VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Dan4VO]

I am said producer working with DB on her Mic selection. At her request I thought I'd go ahead and chime in here.

First, I want to thank DB for her time and the expense she is incurring to do this shoot out. We are gaining first hand knowledge of the characteristics of several different microphones which is not only educational but fun as well.
What a great gig!

Now, I've read several of the posts here but not all, so forgive me if I repeat something someone has already said.

A quick note about the TLM103. I know there is some controversy about this mic. It is a perfectly fine microphone! It is perhaps a little expensive, but the credibility of the Neumann name in some situations can not be overstated. It has the same diaphragm as a U87 but is transformerless and thus quieter. The U87 is a dual diaphragm which is cool for lots of applications because you get multiple polar patterns but that feature is not necessary for voicework.

The TLM103 is clear, present and has a slight bump in the high mids that is flattering on most voices. This is why they are a standard.

DB and I have tested so far:

RodeNTK- It was not flattering on DB's voice, too nasal sounding and lacked presence.
Behringer B1- Not bad (even for Behringer) it sounded a bit better with the bass rolloff engaged as it was a bit muddy in the low end when it ran flat.
EVRE20- Muddy! I do not consider this mic very suitable for commercial VO work, for broadcasting and where lots of processing immediately takes place in the chain...fine. But not for making commercials or narrations.
Studio Projects C1- Had the most presence and best clarity. It was not overly muddy in the low end when running flat and sounded good with the bass rolloff engaged.

We hope to try a few more and we'll let you know what we learn.

Pre-amps, Rooms, Cables, and the voices themselves all have a significant affect on a microphone's ultimate sound when source material is laid down to "tape" (so to speak).

Try as many as you are able and have other people listen as well as yourself when making a final choice.

I gotta run. I hope this helps.

Dan

[Hart]

Dan,

Thanks for taking the time to post. It's nice to hear a producer's take.
_________________
Hart Voice Overs Blog
Brian Hart Productions

[donrandall]

It's always interesting to see what others have to say about which mic to use. I am rather surprised however, that two of the big names recieve little mention: Shure and Audio Technica. Both offer a number of dynamic mics, of course, and a selection of condenser mics. I see mics from Shure and Audio Technica in studio use, so at the very least, it would seem as though they are of sufficient quality for professional use. Is it just a meaningless coincidence - or is there some reason why they seem to gain little attention here?

[bobsouer]

Don,

I use the same Audio Technica AT-4033 that Ben mentioned above, as my main studio mike. It was one of the first under $500 large diaphragm studio condenser mikes, though there are lots of other companies making them for even less money now.

I remain very happy with it even though in another studio I often record on a U87, which is a very sweet mike, no question; but a LOT more money.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[CWToo]

[Jowillie]

"What a coincidence! I'm using a BVD 103 but am thinking about switching to a Hanes 87."
Boxer--or briefs? It's still a personal thing.

[donrandall]

[Edo]

Neumann TLM 103... either you hate it, or you love it. I have one, but don't particularly like it (for voice-overs that is). It can work miracles when used to pickup a piano or acoustic 12-string guitar though. At last year's AES Convention in Barcelona, I had a nice conversation with a bigshot from Sennheiser (they market Neumann nowadays) and he told me the TLM-103 "should have never gotten the Neumann name on the case... because it isn't up to Neumann standard"...

Sad to say... I agree with him. No offence to 103-owners amongst this fine board, but having worked with a number of 'serious' Neumann mikes... it kinda makes you wonder what the hell it might have been that brought the company to release this mike. Pricetag can be the sole reason I guess.

The wonderful u87ai, the M-147, the M-149 and M-150 and even the radiomikes from Neumann all deserve no less than a statue. A mike that expensive should at least sit comfortably

If you have the opportunity, try the tubes from Blue (also by Neumann), SE Electronics (very nice stuff from China, sounds AWESOME!) and Charter Oak. I'll also never get rid of my Rode NT-2's...

my two eurocents

Regards from The Netherlands,

Edo

[bobsouer]

[marko]

Depending on your 'style', you simply cannot beat the TLM 103 for
bang for the buck. It is completely deserving of the Neumann name.

[Deirdre]

I love it when Edo talks about mics.
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DBCooperVO.com

[Tom Greenlee]

On the subject of mics.....If anyone has heard my voice, and has experience with the TLM 103......would you think that it would be a good match? Unfortunately, I live way out in the middle of nowhere and there are no audio stores within an hour and a half drive, and I just don't have the opportunity to try any mics out before buying them....I have to find people that have my voice type or have worked with people with my voice type to tell me if the person sounded good on a particular mic. I've been thinking hard about the 103 but 1000 dollars sure is alot of money to find out there are better mics for my voice and cheaper. I would appreciate any suggestions from someone who might know. I currently use the Studio Projects C1 and I like the way it sounds but it does bump up the high end which makes me have to EQ it down some....I'd like to find a mic that sounds like it's made for someone with a lower range baritone voice, but doesn't cost 3000 dollars. I just oredered the Focusrite Platinum Voicemaster Pro and they are throwing in the Rode NT1-A for free...so next week I'll also have the NT1-A...maybe that will suit me, who knows. below is a link to a file of my normal speaking voice in case anyone can make a mic suggestion based on it. It is raw voice that I just recorded....all EQ is flat. I de-essed it very slightly. Thanks to anyone who can offer a mic suggestion.

TGG Norm
_________________
TG2

"Communication without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communication is irrelevant."

Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
Former Commandant of the Marine Corps

[donrandall]

Tom -

How good do you wanna get? Sheesh, you already have pipes that many of us would kill for and ya sound great as it is!

I'm trying to get a handle on whatever it might be that you perceive as a flaw or weakness in what you have recorded because it is difficult for me to find fault with it. Your voice is naturally very rich, full, deep and resonant - I would suspect that any effort to attenuate any of the higher frequencies or harmonics might degrade rather than enhance whatever you record.

Simply using a de-esser actually does reduce the volume of sounds in the higher frequencies while doing little, if anything to the lower frequencies.

[Tom Greenlee]

Wow Don......thank you very much for such kind words! I wasn't expecting that at all. Now I don't know....hahahahaha...It's just that I hear everyone talking about their mics, and listening to everyone's voice samples here and there that they post, everyone sounds so good with their mics of choice. I'm using a Studio Projects C1.....199 bucks I think, while everyone else is using U87s or TLM103s or any slew of nice quality mics. I just don't sound good to my ears compared to how others are sounding with their higher quality mics. Everyone says that the most important thing in this business after talent, is a good mic that is perfect for your particular voice. I can't try out all the different mics people are using, so I am asking for peoples opinion based on their experience and hearing my voice type, what they know are mics that are best suited to my type. Again, thanks so much Don, that was very nice of you to say.
_________________
TG2

"Communication without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communication is irrelevant."

Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
Former Commandant of the Marine Corps

[marko]

Tom,

If you do decide on the TLM 103 you can get them for about $800 on ebay-that's where I got mine. I actually paid $675 for it from a retailer that was selling it on ebay and I contacted him directly to see if we could work out a deal and voila, I got the 103 for an amazing price, brand new. The shock mount is an extra $150 or less on ebay.

As always, when doing business on ebay look at the seller's feedback or lack thereof.

Good luck!

Mark