A Test, A Quiz, A Game, A Chance to Help.

You may have found yourself in this situation. You have accumulated a collection of mics that you are comfortable with. Maybe you regularly use one or two or three for different type jobs, but you hate to get rid of any of the others. They are like favorite pets or something.

Tom Test has this dilemma. He has quite a collection of accumulated mics and he wants to pare them down to just a few of the most useful.

Get out your pencil and paper. Listen to each mic, write down the number and your impressions of his sound on each. I recommend NOT trying to match up the mic’s brand to the number yet.

There is a Warm Authority presentation (lower key) and High Energy presentation (higher key) to get a good idea of how they are used.

Tom Test's WARM mic samples.

Tom Test's Hot mic samples.

Now check your notes and make your comments below. I cannot say that there will be a drawing from all the comments for one of the mics not chosen. I said I cannot say that--so I won't.

We may try to talk Tom into a big Yard Sale so we can then help him pay for another new mic. Only this time we will make all of our recommendations on what would sound best for him.

Get the pencil & paper and start making notes.

Behringer XM8500 – $20 (el cheapo dynamic mic)
Marshall V63M - $75 (medium diaphragm condenser)
Kel HM-1 - $110 (small diaphragm condenser)
AKG Perception 200 - $185 (large diaphragm condenser)
Studio Projects C-1 - $240 (large diaphragm condenser)
ElectroVoice RE-20 - $399 (a cardioid dynamic mic)
Rode NTK - $569 (tube condenser)
M-Audio Sputnik - $799 (large diaphragm vacuum tube mic)

Lean, Clean.. and Mean. SE Titan May Be a Sleeper VO Mic

So, after a while, you realize that the most used mic in your locker is the one that cuts through the music or other background and puts your voice and message right up front. Maybe some clients or another producer commented on that sound. Perhaps that workhorse mic is not your favorite sound when you do your movie trailer imitations because you love how rich and full you sound on that big tube condenser. But that everyday clean and clear mic is the one you go to for the steady money.

We have been privileged to share Josh Mahler’s search for his perfect sound and he has tested some outstanding examples with his excellent voice. Not long ago, some of his friends in Europe suggested he get hold of the SE Titan LDC. They told him it is the hot new voiceover rage.

Have you seen this mic? Strange! Short, stubby, it’s rather awkward looking. But we don’t buy mics to look at, and the question is how does it sound and can I use it and get my money out of it?

You know I am starting to favor transformerless condensers for the clean sound that realistically puts out exactly what goes in. The SE Titan is transformerless and has high transient response, maybe due the Titanium diaphragm (anyone that plays golf is familiar with the cost of titanium). All of this should translate into clear high frequencies with less distortion and tighter low frequency response—and it does. SE says upfront this mic is good for vocal work and broadcast. It’s that sound we were talking about.

Listen to Josh’s test here and decide for yourself. Better yet, click back & forth between his TLM-103 (also transformerless) and the SE Titan.

R-F-T Funkwerk AK-47

Walk up to someone at the mall and ask, "Would you like to see my R-F-T Funkwerk AK-47?" Tell me mall security wouldn't have you spread eagle by the cell-phone kiosk.
Funny or intimidating, this is one powerful voiceover mic.
When this mic was first introduced, there was controversy over its heritage (read early review). Now the smoke has cleared and everyone accepts the fact that this is one fine instrument. I would love to spend a weekend testing this baby, but you will have to settle with a tester more worthy than me--John Weeks.
Listen to the multiple flavors John gets from his new baby. Here. It is sweet.

Need a Top-of-the-Line Pro Mic?

We have a Heavy-Hitter Pro buddy that does powerful trailers, promos and other work that uses his awesome voice and top-notch professional production techniques. He would like to share his good fortune by allowing a favored soul the chance to enjoy the bliss of his treasured Lawson. Hurry....contact him soon. You already know it's my dream machine.

Yeah, it feels like selling art work. I've been using my 416 so much that I think it's safe to unload my extra L47MP MkII at this time.It's roughly a year and half old, a backup unit that saw a majority of its use as a secondary mic during an animation session. It's the gold long body variant. I really like the mic, but it could actually be getting use in someone's studio.

Contact Here. Then let me know so you can rub it in!

Neumann TLM 103. Good…Bad…Evil? How about GREAT!

So many TLM 103 users have bashed this mic on forums and blogs, it is just taken for granted. I mean, who wants to invest a grand when something less expensive will sound better? Wait a minute! We are talking about a Neumann tranformerless mic with the stated intended use for voiceover, aren’t we? Supposedly a less expensive and more purpose specific LDC than the revered U87.

These same questions bugged Josh Mahler and he tackled the mystery head on.

I had a 103 years ago and HATED it! But, I really do think that had to do with my studio at the time, and my inexperience with recording. When I first bought it, the living room of my one bedroom apartment was my studio with NO acoustic treatment, not even Auralex. Then I had a couple 2 bedroom apartments, with the spare bedroom as the studio, semi treated, but sounded like hell. But now, I'm in a room that has tons of DIY 2'x4'x4" bass traps along with super chunks in the front corners. So it's dead as hell. I can pretty much yell at the top of my lungs without an ounce of slap-back echo, and the frequency response of the room is 'relatively' flat.

So, my thought about the TLM now is that you REALLY have to have a properly treated recording space for this mic to sound its best. Granted, that goes for mic, but especially so for this mic IMO.

I'm telling you, the minute I played back the first line I recorded, I knew it was the mic for me.

Anyway, as far as the bad rap the TLM103 gets? I don't get it AT ALL. But it really is like TLM103 is a bad word. Almost as if it's right up there with the most derogatory racial slurs you can think of! Everyone says it's sizzly on voice, thin, harsh, too brittle, etc., etc. My impression was the opposite. Seemed to sound very full, with a fat low end, smooth high end, without a hint of harshness, but still clear at the same time. And that's on a voice that I consider to be very sibilant. I know why
so many guys use the TLM103, whether they admit it or not! ha ha

I've also heard the 103 is very particular about preamps. I've yet to try it with the Mbox2, Apogee or Mackie Onyx pres. I'll have to do that soon to see how much of a noticeable difference there is.

Good Room Acoustics….Match with the Right Preamp—There are too many pro studios using this mic successfully to dismiss it as unusable.
Listen to Josh’s test HERE.

ADK vs RED. Head-to-head.

Have you ever had an itch that you just can't seem to scratch? Josh Mahler and I must have the same itch. No matter what mic we try; no matter how great we sound on any particular mic; we have to hear the next best one. It's not an obsession, it's professional curiosity.........well.......maybe a little obsession.

Josh had his eye on a top-rated mic with a great reputation--the ADK Hamburg II AU. I have always wanted to try this series in an open test because I expected great things from Larry Villella's "kick it up a notch" ADK Custom Shop. I have musician buddies that use this mic and consider it "the end".. the last mic they'll ever buy.

Wellll....let's see. Josh probably heard some of the same raves and got ahold of a Hamburg II and put it up against his latest power tool, the Red with the R8 capsule. Oh, he attached a note:

Here is a sample of the ADK Hamburg II AU. I also recorded another sample of the Red in the exact same position with the same settings as the ADK to give a more realistic comparison of the 2 mics.

I'll keep my opinion to myself for now as to not skew your opinion as to which you think sounds better, and why. Please let me know your thoughts.

ADK vs RED 8

OK....Let us know what you are thinking. Which one do you like?

A Real "Shotgun Shoot-out!"

I like head-to-head comparisons. We should (and will) do more. In the meantime, here's one you can hear and see. the folks at DV Creators.net have an excellent shoot-out with some of the most popular shotgun mics. The test voice looks pretty good too.
Check it out here.