Microphone Selection

[Frenchie29]

Like i said before it’s all about personal taste I spend too much time cleaning up tracks that I recorded with a shotgun, I always have to curve around 7-10k and boost around 240 to get some body. I’ve seen lots of people doing VO with shotguns but personally I used mine for SFX, interviews when I can’t setup a lav, Q&A sessions but for VO I love the warmth of a RE20 type mic. That conversation can go on and on it’s a presonal taste I love BSS eq’s some don’t.

[Douglas Spotted eagle]

I spend too much time cleaning up tracks that I recorded with a shotgun, I always have to curve around 7-10k and boost around 240 to get some body.

This would suggest you’re not recording correctly, or using a very poor shotgun mic.
You’re correct; the conversation could go on all day. The only reason I’m holding a hard line is that your position suggests we’re fools for using shotguns, when as mentioned, demonstrated, and effectively confirmed; the biggest names in the industry use, have used, and will continue to use shotguns in the high-dollar and low-dollar productions heard on radio, television, the big screen, and the internet.

Perhaps you could share some of your work with the folks here, so we can assess what it is that would allow an SM57/58 to sound better than a mid to high grade shotgun mic? I’m always up for learning something new; it’s the only way we can improve.

Douglas Spotted Eagle
VASST

Certified Sony Vegas Trainer
Aerial Camera/Instructor

[Rick Mac]

Wow!

That was fun.

Rick Mac
Director of Audio Production
TCT Network – Directv 377

[Frenchie29]

Here’s what I use for one recording session

1 DBX 116xl (really good for the gate option, mostly for those pesky shotgun mics, it’s great to eliminate off the floor noise, vents etc… when doing field recording)
2 Rane PE-15 as inserts
1 DBX 213 graph Q
1604 mixing board
Duo core laptop with Soundforge, Adobe Onlocation
All in gator cases and ready to be wheeled anywhere.
I also have a little Azden field mixer 3 mics in.

Different mics. I owe a few 58’s, 57’s, NTG2,2 AKG wireless lavaliers. 2 AKG cardiod mics. 1 shure Beta 58 and I borrow my friend’s RE-20 and when it’s a big project I go big and try different mics. I like Neuman but a bit pricy to buy for now since I mostly do live sound now.

If you want I can post some clips (.wav)but you will find most of my recordings on sports radio channels in Toronto as I mostly do sports and corporate.

I always correct at the source as much as possible.

My trick….. a frequency analyzer I can visualize frequency response right away.
Always make sure you record 2 seperate feeds dry(pre Q on strip) and a processed feed–L(wet) and R(dry) to your sound card .
the R feed is a backup which can be manipulated later in post if needed.

One program I love using to analyze is smaartlive
I know it’s not for recordings but I use the RTA in it and I am so used to it and it gives me a good accurate reading.

[Allen Zagel]

AT-2020 here.

Allen

[Frenchie29]

A good trick while using a shotgun mic or mics is to roll off or cut the “room noise frequencies”. For that you will need a parametric EQ 3, 5 or 7 band. (The room has to be totally quiet) On each band one by one, boost all the way up, then with the frequency knob do a sweep, eventually a certain frequency will sound like it’s doubling up, this is the subharmonic frequency from the ambiant room noise, when it has been found you can cut by 1 or 2 db with a fine bandwith .This is a good process to eliminate room noise when no alternative can be taken.

[Douglas Spotted eagle]

I’m not following. If the room must be “totally quiet” then why would there be “ambient room noise?”
If you’re referring to “room tone,” IMO, this is more effectively an properly dealt with using damping tools ranging from the high-end TubeTraps

[Rick Mac]

[mp_audiovisual] “eventually a certain frequency will sound like it’s doubling up, this is the subharmonic frequency from the ambiant room noise,”

Your technique sounds ok however the correct terminolgy
here would be “Harmonic”. Sub harmonic is a frequency below the fundamental. You most likely will have room tone reflections both above and below the fundamental frequency. Therefore using the term harmonic is a more accurate statement.

Really what you are trying to do here is drop the frequencies that the room is resonate to. This will vary room to room.
The technique that you described helps you quickly identify those frequncies. They will, as you described jump out at you once you get on the resonate frequncy. It should also be noted that once you locate the resonate frequncy you should tighten (narrow) the Q (how much you affect around your center freq.) If you set it to wide you will put a big hole in your audio. You want to use as tight of a notch as possible while still addressing the resonate frequncies.

Regards, Rick.

Rick Mac
Director of Audio Production
TCT Network – Directv 377

[Frenchie29]

Are you sure it wouldn’t be sub harmonics?? This what comes out when doing the sweep, it’s not the fundamental but the sub.

What I meant by quiet is no talk at all, which is really hard to accomplish sometimes. I know it has nothing to do with the choice of a mic but I find shotgun mics harder to work with.