Good mic for recording narration voice over for documentary?
- Thread starter Beaker
- Start date
FlintMI
Well-known member
condensor mic w/preamp
condensor mic w/preamp
Get a condensor microphone. you want that professional, "close presence" feel, which is achieved through a condensor mic, pop filter, and a quiet, dead room. They recorded the "Amway lady" narration from Roger & Me in a closet, for instance.
I use the Rode NT1000 with a DBX 576 tube preamp. The preamp can make a big difference in getting a warm sound. you will need phantom power.
http://www.rode.com.au/?pagename=Products&product=NT1000
if you don't make a lot of movies, maybe book some studio time instead. for a couple hundred bucks you can knock out a lot of narration and it will sound awesome.
condensor mic w/preamp
Get a condensor microphone. you want that professional, "close presence" feel, which is achieved through a condensor mic, pop filter, and a quiet, dead room. They recorded the "Amway lady" narration from Roger & Me in a closet, for instance.
I use the Rode NT1000 with a DBX 576 tube preamp. The preamp can make a big difference in getting a warm sound. you will need phantom power.
http://www.rode.com.au/?pagename=Products&product=NT1000
if you don't make a lot of movies, maybe book some studio time instead. for a couple hundred bucks you can knock out a lot of narration and it will sound awesome.
I would not say you have to get a condensor. I'll take an SM7 or a 441 over a crappy condensor all day long. A quality mic is important. There are plenty of them. The NT1000 is supposed to be a great bang for the buck, I have recently used a CAD e-350 also reasonably priced and pretty good performance. AKG C-4000 is not bad mic either, multiple polar patterns are very nice, though I found it a bit too sibilent for the paticular talent, but would not hesistate to use it on others. Obviously if you can spring for a U87 or something German and fancy go for it, but you probobly can't so take a look at the Audio Technica 40 series, the 4060 is great, spendy but awesome and the Shure KSM stuff, pretty affordable and not bad mics at all.
What I really like is to be able to have a completely dead sounding room and then use an Omni directional mic. Gives the talent a little more freedom and is nice and natural, no proximity effect.
What I really like is to be able to have a completely dead sounding room and then use an Omni directional mic. Gives the talent a little more freedom and is nice and natural, no proximity effect.
TyFord
Well-known member
I've been doing V/O for almost 20 years (examples are on my site). I teach narration to union performers. Good narrations are the result of a good voice, someone who knows how to bring a script to life, a good mic and a good acoustic environment.
Condenser mics alone don't get you there. In fact, there are a lot of cheap condenser mics that pretty much suck. Good dynamic mics are better. The EV SM7 and RE20 are great dynamics for narration.
If you do decide to get a good condenser, be aware that they are a lot more sensitive and will hear more of the imperfections in your acoustics.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Condenser mics alone don't get you there. In fact, there are a lot of cheap condenser mics that pretty much suck. Good dynamic mics are better. The EV SM7 and RE20 are great dynamics for narration.
If you do decide to get a good condenser, be aware that they are a lot more sensitive and will hear more of the imperfections in your acoustics.
Regards,
Ty Ford
vidled
DVXuser Sponsor
I agree with where Ty was going. Consider saving the cost of renting/buying a mic (and other equipment) and spend those monies on hiring a professional Voiceover Artist. It will make the production all so much better.
However, if this is more of a learning project and you REALLY want to buy a mic, it will depend on your budget.
A request for equipment recommendations SHOULD really INCLUDE one's available budget. There will be mics that cost $10 that could be used, and ones that cost $5000. For around the $100 mark, you may want to look at the Behringer B1 or B2, otherwise there's good choices offered here already.
However, if this is more of a learning project and you REALLY want to buy a mic, it will depend on your budget.
A request for equipment recommendations SHOULD really INCLUDE one's available budget. There will be mics that cost $10 that could be used, and ones that cost $5000. For around the $100 mark, you may want to look at the Behringer B1 or B2, otherwise there's good choices offered here already.
Jourabchi
Well-known member
groovetube gt-66 all the way....
glass preamp warm but deep vocals...a quality mic...
if you can, goto guitar center and try some out see witch you like the sound of and go with that....you can get good enough sound from an sm58 if you have the right set up, but using a quality tube condenser, you really cant go wrong..
check ebay
i bought mine for like 750 3 years ago but you can get em for like 300-400 now....
ill probably be selling mine here in a couple months, if your interested let me know...
glass preamp warm but deep vocals...a quality mic...
if you can, goto guitar center and try some out see witch you like the sound of and go with that....you can get good enough sound from an sm58 if you have the right set up, but using a quality tube condenser, you really cant go wrong..
check ebay
i bought mine for like 750 3 years ago but you can get em for like 300-400 now....
ill probably be selling mine here in a couple months, if your interested let me know...
Walter_Graff
Carbonite Member
Beyond the mic, setting is key. One of the best places to record sound is in a car. Of course you want the car in a place that is not near any outside noise. The sound dampening qualities of a car is very similar to an audio booth. If not a car make a box out of sound blankets. A good sound booth will make up for any lack of quality of a mic.
TyFord
Well-known member
A car works if you want the voice to sound as if it were recorded in a car.
The parallel glass surfaces in most cars create a specific sort of reflection that can be quite unflattering.
Recording in a closet (another wive's tale) results in a recording that usually lacks high frequencies because the clothing sucks up a disporportionate amount of high frequencies,
While these two makeshift locations are better than recording in a racquetball court, they are no substitute for a properly designed space.
I once recorded Charleton Heston in a bedroom in Virginia for some radio spots. It was the only place we could get him. It was a big bedroom. I used a Sennheiser 416 and DAT machine. Before he came in, I had a chance to experiment with orientation. (how to hear as little room as possible).
Chuck (as he introduced himself to me) came in sat onthe edge of the bed, looked at the copy a bit. As he rehearsed, I found a good orientation for the mic. When he was ready, I hit record and he did two takes.
The studio engineer was very impressed with the quality of the recording and asked which mic and where I placed it. I'll end this little anecdote with the reminder. It was Charleston Heston, it was a 416. I had it in the right place.
Your mileage may vary.
Regards,
Ty Ford
The parallel glass surfaces in most cars create a specific sort of reflection that can be quite unflattering.
Recording in a closet (another wive's tale) results in a recording that usually lacks high frequencies because the clothing sucks up a disporportionate amount of high frequencies,
While these two makeshift locations are better than recording in a racquetball court, they are no substitute for a properly designed space.
I once recorded Charleton Heston in a bedroom in Virginia for some radio spots. It was the only place we could get him. It was a big bedroom. I used a Sennheiser 416 and DAT machine. Before he came in, I had a chance to experiment with orientation. (how to hear as little room as possible).
Chuck (as he introduced himself to me) came in sat onthe edge of the bed, looked at the copy a bit. As he rehearsed, I found a good orientation for the mic. When he was ready, I hit record and he did two takes.
The studio engineer was very impressed with the quality of the recording and asked which mic and where I placed it. I'll end this little anecdote with the reminder. It was Charleston Heston, it was a 416. I had it in the right place.
Your mileage may vary.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Walter , did you try it 40c in the shade without the air condition and windows close
good for few lines for eng , really sucks for normal narration session.
the best place i can suggest if you dint have sound studio at home with proper acoustics , go to your closet if it big enough , usually it will be no reverb at all , just check if you dint wear pink dress when you go out of it
good for few lines for eng , really sucks for normal narration session.
the best place i can suggest if you dint have sound studio at home with proper acoustics , go to your closet if it big enough , usually it will be no reverb at all , just check if you dint wear pink dress when you go out of it
Walter_Graff
Carbonite Member
I had a similar story with Larry King. I was doing the 92 democratic convention. There was not a space where we could do Larry's radio spots. I found a private bathroom in one of the sky boxes. It had cloth wallpaper. It was also 4x5' so it was tight. Sound was great and a few guys at CNN asked us how we ended up getting Larry to a studio.
No, cars are no substitute for a good space but I use them all the time in the field when I have to and as a matter of fact I have a national spot running now that was recorded in a car that sounds no less than a good studio. It's all about all the elements, never one. A good mic can make up for a bad place just as mic placement can and a good place can help a bad mic.
No, cars are no substitute for a good space but I use them all the time in the field when I have to and as a matter of fact I have a national spot running now that was recorded in a car that sounds no less than a good studio. It's all about all the elements, never one. A good mic can make up for a bad place just as mic placement can and a good place can help a bad mic.
adamr316
Well-known member
I do all my voice over work in my bedroom. It has decent acoustics (when I clap there is virtually no reverb off the walls) and it really doesn't matter when I'm right up on it. But mouth placement, mic placement, the room, the preamp, the performer, etc. do indeed matter a lot.
If I were to record in a car, I'd do it in the backseat facing a chair. Or is there another method you use, Walter?
If I were to record in a car, I'd do it in the backseat facing a chair. Or is there another method you use, Walter?
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
Man you guys all have such good recording stories... I really wish I hadn't sold my 416 to a video buddy now.
Okay, how about this... the year was 33... 33 A.D. and all I had was my CMC641... but with the active cable of course. Anyway... I had to get this interview with Jesus Christ (the Son of God)... so anyway, it was 3 days after his death and he had a really full schedule. I knew the stone walls and the confined space of his burial tomb were gonna' play HELL on the mk41. I tried lowering the cap through a hole in the ceiling as I yelled my questions through the space around the cable... the reverb was terrible! Fortunately I had my Gremlin parked out back and Jesus was able to give me a quick interview before he rushed off. We ended up using a Shure Beta 87c because of it's limited pickup and rejection of the acoustic space. But He had to talk right into it... and I thought, "hmm this mic would probably be good at recording narration voice over for documentary".
The only reason I offer that as an option is because it will ignore the acoustics of almost ANY room.
Okay, how about this... the year was 33... 33 A.D. and all I had was my CMC641... but with the active cable of course. Anyway... I had to get this interview with Jesus Christ (the Son of God)... so anyway, it was 3 days after his death and he had a really full schedule. I knew the stone walls and the confined space of his burial tomb were gonna' play HELL on the mk41. I tried lowering the cap through a hole in the ceiling as I yelled my questions through the space around the cable... the reverb was terrible! Fortunately I had my Gremlin parked out back and Jesus was able to give me a quick interview before he rushed off. We ended up using a Shure Beta 87c because of it's limited pickup and rejection of the acoustic space. But He had to talk right into it... and I thought, "hmm this mic would probably be good at recording narration voice over for documentary".
The only reason I offer that as an option is because it will ignore the acoustics of almost ANY room.