VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

So less than a month after learning to 'think differently' and becoming a certified and qualified Voiceoverist, I find myself in a small quandary.

As luck would have it, it seems that my up-until-recently trusty old Studio Projects C-1 might be nearing its end of useful life. I've been noticing some 'crunchiness' lately, but then again it could well be my ears that are failing. In any event, I'm at a point where I'm looking to buy a new mic. I've been looking through old threads and I talked to a gent at the local Guitar Center who is willing to let me audition several in my home environment before making a decision.

I should state for the record that my recording environment isn’t totally soundproof. I do most of my sessions at outside studios, but I have a few clients for whom I record at home. We live in a fairly quiet, rural area and with judicious use of the expander on my dbx286a, combined with my moderately treated corner "studio", the clients are satisfied with the end result. I'm even able to do pickups for sessions done at outside studios with satisfactory results.

I realize the bottom line is what sounds best with my voice in my environment, but there could well be some gems I'm not even thinking of that would be worth checking out. So with that qualification in mind, and in no particular order, below is my short-list of what I'm thinking of auditioning (based on opinions posted here and elsewhere). But I would really appreciate any further comments for or against any of these (or recommendations for others I haven't listed).

* Sennheiser 416 (at the special deal $800 price point, I'd be a fool not to check it out)

* AKG Perception 220

* Rode NT-1A

• AT 4040

• CAD E100s

• Shure KSM32 (or SM27 or SM7B?)

I realize I'm running the gamut in price ranges with this list, but realistically, if a $1000 mic doesn’t sound substantially better in my recording environment than a $150 mic, it's hard for me to justify shelling out the extra $$. On the other hand, if the difference is clearly noticeable and will give me the confidence to go after more work from home, then I can justify it.

Thoughts?

georgethetech · Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 7:56 pm Post subject:

We love "which mic should I buy" questions, don't we, gang?

You might want to "stretch the budget" for an AT875r, my fave cheap secret weapon mic. Have fun!
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Bish

I don't know whether to be happy or sad that I can comment on quite a few on your list. But, for what it's worth, here we go...

* Sennheiser 416 - I couldn't resist the $800 deal. I've had it for a week or so, and so far, colour me impressed. I did A/B tests with my existing go-to mic (and also had the opportunity to do the same A/B testing with another "Qualified Voiceoverist"). It's a fine mic with a natural presence which is known to cut through a mix if required. I'm still working with positioning and addressing, but I suspect this will become my go-to for most work. Also, it will be a good (small) unit for travelling.

* AKG Perception 220 - I bought this on the recommendation of Cliff Zellman, who considers it the best bang for the buck in a lower-priced mic. It really punches well above it's weight, and if I was on a tight budget, I think it would serve well. It comes with a solid spider mount and case. I'm happy to push people towards this one.

* Rode NT-1A - No experience with this one.

• AT 4040 - Used one... didn't like it. I find AT mics very sibilant with my voice.

• CAD E100s - Got it. Love it. It was my go-to, and will probably still be so for work that doesn't get further produce (eLearning, narration, etc.) Very low self-noise and a hyper-cardiod pattern makes it very nice mic to use. My only caveat is that it is (for me) easy to pop as the basket is quite open. Just address it correctly and the problem goes away (or use a pop-filter)

• Shure KSM32 (or SM27 or SM7B?) - I've got the SM7B. I used it all the time for long-form narration. Unless you've got a pre-amp with a lot of gain, you may need to use a Cloudlifter or a FETHead. As a dynamic mic, I wouldn't use it for general VO work... it just doesn't have the presence to cut through... but it's great for audiobooks as it's has a natural quality that's not tiring to listen to for the long-haul. I like it a lot, but it's now retired.

You've listed some good mics... just choose your price point... under $200, the AKG. Under $400, the CAD. Under a grand, grab the 416.

... and that advice was worth exactly what you paid for it Smile

_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

Frank F · Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 9:27 pm Post subject:

Up to a point I agree with Bish.

Somethings you should be looking into are: does any one of these mics sound good to you (as George would say: If it sounds good, it is good)?

Will it work in your environment? Yes, all of these mics will do you well.

Try before you buy is one thing I can add to Bish's post.

As for the NT-1A. This mic, as shipped, has some drawbacks. It is a bit sibilant in the high end, and lacks a bit of low end body. A few dollars in parts and about an hour of your time to de-solder and replace parts can/will remedy that situation. Go one better by adding a capsule from Microphone-parts.com and you will find you have a couple of thousand dollar microphone sound; for a very cheap price. Just for grins, for a few dollars more you can make your NT-1A (or a Behringer B2 Pro - the better choice) into a very passable Neumann U87 replica - in case you are interested.

* Please note: The current NT-1A has a new PC board and it is very different to de-solder and replace parts, so look for an older model with "through the board" model PC boards.

I would not suggest the MKH 416 for VO artists. Many like them, many clients do not. The 416 is a great mic for news gathering and sound acquisition for film. If you like the compressed sound and thinner lows, then you might consider the Sennheiser shotgun for SOME VO recordings - it is and never was designed to be a "go-to" microphone for VOists, me; I prefer great body, smooth transparent color, no compression, and perfect reproduction of a voice. You, have to choose your own poison,

Lots of good choices on your list. Have fun!

Frank F
_________________
Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

georgethetech · Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 10:08 pm Post subject:

For the notes, the SM7b is a dynamic mic, the SM27 and KSM27/42 are condenser mics. The NEW NT1 is a whole new beast, supposed to be more mellow and less sibilant. Sennheiser 416, love/hate mic that helps my promo clients make $,$$$,$$$'s but not a silver bullet. $799 thru Saturday at BSW with coupon code "Livingonair". Buy it, try it, flip it and not lose a dime.

Happy shopping!
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder

Philip Banks · Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 5:20 am Post subject:

MKH416

Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

somedays like my 416, others not so much...

(...or maybe it's some days like my performance, others not so much......)

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

Thank you all. Bottom line is as I figured; try them all and see what works best for my voice in my environment. Be prepared. I may well post some files for a blind test after I give them a little workout.

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

George, I guess I didn't quite get the 'wink' when you mentioned "stretch the budget" for the AT875r...until I looked it up and saw that it's $199. I'm still a bit concerned about the prospect of a shotgun in my pseudo-studio. And I already have a P.O made out for a $799 MKH416, but I'm just trying to cover my options.

The bulk of what I do from home is long-form corporate narration type stuff. For the commercial stuff I do it's pretty much audition from home, then go to an outside studio for "session by committee" with an agency.

captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

As an owner of a SP C1, I too had crunchiness issues.. you could be experiencing dampness trapped in the capsule, or you could also be experiencing a loose xlr housing at the bottom of the base..

the set screw has a tendency to wiggle loose after a while.. I left the mic in a warm dry place for a couple of days, and also hit it with a hair dryer at low about 2 feet away.. that combined with unscrewing the bottom and tightened the set screw in the housing has made the mic usable again...

The C1 is not a bad mic for long form corporate narration... neither is the Shure SM7B, at half the cost of a Senn 416.. The C1 also has the ability to cut thru, ala Senn 416
_________________
Lee Kanne
www.leekanne.com

Bruce · Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 8:09 am Post subject:

captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

scored one a while ago...$125 on Ebay.. cool travel microphone
_________________
Lee Kanne
www.leekanne.com

FinMac · Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 9:19 am Post subject: By rhe way

You wrote regarding the AT875r...

"I'm still a bit concerned about the prospect of a shotgun in my pseudo-studio. And I already have a P.O made out for a $799 MKH416".

The Sennheiser 416 is also a shotgun Smile

Sorry, I guess I misunderstood what you wrote
_________________
www.scottsvoiceover.com - An American voice in Finland

"If you want to get to the top, you have to get off your bottom". (Unknown)

Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

Oh yes, I'm well aware of that. That's one of the reasons I was questioning the 416 as well as the AT875r. I got the P.O. just to cover myself before the sale is over.

Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

I listened to your demos. I'd recommend the 416 or an EV RE-20 for you.

The RE20 will be more forgiving for poor acoustics. Both will sound good for narration. The RE-20 sounds cleaner than an SM7B, to my ears.

I've never had sibilance trouble with an NT1A on my voice or my wife's.
It is a very revealing mic, in a good way, so it won't cover up any issues with imperfections in your tone or control. With some voices, the NT1A sounds fantastic.
_________________
www.asapaudio.com