What's a good mic for Voice Overs?

M

mustangranch99

Active member
I've got a budget of $1000 and I'd like to get the best mic for the money.

I've been reading about the Neumann TLM 102 and AT4047 being quite good Are those the best I can get or is there even better?
 
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Really depends on the sound you are going for but I like the Heil PR40 a lot on most voices. It's very similar to the RE20 which is another popular mic for VO.

It's kind of strange because the two big mic types for VO are worlds apart. Large diaphragm condensers or dynamics, and shotguns.
 
Noiz2 said:
It's kind of strange because the two big mic types for VO are worlds apart. Large diaphragm condensers or dynamics, and shotguns.
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I'd consider that three types. ;)

Here's the thing about mics and the human voice, mustangranch99... different voices play well with different mics. This is really more a rule for studio recording, as location (on-cam) dialog is a bit more forgiving (though lavs do make a difference there). Speech is more forgiving than vocals in music recording, but the rule still applies.

One person may sound splendid on a $3200 Neumann U87, where someone else may sound terrible on that mic but stellar on a $90 Shure SM58. If you're dealing only with one voice in all your work, find the one that works best within your budget. If you expect to be dealing with lots of folks, it's best to have several tools in your mic locker.

It's also, as Scott mentioned, about the kind of sound you want. Some mics are warmer than others, some have that boomy bottom end, and some minimize proximity effect (the dropoff of low end as distance to the mic increases). Dynamics sound different from large diaphragm condensers, and shotguns have a different sound.

The other thing to think about: what's your recording environment? If you are in a treated isolation booth, you can use pretty much anything. If not, then you need to get something that works in your room. You will need some sort of treatment, whether it's absorption/diffusion in a small area for the mic, or a room that is treated as a mixing/listening environment. For more reflective (less treated) rooms with more environmental noise pollution that cannot be controlled, a dynamic mic like the PR40 or RE20 will be your friend as it is less sensitive an less apt to pick up background sounds. If you're reasonably treated, then a large diaphragm condenser (which is warmer in sound and more sensitive to background noise) or a shotgun (also a condenser) may be your best bet.

I've used the RE20, which is great. I've also used an Audio Technica 4050 (I use this one often), and I have a RØDE NTG-3 that I use when warranted.
 
mustangranch99 said:
I've got a budget of $1000 and I'd like to get the best mic for the money.

I've been reading about the Neumann TLM 102 and AT4047 being quite good Are those the best I can get or is there even better?
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Shure sm7b and the best preamp you can buy. I use it with a sound devices usbpre2. Hunt for a used usbpre2 and you can probably keep it under a grand.

Most all of the mics mentioned here will require a preamp with a boatload of gain. You will need a high quality pre to get the sound you are after.
 
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Alex H. said:
I'd consider that three types. ;)

Here's the thing about mics and the human voice, mustangranch99... different voices play well with different mics. This is really more a rule for studio recording, as location (on-cam) dialog is a bit more forgiving (though lavs do make a difference there). Speech is more forgiving than vocals in music recording, but the rule still applies.

One person may sound splendid on a $3200 Neumann U87, where someone else may sound terrible on that mic but stellar on a $90 Shure SM58. If you're dealing only with one voice in all your work, find the one that works best within your budget. If you expect to be dealing with lots of folks, it's best to have several tools in your mic locker..
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^This^
 
Audio Technica makes some great quality mics below $1K that might work for you. With that kind of budget you have LOTS of options.
 
Personal preference and cost are always the answers to this one, and these two things impact on all our opinions. Would you buy a car without a test drive to see if it suited you?

Make a short list of microphones people recommend, then source reviews. Your short list will be even shorter now. Then try them. If this is impossible, then buy from a dealer who has a no quibble refund policy. If you try it, in your recording spacer, with your equipment, and it sounds good for what you are doing - then keep it!

Don't keep trying others, because microphones are like clothes - some just work on certain people and make them look stunning, while others make anyone look good, but not exceptional. Studios specialising in different VO talent rarely have just one mic. They have their most useful one set up permanently, but when these don't flatter a voice, they pull out alternatives.
 
The AKG C-414 has a 'brighter' sound than the Neumann U87, 67, 47 and many other LD mics for that matter. The 414 is also very versatile for instruments, where many others are not. You should certainly audition the mics to find one to your liking and budget.
 
I like the Rode sound myself. I used to have a 414, and really loved it until it was destroyed by falling off the roof of my car! They come in really good cases, but I'd removed this and put the mic inside a sock for 'protection' - stupid, I know. The sock was white, the car was white, and while loading it, I just put the AKG on the roof - and forgot. Not only did it fall off, it then got run over by the following vehicles. This was in 1996, and the entire thing is still very vivid in my mind.

The 414 was really good on bright sound sources with fine detail - so flutes, decent acoustic guitars and saxophones benefitted. It was good on female voices, but I thought it sounded a little too revealing on male voices where it seemed to emphasise teeth gap noises, and nasal sounds. The German sound - as found in Neumann and to a degree, Oktava sound nicer on male voices. Rode sit to my ears in the middle - not bad for both. While you can tweak the EQ, using a different mic does make a difference. Personally, the difference is small enough for me, that the replacement money for my damaged 414 was spent on multiple cheaper mics, which gave me more options.
 
I'm always puzzled when folks talk about "the sound" of an AKG 414. Here's a snap of the different versions over the years:

c414 story.jpg


Read about the variations and different sonics here: http://www.saturn-sound.com/Curio's/story of the akg c414.htm

So, which 414 are we discussing <grin>?

Fran
 
Since you ask, specifically, the C-414 B-ULS... but most of the models since the C414EB are brighter than a U87. I have not had the privilege to work with the legendary C12 or subsequent models prior to the EB.
 
Snap! The ULS was my version of the 414. The pattern switch on mine was extremely stiff, was this universal?
 
Here's a little shootout I did with some reasonably priced large diaphragm mics. I'm partial to the NT2000 now, and use it all the time.
 
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