Hi,
I'm needing to upgrade my mic from a USB to a condenser mic, and I've been reading so much advice (Gravy for the Brain and other sites) but some of what I read is conflicting, so it leaves me very confused about which mic I should get. I know there is no one answer, so to some extent it is a matter of what works for your voice. But I still need to make a decision, and as they are expensive my fear is that I might pick wrongly.
I know Rode NT1A reasonably priced/entry level, but I've been told it is a little bright.
Audio Technica has been recommended, but then online I read some negative points about it.
Shure comes up a lot, but that is Dynamic, which I've been told is not preferred for voice over.
If anyone can tell me what you are using and having success with I'd really appreciate it..
Well- there is one video which of clips from a fashion film, and that was recorded on the fimmaker's mic. But all of my audio files were recorded on my mic which is an M-Audio Uber USB mic. I didn't choose it- it was a gift for my birthday last year.. It looks smart but has so much noise.
Well, there is a video of clips from a fashion film which was recorded on the filmmaker's mic. But all of the audio clips were recorded on my mic which is an M-Audio Uber Mic USB. I didn't choose it, it was a gift for my birthday last year. It looks smart but has so much noise!
Hi again Aurora,
Audient make very well respected industry standard gear, so I'm sure the ID4 would be a great interface, though I have never actually used on myself, I'm sure I've had one used for recording my work at another studio. I don't know the headphones that the set comes with but as well as checking out the quality of their fidelity you almost definitely want to make sure they are over ear rather than on ear for comfort of use over long periods.
The Behringers are really good, but almost just as good and as just as widely used in the industry are the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones, Personally I use a pair of 380 Pros but they have been discontinued.
Thanks Brendan! Yes I think you're right, I will go for the 280 Pros, they seem reasonable and look comfy.. Yes I definitely need over ear- my current Sennheiser wireless headphones give me a headache..
I will probably order the 2i2 interface and the headphones from Gak.co.uk as they seem cheaper than several other online stores..
Hi, if anyone is still seeing this post, I'd appreciate some advice about XLR cables. I believe that the 2i2 interface only comes with the USB cable, so I will need to purchase an XLR cable separately. But when I look up cables there seem to be hundreds of them! How do you choose one? There are some called M to F. Some with gold plating etc..
Is there a certain type of cable that works best for a mic? I don't want to spend a fortune on a cable, but I do want to get a good one.. Many thanks!
Yes you’re right the 2i2 does come with the USB cable only. However, the Røde NT1-A condenser microphone comes with an XLR cable as well as a pop shield. Also, the XLR cable included in that package seems decent enough. I have one myself!
As for other hundreds of cables, gold plating is now commonly put on the metallic connections (M/F ends) of cables as it’s meant to further reduce any noise and improve quality of picture if it’s an HDMI cable for example but it’s not vital in my opinion for the reason stated above (mine doesn’t and it’s fine)
If you still want to get a separate/spare, make sure it AT LEAST specifies that it’s ‘noiseless’ and it’s a brand you’ve heard of!
Usually helps! Maybe Shure or Sennheiser if your budget allows. At least it’s a guarantee of decent quality.
The M to thing F is ‘Male to Female’. Basically the standard XLR cable you would need to go from the mic into the interface has a Male and Female end. The ‘Female’ end goes into the mic; and the ‘Male’ end goes into the interface.
In order to not get banned for being lewd on here, all I can say with the male to female explanation is ‘think about it...’ and I can also put a winking face here ;)
Yes I get what you mean lol! I did think that was meant by the male and female ends. But what confused me, is that one website I was on allowed you to narrow down your search results by which input and output you wanted, so M to F, M to M, F to F.. So this left me confused- if there are different configurations then which one is right for a mic setup?
Oh and I have finally bought a mic! I managed to find an AT4040 on ebay that was a reasonable price but in good condition and little used. Course I haven't been able to test it yet!
Thanks that's super useful! Look for noiseless. Don't spend extra on gold plating.. But choosing a brand is hard- they all seem to be brand names I haven't heard of: Gorilla, LEDJ, NEO, Roland, Lynx...
Mic stands.
Ok this is my last question! (hopefully!) Thanks again for all the advice, really appreciated.
I've finally bought all my kit, so now I need a mic stand, and I have a limited space, so I'm thinking one that clips onto my desk would be better, neater and space saving. But I would like to be able to stand whenever I feel like it. Does anyone have a desk clamp stand, and if so does it extend far enough to allow you to stand?
Are there particular brands to look for, or would a generic one bought off ebay work just as well? Big thanks in advance!
So M to F would be the standard one for a normal mic setup.
You haven’t heard of Roland? They’re well known for keyboards and they’re pretty good. I see you’ve bought your kit now but a lead from them would be fine.
Had you mentioned the mic stand a month or so ago I could’ve sold you my short one which could stand on a desk as I preferred one I can just stand up with. Now Hermes have lost it when I tried to have it delivered to someone else but hey-ho!
Best of luck! In fact, best of luck even getting any job ad posters to reply back after sending an audition but that’s a different topic ;D
Hi again Aurora, glad to hear you've managed to get most of your kit together now. Boom Arms can be a little difficult depending on how heavy the mic you're using on it is, as no two scissor arms are quite the same, but the Rode PSA1 is well respected, but I kinda prefer the Blue Compass mainly as it can take a heavier load (it's designed to be able to handled the Blue Yeti Pro, which while a awful mic is also HEAVY especially when used with it's crazy large shockmount!) so has no issues with even something as heavy as a Neat King Bee, plus it's prettier and has an in built cable management channel which just makes me happy in a weird OCD way :)
Hi Aurora -
The Neumann TLM 103 is one of the most widely used mics amongst top-end VO's with professional home studios. It's not cheap, but the sound is barely distinguishable from the hugely expensive Neumann U87AI - so long-term, if you can reach to it, you'll never regret it. I use it, together with a rather specialist ribbon mic. For the value, its hard to beat the Rode - just don't put it to a head to head test with the TLM 103!! Good luck!
Thanks for your reply! Yes I bought a Roland cable. Seems good quality and a fair price. Only the mic stand I need now.. Well, plus a harddrive and possibly some more insulation ;-) It does add up all this kit! But I figure it's an investment, and yes I know what you mean re the difficulty of actually booking work. There is too much competition.. But at least there is v.o work. It seems like v.o is one of the few areas that has kept going during lockdown!
Oh and that's frustrating re Hermes- I hope you got a refund?
Re mic stand I'm looking at this kind of thing, but wondering if it might be a bit flimsy, and also not tall enough for standing up?:
I suppose the possible height any boom arm can reach is largely dependent on the height of the desk you'll be attaching it to? As for weather it might be a bit flimsy or not is probably a bit pot luck with the lower priced scissor arm booms, you might get lucky... you might not.
Having just googled Heavy Duty Mic Boom Arm, this one appears that seems to have pretty good reviews and is a fair bit cheaper than the Rode or Blue boom arm modals.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Microphone-TONOR-Adjustable-Suspension-T20/dp/B082YN7KY9/ref=asc_df_B082YN7KY9/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=427895820204&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3749856428580006466&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046302&hvtargid=pla-891223995321&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=99954789592&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=427895820204&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3749856428580006466&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046302&hvtargid=pla-891223995321
It is worth checking the mic arm weight load against your mic. I recently purchased the MK4 and the suspension mount. So much heavier than my last mic. My scissor arm (A Neewer Professional Condenser Series) *just* about holds it in place - its the adjustable point at the end of the arm that is the issue not the whole arm. Brendan, the one you listed looks useful, good luck with the search Aurora.
If you have not already purchased your mic stand, you could have a look at König and Meyer. I have a microphone holder from them since six years now and the product is very well made, solid and don't move at all. I recommend this company!
Have a look at their page and read some reviews about them. I think K&G products really worth their price:
https://www.k-m.de/en/products/mic-stands/table-stands-table-bases/25995-table-floor-microphone-stand-black/25995-300-55
Thanks Brendan, Ketan and Denis! Much appreciated :-). I've just found an ex-BBC Studios stand on ebay! It would be so cool to have a piece of ex BBC kit. But this one has the fitment that has to be drilled into your desk, so it wouldn't work for me sadly... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Radio-Studio-Microphone-Mic-Boom-Stand-With-Built-In-XLR-Cable/254557340160?hash=item3b44ccc200:g:ANcAAOSwAfhd3DmB
Thanks Denis for the K&G suggestion. They do have a scissor arm but I couldn't see the price anywhere on the site..
Yes Brendan the one you suggest is probably going to be the best option. I've looked at lots of others now, and most of them look quite rickety.. But that one looks pretty sturdy. A couple of negative points in the reviews, but generally positive.. I think one of the points was that it doesn't have any foam in the clamp where it meets the table. But I can easily put a piece of foam in there..
I see it comes with a foam windshield; is that something I would need for ordinary v.o usage? Or are there special situations that require using it?
I use a RODE NT1 which is not as bright as the NT1-A and comes with a first class shock mount plus a metal pop filter. I've used the NT1-A in the past and it too is perfectly acceptable. check out Youtube and put "RODE NT1 vs" and see what it is tested against.
Thanks Linton! Since my original post I have now got a mic, at last! It took me so long to decide, and I did consider an NT1/1A or NT2, but in the end I went for an Audio Technica AT4040 mic. It was off ebay, but was well looked after/good condition. So I'm happy :-)
I still have some setting up to do, installing the software etc, but it's getting there.. I really appreciate the advice everyone has given on this thread!
Aurora
Hello Aurora, do let us know how you get on with your AT4040. I have the Rode NT1A which I’m happy with but I’m thinking of trying a second option, Susie
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