duffyweber
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Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 4, 2017 13:44:02 GMT -8
Mic geeks: What are your FAVORITE mics, and why? = )
Anyone who's known me for more than a minute knows I love my Oktava MK-105 and that I have a few Shure LDCs I'm fond of (The PG-27, for a cheapie, is my babydoll. Yes I'm aware it has a really high noise floor. But you'd never know it when I'm done with it.) ; )
I've also got a 1981 Soviet-made Mk-18 that I still use on occasion (the darn thing's almost as old as - *AHEM* - well, that's not important.)
But I wanna know what mics YOU like, and WHY. (I.E.: Most of mine have a flat response across the mids, are cooler than some other mics, and have some extra top-end to them, which is handy when I do bass characters to give them a nice texture, and really helps with the super-high pitched ones as well, if you work the mic from further back.)
Tips? Tricks? Good mics for certain purposes? Favorite all-arounders? Amazing one-trick ponies? Lemme know! I love mics! ^_^
EDIT: P.S. Let's stick to some more mid-grade mics. Everyone knows a Neumann U87 is just sooooo, SOOOO nice, and if you wanna mention something like that it's fine but I'd like encourage some esoteric mid-grade stuff, too, like maybe for instance a Pearl PML Priority. XD
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Post by StringStorm on Jan 5, 2017 10:47:51 GMT -8
My Samson C01U. Pretty much my very first condenser microphone. I now have a plethora of microphhones under me but I still find myself using it, even on professional work. Sure, its a USB microphone and USB mics tend have this negative association within the voice acting community. And I would probably be considered as some sort of a heretic for using a USB mic for some of my professional work. I say they can suck it.
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duffyweber
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Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 5, 2017 11:13:37 GMT -8
StringStorm: If a mic works good it works good. That's my motto. ^_^
I have a CAD USB cheapie somewhere(a u37, I think) that I'll whip out occasionally when doing suuuuper high pitch characters because the thing has absolutely no bass-end to it, and it keeps the low-end of my throat out of the voiceover. It's a one-trick pony, to be sure, but it's a GOOD trick. XD
(Though I've got a much nicer Shure with a bass cutoff I use for that, anymore. Still, the CAD is so light I take it when traveling just in case.) ^_^
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Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Jan 5, 2017 14:07:33 GMT -8
My Samson C01U. Pretty much my very first condenser microphone. I now have a plethora of microphhones under me but I still find myself using it, even on professional work. Sure, its a USB microphone and USB mics tend have this negative association within the voice acting community. And I would probably be considered as some sort of a heretic for using a USB mic for some of my professional work. I say they can suck it.
Hahaha, nice! I second using the C01U for (at least some) pro work -- it's the only mic I even record with at the moment. Nice to meet a fellow heretic. =P
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Post by CodePhoenixVA on Jan 5, 2017 21:05:59 GMT -8
I've always been a fan of the Blue Yeti for starting out since it sounds so much better the Snowball and a better investment. But I finally upgraded to a MXL 2008 and I'm so in love with it that I don't think I could ever go back to the Yeti.
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Post by omegaflash4 on Jan 6, 2017 7:40:41 GMT -8
I use the CAD E100S and have the AKG C214 as a back up I enjoy both a lot! ^-^
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Brian Corbin
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Posts: 22 
I Am A(n): Aspiring Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor
Pronouns: he/him
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Post by Brian Corbin on Jan 6, 2017 10:08:20 GMT -8
I'm not sure I can say I have a favorite mic, per se, because I've only ever used the Yeti. Though I'm considering picking up an AT2020.
*runs away before the Yeti-vs-AT2020 war begins*
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 6, 2017 14:16:56 GMT -8
I've always been a fan of the Blue Yeti for starting out since it sounds so much better the Snowball and a better investment. But I finally upgraded to a MXL 2008 and I'm so in love with it that I don't think I could ever go back to the Yeti. The MXL2006/2008s are a K67 clone, and while I've never used one I hear they're really pretty nice. Does it have a whole lot of top-end punch? |
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duffyweber
Member
Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 6, 2017 14:20:29 GMT -8
I use the CAD E100S and have the AKG C214 as a back up I enjoy both a lot! ^-^ NICCCE! The E100s mics are lovely. They sound great, have a good flat response along most of the spectrum, and (apropos of nothing) the rectangle shape is kinda fun. ^_^ |
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duffyweber
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Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 6, 2017 14:39:10 GMT -8
I'm not sure I can say I have a favorite mic, per se, because I've only ever used the Yeti. Though I'm considering picking up an AT2020. *runs away before the Yeti-vs-AT2020 war begins*Thanks for sharing! And hey, a mic holy war will spice things up, don't'cha'know? XD While I can see why people love the Yeti (it really does have a great sound, for a cheap mic - absolutely no argument there) it never worked well for me when I played with it. It makes all my bass voices sound muddy and a few of the high ones sound too cackly (not crackly, but cackly. Like witches' cackly.) It seems to cut out some of the midrange, and while that seems to work great for tenor ranges and also helps beef up baritones, bass and soprano pitches tend to suffer a bit, in my (very limited) experience with it. Lots of people like the AT2020, too. I've never used one personally, but just looking at the data on it, its response pattern seems closer to the style of mics I tend to use (which, in all fairness, a lot of people don't like for their own reasons.) XD The AT2020 is also an XLR mic, yes? My advice: play with one before you buy, if the shop will let you, and get a good interface to go with it (say, a nice PreSonus or Scarlett 2i2 or above - the Solo has a different pre-amp chip than all the others, so I'd spend the extra $15 on a 2i2/2i4) and maybe consider looking at an AT4040. Shure PG42 is good as well (cheap and easy on the pocketbook, though it has a strong top-end. It might throw you off, as its a lot brighter than the Yeti, but you might give it a listen anyhoo.) You'd probably LOVE the SM27, but that's getting a little more up there in price. |
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duffyweber
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Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 6, 2017 14:48:53 GMT -8
Rebekah Amber Clark and StringStormThanks guys! Any thoughts on WHY you favor the C01U? What's it do for you that the other ones just don't? That factor that draws you back to it? Just curious! And also I'd like to have your thoughts here, for other people looking for mics. ^_^
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Post by CodePhoenixVA on Jan 6, 2017 15:02:26 GMT -8
I've always been a fan of the Blue Yeti for starting out since it sounds so much better the Snowball and a better investment. But I finally upgraded to a MXL 2008 and I'm so in love with it that I don't think I could ever go back to the Yeti. The MXL2006/2008s are a K67 clone, and while I've never used one I hear they're really pretty nice. Does it have a whole lot of top-end punch? Not too much that a little EQ balancing can't fix. A friend of mine who was big into audio engineering recommended it to me after comparing other decently priced mics. Got it for around $70 and it came with its own shockmount and case so its been a really good investment for me! Really loving how well it picks up my voice. |
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Post by Rebekah Amber Clark on Jan 6, 2017 16:04:24 GMT -8
The AT2020 has both a USB and XLR version, if I remember right. As for the C01U, it was the cheapest mic that I considered to be in its class (I compared it and the Blue Yeti mainly, when I was first starting out). Also, I kept seeing people mention how it was supposed to be great for female vocals (so, as a female, I figured "sounds good"!)
As of right now, I'm just working on not having *other* expenses like car repairs that come before a significant upgrade (like I'd mentioned to you before, duffyweber, about the NT1-A.) I considered "upgrading" to a Blue Yeti a few times, but came to the conclusion that at this point, another USB mic didn't really *count* as an "upgrade" and I'm holding out for XLR. So it's the C01U or an internal or $5 mic for right now. That's the main reason, LOL =)
Honestly, though, I've been very pleasantly surprised at how well the C01U has worked for me. I really like the pickup pattern, too, and can't really imagine going for *anything* but a cardioid or super cardioid mic, but you never know.
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duffyweber
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Posts: 220
I Am A(n): Professional Voice Actor, Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Audio Engineer
Pronouns: Any OK
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Post by duffyweber on Jan 6, 2017 16:36:40 GMT -8
Honestly, though, I've been very pleasantly surprised at how well the C01U has worked for me. I really like the pickup pattern, too, and can't really imagine going for *anything* but a cardioid or super cardioid mic, but you never know. Yeah, figure eight and omni are for singers and bands. As a VA, you'll want cardioid, supercardiod or hypercardioid. (Some sort of cardiod, basically, as the distinction between the three is mainly technical.) EDIT: Also, to the "female vocal" bit on the AT2020- I've found mics that flatter the high end of the vocal range like that can also give some REALLY sweet texture to bass ranges. I'll have to give it a try! |
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NAL
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Jay Baruchel In Disguise
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I Am A(n): Semi-Professional Voice Actor, Creator/Producer, Writer
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Post by NAL on Jan 6, 2017 17:32:35 GMT -8
Now, I'mma preface this with the fact I'm no mic connoisseur, can't even tell you about mic specifics outside of 48v phantom power(haha), but I have tried out a couple in my day and I do have favorites.
Logitech desktop mics. Ok, I'm kidding. Great for a business conference call and that's about it. Haha. The mic that I really do dig and would recommend (it's one of the cheapest XLR Condensers out there, I find. Ranges from around $100 and under.) is the CAD GXL2200. Fantastic microphone, in my opinion. CAD mics are generally really good. Had a discussion with a friend about them little while back as he uses the E100, if I remember correctly. I used that mic for about 8 years. Served me well. Still have it around for podcasts and such. Has a nice warmth to it and it gave me a nice full sound. Especially with the lower voices. People don't tend to realize how much a mic can affect the sound of your voice.
Couple of years back, I decided to switch mics. Not that it was going bad or anything, but it WAS almost a decade and I didn't wanna be caught in that situation, y'know? Haha. So, I got the RODE NT1-A after much consideration from other people. It's nice. Not my favorite mic, but it's still good. I've done quite a number of paying gigs on it. The only draw back, I find, is that it sounds like it favors the highs more than the lows. Like, I noticed that my deeper, older voices don't get as much bass love from it (without doing anything in post and stuff, of course). Sorta works out in my favor, as I usually get cast as whiny, teen characters anyway, haha. But I do miss that low end.
I also tried out the MXL 770. Again, not a fave for my voice, but it's alright. I still have it. I might end up having a mic hoarding problem later on in life, haha.
I'm currently looking into going away from the NT1-A eventually, so I'm looking around at other mics. Definitely not purchasing a mic any time soon 'cause money, but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out. xD I've heard Studio Projects is a good one to look into. Haven't yet though.
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