TLM103 VS. AKG 4000B for voice only

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TailChaser

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I've stumbled onto this place while trying to make a very tough decision. I need a mic to record speech and ambient sounds for film (video actually) productions. I want the sound to be absolutely top notch. While I'm buying an AT4073 short shotgun and a Rycote or Lightwave furry blimp for outdoor scenes, I need a better, clearer, more open and natural sounding mic for indoor shooting in small hard (live) rooms. I've heard the term "warmth" thrown around here, but I'm not exactly sure what that means. I'm translating it to mean "natural or open". I cannot stress enough that I absolutely want and need extremely clear, open and natural audio. The AT 4033 has been recommended to me as well but it doesn't sound as if it can compete with these two mics which I've selected based on their incredibly low self noise specs of 7 dB and 8 dB (A weighted) respectively. Anyone who's ever seen a home video or cheap poorly made film can attest to the loud annoying background hiss and ugly, hollow sound. These are pitfalls that I would like to avoid.

I've got lots of questions and damn few answers.

How close do these "studio" mics need to be to your mouth to get decent sound? I need something that I can mount on a boom and that will be at least 12 to 18 inches from the speaker's mouth, perhops a bit more, but not much (since I'd switch to my shotgun mic). The 4000B has 3 patterns, a high pass filter, and comes with a shock mount that is designed to be boom mountable. So I"m leaning toward the 4000B over the Neumann.
But I've heard so many good things about the Neumann, its warmth, openness, clarity. It sounds like the perfect mic for accurate reproduction. But it's a bit less suited to being boom mounted and a bit less directional and more sensitive to noise (from what I've heard).
Suggestions? Help? Any other mics I should be considering? Should I consider the small diaphram mikes like the Neumann KM185 even though they are spec'd with higher self noise.
 
I also have an EV RE 27 n/d. It is a great mic, and it's tonal qualities are very similar to the AKG C4000B, and perhaps a little warmer. Unfortunately, the RE 27 does not have the sensitivity needed for mic'ing vocal sources at a distance from the microphone. You need to get right up on the RE 27 for vocal work, plus it does not have the pattern selection that the C4000B has.
 
I have the AKG C4000B, and here is what I can tell you about it. It is a very clean mic. It is not warm but is also not harsh. It is VERY hot, probably the hottest mic in it's class, so you can use it at a distance. It has three patterns, so you can control how direct the mic picks up the sound source.

Now about your background noise. You might want to treat the room you are recording in to dampen the hollow sound. Those hollow sounds are usually created from reflections within the room. Example: A room with hardwood floors and wooden furniture will sound more hollow than a room with carpet and plush furniture. Look at it this way, in the same manner you control the light in the room for the camera, you also need to control the accoustics for the microphone.

[This message has been edited by Fishmed (edited 05-04-2000).]
 
Yeah ... you're right about that. Close micing of voiceovers only with the RE. Well, and kick drum too ... but we're not talking about that here.
It's so cool that you have not one .. but both of these mics!
"...and then jealousy set in ..."
:)
 
I am pretty sure you have thought about this but one thing that I hear when I see a movie (theatres) is that the dialogue vocals are in your face.. there is very little 'room' coloration which shows that someone knows their acoustics very well. Like Fish said the room or space is treated somehow plus I have always assumed that the sound guys work 'magic' with just the right ammount of noise reducion, gate and compression. I would think that those tools would be equally important as a good mic, especially in trying to get the sound characteristics you have described.
 
Had an elaborate post, but realized I missread the question(s)(i do that lot)

I'm sure you will find what your looking for.



[This message has been edited by Emeric (edited 05-04-2000).]
 
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