VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Jowillie]

OK you great gear heads. Here's something to ponder on if you are stuffed and need a little creative mental work-out.
You know I am technologically challenged. But I love theories and the "why things work" of what we do.
Here's the question: How important is matching your mic to your preamp?
Are things like impedance matching important?
Do you match-up a tube mic with tube, transformer or transformerless preamp?
Or do you match a transformerless mic to a tube preamp for added low end warmth?

Or...do you plug in what you have and if it sounds good--go with it?

One more question....Are you going to eat the rest of that turkey leg?

Thanks,
Willie
_________________
Wild Willie Edwards
www.hometowntvtoday.com
http://vomictest.blogspot.com

[Bill Campbell]

I've tried many different combinations over the years, but now I just go for a clean sound. I produce mainly TV and radio commercials, so I have to process and EQ the heck out of the VO to make it cut through the music, sfx. and broadcast processing. Easier to start with a clean sound.

For a narration or book on tape, I would use a different mic that had a pleasing presence and timbre for longer listening.

I don't find a "huge" difference with pre-amps for VO. I can create "color" with hardware and software processing. Current pre-amp is a DBX286A.
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www.asapaudio.com

[Yoda117]

[Deirdre]

[Jowillie]

For your weekend reading and study:

Simple basics
http://www.rane.com/note148.html

The impedance thing. (10X is the key)
http://www.sweetwater.com/expert-center/techtips/d--08/19/2004

Interesting interview with smart dudes.
http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/articles/tyford/mic3/matching3.php

..and this one may shock your former known world about LargeDiaphramCondensers. I am currently trying a mic like this and I can't belive it reinforces this concept--but it does.
http://www.prosoundweb.com/recording/articles/tyford/condenser/joerg.shtml

Let's continue this discusssion. I'm learning something. What do you know?
_________________
Wild Willie Edwards
www.hometowntvtoday.com
http://vomictest.blogspot.com

[Yoda117]

I've read some of those, just read the others.

Some of it I agree with, some of it I don't. The large diaphragm vs. small diaphragm argument has been waged for 20+ years. The answer is that it depends on room and source. Some stuff I prefer on one, some stuff I prefer on the other.

But here's the real question, what have YOU tried, with YOUR voice, in YOUR room?

I can't speak for the rest, but I keep a rather voluminous notebook into which I jot down my notes regarding the combos I've used for my recording chain, EQ settings, Compression settings, etc. I keep another one that is specific towards the source... that is, ME. What was I thinking when I came up with a certain character voice, what was I concentrating on, where was I focusing the sounds, was I trying to talk with an impediment, what was I doing physically, stuff like that. I match that information to a reference clip I have in my NAS so that I can play it back and get an acoustical reference if necessary.

It's not just one thing, but 95% of it is related to what I'm doing that determines whether or not the sound is good.

It's not all about the gear. It's about confidence, it's about practice, it's about commitment, and mainly it's about heart. I'm not looking for approval from anyone but myself, and quite frankly I don't even care about that guy some days because he's impossible to please.

EDIT: I've also used the 286A on several occasions (I don't currently have one in the rack... for the price, I can't justify NOT having one, despite the other gear I own). It's nothing great, but it is reliable.

That said, let me offer a great low-cost alternative to the Hardy and GR preamps (more of a backup really). The Focusrite MP-20. It runs about $500 and sucks the way they currently make it, because Focusrite doesn't make good transformers. However, Jensen made the original transformer which made the MP-20 so loved by the low-end folks. Call them up and they'll happily swap out the parts with their own for less than $40. As a low-cost alternative, it's tough to beat... much like the 286 (of the two I prefer the modded MP-20, but that's a personal choice).
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Voiceovers by Gregory Houser
Philadelphia based Voice Actor

Blog - A man, a martini, and a lot of microphones

[Jowillie]

Greg,
Do you mean the Presonus MP-20? It's been discontinued, but I'm sure you can still find them.
WE
_________________
Wild Willie Edwards
www.hometowntvtoday.com
http://vomictest.blogspot.com

[Yoda117]

Yep... brain fart moment there.
_________________
Voiceovers by Gregory Houser
Philadelphia based Voice Actor

Blog - A man, a martini, and a lot of microphones