Post A Sample Of Your Microphone/Equipment

Eddie Eagle

Howdy everyone,
Here's another recording this time using a Sennheiser MKH415 the predecessor the 416. This recording is raw. No processing whatsoever. I will also post a processed file and you will hear the difference. This started as 48k 24 bit wav but due to size I downed it to 44.1 16bit 320kbps mp3.

Bill Campbell · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008, 01:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Mic and voice sound good. I like the unprocessed sound better.

Nice trailer voice - it comes packaged with the Senneiser along with the mic clip and foam, dosesn't it? (kidding)

Eddie Eagle · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008, 03:41 (GMT) Post subject:

ricevoice · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 33

JJ Semple

Folks,

It's been a few moths since I last posted. I have been working on a new sound in the meantime. Featuring a new mic. Here are two samples:
one untreated, straight from the mic to the PC; the other a mastered file.

Since it seems to be a game everyone enjoys, I'll let you guess the mic. I'm sure someone will nail it.

Funa and games aside, I would like some advice on the quality. Is there anything I can do to improve? I do AudioBooks. So the voice quality does not have to have that professional sound; yet I'm striving for a "natural" sound.

Does anyone see any reason why I shouldn't proceed to record my entire book using the same mic and the same mastering?

Lance Blair · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008, 01:37 (GMT) Post subject:

There is electric buzz and plosives all over both samples and the Ozone processing doesn't do a thing to fix it (in fact it makes the plosives worse).

Get a pop filter and check your wiring and power.

JJ Semple · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008, 02:29 (GMT) Post subject:

I heard the buzz and the plosives but didn't want to say anything to prejudice you'alls judgement.

Trouble is I have a windscreen and a metal pop screen and I still get the plosives. I called the mic company but didn't get much advice. I've never seen such a sensitive pickup.

For the buzz, I'm not sure what's causing it.

Can you make any recommendations?

Lance Blair · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008, 16:34 (GMT) Post subject:

1.) How far are you from the mic?

2.) Are you talking straight into it? With a Large Diaphragm Condenser you really shouldn't in most cases (I honestly have no idea what kind of mic you're talking into...)

3.) Is the pop filter equidistant to the mic diaphragm and your mouth? It ought to be. If it's right up to the mic, it actually won't do that much good.

JJ Semple · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008, 18:07 (GMT) Post subject: Plosives and buzz

1) I'm about 8-9 inches from the mic.

2) It's an end address mic, one, judging from previous posts, that you're quite familiar with. The Heil PR-40.

3) The pop filter is about 3 in. from the mic. I called Heil after my first test because the plosives were dreadful. Heil said it shouldn't be that way. I told him I'd read his doc about "outer metal screen," the metal "inner screen," and the "very course acoustically transparent foam." He said that should take care of it. I made a few more tests and finally decided to place my C1 Studio Projects foam windscreen over the mic and a metal pop filter in front. That helped some but there were still detectable plosives, awy beyond the acceptable. Strange results for a mic that was designed to reduce "breath blasts."

Right now, I'm not sure if it's me, the mic, the way I'm using the mic.

I've had dynamic mics – the Shure SM7b – that never gave me any trouble with plosives or buzz.

Lance Blair · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008, 21:09 (GMT) Post subject:

Get a couple inches closer to the mic, have it slightly above your mouth and pointing down to your mouth on a 30-45 degree angle instead of talking straight down the barrel of it. Turn down your gain appropriately.

This mic is noticeably more likely to have plosives than many other dynamics, no matter what they say, but it's completely usable.

Since I had no idea whatsoever that this was a Heil PR40, I think there is more in question here than just the mic (preamp, soundcard, computer, etc...)

JJ Semple · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008, 22:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks, Lance, I'll make a few more tests after checking out my chain.

Just with the mic placed in my empty room with no sound being generated, the software I use registers a -49dB noise floor. Do you think that could be the source of the buzz?

Josh Mahler · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008, 14:52 (GMT) Post subject: And another...

Just picked up a BLUE Bluebird over the weekend. I do admit that I am a mic slut, and can't stop myself from buying new mics. Smile

Chain...

BLUE Bluebird>Safesound P1 pre>Apogee Duet interface>computer

Josh Mahler · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008, 15:15 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi JJ,

What is your vocal chain? How are you connected to your sound card/interface and computer?

As for the buzz, here are a few things to check. Are you using a light with a dimmer? That will definitely cause buzz.

Do you have unbalanced cables laying on or too close to power cords?

What about your audio connections to the computer? I have found that using an 1/8 inch connection right into a computers audio card many times causes buzz.

Are you using an LCD or CRT computer monitor? Unshielded electronics too close to a CRT monitor will cause buzz.

As far as the pops, after seeing what you are using pop blocker wise, I'm inclined to think you are just pushing too hard on plosives, unless of course the mic is in fact defective. I saw that you did say that you didn't have the plosive problem with other mics, so maybe the mic is the source of the problem. I had a PR-40 briefly, but don't remember if plosives were a problem with it.

Best,

Josh

JJ Semple · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008, 18:32 (GMT) Post subject: Buzz

I had a PR-40 mic > Summit 2BA-221 preamp > MOTU Ultralite > Mac desktop with PeakPro, MOTU AudioDesk, & Amadeus Pro. Cables are XLR and I believe all are balanced. MOTU to computer is firewire, of course. More on account of the pops than the buzz, I got rid of the PR-40 and replaced it with a Shure SM7b, a mic I previously used and liked.

I did a few preliminary tests but have not had time to go all out. I eliminated some of the buzz by changing polarity.

A few months ago, I noticed a buzz in one room when I changed my light bulbs to the new compact florescent type, and now that I changed all the bulbs in the house, I'm thinking that may be part of the problem. The buzz was so bad in the first room you could follow it right up to the source.

I'll test for the bulbs in my recording rooms too. In the meantime, I'm putting a small snippet of my preliminary test up so that you can compare with the previously posted test.

Thanks for your comments & attention...

John Weeks · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008, 20:06 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi JJ,
There's some really bad distortion going on. If you still have the PR 40, try it and see if the distortion goes away. If it does, then it must be the SM-7, if not then, of course, it's somewhere downline from the mic, possibly the preamp.