| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| | <small>[[Working From Home Resources|back to hub]]</small> | | <small>[[Working From Home Resources|back to hub]]</small> |
| | | | |
| − | If you have arrived at this page, you likely want to know how to get more out of your auditory capture device so that your listeners can admire the smoothness of your dulcet tones.
| + | You can get surprisingly far with even a potato mic, as long as you use it properly. A proper one will always help, though. On this page you'll find recommendations for microphones in every price range. |
| | | | |
| − | ==Types of Microphone==
| + | When looking at a mic, make sure you take a careful look at its connectivity - if it has USB you'll be good to just plug it into your laptop, if it has only XLR you'll need an external audio interface as well. Most of the mics on this page will be USB unless otherwise indicated. |
| − | This is one of the most important ones in terms of handling and address. The Shure SM58 dynamic mic can be, (and from the look of some of ours, has been) dropped out of a helicopter and still used for a respectable gig at the other end. However there are some high-end ribbon mics used for voice over that you can damage simply by shouting at them.
| |
| | | | |
| − | ===Dynamic Microphones=== | + | == Where To Buy == |
| − | These microphones are some of the more common around and are at the time of writing used by URY in our studios with our SM7Bs and in OBs with our SM58 microphones. They work due to an induction coil attached to the diaphragm moving in response to changes in sound pressure within a magnetic field, this generates a current proportional to the original noise.
| |
| | | | |
| − | ====Advantages====
| + | A good place to start will be Amazon, bearing in mind that they are prioritising essentials and so delivery times may be ''quite long indeed''. |
| − | * Better rejection of background noise
| |
| − | * Usually has more directional pickup pattern
| |
| − | * Does not require Phantom Power
| |
| − | * Less sensitive to physical handling
| |
| | | | |
| − | ====Disadvantages====
| + | If you're in the UK take a look at Gear4Music, if in continental Europe look on Thomann (they also ship to the UK, however it can get a bit costly). |
| − | * Non-uniform frequency response
| |
| − | * Struggles with far away sounds
| |
| | | | |
| − | ===Condenser Microphones===
| + | Do not underestimate eBay, provided you are willing to shop around and investigate the quality of the gear you're purchasing, you can get very good deals with much shorter shipping times compared to normal shopfronts with the current climate. |
| − | Condenser microphones work through two thin metallic plates with a potential difference between them forming a capacitor, one of these plates acts as a diaphragm to vibrate in sympathy with sound waves like the human ear drum. As the diaphragm vibrates it changes the distance between itself and the other plate, thus creating a current which is a representation of the original sound.
| |
| | | | |
| − | ====Advantages====
| + | A good source for reviews on microphones is [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvOU-zTlankT-JjN3ZzvuKA Podcastage], if you fancy shopping around. |
| − | * Generally more accurate representation of original sound
| |
| − | * Cover larger frequency range
| |
| − | * Can pick up sounds from further away, including groups of people
| |
| | | | |
| − | ====Disadvantages==== | + | == Budget Zero == |
| − | * Picks up large amounts of background noise, even noise that you can't hear, such as low frequency rumblings through walls.
| |
| − | * Receptive to handling noise, if you grab or knock your microphone while using it, it will be very loud and noticeable.
| |
| − | * Require phantom power in order to operate, the microphone can be damaged if this is not done properly.
| |
| | | | |
| − | ===Ribbon Microphones===
| + | You'd be surprised how good an earphone (e.g. EarPod) mic can sound, if you use it properly. We'll put some guidance on our [[Working From Home Resource/Microphone Technique|mic technique]] page on how to make it sound better, the tl;dr is to put it close, but not too close, to your mouth. |
| − | Ribbon Microphones were some of the earliest microphones used in a broadcasting context. They are quite rare to see these days outside of specialist music studios and orchestral concert recordings, but they are still produced, and can be found in a number of applications if you're into this sort of stuff.
| |
| − | ====Advantages====
| |
| − | * They can produce a very nice coloured sound, reminiscent of the golden days of radio... if you're into that...
| |
| − | * They have a figure 8 pickup pattern with excellent noise rejection to the sides, this means they make a very good stereo microphone when used in pairs. This is useful to know exactly non of the time to you, but is very important for things like concert orchestra recordings.
| |
| − | ====Disadvantages====
| |
| − | * They break *very* easily, like you don't even need to drop them, just give them a hard knock.
| |
| − | * They're usually very expensive, and if they're not, they're usually very crap.
| |
| | | | |
| − | ==Pickup Patterns==
| + | At a pinch you could use your laptop's built-in mic, but we wouldn't recommend it. With a laptop mic you have far less control over positioning, so if at all possible use an external one, even on your earbuds. |
| − | Microphones are in general directional. This is important to bear in mind while using them. You will always want the zone of the microphone that picks up the most noise directed towards the source of the sound that you want to record, (in this case, your voice). This is very important to bear in mind when you are doing your shows, you don't need to rigidly sit in the exact same spot but if your microphone is designed to only pick up things directly in front of it it is very easy to slowly drift out of this cone without noticing, especially when you are in the middle of a long link. One good tactic to deal with directional microphones in a home environment is either to keep a chair in a fixed position that you have already checked for good pickup, or if you are especially excitable, to keep your no-dominant hand on a desk in front of the microphone throughout the broadcast. If you practice doing this for a while you will get used to constraining your movement to within a certain cone where the microphone is at the right angle and distance to yourself.
| |
| − | <gallery widths="100px" heights="100px">
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern omnidirectional.svg|<center>Omnidirectional</center>
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern figure eight.svg|<center>Bi-directional or Figure of 8</center>
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern subcardioid.svg|<center>Subcardioid</center>
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern cardioid.svg|<center>[[Cardioid]]</center>
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern hypercardioid.svg|<center>Hypercardioid</center>
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern supercardioid.svg|<center>Supercardioid</center>
| |
| − | Image:Polar pattern directional.svg|<center>Shotgun</center>
| |
| − | </gallery>
| |
| | | | |
| − | ==Microphone Mounts==
| + | If you have a gaming headset, or indeed any headset with a mic, lying around, that can work quite well as well. Similar guidelines apply: position it 3-5cm from your mouth, while angling it to avoid air going directly into the mic, because that'll cause popping, which sounds awful. |
| | | | |
| − | ===Microphone Arms=== | + | == <£40 == |
| | | | |
| − | One simple way to keep a microphone at the right distance and relative positioning to yourself is to use a mic arm like the ones we have in the studio. These can seem excessive, and certainly will increase the bulkiness of your setup as compared to a laptop and a desktop microphone. However they contribute to your final product by aiding a more natural delivery of your speech from a comfortable position and making it much easier to move the microphone to a good position.
| + | At this price range you can't go wrong with the '''Samson Go'''. It's a small condenser mic that plugs in via USB and can sit on top of your laptop (it's really that small!), or on your desk. Don't put it too close to your mouth though, because it is quite sensitive. |
| | | | |
| − | Buying a mic arm and making yourself a small, vocal environment does not need to be complex or expensive. Cheap microphone arms that clamp to the edge of desks and use a standard 1/4" thread mount can be found on amazon for [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Adjustable-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting/dp/B00DY1F2CS/ below £12].
| + | == <£75 == |
| | | | |
| − | ===Shock Mounts===
| + | At this price range we'd recommend the Go's bigger brother, the Samson Meteor. It also plugs in via USB, but has a bigger sensor, so it'll sound much nicer. Just like the Go, put it a bit further away from your mouth. |
| | | | |
| − | ===Headset Microphones===
| + | You'll see a lot of YouTubers and streamers using Blue Snowballs, and while they're ''fine'', if you can stretch the budget for a Meteor it'll sound much nicer for radio, so the Snowball is an option but not recommended. |
| | | | |
| − | ===Positioning===
| + | The Shure PGA58 comes in below this range, but you'll also need an audio interface for it, and a stand as well, since it doesn't come with one and suffers from bad handling noise, so when you add it all up it'll end up costing something around this. You could start building up a pro audio setup - having an interface will mean that you can use more advanced mics later down the line - but if all you'll be doing is radio, you'll be better served spending it all on one mic. |
| | | | |
| − | ===Windshields=== | + | == £100 == |
| | | | |
| − | =='Plosives==
| + | At this range a good option is the Blue Yeti Nano, or if you can stretch the budget, the full-size Yeti. (There's also the Yeti Studio, but the only real benefit of that is that it has an XLR port, which you probably won't need unless you already have XLR hardware (if you have to ask, you don't)). |
| − | | |
| − | ==Sibilance==
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Proximity Effect==
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Preamps==
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Low-End Roll-off===
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Levels and why we sosig==
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Vocal Exercises==
| |