How to choose a microphone for not-acoustic room

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Daria91

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Jun 12, 2018
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2
I want to buy a mid-range microphone for over voice and for podcasting.

I've searched a lot about a microphone for a week. but I cant choose.

some people say buy condenser . some guys say buy dynamic . all of them are expert.
I know the differences between them at least a little. but I've just seen a contradiction.

someone says don't buy USB mic at all bcuz interface inside that is not professional so buy xlr mic + audio interface

another says a 250 $ mic has a good interface inside it

someone else says don't spend that much. bcoz it is not essential for you. buy a 20 $ mic + 40 $ interface .

but someone said don't care about Condenser OR Dynamic https://microphonetopgear.com/best-condenser-microphones/. I know that condenser microphones are more sensitive than dynamic ones.

when I want to choose one condenser model like NT-USB or Audio-Technica AT2020 or SE ELECTRONICS X1  and ... something makes me doubt that someone says that picks up a lot of noise of room.

when I want to buy Shure SM58 someone says don't pay so much. Behringer XM8500 works like that.


now I have 2 options
1. USB mic
2. xlr Mic + interface
and I don't want noise and also I don't want to spend money more than much that is necessary.

at first, I wanted to buy Shure SM58. but some guy said me buy BeyerDynamic TG V35. after that some guy said Behringer XM8500 works like them.

now plz help me to choose a suitable mic. but if the low price mic can do what I want. it's better to spend less.
 
You forgot to mention one (or perhaps, THE most) important thing : what do you need it for? :)
 
Khron said:
You forgot to mention one (or perhaps, THE most) important thing : what do you need it for? :)

Read the first line of the post.

In my opinion, you need a mic that suits your voice.  That could be a condenser or a dynamic or a USB mic.  If there is a store that lets you hear the mics before you buy them, that would be the best way to find out.  Or book an hour at a studio with a selection of microphones if they will allow you to try several.  Otherwise you are reading opinions (like mine) online with no way to tell what is really best for YOU.
 
You won't find a microphone without noise. All electronics in microphones produce noise, even on the highest end microphones. If you want a cheap but good microphone with low self noise look at the 3U Audio CM1s. 7 dBA is very quiet, especially when microphones costing thousands have more self noise. I will agree with the general don't buy a USB mic opinion. The really popular "pro" USB mics made for gamers and streamers (and not studio recording!) usually have tiny little thin sounding electret capsules. Sennheiser has a USB mic called the MK4 Digital that might be worth looking into, but I'd say pick up a decent budget interface and a 3U Audio CM1.  Of course those won't do too well in an untreated room unless you get under some heavy blankets, or put up padding on the walls (matress and box spring stood up like a triangle plus blankets behind you could work, but then you might get a boxy sound).

I don't think a dynamic will magically fix a poor space either. If you have noise in the background like a fan or people talking it will still be picked up. There may be less reflections because dynamics are less sensitive so you generally get much closer to offset how much additional gain is required but then you also get a lot of proximity effect and you really need to like the tone of dynamics. A good dynamic can get pretty expensive too.

So you have the option of a condenser (the ones I mentioned are fantastic for the price, $125 or so but it kicks the crap out of pretty much every other budget mic and has electronics near as quiet as the Rode NT1A without that harsh high end) and using some sort of makeshift booth, or spending additional money on acoustic treatment. You can look at dynamics, but don't get your hopes up and think that it's a magic fix for a bad room because it won't be, and if I were going with a dynamic I'd want something like the Beyerdynamic M 88 which is around $400. Much more expensive than an SM-58 but it has a really nice tone and wide frequency response like a condenser. Some people like short shotgun mics like the Audio Technica AT875R for indoor spaces with bad acoustics, though I don't think it'll work any better than a decent super or hyper cardioid small diaphragm microphone.

Now assuming the $20 mic and $40 interface means a BM-800 and Behringer UMC22 I wouldn't do that. The OEM BM-800 and BM-700 from Neewer, Shengyue, Tonor, etc. are not good mics unless you replace the caspule with a quality electret like the Transsound ones. I'd say if you're considering a Blue Snowball or the $20+$40 setup I'd pick the latter, but that's not saying much since neither is a professional microphone, but at least the BM-800 can be easily modded. I think there are tons of cheap small diaphragm condensers for $30-60 that would be a great choice over a USB mic like the Snowball or Yeti and the BM-800. The iSK Pearl comes to mind, and a ton of other mics once you upgrade the capsule.

In the long run a poor acoustic space is your biggest bottle neck (talent is the most important thing overall though). It doesn't matter if you buy a U87, in a poor space it won't work well. A Kaotica Eyeball and other reflection filters also aren't a magic fix because they only treat the back which is the least sensitive part of a cardioid mic. Save yourself $200 bucks and don't even consider them unless you already have sound treatment, in which case I don't think you'd be looking at those things.
 
I'd forget the midrange mic thing and buy one of the $100-$150 that is already good or can be modded to be good. You'll get something as good as mid range and some higher end mics, and then you can put the test of the money into an interface and acoustic treatment. That'll be a lot better than buying a $500 mic (that's what I'd call midrange) with no treatment.

If you're just doing voiceover for your YouTube channel then yeah you could use a headset mic or a $20 mic.
 
I would go with a lav mike if I couldn't fix the acoustic space.  If the room sounds bad you might be able to deaden it with moving blankets and then you could get away with using an inexpensive dynamic like an SM7 or SM58.
 
I second the lavalier ! I use it with a wireframe headset and it makes everything so much easier ! You have your hands free and can move your head. Plus you have barely any P and S problems.  I recorded lot's of podcasts with them. Before I used a Schoeps w MK4 and windscreen and it was way more difficult.

In general I tend to use hypercardioid dynamics (SM57 etc) in rooms with poor acoustics, as the condensers reveal much to much of the room.
 
kosi said:
..... the lavalier ! I use it with a wireframe headset ......
So in fact you are using a (DIY)-HEADSET-microphone because a lavalier-microphone is defined as:

"A lavalier microphone ..... is a small microphone .....which is most commonly provided with small clips for attaching to collars, ties, or other clothing.

The term lavalier originally referred to jewelry in the form of a pendant worn around the neck. Its use as the name of a type of microphone originates from the 1930s, when various practical solutions to microphone use involved hanging the microphone from the neck."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavalier_microphone

There is nothing written about attaching a lavalier mic with its clip e.g. to the ear.... ;)
 
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