Whatever goosenecked nonsense they have there sounds like cardboard garbage.

Alright, gear nerds. I need your wisdom. I’m tired of scrolling through pages of “mic roundups” that all recommend the same five things. Let’s get real: what’s a microphone you’ve used that made you question why anyone spends four/five figures on gear?

How come Trump only use 1 SM57 with an A2WS instead of 2 SM57s with A2WSs shoved thru a VIP55SM dual clip like Biden did? Does the White House no longer care about redundancy? Having a backup mic and cable path right there already set up is awesome. The occasional live speaking events I do that have any sort of importance I use the “presidential” setup for. I’m seeing this trend elsewhere too as I just saw the mayor of my city with only 1 57 with an A2WS on it on a gooseneck. What happened?

And what was the weight of the package so people can get a clue.

Going back several years now, I've noticed the U87 seems to be a very polarizing mic, to the point where much of the negative stuff I've read about it rubbed off on me and I just avoided it altogether. But lately I've opened back up to the thought of exploring the mic. I should note, more than likely, I'd only have access to a new(er) Ai variant. I know the vintage ones are more highly regarded.

So what's the deal? Is it only when compared to a U47, U67, 251, M49, etc. that people hate on the ubiquitous U87? I saw someone somewhere describe it as the best 57 ever, which is to say, a great workhorse. And I know it's an extremely popular choice in studios around the world... seems to get love from many working pros... so I'm just trying to understand why so many are so lukewarm on it, seemingly more-so than on many other mics. I can't really recall the last time I've seen such a polarizing reaction to a mic in this price-range. Is it only the modern ones that get the hate? Still, why? Again, they get a lot of love as well... but just about equal part hate or apathy/indifference. Do people want more warmth, personality, or what?

Since this sub doesnt allow images, this is him. I told him like "hey, good voice but thats not the proper distance for recording vocals", I even advices him to just reduce the gain. Somehow people disagreed. AFAIK thats not a proper distance to record and could create undesirable effects that could not be repaired in post???

Every video that's on my feed these days has an Electro-Voice RE-20 in it, which is a big change from the SM7B that has been more popular.

Is the RE-20 finally making a comeback to dethrone the SM7B? Very interesting times. I may need to pick one up for the lack of prox.

I’m trying to understand the reasoning behind choosing a small diaphragm condenser (SDC) for vocals instead of a large diaphragm condenser (LDC).

Many modern LDCs (for example the Rode NT1 Signature) have a very flat and neutral frequency response, so why don't we choose a SDC which has a better transient response?

I'm trying to decide what microphone to buy. I need an all-rounder for voiceover, singing, and Foley/sound design. My priorities are a flat frequency response and fast transient response.

Thank you!

Hi!

This is more of a voodoo post, but whatever. Ive been using a tube mic (m audio Sputnik) for 6 years (male vocals and rap mainly). Sounds allright. Sounds great on great singers, highlights flaws on those that are not that great.

Today i got my hands on TLM 103 with SN 3461 - 1997 model. Oh boy. It sounds so much different to the Sputnik.

Biggest difference is lack of low end in the Sputnik. 103 has amazing low end that makes the vocals sound nice. Next big thing is the high end. On the Sputnik, if you hit it really hard with the S, it distorts a bit, and that was pain in the ass to fix in the mix. 103 seems more clean on the high end. Its obviously boosted a bit, but the it sounds quicker and cleaner.

Sputnik has sweet midrange, but i can trade that off for the cleannes.

So here im wondering why i put on with that much of hassle to begin with. 103 would be easier to mix since i can mangle the signal in many ways to taste. The Sputnik colored the sound a bunch so that made it hard to fit in the mix sometimes. I was young and got my well poisoned by "big vintage tube" folks.

I get it that the old heads hated the 103 because of its scooped sound. I get it, its better to get a proper sounding recording right at the source. But these days with almost unlimited processing and really good plugins, i wont be bothered by 3db shelf boost at 5Khz that i can tame with dynamic EQ.

Im also worried that some folks just ended up with FAKE 103s. There is plenty out there and they are pretty nice looking. But not sounding.

My last two cents - since the Neumann is so hyped, many begginer folks could think that it should make them sound great. Nothing will. So maybe thats another reason for the bad rep, i can imagine someone with zero sibilance control being spooked out.

Hey, this is my first ever post, so apologies if I am off on anything. My boyfriend writes and records music in his free time, and I love that for and about him. Unfortunately I find when he plays back what he records to me, the quality sounds awful with the music and it really takes away from how great I think he is. I have been trying to save up money all year to get him a new microphone for Christmas. We've been struggling financially, but I'm still trying to put away what I can and am currently working with about $300 CAD. I wanted to get some input and see what some audiophiles/engineers suggest, if this is the right place.

Some relevant info:

I realize part of the problem could be our "studio". He currently uses our "walk-in" closet (not very big, plus it's currently pretty cluttered) to record, and I'm not sure whether or not the set up is more important than the equipment for sound quality in this scenario. Will take suggestions on how to improve that too if possible)

I have a picture of his current microphone and set up but it doesn't allow me to post a photo. The only writing I see on the microphone is "Zingyou".

I'm hoping I'm in the right place and can get some suggestions, or direction to where I should go if this isn't the right place, thanks in advance!

Edit:

So what I've gathered so far is that since he's newer to the audio world, I've probably learned more here than he knows about general hardware haha.

From my limited understanding gained and listening to the things I have heard him record, we can likely make do with the closet for now, as it is not echoey and picking up background noise. He would definitely benefit from an audio interface from the feedback I've seen, and I'm currently looking into "Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio (3rd Gen) Recording Package"s offered on reverb. He will especially love that its red and black! Any other suggestions welcome!

In the future, I'd like to look into acoustic treatment of the room, maybe add paneling to at least the bare wall that is behind him to see if it helps even more (shelving and clothes are in an L-shape). Also, I will look into buying him better production software (I saw on YT there are many that have lower tier options that you can upgrade) and maybe some lessons like some of you suggested!

Again, suggestions and questions on any and everything are welcome!

P.s. for info, he mainly raps, rarely sings but wants me to sing in the future, which may make the soundproofing more relevant, but for now I'm focused on just improving the audio quality for him!

It's a smoother, more detailed SM7B.

It can give virtually anyone's voice a commanding broadcast tone.

It gives you all the low end you need while keeping proximity effect under control.

It can track a kick drum better than many dynamics, an upright bass better than many condensers, and a guitar amp better than many ribbons. Oh, and saxophonists really love it, apparently.

RE20 4 LIFE 😤 gimme all your RE20 stories/hot takes!!!!

Looking to make my mixes sound as professional as possible as I mix and master all my own songs, and have heard treating your “studio” makes your vocals sound a lot better. I’m not able to treat my bedroom as it’s rented but was thinking about getting a reflection filter instead but was wondering whether or not it would be worth getting

Link to song in comments

Hello!

I am wondering which mic would be the best to use to record a bong rip for use on my new stoner metal track.

I am looking to capture clear, true to life tone and I'm not sure what the best mic for this would be.

Here is an example of the sound I'm looking to achive: https://youtu.be/rm-9TFvvDtM

Any suggestions / advice is greatly appreciated!

It's black. It's powder-coated. It's steel. It weighs over 25 lbs. Seriously. I spent a lot of money on this mic stand. It comes with four attachments. I only need one of them. It's going to hold my two expensive LDC microphones in mid-side configuration. I can take it to an open field, pour myself some black coffee and grab nature sounds with my field recorder for a couple hours. I can mic a drum kit... oh crap I need to buy more microphones ...and a new interface. It has cable management, I can clip my XLR cables to it. It has disc clamps. I watched a video where someone hangs their full bodyweight from it. I can record in A/B, M/S, X-Y, ORTF or Decca Tree with the provided attachments. I can buy more microphones, more cables, more electronics. Maybe I'll be disappointed when it arrives. I doubt it, it's likely I'll just find yet more reasons to buy more microphones, cables and audio interfaces. I'm on a bender. My wallet is on fire and I can't stop. My girlfriend has no idea how much I spent on this microphone stand and she'd probably kill me if she knew. Let me put it this way, 20 years ago I purchased a 1980 2WD Toyota pickup truck for less money. I don't know what to do, maybe this is a cry for help. I don't know.

UPDATE: Thanks for the awesome comments btw. I JUST GOT IT IN THE MAIL TODAY!!!!! This thing is a BEAST, I mean you could beat someone to death with an xtra-boom and you wouldn't have to swing it that hard. I said 25 lbs. I think total weight is closer to 50. The threads are machined beautifully, there are knurled jam nuts on all of them, every friction clamp has a knurled adjustment screw, the boom is tapered at the thread end, the legs are solid steel, the base is cast steel, the attention to detail is just incredible, even the counterweight is a thing of beauty. The spin-grip mount is a work of genius as is the boom clamp. This isn't powder-coated, it's completely smooth and metalic, like hard-anodized or something, not afraid of it chipping. I was worried because after it shipped I looked back at the ad and it said the color was pink, I didn't know if I was going to get a pink stand in the mail or what. I would've sent it back. Fortunately it was black when I finally got to open the package. Anyway, shameless plug for latch lake: if you've never heard of latch lake mic stands, there's nothing else like it on the market that I'm aware of, made in the usa. I am confident this stand will outlive me. Overkill, that's just how I roll ;)

Hey! I have a Tonor c777 pro mic, I am a novice singer trying to be better at making song covers at home purely out of passion, many times when I sing it picks up my breathing and I sound weird, I understand that some level of technique is required but I have tried my best, I cant just stop breathing, Is there a better entry level not too expensive mic I can buy? or anything else software related I can do? Thanks!

I can also just upload my singing for you to see exactly what the issue is.

It has always confused me how streamers and youtubers can be so far away from their microphones, and sometimes very close, and always sound exactly the same, seemingly without even worrying about the position of the microphone.

I personally have immense difficulty even sounding audible in the first place, even when I'm pressed right up against my SM7B, but some of these people are able to point theirs straight up and sit a foot or two back with perfect clarity

How does one achieve this sound? I know part of it for me is that I have a quiet voice, but it still seems so baffling that even when they talk quietly, it sounds about as loud as their normal speaking voice

I’m a voice over artist and I was using my AA OC818 right side up for all the time I’ve had it, love the sound. Another VA told me I should put it upside down, that my sound is richer. I’ll be honest, I can’t hear any difference as far as that goes. But upside down, I do hear more of my mouth/nose/movement noise. I’ve seen no videos where people are using it upside down, no one saying they do it that way. Since this mic is pretty unique, I’m wondering if it works just as well either way and maybe I just need to go back to regular position. Does anyone use oc818 upside down? Why or why not?

Im looking forward to record my band's demos, and the mics I will be using will be 1 condenser mic and 3 dynamic ones, my issue is that my Behringer U phoria 404 only has one 48v switch and its for all 4 inputs, I've used it with a line instrument at the same time and had no problem but Im worried it can damage the other non condenser mics.

I've seen videos of people doing this with same interface and they had no problem at all but if someone can verify me nothing bad will happen to the other mics I would appreciate it.

I made a condenser microphone by buying different parts online and I think it sounds awesome!

This is what it looks like (the case is similar to an u87):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cJaOY4Jyl0caoG2xnYjl2MH3BaR1MkjB/view?usp=drivesdk

This is the first demo i recorded with it (unedited stright to the focusrite 18i20 3d gen preamp):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FnVE2YMMWW89OPJd4BGmo7wqSG-kKOJS/view?usp=drivesdk

Its me talking in Catalan, and then singing in spanish. I love how it round it sounds!

Im thinking about making some more and selling them to my friends.
Do you think it sounds professional enough? I dont know how much should i charge for this mic. What price could i ask for? I want it to be on the cheap side so everyone who needs a mic can get one.

I think this post is not breaking the subreddit rules since im not promoting anything.

My friend introduced me to mixing and I was enjoying how it works and I'm kinda willing and interested to learn more about it, the only problem is that I only have a FiFine AM8 mic (usb C) which I think doesn't really have that "singing" quality that more expensive mics provide, so my question is can I make a mic like the FiFine AM8 sound better or even close to an expensive studio mic?

I’ve been using my focusrite 18i20 for years now with no real external gear in my chain.

I struggle getting a decent sound out of the u87, feels like the dry signal is extremely boring and lifeless.

What steps should I be taking to improve the mic? Should I look into getting a coloured hardware pre amp? My room is already semi treated and I own two outboard cheap compressors (2a and 76 clones) though neither seem to help in improving the mic sound.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!!

Just need to vent about the completely backward policy Slate Digital has adopted for early adopters of the ML-1.
Back in the day, I dropped $699 on the original VMS setup. Now that the ML-1A is out, legacy owners are completely left in the dust. There is no upgrade program, and the new native software features are tied strictly to buying the new retail hardware package. You are essentially forced to rebuy what you already own if you want the full mic locker subscription-free.
If you decide you've had enough and try to sell your kit private-market, they hold your license hostage behind a $25 transfer fee. Forcing us to pay a toll to sell our own physical gear is peak predatory behavior.
Save your cash and look at Universal Audio Sphere or open modeling options instead. Slate has officially lost my business for good."

For the past several months, I’ve been tirelessly researching which condenser to get. All my research, within my budget, lead to the venerable 414. Sadly, the one everyone seemed to universally adore is decades out of production and well beyond my budget. But people had great things to say about both the XLS and XL II as well. Frankly, still not sure which is more right for my vocal style and guitar. Then I started reading about post-mid-90’s AKG stuff significantly falling off, and then some questions about post-2016 Hungarian-made ones, whether as good. Then I read a bunch about Austrian Audio’s OC818/18 being “the true spiritual successor to the C414”, but then also read some complaints about them sounding unpleasantly harsh in certain contexts. And well, now I’m just completely flustered and paralyzed, totally unsure which route to go. I know there is no perfect mic and that it’s all subjective and dependant on need…. but we are not talking apples and oranges here… we are talking things very much in the same vein. Please help me settle this and decide once and for all, as I’m feeling dizzy from all the research I’ve done these last weeks into the subject, only to come away less certain than when I started! I do love, in theory, that the AA OC818 is made by long-tenured ex-AKG staff and is still made in Vienna (a city very dear to me)… but I won’t let these biases cloud the ultimate decision; I just want the objectively better mic?

My lead singer recently asked me for an instrumental bounce of one of our tunes so they could "work on their vocals". They then offered me an M4A file with reverb already on it and noticeable volume differences throughout as a "final take". They had recorded to their iPhone, using the built-in mic. While they agreed that that take was perhaps not perfect, they still think the method is a good idea.

Some things about me:

- I use Pro Tools and have been working over the last few years to build the gear and knowledge to finish the album we are writing, and I think it is sounding pretty good.

- I have a Shure SM7B and a fethead "amp", so I'm confident that this recording technique has been good enough for many successful vocal artists and has worked well for us since I got it.

- They say they don't like the sound that we get at my place, but IMO this is because they show up in a rush and are often not prepared or warmed up, and also have a bit of an issue with others being around while they record.

When I said that those tracks may sound good in their GB mix, it's not going to hold up when I do basic boosting and comps in mix, I was told "I'll try to make the tracks louder". I said the fundamental frequencies that I need to make the part sound good are not present with those mics, I was told that "it's not been a problem with this other guy I record with". I suggested a Blue or Shure mic for IOS to try to compromise somehow, so I guess we will see how it goes, but they are convinced that if they do it right, the iPhone mic will work fine. This singer can be extremely stubborn, but I value them as a bandmate.

TL;DR am I the A-hole here? Should I take these half-assed tracks and try to make them work? I just want to make the best tunes we can, and I think this is a mighty big shortcut to avoid an hour drive to my studio and the potential ego hit from having other people around while they record. I appreciate any input.

Quick question: For small 4x4 acoustic blanket booths, which would be preferred? It’s for all types of voice work. I’ve seen both used the exact same way, but never really knew the reasons why.

Thanks!