Microphone

I can´t understand how silent is this forum....


Well, anyway. I have a cheap wireless headset but I am not satisfied to the sound. Yes, I am not satisfied to my sound eather, but it is better than what comes from my pa. Do you have any experiences about mikrophones that pick the overtones well.

Sauli
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  • up

    Patrik Niels

    Hi Sauli,
    I have been distributing professional mic brands like AKG, Audio-Technica and Crown in Belgium years ago. My suggestion is that you take your time to try out several microphones for yourself. It is important that it sounds good for YOU, no matter what someone else thinks or uses. You have your own sound, your own timbre and your own opinion about “a good sound”.
    If you want to stick to a wireless headset, I would suggest that you forget about the cheap stuff. Cheap wireless systems not only use cheap microphones, but the electronic parts are of poor quality too. That means that you’ll have drop-outs (less with diversity systems – using 2 antennas) every now and then, and that the noise level (hiss) could be quite high. Good wireless systems unfortunately have their price. You don’t necessarily have to get both microphone and wireless system from the same brand. Good wireless systems are AKG, Shure, Sennheiser. Good headworn mics are AKG, Countryman, Shure, Crown, Sennheiser. I wouldn’t go for less. But, as I said before, try it all out for yourself. Good luck.

    Patrik
  • up

    Hi Sauli, well i think that microphones are kind of relative. I think it depends on what your looking for in terms of fidelity, knewing that, never would be ase real as our ears. Perhaps might be interesting to use some specific microphones with raw properties.... but that is just an idea, or a large diaphram valve, such as Rode K2 or Akg 414. I also can tell, as i experienced it, that is not only the microphone the most important part of a recording, is also the way we use them and the position of those. Look forward for stereo imaging techniques, cause that would determinate the kind of microphone you need to use for that specific idea you are wishing for. Here is a link to wikipedia article about stereo imaging. Perhaps you might be interested in Binaural recording. Or try to use EQ's and Spatial effects in a postproduction process. I think microphones is a fundamental part of the aesthetics recording process.

    hope i help you a bit,
    best,
    Oscar
  • up

    I have a Sennheiser Evolution 825 dynamic MIC. I barely use it for fear of leaving it laying around to have my toddler use it for anything but a MIC. It's got a good range and a cardioid characteristic that lets it pick up well without being restricted to direction. My voice does not require this cool unit to record - yet.

    All my public recordings are made on a SONY DCR-SR45 HandyCam with built-in ZoomMic (R). This recorder features a Hard disk, so I never run out of recording space and saves PCM waveforms in 48000Hz resolution, 32-bit, which makes it excellent for reproduction and mastering (I know, it's a cam-mic, but it is quite good). The Cam picks up sounds as low as -78dB distinctly enough to filter them from any ambient noise and make decent clips. The dynamic range "hears" anything from a teardrop hitting a piece of paper to a fire engine clearly, which makes it excellent to tape myself at a distance, even facing away from the MIC.

    All the above qualities are why I don't use my (really expensive) wireless headset boom MIC. The proximity of the MIC to the sound source (me) causes overdialing, clipping and distortion due to spittle and breath. Because it's wireless, I don't have real-time support for monitoring, so listening to the MIC line over the headset is slightly delayed, so by the time you notice feedback or clipping, it's ruined the take already. Sure, it stays equal distance from my lips no matter where I turn my head, but friend, believe me when I tell you that a stationary boom MIC of decent quality like the Shur will record you better than even the most expensive lapel or headset MIC. And in my opinion, the artist's turning of the head to view the instrument adds "life" to the music...