Microphone tests and explanations

R

rob aylestone

Moderator
I figured it best to put the links to these videos in a new topic - I've done a run-through on the AKG 414 today, and spent some time explaining different polar patterns and how they might be used, by reference to this mic. I've also put the mic in front of an acoustic guitar at different distances. Using two didn't work - too subjective and not representative of the 'sound' of the single mic. Spreading them or making them nearly mono just relies too much on placement. So I picked two distances. Close, as in about 5" and then further away at about 17. I'll put these up as a separate video - it made the main video too long. I'm looking at doing one for the TLM 103 and a Samson C01 - so different ends of the spectrum, cost wise. I have a Chinese 103 copy - but this might be a disappointment - I don't think it sounds nice at all.
Here's the link to Episode 2 - AKG 414. I'm not sure how people knock out their YouTube videos - it's incredibly time consuming. I also need to improve the work flow. I snipped off the sync points today, and then accidentally slid one of the tracks - took ages to fix it!
 
Not sure what video editing software you use, but I use Final Cut Pro, and most of the time I will use the "multicam clip" feature to sync camera and audio tracks. (It does not work 100% of the time, but close enough I'll start there.) But, I have consumer video cameras, digital cameras and, of course, the odd smart phone along with the audio that's either been recorded on a field recorder or direct into my computer, so every video file has an audio track that can be used for sync. It is possible to bump one of the pieces out of sync if you edit the multicam-clip parts but that's easy to fix.

Nice to see you and hear your voice!
 
For the youtube music videos I've done, I shoot the video with a Gopro, record the audio with NT1A into cubase, where I make the audio as pretty and strong as possible, and then match the two together by eye and ear in the video editer.
 
Premiere - the sync is easy - and I've no problems getting it in - and there is a Multicam facility which is quite similar, but the snag with these is I made a choice to wing it, as in seriously not knowing what's coming next, and with the audio tracks there are 5 in total. My usual edit method is to bring in all the tracks and sync them - I think it was about 50Gb and the cameras and zoom run continuously. Then I fix the mistakes and there are lots of them when my brain does the empty buffer thing. So I back up in my head and go again. In the editor, I put the cuts in just one track and edit for sequence, then in all the other tracks I cut at the same point making 'holes'. The error came in when closing the holes, I must have missed one track and from that point it was out of sync with the rest, but I only noticed when I cut down to it. Fixing one instance had a roll on effect on the others. I probably should have rolled back to pre the slide I didn't notice, but I pushed on. With a normal Multicam you can cut camera to camera but then I usually spend as much time tweaking every edit - but it would have maintained sync. Premier does nested sequences, so you could do the switches, then bring that in as a new sequence and then cut that? Not sure it would be quicker - but I might try? The only thing that causes grief is the occasional bit of phone footage where iPhones sometimes seem to run at quite random fps? I do have some phone software that lets you take control.

I tried sync software, but simply do a loud clap at the beginning - all the cams recording audio, which I don't use, so you just align the 5 tracks visually where the waveform peaks! Works great.
 
In Vegas Pro there's an option called ripple edit. It lets you cut out chunks of material from the timeline and then it automatically snaps the two ends of the gap together. You do have to be careful to select either all or none of the clips to keep them all synced. For the recent live concert sampler I did, I made all the camera switching edits in one project, then dropped that project file into another project to created a nested project, and chopped out the sections of the show I didn't want. Then I turned ripple edit off and manually fitted all the short segments together. Since the nested project only had one audio and one video track that were grouped together (so the edit and slide together), I didn't have to worry about messing up the sync. Also, you can embed project markers in the audio so reference points carry over from the main edit project to the nested final edit project.
 
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Yep - ripple is a feature on most editors, because it's so useful. I've managed to do it again today, so something odd is happening in the workflow - clearly me. I've done the TLM 103 and the Samson C012 at opposite ends of the cost scale. However, I've only got the guitar playing examples done, not the chat, which links to them, so until tomorrow when I should have time to finish them off, the links to just my dreadful guitar playing are here.


I'll also do the nasty Chinese 103 tomorrow too if time works.
 
No - no more than any mic. They can do vocals, or any source - the video when I've completed it chats through that - but a bright mic is useful on dull instruments - double bass can be quite dull on some mics.
 
I've gone both ends of the spectrum today - Samson C01 and Neumann U87 - I'll put just the Samson link here - you can find the Neumann 87 on Youtube. Warning - I discovered I wasn't that keen.
 
I just watched the new video Rob on the Neumann 103 and I agree with everything you say. With voices it will pick out every noise in the mouth so positioning the 103 is very important, as is managing how you use the mic when speaking into it.
 
Lazer - shirts I have, a plenty. This is a different red, next time I shall pick something specially for you - Ed, what did surprise me was how it doesn't mind changes in angle or distance, the tone stays pretty consistent. It could make a really good mic for radio, where the person tends to move about a bit. That might also make it good for violins, when the players thrash around. The presence might make the violin a bit harsh though?

I think I might do some older ones next - maybe one of the Oktava 319s - I think I bought these when they first came out, so they're the original ones, with crinkly finish. I might pick the weird AKG D202 dual capsule mic. I note they're still using them in the houses of parliament, or the 222, a slightly more modern one that looks the same. I wonder how that will stand up next to the SM7B?
 
It does get quiet at the extremes of sides. When you get towards the 180 degree mark you can tell the drop off. But yes I think Howard Stern uses one. Not sure because you can't see correctly. But you know them more than most....have a look.

 
Thanks, Rob. Great thread.

The two 103 mics sound nearly the same on my end, with the exception coming when you swapped the real for the Chinese model near the end. The Chinese model seemed to have a bit more in the lower frequencies as in more of a proximity effect, whereas the Neumann was down there with it but much smoother, as if a bit further away but not diminishing the other frequencies.
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The D202's design is one I've not seen before. It does sound good at distance, and awful in closeup. When you mentioned the rear access for the low frequency, I tried to picture it on the top, behind the high frequency intake.. and then I pictured it as being stacked inside like one coin atop another, but couldn't figure out how that would work in separating frequencies. Then I found a nice internal picture over at AKG explaining all that. Pretty cool. I've never run across a mic with front atop and rear below like this.


d202 internal.jpg
 
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I found the videos on microphone testing and explanations very informative. It was interesting to see how the polar patterns can be used to capture different sounds, and I appreciated the demonstration with the acoustic guitar. Thank you for posting these!

--
Jason Hook. I enjoy remixing old songs using Audacity together with UnMixIt for vocal removal or isolation
 
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