VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Adam Verner · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject: Help me spend some money!

Get yer vicarious gear shopping joneses.

I've been putting some money aside for the next studio upgrade, the question is, what is it going to be? A better microphone? More soundproofing?

Currently:
Mic: AudioTechnica 2020
Grace m101 Preamp
RME FireFace 400
WinVista box
Adobe Audition 1.5

I'm thinking microphone because I've been using this workhorse 2020 for almost five years now....time for a new one? I know, I know - then that's the whole "recommend a mic" post. Here's a question: are shotgun mics better for long-form narration? That's 90% of what I do. I've been recommended the Studio Projects C1 and the Rode NT1-A for condensers, and the Rode NTG-3 for a shotgun.

What's that thingy device that limits amplitude when the signal is close to peaking? That might be great for all the audio books I'm doing, since sometimes different characters and different scenes have wildly differing tones and volume.
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Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

When you say "more soundproofing", describe your current set-up, in terms of soundproofing and acoustics. Is it satisfactory?

You also might want to post an audio sample so we can "hear" your room.

The room is the least fun and least sexy part to address, but sometimes the most important. If your room isn't right a better mic will only be more revealing of any deficient acoustics.

What's your budget?

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I would deal with your room acoustics, and then go for a mic upgrade. Your room on your audiobook demos are a little bit on the "live" side in a way that's fighting against you. Everything else is great and I wouldn't change anything unless you're having technical issues.

If you're doing a lot of audio book/narration and only want to spend $500 or less, I think you'd sound good with -

MXL M3
AT4047 or 4050 (used)
KSM32
Studio Projects CS1 - note the CS1, not the C1.
ADK Hamburg Mk8 or ADK A6
AKG C3000B

But first, tame that room...and look into the great info here and elsewhere about all that. Even just throwing my first bass trap into my room made a noticeable difference. Okay, I didn't exactly throw it...
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Ed Gambill · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:37 am Post subject:

Go all the way with a top line microphone.

Peluso 22 47SE http://www.pelusomicrophonelab.com/2247SE.html

Peluso 22 251 http://www.pelusomicrophonelab.com/22251.html

Peluso 2-248 http://www.pelusomicrophonelab.com/P-248.html
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:45 am Post subject:

your room sounds a bit live to me too --- again, agreeing with lance, i'd work on that first. and, once again, lance blair for the win --- i use an at4050 for narration and i really like the way i sound on it. my voice is not that far off of yours.
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Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

One of the well known audio book narrators uses a Sennheiser 421 DYNAMIC mic.

I'd reccomend a Shure SM7B to compliment your At2020.
For narration, the SM7B is warm and easy to listen to for long periods.
Plus it will not pick up much room noise/reflections. It would work great
with your Grace. You'll always find uses for the Shure. Plus, it's resale
value is very high.

Just another way to go.
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Adam Verner · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:26 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

So since I posted that original note, I've had to move my studio. Yep - it's a long story, involved my "parent" office space that I was sub-renting from getting evicted...but I had to scramble around and find a new space within a few days. I found a nice quite, windowless office with poured concrete walls and floor. I built a lot more of the famous sound panels: http://www.vocalimpactmedia.com/DIY.html and walled of a corner with plywood, then lined the entire booth with these sound panels. I haven't figured out what to do with the ceiling yet since I'm not allowed to attach anything to it....

Here's a new sample, hopefully it's less "live"! Let me know what you think.
http://www.adamverner.com/Oryx-and-Crake.wav
(raw WAV file)

(the excerpt is from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood that I happened to be reading at the time. You should read it - it's wonderful!)
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Ed Gambill · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:19 am Post subject:

Those panels are a good idea but who ever did the DIY thing has made on big mistake and some minor ones.

First DuPont does not make 703, It is an Owens Corning product. Non attention to details like that put everything else in this DIY in suspect of not being right.

Leaving the back uncovered and set off the wall about 1" will improve the low end absorption. In the alternative use peg board. The wholes in the board cause the back side to act like a bunch of helmholtz resonators (Helmholtz resonators are used to reduce undesirable low frequency sounds).

The DIY information didn’t mention making sure the material was acoustically porous. If you use a tight weave materials then sound will just bounce off the surface. An open material like burlap will be more absorbent.
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Adam Verner · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:59 am Post subject:

Ed - heh, I should have clarified the details, most of what you mention I did.

I used Owens Corning 703, and burlap to cover, not muslin. The pegboard is an interesting idea. Is that the same concept behind the cylinders or short card-tube tube looking things that I see up on some studio walls?
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Ed Gambill · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:34 am Post subject:

The Helmholtz resonator gets the desired results in a different way from tubes. I am glad that you used a more porous material than muslin.

My major point was that some DIY things are best not shared because they have so much misinformation.

A true story. Some year ago the wife and I went to an Elton John concert and inadvertently were in the wrong seats. Or seat were in the last row with "Tecktum" behind us and a large vent tube over head. To my surprise and enjoyment the sound was very much better there. Moving back a few feet lowered the sound pressure and the tube was a massive bass trap.

The late F Alton Everest published may great book of studio acoustics. Thats were I read about the peg board method of mounting rigid fiberglass. I looked for it this morning and couldn't lay hands on it.
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bobsouer · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:11 am Post subject:

Ed Gambill · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:20 am Post subject:

Bob I saw that it was on Willie's web but I think Willie picked that up from someplace else.

Come to think of it ,it's time to eat bar-b-que and have a Pepsi (NC Born and Bred) toast to you.

Next time Speedies.
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