a good mic pls

[MicMaven]

I tried changing the capsule once in my Rode. After that the sound was barely hearable and htere was striogn statics,. It was broiken

While I am no expert, I worry you are going about this all wrong. After listening to some of your work on YouTube, I suggest you acquire an inexpensive Tascam TM-80 which has received several positive reviews on this reflector. Use it exclusively and consistently as you continue to develop and refine your microphone and voicing technique, all the while generating a larger, more lucrative portfolio. Later, you should ask the producers and recording engineers using your work in larger, more complex productions, what microphone would be bested suited for the task. After all, they must merge your work with that of other talent to produce a cohesive, consistent result. Asking us now what they will want you to use later seems misplaced. An affordable microphone today will save your hard earned brass for the microphone specified by engineers using your voice with other material later. That seems a better plan to me. Just MY take. Your mileage may vary. James

 

[plautus]

Is the model all black?
Well, It's the best of all, it's neutral, it
take the Eq /compression very well,
there's even a comparison test with the U47 somewhere on YT.
I bought 4 pieces of gen.4

it is. The rode nt1 to me sounds like the sound has been squeezed. It's hard to describe,. I think frequencies are missing,. THe neumanmns compared sound much softer, more pleasent.

@plautus
But would the Neumann U87AI sound good to you? Or C800G?
Well, @kingkorg posted a .csv preset that converts NT1's FR to Flat, on axis. Then you can use Townsend, Antares Mic Modeler, Lava or other software emulation to get the close character of many famous microphones. Many use these emulations successfully.

ehm. U mean with EQ alone i can get a somewhat similar sound to the u87? And how would it compare to the AKG modded?

@plautus
Have you had this mic for over a decade and just now discovered it's muddy? It's actually fairly flat, as a professional sound engineer prefers.
The neutral sound can be processed much better than a colorful one, exaggerated in different frequency areas

tried EQ in the past, I failed to get a good tone, it always ended up sibilant if I tried to get in more clarity

Maybe something to try sennheiser mkh 416

horrible mic. Not even getting into it.

OK, let's forget about the NT1, that's not taking us anywhere useful. There are so many options...

Do you want something new, something second-hand, something you can build or mod yourself? What is your budget?

What do you want to use it for, speech, vocals, instruments, drums? Live or recording?

Do you have any other mics? Have you tried the NT1 with different mic amps or audio interfaces?

speech, VA

 

[plautus]

Good Day Mr. Platus. Well shoot, only your third message to the group and you are already upset and disappointed, and yet, perhaps looking a gift horse in the mouth. Perhaps you could help us help you by answering Mr. Khron's questions about budget and what you wish to accomplish with a different microphone. It is very difficult to prescribe a remedy without clearly defined symptoms and diagnosis. For example, one might use a different mic to record a loud guitar cabinet opposed to recording a classical guitar or cello. A microphone for a deep man's spoken voice might not work well for soft sibilant female acapella singing, and so forth. Microphones have different sounds, shapes, form factors, sizes, styles, etc., to make them suited for particular tasks. P4erhaps you could favor us with some information as to your goals and objectives. It is difficult to suggest an alternate tool without knowing what you wish to accomplish with it. And, each tool comes with its own price tag. It would help us help you if we knew the financial limitations. Getting huffy does not tell us much beyond your threshold for frustration. There is no one alternative to the NT1 in any of its 6 generative iterations. Perhaps you can tell us more, so we can say more in return? Good day - and good luck. J

budget wise. Uff. I dont reallty know but definitelty no 2 grands. the most expensive mic i had here for testing was the neumann tlm 103. I dont think I would get any higher than that considering how little improvement these more expensive mics give. I cant tell u my bnudge, i do not know.

I think some of the 'muddy' sound you mentioned might be due to proximity effect. Early in my audio engineering career, I had a similar issue - I thought lots of mics were too muddy, when in reality, I was just too close to the mic. Try backing off the mic a little bit. You will have to turn the gain up a little, but the sound will be more balanced. The NT1 is a decent mic and many people have used it for voiceover. For your voice, you might like a 'U87-like' mic with a little more mid-froward sound. In that case, the AKG Perception suggestion is a good one. That or DIY.

It's not just the muddiness, it's that the overall sound has a lack of detail, and sounds sqeezed (i dont know how to explain that, missin frequencies)

Yes, it will.

You're discussing with folks who have had every manner of mic in their use in a wide variety of applications. There is wide consensus that the AKG Perception with the specified mod is an extremely potent choice and largely nails the characteristics which make the U87 so useful, clarity that retains body without harshness, allowing it to cut through a mix as well as excel at VO tasks.

There are better mics, and just as a U87 won't fit every voice or use case this won't either. But it will not be muddy (i.e. have lack of definition in the upper frequencies or build-up in the low mids, both of which can be perceived as muddy). Though most would contend the NT1 is not "muddy" in the traditional sense (it has high frequency clarity and does not have exaggerated low mids) it does have something going on in the high mids which can be unappealing, and perhaps that is what you perceive as muddy. Again, that is not present in the Perception. It may not fit your voice, but given you can find them in the $50-80 range and the mod is a few dollars if you have to get the capacitor shipped, there's little harm in trying compared to other options.

I hope it will sound better. Like, more professionally and fuller like an expensive mic

Hey @plautus ,
Clearly, your voice contains many mediums.
Do you want the final sound to be bigger, ample, with bass, vibrant, fat, etc., or do you also want to hear a fuller sound in the monitoring headphones?
If you're only interested in the final sound, then it's simple.
In your DAW, or audio editor, you use some plugins, Eq, compression, deesser, etc.
Here we can help you with a chain of plugins, presets, etc.
Getting everything directly from the microphone is very expensive and difficult.

And one more thing: you need to train your voice and microphone technique for VO, voice acting.

I want a high quality and detailed sound, no boomy, bigger than life broadcaster sound. I want the sound to be suited for voice acting. And yes my voice acting still sucks I know. And I think my voice is somewhat nasal which I'm trying to fix.

 

[rogs]

For a detailed and 'smooth' sounding VO mic, have you considered the Shure SM7B? ... Very highly regarded - and seems to be increasingly popular among broadcasters and podcasters for voice work...

 

[Plonker]

Maybe you just need to get your hearing tested.

 

[Plonker]

For a detailed and 'smooth' sounding VO mic, have you considered the Shure SM7B? ... Very highly regarded - and seems to be increasingly popular among broadcasters and podcasters for voice work...

Michael Jackson used one on Thriller.

 

[Khron]

So let's see... NT1's "muddy", TLM103's "overly bright", MKH416 is "horrible"... Wonder what the common element between (the assessment of) all of these might be

Maybe you just need to get your hearing tested.

Well, either that, and/or mic technique, since

And yes my voice acting still sucks I know. And I think my voice is somewhat nasal which I'm trying to fix.

But all of that is held back by the mic, i know...

 

[KrIVIUM2323]

For a detailed and 'smooth' sounding VO mic, have you considered the Shure SM7B? ... Very highly regarded - and seems to be increasingly popular among broadcasters and podcasters for voice work...

Works for English language, not as much in some other language (eg on French speaker they don't shine at all despite rappers keeps on asking them because they are used by US artists...).

 

[micolas]

Guys, @plautus is also right in certain aspects.
If you don't know the microphone well, it is very difficult to make it sound good on some sources.
NT1 KitBlack 4 th generation often has, under certain conditions, an increased sensitivity in a mid-high area (4.5...7 KHz) some anomalies caused by the headbasket. Here the smooth continuity is fragmented, highlighting on some sources a certain abrasive, granular, dirty character. The German language is sibilant and with many harsh, incisive resonances. Combine the nasal timbre of Plautus's voice, the lack of experience in the microphone interpretation technique and probably an acoustically untreated room and you have an unpleasant auditory result. No wonder he is unable to correct the problems in post-processing and is unhappy.

 

[plautus]

Guys, @plautus is also right in certain aspects.
If you don't know the microphone well, it is very difficult to make it sound good on some sources.
NT1 KitBlack 4 th generation often has, under certain conditions, an increased sensitivity in a mid-high area (4.5...7 KHz) some anomalies caused by the headbasket. Here the smooth continuity is fragmented, highlighting on some sources a certain abrasive, granular, dirty character. The German language is sibilant and with many harsh, incisive resonances. Combine the nasal timbre of Plautus's voice, the lack of experience in the microphone interpretation technique and probably an acoustically untreated room and you have an unpleasant auditory result. No wonder he is unable to correct the problems in post-processing and is unhappy.

so this is the real frequency response curve:?

 

[Khron]

so this is the real frequency response curve:?

Well, there's also this:

https://groupdiy.com/threads/rode-nt1-kit-the-black-one-mods.77086/

(note the scale on the left edge of the graph)

 

[plautus]

based on these curves it's slightly sibilant. But back to the perception I'm about to buy it right now. U guys say I could get a muchj better sound with the peception than with the nt1, right? more detailed and warmer?

 

[micolas]

based on these curves it's slightly sibilant. But back to the perception I'm about to buy it right now. U guys say I could get a muchj better sound with the peception than with the nt1, right? more detailed and warmer?

If you like Neumann U87, for example the vintage model or even the sound closer to 67, warm and without sibilants, then you already have the answer.
In the case of Perception it is not rocket science to adjust the most suitable tone for your voice, even if you do not have much experience in electronics.

 

[micolas]

@plautus
How you process the records is also important.
Details will stand out after compression, a little corrective / creative EQ, limiting etc. So, You must also have audio editing/mix/master skills.
Digital media platforms are quite demanding regarding the characteristics of the uploaded material.

 

[micolas]

Well, there's also this:

https://groupdiy.com/threads/rode-nt1-kit-the-black-one-mods.77086/

(note the scale on the left edge of the graph)

Yes, it would have been preferable for Plautus (and for everyone else ), instead of the boost centered on 7khz to be a small scoop

 

[plautus]

Yes, it would have been preferable for Plautus (and for everyone else ), instead of the boost centered on 7khz to be a small scoop

already bought it. WHat I've noticed with the Rode nt1 is after I use compression, I believe i hear a rumble sound in the bacvkground or the sound generally becomes very bassy and metallic,. I havent used compressor in audacity for a long time

 

[Khron]

I believe i hear a rumble sound in the bacvkground or the sound

Well, there's also this:

https://groupdiy.com/threads/rode-nt1-kit-the-black-one-mods.77086/

Have you noticed @kingkorg 's comments about the capsule mount? Could that be a possible cause?

 

[micolas]

Have you noticed @kingkorg 's comments about the capsule mount? Could that be a possible cause?

Yes, if you don't have a very efficient shockmount, the nt1 will pick up rumbles from all cars, all machinery, vibrations, within a 3 block radius
Yes, @kingkorg added foam to the capsule's internal suspension.
TLM102 also has some problems with rumble
So @plautus , you also need a shockmount. The AKG in that ad had the accessories.

 

[plautus]

Have you noticed @kingkorg 's comments about the capsule mount? Could that be a possible cause?

I didnt fully understand it. Volt was mentioned and ofc an image of hte freq resp shjowen

 

[plautus]

Yes, if you don't have a very efficient shockmount, the nt1 will pick up rumbles from all cars, all machinery, vibrations, within a 3 block radius
Yes, @kingkorg added foam to the capsule's internal suspension.
TLM102 also has some problems with rumble

yes ive heard that in a video, very audible