Voice recording - do these components look good?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mithos
  • Start date Start date
M

Mithos

New member
Hi guys,

I'm interested in starting some voice over work and am tired of my $20 desktop microphone.
I have done a nights worth of reading and am against purchasing a $70 Blue snowball microphone and being unsatisfied with it a week later.
I am looking at purchasing these:

AT2035 microphone (Large diaphragm cardioid condenser - good for vocals)


Pearstone PFN Nylon Round Pop Filter with Gooseneck 6.6" gooseneck (cant say I know if this is good or bas to be honest. It's a pop filter.)


Blue Icicle (XLR to USB phantom power interface - I can't find anything comparable for less than $200!)


K&M 23850 Broadcast Microphone Desk Arm and Clamp (Better reviews than the Rode PSA1, even if it does cost more. With this I can sit or stand. I'm not a very tall guy.)



What do you guys think? I browsed all of these on bhphotovideo.com

Thanks for your time!
 
Yeti - Yeti - Yeti

Check it out from blue microphones.
 
What have I told you about calling newbies names!!!

Sorry mithos; He has outbursts sometimes.
 
Hi guys, thank you for the prompt replies!
I do appreciate your humor too haha


I assume you recommend the blue yeti for the 0 latency headphone jack, correct?
Or is this because the Blue Yeti would provide higher quality recordings?

I've also looked at picking up a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 instead of the blue icicle.


Now, my parts (in Canada):
AT2035 (includes shock mount) - $150
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 - $150
Pop filter - $20
K&M 23850 Arm - $150
= ~$480


As for the Blue Yeti, I would still need the shock mount and pop filter - correct?
Blue Yeti - $120
Pop filter
Stand/arm
Shock mount
 
The lack of monitoring on the Blue Icicle will force you to use your inbuilt sound card for your headphones...and the phrase "driverless operation" means they use built in MME drivers--which means latency issues if you want to hear your voice through your headphones.

For this reason, I'd be going either with your Focusrite solution or Henry's Blue Yeti. Both the AT and the Yeti are decent mics--but hard to say which is best for your voice. My instinct is always to go with an interface that allows you to chop and change mics depending on how you want a certain V/O to sound.

Depending on your space, you might save a few bucks by going to a floor stand with an arm rather than the K&M--this should decouple you from desk noise and still allow you to stand or sit. The K&M is a lovely device but might be overkill.
 
You don't need the shockmount with the Blue Yeti if you're going to be relatively close, and basically the Blue Yeti stand has a bit of vibration dampening, but you can still put books under it or put it on another table or stand with no issues. Don't forget that you can use a high-pass filter in post editing. Any pop filter would work fine, but remember you can still speak off axis a little bit on some microphones, so you should try out the mic first before buying extras like the shockmount or pop filter.

I would go for the AT2035 over the Blue Yeti. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is great, but if it costs too much and you need a more portable solution, I recommend the Heil USBQ, which has some basic EQ switches, phantom power, and direct monitoring.

Your boom choice isn't bad either, but also consider the Heil PL2T which is also a smooth, clean and professional looking boom.
 
Hi guys!

I ended up going with the:
AT2035
Focusrite Scarlet 2i2
6" pearlstone pop filter
On stage floor stand with arm.


I chose the floor stand because I realize the best place to record is the other, much larger room... I just use a 20' DVI extension cable (for monitor), along with wireless mouse+keyboard to use my monitor out there. No computer fan noises is much better!

But now I'm onto headphones for my audio interface (is it called monitoring in this case? Tracking?)... I'd like a nice pair for monitoring vocals. Budget is $100-$200.
The lower the better, but I'd like a pair that I will be satisfied with for years, and not decide to trade up from a couple months from now.

From what I read:

Sony MDR-7506 - $95
+ Known as a studio standard for many many years
+ "Neutral sound"
+ "Well balanced"
+ Durable
- People say the earphones don't seal the best and that there is "clipping" (wtf)
- Recommended ear covers to replace pleather bits that put black stuff on face. Velour replacements make sound seal even worse

Audio Technica ATH-M50 - $124
+ Seems like the winner in most 7506 vs M50 threads for a variety of reasons
- Two versions floating around, one version seems liked while the other disappointing

Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro - $179
+ Very comfortable, for hours on end
+ Seals ears well with no clipping
- Price

My headphones for the past few years are my wireless Sennheiser RS-180s. They are open back headphones and overall not good for monitoring. I do appreciate their sound and comfort though.
That said, I don't really know what I'm looking for even after reading a bunch of reviews on all 3 of these headphones.

There are people who passionately argue for and against each pair.
The Sony's have the most to be said about them because they have been around for so long, but that includes good and bad experiences.

Edit: I just learned that Bhphoto will not ship the M50 to Canada, nor can I find it in Canada any reliable or local dealers.I suppose I could always ship them to one of my US buddies and paypal him to ship them up to me as a gift...

What do you guys think? A friend has been pushing to give me his old Fender starter guitar for free, to learn that too, but currently I'm only practicing voice over.

Thanks again for your time!
 
Last edited:
Well, of the three, I'd go with the HD7506 (which I do use myself in a live situation). However, they DO clamp properly around my ears providing a good seal--it sounds like you've tried them and not had the same result. I'm not sure how "neutral" or "balanced" I'd call them though--they're okay but my selection is based more on good isolation and high enough monitoring levels to be useful in a live situation.

For quality, I'd be looking at either the Sennheiser HD25 or HD280 if your budget will stretch. Check the the HD25 fits your ears--the cups are fairly small.

I've never tried the AT model you mention and never found a Beyer Dynamic headphone that was comfortable on MY ears! Everyone is different.
 
Thank you Bobbsy,
I decided on the Sony MDR-7506 headphones with the Beyerdynamic Velour ear pads!

Ahh so much on the way in the mail.
Looks like I'll need to go to the forum area for optimizing my acoustics next!
 
Mithos said:
Thank you Bobbsy,
I decided on the Sony MDR-7506 headphones with the Beyerdynamic Velour ear pads!

Ahh so much on the way in the mail.
Looks like I'll need to go to the forum area for optimizing my acoustics next!
Click to expand...

Always an exciting time, waiting for orders to arrive. I went through a bit of that a few weeks back!
 
Sorry to be late to the party but for future reference... should you be of the opinion that there is a need... you might consider a Mercenary Audio modified Shure SM57.

The Mercenary Audio microphone output transformer was developed as a high resolution transformer upgrade for existing SM-57 or SM-58 microphones to give the same solid character without restricting upper mid and high end response. It effectively makes the mic closer to that of an SM-7 [a mic that usually goes for about $350- at most retailers].
Click to expand...

SM57 Microphone with Mercenary Audio Transformer
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top