VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Frank F]

When m srening to the RAd audio it was still nasty 'listening on headphones due to location). The comparing it to the original audio I heard the same scraping on sibilsnt sounds.

Like me, things ...Get old. You can "baby" a mic all you want but it can and will change as it ages.

Get someone to speak into your Mic - other than you. And listeyou will hear what I hear.

So. The answer is yes.

Frank F
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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

[ricevoice]

416s can go bad, it happens. I sent one of mine back to Sennheiser for repair a few years back (it was intermittently sounding a bit distorted), I think it was something minor, cost around $50 and came back good as new!
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Chris Rice - Noisemaker
www.ricevoice.com

[Rob Ellis]

Unless I get right up on it, I don't find my 416 to be overly sibilant or crispy at all. In fact to my ear it's one of the least hyped mics that I have owned.

Still, my gear-itis addled brain would love to try the Senny 8040 at some point

[Quicksilver]

Just an update, Sennheiser charges $549.95 to give 416's a checkup.

If they don't need to do any repairs it's free.

[Rick Riley]

[Quicksilver]

Rick, what an offer, you are truly a gentleman and a scholar. If there's anything I can ever do in return just say the word.

And great read too, I see why you are their guy. Inspiring work.

Given this is my full time gig, I have to secure a mic to work with in the mean time. Will probably just buy something different to try out and keep as another arrow in the quiver. Outside of radio mics the I've had a 416 since day one in VO so it's probably time to try something else out.

Once I get something new to fill the gap in house here, I'll PM you.

Thanks again.

That said, if any VO-BBers have mics they are looking to sell, I'm in the market!

[Lance Blair]

That does not sound like a healthy 416 into a Grace to me.

Good luck fixing/replacing it. It's not your voice! I'm hearing other weird things besides the sibilance.
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Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!

[Dayo]

[Quicksilver]

Glad to hear it's not me!! Thanks guys

A Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for conversion

I swapped out the Grace and the attached audio is running thorough my Symetrix 528e with EVERYTHING bypassed. 416->528e->1/4 inch line in on Scarlett.

Tip of mike is aligned with my left eyebrow, pointing down at my chest. Foam that comes with the 416 is on.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0RHu39MGd0JMkd6RHczWjZyakk/view?usp=sharing

Still hearing issues?

[vkuehn]

This latest clip seems to have less sibilants than than the earlier example you posted. But I hear two things in this clip that cause bells-and-whistles to go off in my head. Listen very closely at 6.54 seconds and at 17.9 seconds.

Maybe that is a renegade sibilant blowout or something, but the teckie hiding in my brain asks: Did the clock in your DAW do a stutter-step or something?

[Dayo]

[Quicksilver]

That sample was peaking around -12 to -6.

I know it's debatable but that's considered reasonable practice yeah?

[vkuehn]

The set-up you described is rather simple so there are not that many places where trouble can happen. Dayo asked about levels, and the way he asked the question I think you gave the appropriate answer: The levels that show up on your computer screen.

Think your way through going back "upstream" looking for places. In a more complex set-up, in the sound-reinforcement world the teckies talk a lot about GAIN-STAGING. In these big complex venues a mic can overload the input of the preamp, or a preamp set too hot can overlaod the mixing buss going into the main mixer amp, etc.

But you don't have that many got'cha places that can happen. You already took something out to put the 528 in. Have you tried your mic directly into the Scarlett? Not that you would ever want to work that way, but somewhere you have a problem that may hiding in plain site, taunting you all the way. Have you tried switching to another input on the Scarlett?

I know, Childish level questions, but somewhere there is weak spot being overlooked and unidentified.

[Dayo]