VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

PJHawke · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:15 pm Post subject: Mics for essy voices?

I posted this in a pre-existing thread, now I'm giving it its own.

I'm upgrading my little studioid, and I'm finally hooking up with a voice coach so I can start this journey for real. I want to upgrade my mic; I was thinking a Rode NT1-A or NTG-1. They're both about 200 bucks new on eBay, which is in my range. My voice is kind of essy; I was thinking the NTG-1 because I hear it minimizes sibilance, and because I thought maybe the directionality of it would help in terms of decreased sound treatment in the room.

I posted this in another thread, and am told that 1: the NT1-A is a bad mic if you're essy, and 2: the shotgun mic sounds muddy and boxy. Both bad news. And the list of good mics ranged in price from $400-$1000. Won't work. The exception was the SP B1, which (according to reviews I read online) doesn't appear to be any higher quality than the MXL-990 I use now.

Any mic suggestions? I do some bits on a podcast... a narrative essay sort of spot... I'd like to drop the burning hot "S" problem but don't want to mud out my voice; the audience really likes it the way it is. And I'm advised against sinking big money down on high-end pro equipment right out of the gate. So, entry-level professional quality, within the $250 price range, and minimizes sibilance. Sound like any mics you know?

Deirdre · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:29 pm Post subject:

See if you can try a Studio Projects C-1.
It works for me and I have an S problem.

The other thing to do is practice out your s.
Do the pen trick and get control of your "S".
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Moe Egan · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject:

No suggestions on mics (I'm the Rainman when it comes to all things technical) but I LOVE your avatar PJ!
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Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

I got my Electro Voice RE 20 at Sam Ash Music (in the store, not online)for around $350 a few months ago....but if you look on ebay you could find one probably still in good shape for around what you're wanting to pay....

Great mic, starter or not. I have one, and had a Rode NT-1A. I would pick the RE 20 hands down.

donrandall · Guest

Sometimes the SSSSSSS problem is nothing more than mic technique. Try repositioning your mic in relation to your mouth and see if you can fix the problem that way. Another thing to try is different ways forming your SSSSS sounds.

Many people have the tip of their tongue raised and almost contacting the roof of the mouth just behind the rear teeth. That forms a very tight opening for the air to move through. When air moving at a certain rate is forced through a smaller opening, it must accelerate in order to get where it's going. That affects the frequency of the resulting sound as well as the intensity of the sound. Try experimenting with different ways of forming your "S" and see if you can alter it enough to solve your problem.

Each of these suggestion will require a bit of trial and error, and they may or may not be of help, but if you can solve your problem without spending money, that would be a good thing. Right?

Mike Cooper · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:00 am Post subject:

I switched from an AT-4040 to a Neumann TLM 103 and that made a huge difference. The TLM 170 might be an even better option, as it has a bit of a dip around 5K where the 103 peaks. Mind you, despite the peak on the 103 it sounds very smooth in comparison to the 4040.
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PJHawke · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject:

I took the advice of our esteemed Webmistress and went with the SP C1, which came in today. WOW what a difference. I thought my lil' MXL990 sounded pretty good... the C1 blows it out of the sky. Much richer, warmer, and livelier sound. Thank you Dierdre!!!! Now, just gotta get my new HD and (eventually) replace my 16-bit capture box with a new 24-bit Edirol and my new totally revamped signal chain is complete.

And yeah to DB and Don; I know the S problem is mostly technique I need to train out. But it's sweet to get such an improvement in sound quality from a better mic. Thanks to everyone for your input.

Deirdre · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:19 pm Post subject:

Yay!!
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