Some ideas I share when people ask me about mics: 1. Pick the budget you're comfortable with first, then look at the Audio Technica mic in that rage. It will be a good mic. And a great place to start your mic journey (but probably not where you stop) 2. Quality usually improves as price doubles $200, $400, $800, $1600, etc.. "Upgrading" from a $150 mic to a $200 mic isn't going to do much for you. Sadly, neither will upgrading from a $600 mic to a $900 mic. 3. Anything over $300 (ish) is probably good enough. After that the differences are not about quality, but about features and subtle nuances in the color or flavor of the sound. 4. Know what you're paying for when comparing two mic models. When upgrading are you buying a better capsule, different circuit, more / different polar patterns, body shape / style, or just a fancy badge? 5. If you buy used you can probably resell it later for about the same price. If you buy new you will probably resell for about 50% - 70% the original price.

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

These are great points! I covered some of these in my “how to choose the right mic” video. I appreciate you taking the time to write these. I’ll pin it to the top of this video so that others may see it. It’s great advice! Cheers!

At the turn of the millennium, I was looking for a quiet microphone that would deliver uncolored sound, primarily for ambient recordings, sound effects, and the spoken word. The Neumann TLM 103 was recommended to me. I bought two of them and have not had any regrets since.

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

Oh yes. The TLM 103 is a great mic! It’s very crisp but it’s easily fixed with a little EQ or a de-esser. You’ll never go wrong with a 103!

"if i was offered money would i take it?...........DAMN RIGHT I WOULD!" bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaaha I'm not a sell out, I got bills! your wit, delivery, comedic timing mixed with REAL world AUDIO gear knowledge once again delivers on every level. And the award for audio gear awards goes to, THIS GUY!

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahahaha. Thank you so much, Darrell! I love when others appreciate and share my type of humor! Thanks for making my day!

"Take the rode nt1a.... That's the worst mic ever made by the darkest forces of mankind" 😂😂😂😂😂... Measuring tape stories are always on point.

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

Hahahaha. Thanks so much! I love comments like yours! Cheers! 🍻

love the sense of humor, love the set!, but love the advice from an obviously talented and experianced pro-thanks for this and all the rest to coming to a time zone near by

@TheRecordist

2 күн бұрын

Hey thanks very much for the awesome comment! Cheers!

Great guide to get people up to speed on what is what. Very nicely done. And the NT1a can go kick rocks.

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahaha. Thanks, Mark!

Give it up for the Aston Origin!! I was so happy you had honorably mentioned it, as it is truly a piece of engineering!❤ With that, it isn’t for every occasion… which is more than okay.👌 Thanks for this awesome video, as well as your others. Subbed!

@TheRecordist

5 күн бұрын

Hahaha. Thanks very much! I appreciate that!

Was it me, or was there no mention of Sennheiser in this video?? Thank you for making such a video. Very helpful to many. Years ago when I was looking for my first LDC mic I decided to look at the equipment list of a number of successful VO people. By successful I mean those who regularly do work for big name brands we all know. AT THE TIME (very important disclaimer) the mic that was not $1,000 or more that these people were using was the Sennheiser MK-4. A "cheap" mic as mics go, and well within my budget. I also listened to their samples and they sounded phenomenal. I of course realized they were EQ'd, and had every other tweak to make them sound as incredible as possible.....but it began with "that" mic......of the ones who were not using mega-buck mics. So this is how I chose mine. If you are interested, I would be happy to send it to you for a review, if you don't already have experience with it. For me, it's the mic that does the job I need done, but it doesn't get used much. I never knew Deckard's first name, so thanks for that.

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

Hahah. They thanks! You’re right, I never mentioned Sennheiser. I’m sure that name will get dropped a pant-load when I do the shotgun mic buyers guide! 416, 8060, 50, etc! But if you want to be super nerdy, I did mention them a lot, but not by name. Neumann was bought by Sennheiser a while back. Hahaha. I have never worked with the Sennheiser MK4 but I’ve definitely heard of it. I’d love to review it on my channel, but I get anxiety when people send me their mics to borrow. Who knows what could happen on the way here or back? Couriers aren’t like the milk men in the days of old! Some of them hate their lives! But I appreciate so much the offer! Let’s see if I can get Sennheiser to send me one! Thanks, as always, for your always well thought-out comments! Cheers, man!

@fotoralf

6 күн бұрын

I'm not aware of any LDC made by Sennheiser. That's what they bought Neumann for.

@Tomaslaravo

2 күн бұрын

The MK4 is a BEAST. Great mic.

@northcoaststudios

3 сағат бұрын

@@Tomaslaravo - I've been impressed with it especially at the price that it was 8 years ago, or so.

Thanks for the effort you put into your videos, they're entertaining and the decor/lights in the background of your room look sweet.

@TheRecordist

5 күн бұрын

Oh you’re very welcome, Jon! I really appreciate the compliments! It makes me feel like I’m doing something right! So, thank you!

Thanks for a very informative and entertaining video as usual. Almost at 10k subs, good work!

@TheRecordist

4 күн бұрын

No worries, man! You’re very welcome! And woohoo! 10K here we come! Cheers!

Roswell has some interesting offerings.... I'm partial to the Mini K67x with the transformer. Maybe they would send you a review copy.... Their affordable models (under $500 including the formentioned K67x.... Hint) are also handbuilt in the US.

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

That’s so strange. I had Matt from Roswell Pro Audio contact me this evening. It seems a viewer of mine sent him one of my videos and he’s offered to send me a mic to review. Hahaha. Was that you?

@jonbuder

6 күн бұрын

I was going to ask the same thing, I have been looking at theirs. I like to support companies making things in the US when I can afford to.

@TheRecordist

5 күн бұрын

@@jonbuder fantastic! I’m going to be reviewing two of their mics coming soon! Lauten Audio also makes all their mics by hand in the USA.

I always learn something when I watch your videos. Thanks for the excellent content. P.s. are ribbon mics like the beyerdynamic M160 good with EQ? Thanks.

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hey thanks! Ribbon mics are very delicate but can be very rewarding. I’ve never had issues using EQ on a ribbon mic, but I’ve not personally played with the M160. Sorry about that!

The Rode NT1A is fire 😭🔥 it's sooo good on pop and underground vocals. Hell, Bryson Tiller recorded "Don't" with it. 9 times out of 10 it's never the mic, just a skill issue. I think the main thing for newbies is to learn how to mix/process for desired taste . Overall though, this a great video for information.

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

Hahaha. Well, I normally agree with you. You can do anything with anything, and in fact, I say that all the time on my channel. However, the NT1a is not a decent mic. It needs a lot of work to fit in most mixes, and half the time it just doesn’t fit at all due to the distortions. This is my experience. And also, I have made the NT1a the villain of my channel. Haha. Rode can take it.

Excellent and very informative video! Quick question: I know you briefly mentioned it, but what are your thoughts on the SE T1/T2 as an all-rounder? I know it's sorta meant as a percussive mic due to its transient response, but I heard that it is also great for vocals and other stuff for that same reason. Thanks for the great content!

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hey thanks! The T1 and T2 are fantastic mics! They’re basically the exact same mic, minus polar pattern options. The T2 was used by Andy Serkis (who plays Gollum/Sméagol in LOTR) when he narrated the all three LOTR audiobooks. It’s fabulous on voice. Very articulate. But can also be used as an all-rounder. It’s a little less smooth than the 4400/4100 but still fabulous.

Thank you, now I have an idea what to get (can afford) Vs what I really want (can't afford).

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahaha. Not sure that’s good or bad. Hahaha.

@2MinuteSoundBytes-2msb

6 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist It’s a never-ending quandary.

New to this page i like it here lol

@TheRecordist

4 күн бұрын

Haha. Welcome home!

I ended up going with an nt1 (signature edition) because it’s for a project where we’ll need 4 of them later on and it’s the best sounding in the price range. Not perfect, but it makes the project possible. Hope that later on we won’t find that this edition doesn’t compare to 4e haha

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahaha. I’m sure they’re fine! Four of them? Yes, good call. What application would you use four of them, if you don’t mind my asking?

@garrrbarr

6 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist live group recorded audio drama. One mic per actor, give everyone a chance to react to everyone else in real time during recording!

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

@@garrrbarr oh that’s fantastic! What a great thing to do! You made the right call!

I share the same feelings about the Neat King Bee v1 as you do about the Rode NT1A. There was a lot of online buzz surrounding it back when I bought it, but I haven't found much that suggests it delivers a nice-sounding recording, after trying it on a LOT of different sources.

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

You know what? I agree with you. That mic is highly recommended by a lot of KZreadrs. Yet, I think it sounds kinda cheap. By the way, your buzz pun did NOT go unnoticed nor unappreciated. Hahaha.

This video was long. It was also great. Thank you!

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahaha. Well thank you, I think! Hahaha.

@mainsailsound983

5 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist hey! Me again. I thought I might try to ask you a question, as I don’t know where else to turn. Thinking about getting an LA320 and have noticed the threading at the bottom of the housing. Would you happen to know if that is a standard size? A standard sized thread that might fit perfectly in the lovely shock mount of my NT1? Cheers and thanks again from Kelowna, BC. The great content is appreciated.

@TheRecordist

4 күн бұрын

@@mainsailsound983 oh man. So sorry for the delay in reply. Also. A fellow Canadian! I’m in Ontario. Haha. Ok. I will have to go down to my studio tomorrow. I wonder if you might email me to remind me. I get a lot of messages here and they easily get buried - hence the delay in replying. recordist @ thetps.ca I’ll try to screw the LA320 into the Røde shockmount. Just in case you didn’t know, the LA320 comes with a shockmount. Anyway, email me and I’ll get back to you with confirmation!

Rick, My first LDC was an Nt1, as a newbie at the time , I kept thinking I was doing something wrong because it never met my expectations. So glad to see you tell the truth about that, too bad more newbies will never see this 😢 I invested in a sound isolated studio build with lots of absorption and diffusion so, I’ve got most noise and reflections controlled. I’ve been using an AEA KU5A as my main vocal mic and it seems to work well with my voice. ( I’ve developed notable sibilance just below 5kHz) Recently grabbed a Roswell Mini K 67x, as it has a dip just where I need it. Have you tried either of those? ,

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hey thanks for the great comment! Actually, I have never tried either mic, if you can believe it. I’ve heard great things about the Roswell, though!

@CaptainMoto

6 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist I'd love to see your review of a Roswell mic. I'd bet Matthew Mcglynn over there would work with you to get it done. He also runs a very nice resource on all mics called "recording hacks" .........look him up.

Comment before watching to boost this one:)

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Woo hoo! Thank you!

Do you have a video talking about the best approaches you've found to acoustically treating a home space? As with bad mic reviews, I'm sure there's also bad audio treatment advice out there too!

@TheRecordist

4 күн бұрын

You’re absolutely right! I don’t have a video about that topic specifically, but I have mentioned a lot of that in many of my how-to videos. My space is wrapped in moving blankets and three rows of curtains. Haha. Literally. That plus entirely too many things crammed in here. This is how I get my good acoustics. I suppose it’s the cheapest way to do it. I’ll try and do a video about that topic in particular. Thanks!

@seb_internet

4 күн бұрын

Thank you for the _sound_ advice!

My brain and wallet just exploded!

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Ha!! Isn’t that always the case?? Hahahahah

I'm really curious as to what about the 25mm variant of the Beifeili c414 makes it your recommendation over the 34mm capsule. As with almost all audio products, the degree to which a person enjoys a particular product is highly subjective and opinionated. However, I'd love to understand your thought process and reasoning behind picking the 25mm over the 34mm. Specifically, whether the decision was based purely on subjective preference, or whether there are/were objectively discernable differences between the two, objectively making one superior to the other.

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

Hey. That’s a great question. It’s 100% purely subjective. I made mention at the beginning of my video that most of what I say is going to be subjective. I normally would have chosen the larger capsule but for some reason, I like the sound of the 25mm one. Maybe it’s quicker transients? Maybe it’s more colorful? I’m not sure. I just prefer that one… personally. Haha. There are no wrong answers when it comes to what we all prefer. Haha.

Which Mic?? You may find this interesting (or not) I find the Peavey PVM 520I (Made in USA) a fantastic vocal mic. Great for VO also. Just my opinion, I'm definitely an amateur/hobbyist. My vocal range would be Baritone and my style is pop/country. Any thoughts......

@TheRecordist

2 күн бұрын

Hey there. I have never tried the Peavey PVM 520I. I absolutely hated their amps but loved their USA guitars. So you never know!

@pathegartyfilmssongs9487

2 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist I also use the akg p120. I enjoy your channel very much. Greetings from Ireland.

I was kind of sad that you didn't measure any of the mics. You know... this measuring tape was actually made by BLUE, by actual musicians before they were popularized by Apple, and then bought by Logitech.

@narrator-timothymckean

7 күн бұрын

Crap... commented too soon. 🤦‍♂

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahahahaha. I snuck it in right at the end!

I'm debating on the telefunken tf17 and the lauten audio la-320, mixed use. Anyone have any preference?

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

Hey. Well, I have no experience with the TF17 but I hear great things. That’s the new one from their Alchemy series, right? I think that’s a FET mic. Not a tube mic. So, a huge difference from the LA-320. I DO have experience with the LA-320 and I think it’s the best tube mic in that price range. Tube has that vintage saturated sound. The LA-320 has a really pleasing and rounded low end. I friggin love that mic. The TF-17 might sound more like a U87 with a mid-forward sound. The price looks doubled on the TF17 from the LA-320. It all comes down to what sound you’re after. Have you seen my LA-320 video?

@trayvonstinnett

6 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist yeah i heard it's a bit darker than the tf11, which I think would suit me a bit better. Might just pull the trigger, it'll be my first tube mic coming from the video side of audio, ie deity shotgun mic and rode wireless pro. Trying to do my due diligence.

@trayvonstinnett

6 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist I've got the tab open right now. I'll do some more research on fet mics, thanks for the reply

@TheRecordist

6 күн бұрын

@@trayvonstinnett understood! It’s a great mic! Say, you said you had a Deity shotgun. Which one? I have an S-Mic 2.

@trayvonstinnett

6 күн бұрын

@@TheRecordist The v-mic d3 pro. I think, like 5 years old.

Sigh, untreated, ground floor NYC apartment with multiple kids and a fire department on the block…dynamic mic guy obviously.

@darrelldoespodcasts6225

7 күн бұрын

i would be interested in knowing if something like those vevor isolation balls or the more expensive kaotica eye would work in your situation? Also, covering a closet in temu sound isolation tiles and cheap walmart comforters might do the trick to help....???

@mikebauer6917

7 күн бұрын

They might. Fortunately my professional mic needs are modest. I’m a scientist who does way too many online meetings. I am often the only native English speaker with English being the agreed upon common language. As crazy as it seems, it is worth it to me to use pro audio equipment and techniques to ensure that I am as easy to understand as possible. Over time my colleagues have slowly dropped their laptop mics and speakers to understand and be understood in the same way. As a side bonus I can record my guitar and singing with way better equipment than it deserves. Re20 and Sm7b being my main jams.

@darrelldoespodcasts6225

7 күн бұрын

@@mikebauer6917 i have 2 re20's and 2 re320's love them both! do you use cloud lifters?

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

I didn’t know that about you, Mike. What’s your particular field of science? Hey man, the RE20 and SM7b are fabulous mics! NYC apartment with multiple kids? Oh man. I feel for you! Plus a fire department nearby? Oh man. Sounds like an isolation booth might be something you’d want to look into. Whisper Room or Studio Bricks are too choices. When you see the prices, you’ll barf, but you might be able to trade a kid or two for one. Hahaha. I’m kidding. I’ve got a couple myself!

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

I have an RE320 and it’s nice. I’ve worked with the RE20 many many times, but I think I’m going to grab one again.

Androids do dream of electric sheep. So you probably do too.

@TheRecordist

7 күн бұрын

Hahahaha. You know it!