic treatment where I've got photos of the one that I built, the business side with the foam, and then the other side that is decorated with a colorful throw rug. I didn't build it for isolation between different sources, but basically to give myself basically a way to get manage the reflections off of the hard walls in my 'studio'.

-Scott

"...I think that trying to use dynamics settings in a noise gate will affect the timbre of the recorded signal in a negative way, with some pumping becoming evident ..."




Actually, no. Not if it's set correctly.

I've used a Blue USB mic for most of our recordings that have been posted here -- mainly out of convenience. Last week I bought a XLR interface that provides phantom power and has a USB out...so now I'm back to the Rhodes NT1 that I used in my predigital days. I just did some recording with it (redid the vocal on A Small Suitcase (posted in user showcase) and I'm very pleased with it. From our perspective it has a very warm sound with just the right hint of airiness.

@Bob,

As much as I don't like to admit it, you were right that the snippet you took from my PM was arrogant.

I'm sorry.

-Scott

Wow, did this thread go down a weird path.

Far as I understand it once a signal gets past a gate it is live, right? So while the singer is singing 'I looooooove yoooo' (and the gate is open for that period of time) all early reflections are being passed on for that duration along with the dry signal, unless your gate is smarter than mine. Thus the room affects the recording.

Yes you can control a lot of it, but maybe you should experiment a little. Put the mic in a hallway, or a closet, or stairwell. Put the mic right close to the source and move it back a bit. Compare and adjust.

I have discovered that for lead vocals, I know of one hallway that offers all kinds of choices. Lots of early reflections or very little (depending on mic placement/direction and doors opened or closed). One singer needs the bathroom door open, but another sounds better with it closed.
/I just gotta hope nobody goes in there during a take.

@mootsman "I've used a Blue USB mic for most of our recordings that have been posted here"

Which Blue? Which songs did you use the Blue on? And how is it for vocals? Been thinking of getting one. USB mics have a bad rep from what I've read on the Internet forums and reviews. Any input is appreciated.