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Bug
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microphones that don't suck
« Thread Started on Apr 8, 2006, 2:40am »

post them here so I can choose among the forbidden voice acting fruits of labor.

basically my old one... has run its course... and I'm looking for something of very high quality.

« Last Edit: Apr 8, 2006, 2:42am by Bug »

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omahdon
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #1 on Apr 8, 2006, 5:01am »

Cheapie: A Logitech USB desktop or headset mic. Heard good things about it, a safe bet if you don't know how clean your mic-in jacks are on your soundcard. Not that expensive, probably looking at less than US$20.

Expensivie: Studio Projects C-1 microphone. Been saving up for this baby. Still considered a "low-end" mic in the professional recording biz, but high quality for its price (US$200).

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Rina-chan
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #2 on Apr 8, 2006, 3:43pm »

I use an Audiotechnica ATR-20 and it works fine, especially considering it was only $20 at Best Buy. However, a HUGE factor in your recording quality is your sound card (I had a new one installed), so as Omahdon said, if you don't have a very good sound card you might want to look into getting a USB mic.

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kirbydjinn
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #3 on Apr 19, 2006, 7:31pm »

I use labtec. It's not that much i think 15-20 bucks. It's not the bes mic ever but it's not crappy. it's a little fuzzy but it does a fine job.

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Daikun
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #4 on Apr 23, 2006, 7:21pm »

Just wondering, Bug: What did you use for your old mic?

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Shadic
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #5 on Apr 24, 2006, 1:22am »

I use Logitech for my mic skills,first one died.....the ear part. But still,I use Logitech. The 15 dollar one.

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azure
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #6 on Apr 24, 2006, 12:07pm »

I use the Logitech but I think it's dieing slowly XD

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Bug
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #7 on Apr 27, 2006, 6:47am »

Quote:

Just wondering, Bug: What did you use for your old mic?

a radio shack headset

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yoda117
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #8 on Apr 30, 2006, 10:53am »

Quote:

post them here so I can choose among the forbidden voice acting fruits of labor.

basically my old one... has run its course... and I'm looking for something of very high quality.

What do you consider to be "high quality"?

For me that is most likely different than you.

Regardless of soundcard, I tell people to get themselves a good preamp with USB/FW capacity for the extra few hundred dollars (200 and up usually) you get a much nicer sound. Unless you've paid some major bucks for a card, you can usually tell the difference, and besides, it will not usually have an XLR interface for many mics.

yes, I know about XLR to TRS, but I find that with many mics there is something lost in the physical conversion

My personal favorites for low-end mics that sound big would be the Studio Projects C-1 and the R0de NT-1A. Both are good mics for the money ($200) and are highly durable for whatever abuse you throw at them. Of the two I lean more towards the R0de because it is a more neutral sounding of the two when it comes to spoken word (Studio Projects is a great mic, but it's properties vary a bit more wildly depending on what preamp you use... I prefer to work with a known quantity that won't sound too brittle on one preamp, or too soft on another).

Now if you want what is industry standard, go for an Re-20 (which is VO standard for dyanmic mics). And take a look at either the Neumann TLM 103 or the Gefell M930 (which are relative standard low/mid-end cardoid condensor mics in the home recording community). Both are great multi-use cardoids in the $1000 - $1500 market (the EV Re-20 runs around $400, but be warned... you need some major gain on dynamics to get a good signal out of them). I find the TLM 103 to be a bit harsh on woman's vocals and when I go to character voices that hit the upper range of the Tenor 1 register, however it is still a nice mic. I find the Gefell to be just a bit more expensive (about $100) and requires an expensive shockmount ($150), but provides a much more even sound throughout the vocal registers (both spoken and sung).

Gefell and Neumann used to be the same company and while Neumann is the more recognizable name (although now owned by Sennheiser), Microtech Gefell is the more traditional company, still making their mics by hand. Both have that "classic" sound in their own right, so you'll do well with either choice for most VO.

As with all mics, find a reputable dealer in the area and ask them to let you audition the mic. Not every mic will sound the same for every person. There is no "magic mic" out there.

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moose1015
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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #9 on May 6, 2006, 10:59pm »

Kagome, do you have a sample before you got your new sound card and after you got it so I can see what kind of difference it made? I'm not gonna go out and spend $200 on a sound card unless some solid proof is presented.

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Re: microphones that don't suck
« Reply #10 on May 7, 2006, 7:33pm »

all i can say is a soundblaster x-fi elite pro would be insanely sweet right about now. oh and uh for high end mics as long as it's a unidirectional condenser you'll usually get great quality. borrowed one from my tech class and it kicked the crap outta the 15 dollar karaoke mic i use.you can find one for about 80 bucks floating around some places on the internet.

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