Boyamic 2 Review: The best wireless microphone bang for buck!

 

When you just have to cut the mic cable, but you still want good audio!

Boyamic tends to undercut brands like RODE and DJI. The refreshed Boyamic 2 arrive at a very attractive price, with a great set of features. It's solid pro-sumer hardware, but what's up with all this AI stuff?

Let's take a listen!

Boyamic 2 on Amazon https://amzn.to/4dljh9s

Saramonic Ultra Wireless Microphones: Putting RODE and DJI on Notice!

Saramonic Ultra Review!

What happens when a budget brand goes PRO? We get some fun gear to play with! Sporting great sound quality and a rugged build, the Ultra pack in a few tricks that audio pros will appreciate. Thankfully, these mics wont break the bank!

Let's take a listen! OUTSIDE!

Saramonic Ultra on Amazon https://amzn.to/48GpYk7

Save 10% on the Saramonic Ultra when you use promo code "SOMEGADGETGUY10" when shopping on the link here: https://saramonic-usa.8lvxaf.net/o4R1Y9

"USB" is NOT a Type of Microphone: A Guide for Podcasting and Home Recording

I've been threatening to make this video for a while now...

There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all "nice microphone". There are different types of mics for different types of recording jobs. If you're looking at podcasting, spoken word, interviews, or voice over recording, here's a quick primer on some of the microphones you might want to consider!

EWABS Ep 192 - Audio Masters Roundtable & Home Recording Trends

It's the end of an era. Dan Lenard's last East West Audio Bodyshop Shop show before trekking out to the west coast. That's right folks, he's coming to MY neck of the woods. I WIN! HA!

Anywho, it was only fitting that we joined for an epic Audio Masters Roundtable discussion. Almost two hours of chat with some of the most knowledgeable folks in the industry. Discussing the trends we've seen in VO and home recording over the years, which bad habits just refuse to die, and answering a TON of viewer questions.

I might even get a bit rant-y towards the end. Maybe... I had two beers...
Settle in for a good one folks.



I wonder if they'll just be "WABS" from now on...

Native USB Audio Finally Comes to Android!

It's been a strange, long, frustrating, trip. No joke. I've been writing about the state of Android recording for years now.

Now with Android 5.0 "Lollipop" we finally have one of the most sought after, and completely neglected features, for those of us looking at project, home, and travel recording. I took a little time to demo USB Audio input and output on an NVIDIA Shield Tablet with the Lollipop update and my Blue Yeti Pro. It's always nice to have another option for recording, and makes Android a LOT more valuable for Voice Actors. Enjoy!

Review: Cloud Microphone's Sexy 44-A Active Ribbon with Low Cut Filter

Ribbon mics are OLD SCHOOL recording tech, and Cloud has been making terrific mics for years now. Their 44-A represents a fresh twist on the ribbon utilizing phantom power, and a novel low cut filter for spoken word and voice over applications. Let's take a listen!


More info on Cloud products.

Shop for electronics on Amazon by clicking on this link to support our site and reviews at no additional cost to you.

Save 10% on a Loot Crate by using promo code "SGLOOT" at checkout!

Mailbag: Should I buy a multi-pattern mic?

From reader Anshul:

Hi dude,
I just saw you review on the SE Electronics sE2200a II Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone. I'm mainly a vocalist and I'm looking to upgrade my microphone. I've been told I don't need a multi-pattern microphone as I am only a vocalist but after watching your Polar Patterns tutorial I've realised that different patterns are important but I still don't understand why. Please could you explain to me what each pattern will change in my recorded sound and when to use each one. And is this microphone a good value for money because I don't want to be wasting money.
Thank you
Anshul

So here's the deal.

Recording has a "feel" to it. The more you do it, the more you intuitively make adjustments on how things sound based on "feel". This learning experience takes a little time, and that time is crucial to you being able to get what you want out of a recording. I can tell you about recording stuff all day long, but as I don't have my ears in your space, it's all hypothetical.

As a general rule your polar patterns will do the following:
***Cardioid - A wide but directional recording pattern. Front is live, sides are dim, rear is dead. As it is directional, your recordings will experience proximity effect.

***Omni - Everything around the mic is live. You'll pick up what's in your environment 360 degrees around the mic. As it is not directional, you will not experience much proximity effect working the mic closer. Some people think this sounds too thin, but it can often provide the most accurate sense of what your subject and environment sound like.

***Figure of 8 - Front and back are live, sides are dim or dead. Each "lobe" is smaller than cardioid, making the mic more directional, which on many mics will increase the proximity effect on top of what you would experience in cardioid.

Ok. So all that is scientific and good, and I basically just repeated what I put in the video. You now "know" that, but it wont really mean anything to you until you put it into practice and actually try and change the sound of your recordings. You'll have to play and fail and play some more. You'll have to develop your ears, and start listening for nuance and (maybe hardest of all) objectively decide on what aspects of a recording you like, and what tone you're trying to achieve.

To answer your question specifically, I don't think I'd recommend you buy a multi-pattern mic just yet. I don't know what kind of mic you're currently using, but I'd recommend playing with whatever you have now some more. Get REALLY good at using it. Play with distance and angle of attack. See if you can thin out your voice with placement, see if you can make your sound fatter or nasally.

If you're working on something really entry-level like a headset mic, I'd recommend moving to a basic "nice mic" like an Audio Technica AT2020. Once you have something like that, or if you're already using a mic of that level, run it into the ground and develop your senses before moving onto nicer gear.

If you don't have your ears in shape, you won't get much of a benefit by upgrading. Take a little time, get a LOT more bang for your buck!

USB Audio Recording Coming to Android Courtesy of eXtream Software Development

It was the last significant benefit of iOS. The ONE thing iPads and iPhones could do that our poor little droids could not. The ability to connect and record using a USB microphone or interface.

That black eye is starting to heal, not thanks to Google, but through 3rd party development.

I've been given the privilege of trying out eXtream Software Development's USB Audio plugin for their Android multi-tracking suite Audio Evolution Mobile. At long last, it seems this small team of developers has cracked the problem we Android enthusiasts have been facing when it comes to recording on our Droids.

It's still extremely raw software, but it is functional, and will eventually be built AEM for all of us looking to record and edit while on the go, with support for USB microphones and interfaces. Audio folks with Android gear, our tablets and phones are about to become a lot more useful.

Mailbag: Distracting Breaths, The AKG C214, MOAR Proximity Effect, Muddy Recordings

Good Morning: My name is Bob and I have recently found your wonderful website. I have a question regard editing breaths from a narration. I have a thing about this. I just don't like the sound of noisy breathing. It's distracting. I was recently listening to an audiobook narrated by John Slattery "Farewell to Arms". I hear practically no breaths and yet the rhythm or pacing is perfect. How is this done? I use ProTools 8.0. I've tried cutting some or all of the breath out and I've tried dropping the volume level at each breath. Nothing I do seems to make it better. Often I just leave the breath in. I want it to sound natural but without the breaths. Impossible? Please help if you can.
Sincerely,
-Bob B.

Hey Bob. I actually don't have issues with breathing in long form narration. Obviously we try to take out deep or cleansing breaths, but sometimes the way an actor respires can help inform the performance as well.
Everyone has their own tricks for dealing with distracting elements like breaths. Often I turn to room tone recordings if I absolutely have to cut a piece out, but need to maintain cadence.

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First of all, your videos and advice are absolutely excellent.
I just want a quick opinion. I have the akc c214. Love the 'color' of the AKG sound but to my ears tath mic's peak around 13k bothers me a lot (and I mean a lot). I am always needing to eq this to suit my taste. I sing and play acoustic guitar. I haven't tried a 414xls..am hoping that an AKG C414 xls will give me more of that wonderful AKG sound I love; maybe an even slightly smoother top end without that damn 5dB peak. You seem to have spent a decent amount of time with the 414. even though voice over isn't the same as singing, I value any opinion or thoughts you might have regarding this. thanks again :-)
-Roland

Thanks Ro!
If memory serves the presence peak on the 214 hits very aggressively, more resembling the C414 XLII. Moving over to the C414 XLS and using it in Hypercardioid or Fig8 should help tame the peak, but the character of the mic wont be radically different.

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Hey, I've actually have learned a lot from your vids on youtube so thanks. I'm working on making my own studio but it wouldn't be for spoken word recording. I'm a musician/producer and i would be doing a lot of live instrument recordings. I'm looking for that high proximity effect while recording acoustic guitar and micing up a cab. would you recommend using multiple mics? As in 1 dynamic mic and 1 condenser and playing with the EQs to get all the highs, mids, and lows of instrument.
-Alex

You're more than welcome Alex. The two mic solution sounds like a great starting place to me. Now proximity is proximity, but depending on how heavy you want to hit, and what kind of room you're recording in, you could look at a ribbon if you really want to start slinging some mud around.
You'd have to weigh the cost and durability of your specific needs (ribbons are fragile), but it might not be a bad option if you're really trying to push the envelope. Otherwise, you can't really go wrong with a solid mid-range dynamic on a hot pre.

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Hello I was wondering if you might help me with some advise. I've been doing some long format VO recording in a small padded booth with a glass window, and wood door. Using a KMR 81 with an api lunchbox preamp. Most of the recordings sound very tubby to me. When I try and eq the tubbyness out, then it's very sibilant... Pretty harsh around 7.5khz, so struggling with the de-sser to soften the top end. It seems to be lacking a punch that I've heard in other VO recordings. If I turn on the high pass filter it feels very thin to me. So I'd love to learn how people are getting these nice warm present recordings that cut through heavy music and sfx.
-Joe

Hey Joe. It's tricky. You have to look at what you're recording, your source. Your source isn't just YOU, it's YOU in your ROOM. If you + your room = muddy, then there's not a lot you can do. An accurate recording of that combo will have to reflect the truth of your source.
There are some things you can do to help minimize some of the issues, but you wont be able to completely escape the core issue which is giving you problems.

That said, I'd also like to point out to people that shotguns can have some serious issues for those recording at home. They were designed to be used in outdoor or large environments to pick up audio from feet to yards away from their desired source. Look at that polar pattern. Sure, the primary lobe is long and skinny, but notice the three other lobes? The two on the sides are often cancelled out in-mic by phase, but that rear lobe still picks up a fair amount of audio.

What would seem a drawback is actually something of a benefit for film and TV. That rear lobe can help imbue recordings with a subtle sense of the location. That's great for those on set and on location, but not so great for those of us in little booths.

Sure in a larger properly treated studio, one with a little elbow room, shotguns are going to be nice and loud, but put them in a small space, and you're going to sound coffin-y. The mic is already going to be over-exaggerating low end because of the proximity, the small space is going to be emphasizing low frequency sound as it bounces all around creating standing waves, and now the mic chosen is also going to be picking up a little of more of the room reflections and ambiance thanks to it's polar pattern.

Shotguns can get claustrophobic, and rather than trying to edit your way out of the problem, renting a few mics and doing a home shoot out might provide you with better solutions for capturing spoken word in a small space.

As always, if any of this has helped you out, please consider using my donation and Amazon affiliate links to the left, and keep those questions coming!

Mailbag: Listening Exercises, Android Recording, Booth Budgets, and Video Production

How do you train your ear to pick up the subtle differences between audio qualities? My audiophile friends can but I can't. -@PatrickSqueaks

Well you have to use your ears A LOT. Listen to everything you can critically. Listen to your favorite bands. Can you pick out the individual instruments, where they sit in space in the recording, do instruments conflict with each other? Does the singer get lost in the guitar or vice versa? Start broad, then start refining what you like and what you don't. It's a lot like wine or scotch tasting...

The technical component to this? Make sure you listen on recording equipment instead of consumer gear. Consumer gear likes to emphasize EQ, like MEGA-BASS, which while pleasant, certainly wont help accuracy.
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Greeting... I noticed you posted a good post on android tablet audio recording [Following Up On Android Audio for Voice Over]. I am looking for a suggestion for getting clean no static audio recordings. I am using hi-q mp3 recorder app, which allows to set the bits and other settings. I am trying to access the mic through the headphone plug. Every time I plug into it I get some heavy static. Any suggestions? -Steven

Problem isn't the software, but the hardware. The 3.5mm jack built into tablets is designed for the bare minimum quality for chatting over a low fidelity skype connection. Until Android supports USB Audio I/O like the iPad does, we're going to be stuck with low quality, possibly scratchy recordings from the hardware in our tablets. Best of luck!
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The reason I am contacting you is to inquire about the Mailbag you posted last Friday entitled "Home Studio "On a Budget"?" You say in there "...if you want helpful and accurate advice, don't be shy! Tell me your budget!" My budget would be five grand and asides from software and (possibly) machine I would be starting from scratch, unless the laptop was still causing an issue during recording. -Colin

If you have that much scratch to get up and running, I would HIGHLY recommend hiring a professional. Have a working pro get into your space, take a listen, maybe bring some gear to audition. I can tell you what gear I like, but not knowing what you'll be recording, and having no idea what your space sounds like, I'd basically be flying blind. I think hiring a pro to be on-site is a much better way to start off than buying gear blind.
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Hello? This is Gabrielle ALL the way from SOUTH KOREA *^^*. I have Sony a35 and my microphone is AKG c414 XL II. I want to shoot video of my lectures at home with a clear, crisp sound. People are recommending me to buy Zoom H4n, but it would be much better to record directly into the camera to cut back on my post production workflow. Since my Sony a35 do not have audio manual control, Juicedlink preamp Riggy RA333 is my another option. I was wondering how you can make your audio sound crystal clear with no "hiss" or background noise (By the way, I love your voice and your jokes are very funny ^^*!). I just want to know how you get your recordings done and which preamp/recorder you recommend for my AKG c414 xl II. I really appreciate your time to consider this matter. Thank you. *^0^*

Hey Gabe! Thanks so much for checking out my videos!

For ALL of my reviews, I record audio to a separate source, often my H4n. I have not played with an option like the JuicedLink. The main drawback is, to disable AGC, the RA333 needs to send a loud signal back into the camera to trick it into thinking that there's a constant and consistent signal. This means the audio on the camera will essentially be mono. Depending on how you do your post, you'll need to disable one channel of audio while editing.

Personally I would prefer to have full two channel, high quality audio (I tend to record everything in 24-bit these days). It means having to sync in post, but you get pretty fast at lining up takes, or you could always use a program like PluralEyes.

My personal set up for reviews is ridiculously simple. Mic to preamp to H4n for most things I produce from home now. The big difference is making sure you treat your recording space to cut back on distracting elements and noise. That's the bummer of having a nice reference mic like the 414. It'll pick up EVERY impurity around you.

Don't forget to use my affiliate links before shopping at Amazon (you'll be helping support this site at no additional cost to you), and keep those questions coming folks! 

Mailbag - Home Studio "On a Budget"?

From @PatrickSqueaks

How should an amateur go about setting up a home-studio on a budget? Specifically sound absorption and sound proofing?

Well Patrick. That's a fantastically easy question to ask, which has a phenomenally complicated answer, so I'm going to have to pick on you a little.

First up, one of the easiest ways to have someone like me dismiss your question is the phrase "on a budget". At best this usually means "as cheap as possible", but it's a coy way for the pressure of deciding on a purchasing decision to be dropped on us advice givers. Now we need to guess what "on a budget" might mean to you. I elaborate on this more in a previous article: Stop Spending As Little As You Can, Start Buying As Much As You Can Afford

So after reading that article, if you're "on a budget" that means you must have a budget, and if you want helpful and accurate advice, don't be shy! Tell me your budget!

So to better discuss your question, you are correct. There are two components to treating a space: sound leaking into and out of your space, and sound bouncing around inside your space.

For sound leaking in and out (absorbing) you need mass. Pretty much the only way to fix that problem. Often this is something we simply can't do. If you can tear open the walls to fit higher quality insulation, if you can build a free standing structure full of insulation, then you can throw mass at the problem. Otherwise, you just need to find the quietest corner of your living space, and record around the sounds that do leak into your space. I don't record much during the day from home because my apartment is next door to a school for example.

The second half of the equation is even trickier. Treating a room for reflections is an art, and you'll need to learn to use your ears. Too much foam and other acoustic treatment will suck the highs and mids out of your recordings, too little will mean a "live" echo-y recording. In smaller spaces low frequency energy has a tendency to build up, and the only way to curb it is through mass (again) or microphone selection. The VOLUMES of information written on bass traps is staggering.

So my advice is always "Start Simple". Get a mic in your space and see how it sounds. Play with distance from the mic, play with angle of recording. Listen to a couple different adjustments, then assess what you specific problems might be. From there start planning a budget on what it will take to clean the impurities out of your recordings.

If you're lean on cash, you need to learn a little about sound reinforcement. It's not going to be good enough to pick info out of forums, or to continue getting snippets of advice. Go to the library. Learn a little about the physics of sound. You don't need to master these concepts, but if you can't afford to pay a professional to go in and tweak, you'll need to make it up with a little Sweat Equity. I wrote a little more about this in Combating The Casual Understanding of a Concept.

Lastly, if you've listened to the audio on any of my reviews (like this one for example), they've all been recorded from my home, and you can see my general set up in this article Practicing What I Preach - Home Recording. From that you might be able to see what some simple treatments might do to help treat for reflections, but this obviously does nothing to prevent sound from leaking in and out. 

Mailbag: Voice Actor Jack of ALL trades?

Just got this from a reader:

Hello Juan, I was taking a look at your site and you were talking a lot about voice actors needing to wear more hats in today's market. They need to not only act, but self-direct, engineer, etc. I was curious, especially as a young actor, how much knowledge should one seek to have?
 I've worked hard to become knowledgeable on the subject of microphones, preamp setups, and all types of gear. However, I am not an engineer. There are people that study sound, have degree in it and love to immerse themselves in it. That being said, I also want to be able to speak the language of sound and show engineers I understand what they do and respect their side of the process. How do you feel about actors that can talk intelligently about audio? Is that something you appreciate or does it not really matter?
Also, I was curious if you did any kind of demo reviews. Both from an audio stand point and a theatrical standpoint, I highly regard your opinion and would love to be able to get some feedback on my latest cuts. Thanks so much for your time.
-EB

So here's the deal.

Do you need to be a full-fledged engineer? No.

I'm not, though I have taken some classes, and I've studied some physics, the majority of my education has been practical in-the-studio hands on learnin'. Learning which has taken place in studios over the last twelve  years. Collecting knowledge for knowledge's sake isn't going to help us that much, and I feel often leads to THOSE discussions we read all the time on forums. Be they tech, recording, photography, gaming, etc a BUNCH of people KNOW things...

One of the main problems I see with new VA's is they're often trying to learn how to record WHILE they're learning how to perform. No other industry makes their performers do this. On camera actors aren't forced to become a DP while learning how to act. Smug bastards...

Anywho, the biggest challenge IMO, is learning to trust your ears. YOU have to make decisions for YOUR business. What are you trying to showcase? What does your voice ACTUALLY sound like? What does the technical aspect of your recording highlight about your performance? These are some of the questions you need to start asking yourself AFTER you've achieved the basics of delivering a clean recording free of any distracting elements.

As to actors who "speak sound" that can sometimes blow back. Most of the time it's great to meet a like-minded audiophile, but every now and then it manifests as a "know-it-all". Someone who questions my choices in miking. Someone "familiar" enough with their gear to touch my gear. Any number of faux pas derived from "knowledge". We all have roles to play in this machine, and there will be times where you have to wear all hats, and there will be times for you to do ONE job tactically well. Gotta be comfortable with both, and all the shades of gray in between.

I tend to be hands off with demos. These are your marketing materials, so sending them to me should mean you're ready for pros to hear what you sound like. I also don't like critiquing other engineer's work. They make different decisions then I would've, so you're almost guaranteed to get a critical review from me. That doesn't mean they're wrong, just that I would've done something different with the production.

That said, I'm always down to career coach in a more holistic sense, and my rates are affordable.

Review: Blue Microphones' Spark Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic

The entry level microphone market is pretty cut throat.
There are many genuinely good options between $100 and $300. Blue Microphones certainly wont make your task choosing any easier, as they're partly responsible for giving us so many good options. However the one area where your selection quandaries are easily answered is style. Blue delivers THAT in spades...



Shop for Blue Microphones Spark on Amazon, and you'll be supporting SomeAudioGuy at no additional cost to you! Or buy me a cup of coffee using my donation links to the left!

Agents: Where Are Your Actors Getting Recording Advice?

Ok folks. This post is for the agents, so actors go find something fun to do while us business-y folks have a quick chat.

Agents. What the heck?

In my role as consultant, my last SIX home visits have been to fix home studios. I’m seeing a pattern.

• Actor wants/needs to be able to record from home.
• Actor does little to no research.
• Actor buys a USB mic or a booth-in-a-box style solution off of a casual recommendation.
• Actor spends very little time learning how to use their gear.
• Actor’s recordings are not competitive.

I’m hired to come in and “fix” a fundamentally broken setup.

Where are your actors looking for advice? Are you helping prepare them?

Remember, we’re talking about taking creative people, and turning them into self-directing, self-engineering, post-producing/editing machines.

This is precisely why I no longer keep a “recommended” gear list. There are too many outlets looking to package one size fits all solutions. The most important aspect of HOME recording IS the home you’re recording in. I find it irresponsible to blindly recommend a recording solution when I don’t know what someone’s space sounds like. This is how I’ve built my reputation, even though it’s cost me business. I don’t like to guess. I like to know.

So, here’s a novel thought. What if instead of buying something, trying to make it work, then hiring a professional to come in and fix it, we recommend an actor hire a professional engineer FIRST. Yeah it’s a bit more expensive up front, but it’ll save you and your actor more in the long run, especially in terms of time.

To be perfectly frank, it sucks. It sucks having to tell someone that they’ll need to buy different pieces of gear. It sucks telling them they picked the wrong mic for their space. It sucks watching their face when they realize it’s not “plug-n-play” like everyone told them it would be. I’d MUCH rather be involved earlier. I'd rather make sure it was done right the first time.

Instead of guessing if a mic will sound good in your actor’s bedroom, someone like me could bring a half dozen mics for your client to try out. YOU could even approve the sound YOU like the best for SELLING your talent. We won’t be guessing what kind of room treatments they’ll need. We’ll KNOW. See that pic above? That's half my current mic locker. With mics ranging in price from $60 to $2500, I'm pretty sure we'll be able to find something flattering...

Picking the right mic from the get-go means we can also stop this bullshit advice we give actors to read with a blanket over their heads. THREE of my last six consultations were doing it. It’s crap.

Part of the benefit to this process is confidence. We don’t book actors who sound insecure. They need to sound sure of themselves, comfortable in their skin, in their environment. Having a pro come in and walk them around their gear, show them the ins and outs of their software, this should RADICALLY shorten the time it takes for a talent to start producing competitive reads.

So build a few relationships, Agents. Send out some assistants to butter up some studio engineers. Find some people you can recommend your actors do business with. Avoid anyone who’s just going to sell Neumann/Sennheiser/Etc. You want someone knowledgeable enough to take into account an individual actor’s experience, tech savvy, and budget to achieve a tailored sound for that talent’s environment and voice. Your actors will have to PAY them for that knowledge, but thinking long term, it should help your performers tremendously. It’s about bookings, and your clients will be using these tools more and more in the future, not less.

Speaking from first hand experience, actors aren’t finding good advice on their own.
Here’s one of the first videos I found on youtube for “Choosing a Microphone”.

Not to pick on this gentleman too much here (he IS talking about podcasting after all), but his audio sucks, and he doesn’t even know how to properly mount the mic he’s recommending. Think it can’t happen to one of your actors? Twice in the last year I’ve had to re-mount a large diaphragm condenser that the talent had setup dynamic mic “radio style”.

These two mics for example, are mounted and used in VERY different ways.

Make sure your actors are getting better advice than this, but if they aren’t, I’ll be happy to bill them for my time to fix it.

Practicing What I Preach - Home Recording

I'm asked a lot (A LOT) by beginner VO actors what they should use to record themselves at home. It was even the question I attempted to answer in the book Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It's Like Behind The Mic (I'm on page 142 btw ;-)).

Unfortunately for the people that ask me this question, there really isn't a "correct" answer. With a near infinite combination of hardware and software choices, and no two people sharing the same voice, by definition there can not be a one-size-fits-all solution. [Also on a quick tangent, I'm often nonplussed by people who get really defensive when I ask what their home space is like, or what kind of budget they need to stay under. Like I'm trying to maliciously pry into their personal lives, but I digress...]

I usually try to recommend a combination of low cost room treatment and decent mid-range gear, but SERIOUSLY stress that the recordings can only sound as good as the amount of time and practice that goes into learning how to properly use the equipment you have. Sadly even this piece of advice (which I feel is kinda common sense-y) is often met with resistance. Don't you just need a $100 USB mic and a Mac?

Well, I've recently come into an opportunity where I myself might actually need to record scratch and auditions from home, so it was time to take my own medicine! Does my advice actually hold water?

I found the quietest space in my apartment, and hung multiple packing blankets from removable hooks. The idea is to leave them in place semi-permanently, but in a pinch they'll be easy to remove. I like moving pads/packing blankets as they're ridiculously cheap, so you wont mind cutting into them or messing them up. Also I find they do a really decent job of cutting reflection when compared to even low cost acoustic foam at a fraction of the price.

Next I set up my new SM Pro Audio Mic Thing with the sides turned in pretty aggressively to form a tight space around the microphone. If my advice holds true, then the the Mic Thing should help reduce room reflections, and the packing blankets should reduce corner reflections from behind me.

The mic I have selected is my AKG C414B-XLS. Now some might say this is a cheat, as I'm recording on a $1000 microphone, but truth be told, this is a mic I have NEVER been able to use at home. It's an extremely present, accurate, and articulate mic (often used to record challenging instruments like pianos), so using one for home recording can often be a detriment if you're not in a properly treated and insulated space. [If you're really upset by this, you can also take a listen to this set up using a mid range M-Audio Solaris on my review of the SM Pro Audio Mic Thing.]

To compare this corner space, I'm going to put it up against my Zoom H4n's built in mics. Often when I do a home coaching with someone who has already purchased a USB mic, the setup I see most often is mic on a short USB cable RIGHT in front of their computer. Somehow this setup has become the new "easy" of voice over (I blame podcasting :-P). Par for the course, when I recommend NOT using this set up, getting the mic farther away from the computer, standing instead of sitting, not recording in a room with tile/hardwood floors/tons of mirrors and picture frames, I'm usually met with resistance. Since this USB "easy" set up causes me so much grief, I'm going to see if my advice is actually better. [Again, I'm VERY positive on the H4n, and I think it produces MUCH better results than any of the sub $200 USB mics I've used, when used in an appropriate space. For more info, here's my review of the Zoom H4n.]

To recap, The treated corner is using an AKG C414 plugged directly into my Zoom H4n, and the "USB" setup is me in front of my computer recording directly into the built in mics on the H4n. No editing or correcting of the audio has taken place other than to convert to 320Kbps MP3.

Let's take a listen (using headphones will provide best results)!

USB mic in front of computer:


Treated Corner:



Your thoughts?

*Special "Thank You" shout out to Mrs. Audio Guy for allowing me to (yet again) appropriate a part of our home to do this whole recording thing...

M-Audio FINALLY Replacing The Firewire 410. Introducing The ProFire 610!

Yup, it was bound to happen eventually. I kind of figured this was coming up, when I went hunting for drivers, and saw that the FW410 had been removed from the M-Audio site (it's back up now, but probably wont be for long).

So what's new?

Looks like we get 24 bit/192kHz (a step up over 96kHz), and the ability to function as a standalone mic preamp. I'm excited to see that it looks like we'll also FINALLY be able to use the front and rear inputs AT THE SAME TIME!

This was my biggest complaint with the FW410. It's really only a two input card (deceptive, as it's got "four" inputs and "ten" outputs - "FW410" - but it really only has two analog inputs and eight outputs, the other ins and outs are digital). This makes the mid range Firewire card competitive with the newer FastTrack cards.
I also like the new look M-Audio is taking. USB cards are still gray and rounded. Firewire cards are going for more of an edgy, black, industrial look. I dig it.

What don't I like?

Well I'd rather have buttons for the pads. I don't like having to pull on knobs. As it's most likely going to just be resting on a desk (as opposed to being rack mounted), that usually become a two handed maneuver (holding the interface in place while pulling the knob).
I really wish some manufacturer would step up and give us individual phantom power controls. The one button for all thing is getting a little tired.
I might miss having optical ports on the back. The only digital in/out is now S/PDIF, and I kinda like the skinnier TOSLink cables.

Hopefully they've figured out their problem with hotswapping. I've never hotswapped my 410, and I've been fine, but I have had clients fry firewire ports with M-Audio gear.

Lastly I'm kinda disappointed that M-Audio is still holding to a subtly deceptive naming scheme. It does have the ability to record six channels, and output ten. However, two inputs and two outputs are through S/PDIF, so using project studio gear, you really only have access to four in and eight out. This isn't quite as big a deal as when the 410 was released, but it can be a little frustrating when you're trying to research gear.

The Profire looks like a good step up from the 410 it's replacing, but if you already have a 410, it doesn't look like quite enough of an upgrade to make the plunge. That said, I am going to try and get my hands on one (without having to buy one) to play around and see how the new mic amps compare to my old 410. It certainly is a striking interface though, and along with the ProFire 2626 sets the trend for where M-Audio's Firewire line is headed (maybe an update to the FW1814 and ProjectMix soon plzkthnx).

M-Audio suggested retail is $499.95, but pre-order street price is $399.99 around the web (link to zzounds).

The ProFire 610 should be available to retail channels middle of September.

Picking a fight with Tekzilla - Home Recording Gear Edition

This isn't like serious grudge match or anything, just wanted to throw out some thoughts, and get some feed back.

Before I jump in, I'm a HUGE fan of Patrick Norton's and Tekzilla. I'm still boycotting Monster Cables pretty much from his say so.


Now, TIME FOR UMBRAGE!


On episode 40 of Tekzilla, a viewer wrote in asking about setting up a decent dorm room recording/podcasting setup. His budget was about $1100.

Here's the episode (segment starts at the 9 minute mark):

To recap, their advice was to buy the following:
-Skype (free)
-Shure SM58 ($100)
-Pop Screen or Sock ($5 - $30)
-M-Audio Fast Track (Veronica's fave? at $130)
-Audacity (free)
-Headphones (Patrick usually recommends sub $50)
-Audio Hijack Pro (to record skype, about $35)
Total = $345 (at the high end)

My problem isn't with their advice. The SM58 is classic, and I love Audacity, can't say I like the Fast Track, but on the whole it's all pretty good...


For some one with a $400 budget, not an $1100 budget.


Some moderate stepping up to, say a Fast Track Pro and an M-Audio Nova, or even an AKG Perception 220 would be a huge improvement in sound, for not a lot more cash. It would also allow him to route audio (like a Skype interview) without needing an additional piece of software to record interviews. Total, an increase of maybe $100, or still roughly half of what his total budget is.

So what would you do?
You're starting from scratch, and you have $1100.
What do YOU buy?

Noise Reduction shoot out - Sound Forge, iZotope, Audacity, Audition, Waves, and doin it by hand!

So, this is going to be a longer post...

We're going to compare 6 different methods of noise reduction.

I get a lot of questions about cleaning up audio after recording, hums, clicks, pops, line noise, neighbors, fridge, etc. A lot of people are still trying to gate or EQ this stuff out, and those methods don't work particularly well for voice over, especially dry auditions.

Gating will turn off the audio signal when you're not speaking, which gives you perfect silence, but when you start speaking again the noise is back too. This can be VERY unnatural depending on the noise.EQ can work, but usually to the detriment of the entire piece of audio, as you are carving out chunks of the frequency spectrum. Those chunks start carving into your voice as well. Sort of like destroying the town to save the town...

Ideally you'd just want to record clean in the first place, but sometimes you just can't help but knock something out and hope you can clean it up after the fact.Noise Reduction plugins to the rescue!To test, I set up my Solaris to records in "Figure 8" mode (so the front and back of the mic are recording equally), set one side up for me, and put the other side of the mic right up against my bathroom door with the fan running.

This is a worse case scenario for voice over, as fans tend to generate noise that slices right through the middle of the human voice's spectrum. That means that as you remove fan noise, you're likely carving out a chunk of the voice as well. A less extreme version of this would be a fridge kicking on or the AC running.

All of these plugins (and doing it by hand) work on the same general principal, point out what undesirable noise looks like, and try to get rid of only that noise. [Check out the Audacity Tutorial for Noise Reduction in practice - Ed.]

I attacked the samples pretty aggressively with each method. For the test, the main idea was to all but eliminate the background noise, even if it damaged the voice. Real world, you would probably want to leave a little more noise to prevent damaging the recording.


So first up, here's the unaltered file:



Sony Sound Forge NR plugin:



iZotope RX De-Noiser:



Audacity NR plugin:



Adobe Audition NR Plugin:



Doin it by hand with Phase Inverse:



Waves Restoration X-Noise:



Again, this is most certainly a worst case scenario when it comes to noise reduction, and hopefully you don't encounter this much noise on a regular basis. I find the results interesting listening back. There are two methods up here which are essentially free, and the most expensive plugin comes in a pack which runs about $1000.



So what do YOU think? Are there other plugins that I'm missing?

Living Room Laboratory: The Sennheiser MD421-U-5

It's a beautiful day (windows wide open with 70 degree weather), Mrs. Audio Guy is outta town, and Biggs is being chill.

Let's play a little!

About two months before we moved, a reader of the blog sold me an old (OLD) used Sennheiser MD421-U-5. He was cleaning out his mic cabinet, and came across this old Senny, which he had purchased in the 90's, then just never really used. He was well stocked on SM7's and RE20's, so off this mic went. To me. For little more than the cost of shipping. Woot!

I don't know exactly how old it is, but it is a fairly early serial number for the U-5 (#2097, and I've seen serials as high 55,000 on ebay), so I'm thinking it was made in the early 80's or late 70's.

A little history, the MD421 is probably the microphone most responsible for Sennheiser having a presence in the US microphone market today. Thomas Schillinger sold 600 MD421's to NBC in the late 60's, getting the microphone into the hands of recording and broadcast engineers across the country, and to date, the MD421 (and it's updates) remains one of the highest selling microphones of all time.

I've NEVER used one before.

These days, the dynamic microphones of choice seem to be the Electrovoice RE20, or the Shure SM7B. Most VO pros I know go for those, a large diaphragm condenser, or Sennheiser's now ubiquitous shotgun, the MKH416.

I don't run a booth out of my home anymore, so I thought it would be fun to throw some kit out on the living room floor. I recorded a little Poe (you know me and Poe), and to compare I also recorded on another dynamic microphone, the Shure SM57 (my personal fave "do anything" mic). The recording chain was Microphone to ART Tube PAC to NRV10 to laptop.
So how did it sound?

Here's the MD421:

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And here's the SM57:

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First up, this mic is QUIET. I plugged it into my preamp, and dialed up about 20dB of gain, and saw nothing. I had to hit the MD421 with 45dB of input for it to register my voice at a comfortable speaking level. By comparison the SM57 needed only 30dB of gain to match the output of the MD421. I've never had to do that before. I'm pretty confident I could scream myself mute into this thing and be NOWHERE near damaging the cartridge.
The tone is pretty smooth, and I think it fattens up the bassier end of my thin little voice. From memory, I feel it exhibits more proximity effect than RE20's I've used. Good to know if you're going for an intense "trailer" sound.
The SM57 did a much better job with off-axis rejection (picking up little surrounding noise except for what's directly in front of it), but the MD421 was certainly no slouch (remember I was recording 4 feet from an open window overlooking a fairly busy street in Studio City). Also, the MD421 was MUCH more tolerant of plosive b's and p's (a problem of mine), and something the SM57 can be a little fragile about. I feel I could comfortably use the 421 without a pop shield or sock.

I'm really excited about this mic. It probably wont see tons of action as I prefer condensers for most of my VO, but the times I need to record really loud sessions, this baby's going right up front to the top of my list. I'm this mic's third owner, and I'm really stoked to be giving it a good home!

Are you looking for a NEW MD421?

MONSTER POST - AudioGuy got an NRV10 - Lots of Pictures!

MAudio NRV10 Analog Mixer and Firewire Audio Interface

WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES FOLLOWING.

LOAD TIMES MAY VARY.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

So I just wanted to say thanks for all the comments and emails regarding my call for help. I needed a new mixer, and I was trying to decide between the NRV10 and the Zed-14. I ultimately decided against the Zed-14 when I found out the USB port only carried buses not individual inputs. That clinched it. I put in my order for the NRV10, and it just showed up today.

WOOT!

I took a bunch of pictures of the unboxing and first setup, so prepare for geek-pr0n!

Biggelow helped inspect the packing:










Huh? A box, within a box, within a box...










There. That's better:










Biggs momentarily gets bored and re-inspects packing:










He then realizes there's more to sniff:










The outer box:









Biggs checks out the innards:









Finally the NRV10!









And profile:









"Hmmmm smells good"









Behold the NRV10!







The NRV10 by my old Behringer (I never throw anything away):







Back Panel:










Plugging in some mics!










Soundforge is ready:









That's a lot of audio!









Biggs tuckered out from all the excitement:


OK, so first impressions.

I love this thing!

Setup has been the easiest I've ever had with any M-Audio kit. M-Audio drivers are "IN"-famous for being a little twitchy. I went and downloaded the newest from the web (not even bothering with the CD), and my laptop recognized the mixer without a hitch. Soundforge and Audition instantly knew what to do with the machine, and so far the only program giving me grief is Pro Tools, which refuses to see more than 4 channels. That's really obnoxious, as PT compatibility was a main buying point for me. Watchagunnado, a day without a Pro Tools annoyance...

Firewire is a perfect data transfer protocol. My laptop is OLD (1.8GHz P4, 768MB RAM), but it had no issues simultaneously recording 5 mono tracks and a Stereo Main mix-down @ 24/96. I can't wait to seriously light this thing up.

Build quality feels solid. Metal casing, the faders feel tight (really tight), but the knobs are all a little too loose for my taste. If you're really working a mix, a careless gesture could flip a couple knobs around (especially as placement is really close, it is a portable mixer).



The only thing I really don't like about the mixer's layout is how it vents. Rather than have any airflow come out the back of the mixer (see above for the back panel shot), heat comes out the bottom of the mixer. The bottom. What the mixer rests on. There are some stubby feet, but they wont guarantee a lot of clearance. Heat kills electronics, so if you aren't going to mount this puppy, you might want to throw a book under the back feet to aid in cooling.

In all, I'm very happy with this mixer, and am looking forward to really putting it through its paces. Maybe some Shakespeare? Hmmmm...

Thanks again to everyone that helped me make up my mind through comments and emails!

MAudio NRV10 Analog Mixer and Firewire Audio Interface