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The Joe Man posted:It's a good mic, and I've used it extensively without issue. I'm not going to recommend something I haven't used. The SM58 is a good mic because you don't need a good room. It's not super-sensitive, so it's not going to pick up all the reverb that's bouncing around the literal box of an apartment that you live in. The nicer the mic (like a good condenser mic), the more room detail it's going to get. I noticed this problem with some podcast DJ stuff a friend of mine was doing. She was using an excellent mic, and all the boxy room noise came through brilliantly. I told her to switch to the cheap dynamic Shure mic she had, and it sounded a lot better. A good condenser mic will pic up a lot of harmonic detail (it can respond quickly to sharp attacks, is very sensitive, etc.), and is nice for use on musical instruments, to record sounds that are further away, or to faithfully capture the quality of a sound. One drawback is that they can result in a harsher sound (because they respond to sound quickly). They're also generally more expensive, sometimes a hell of a lot more. Lastly, condenser mics transfer sound into electric signals through fluctuations created in an electric field between two plates. This electric field needs to be created with electricity. This means a power supply of some sort is needed, and that's what phantom power is. It's electricity that runs along your microphone cable and powers your mic from whatever source it's plugged into so you don't need a dedicated power supply or battery. A dynamic mic has the benefits of being cheaper, less sensitive, more durable, and sometimes more colored in tone (use the right mic for the right job, and that color is a good thing. The SM58 is designed for voice). It's the type of mic you want to use for doing announcer poo poo in your bedroom, for sure. A ribbon mic is what the old announcers used. They're super loving expensive (generally) and break really really easily (one wrong "p" sound without proper pop filter protection and it's goodbye $1000 microphone, and don't ever plug it into something with phantom power on. Or better yet don't plug it into something that even has phantom power capability). They also respond very slowly to sounds (the sound has to move this relatively massive metal strip back and forth). This slow response smooths attacks, creating a rounder sound. They are generally warmer in tone, which announcers like. Wow this is a longer post than I intended. So I'm just going to continue with the wall of text and go to microphone preamps. You know that really nice "professional sound" you're having a super hard time getting, even with your expensive microphone? You need a nice mic preamp. If you're absolutely 100% serious about recording, spend the money and get one. And by nice, it shouldn't cost less than $500. I know that sounds snobby, but it just isn't worth it to spend $200 on an "entry level" preamp. The difference in sound quality is huge. You might as well just use the preamps that are built into your mixer or audio-to-digital converter; and there's honestly nothing wrong with that - be creative with the poo poo you have. But if you're really loving serious, as in professional-level serious (and talented, nice equipment's not going to make you a better musician or speaker or whatever), get something that's a real professional tool. I only bring this up because I know there are a lot of creative types who post on these forums. I think a lot of DIY musicians and other people aren't aware that this is the missing link in making a good recording. I know some very serious creative people who have gotten very frustrated because they think they have all the right tools, and yet they can't get a professional, full sound in their recordings. When they finally get a nice mic preamp, they're very happy. You can have the best mic in the world, and if it runs into a lovely mic preamp, then it's not going to sound good. You can have a cheap crappy mic, and with a great preamp get a great sound out of it (or at least a sound that's going to be useful in some situation). I would go with the Grace Designs m101 or a nice tube preamp like a Universal Audio SOLO/610. The 610 would work really well for announcing, and add a lot of warmth. The Grace Designs is a good all-around preamp that doesn't break the bank. Just look at other preamps around that price point, and you'll find something that'll be great quality and last you forever. Oh, and get a nice pop filter if you want to do anything with speech. They only cost a couple bucks. Dr. Bit fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Jan 27, 2012 |
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Jan 27, 2012 21:40
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The Joe Man posted:Only thing I disagree with you on is the pop filter, since I'd rather have folks learn not to pop in the first place and develop lazy habits. Filter is nice though if you just want to get in & out quickly. Actually, that's a good point. I've never worked with spoken word people. A pop filter is a must for singers, though, because they're projecting a lot more (if not as much as they possibly can).
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Jan 27, 2012 22:14
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