The Only Voice Over Mic You'll Ever Need
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- Опубликовано: 5 май 2021
- In voice over, one of the most important pieces of equipment we have is our microphone. There’s tons of discussion online about what you should get, but in this video I’ll share with you my thoughts to hopefully make picking your first mic a little easier.
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I appreciate your simple yet honest advices in regards to gear. I’ve been a professional voice actor for the last 30 years, and the only thing that truly matters is how much time and effort you invest in practicing your skills.
Truth.. but many people are new, and have limiting funds, wanna make sure they don't start voice overs with say a 18db self noise floor mic, which they might not even be aware of. Good luck to a newb getting that mix quiet enough or am improperly chosen mic mixed well enough for it to be good.
Partially agree but due to COVID one better have a professional grade home studio.
@znerolepicmusic6015 I wanted to stay under 12 just to get myself a low starting point, usb powered things can add noise etc... you get it. 👍
Sir, you are saying NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH IN THIS VIDEO!!!! I’m literally going to make this video recommend viewing for every student I have from now on! Thank you for being so clear and concise!
Love your videos Bill! You would think I would get bored after this many years watching, but I still value your wise counsel.
As someone that went to school for audio engineering you bring up many good points but I believe you fall a bit short in some regards. While you do not need to spend a lot of money on a microphone you do need to pay attention to its self noise. A cheap mic that produces a lot of self noise will be noticeable and I would not send that out to a client. Also a mic is considered the first EQ in the audio chain. Meaning that you need to test a variety of mics out and pick the one that makes your voice sound the best. The audio interface has to have decent preamps or even a $3000 mic will sound horrible. Lastly, a dynamic mic could help in poorly treated environments. Obviously there is a lot more to this. I hope my little tidbits helped...
Cheers,
Greg
Bravo Greg. Well put - and YES that is merely a tip of the proverbial iceberg! (Although I doubt the guy could cover much more in such a short video ... so perhaps you are being overly critical?) JP
I partially agree Greg. Nowadays USB mics have evolved where they are sounding way better than when this video was produced. I did some research say for about a year and have found that folks who had tons od training in Voice acting and had thousands yes over two thousand bookings in P2P platforms usually had the NT1 Mic/2i2/Closet or Vocal Booth.
Bill DeWees kicks ass! Cheers.
Could you explain more about preamps to a newbie?
@@2_witnesses Basically a preamp increases the gain of the microphones signal brining it up to line level. If the preamp is of poor quality you’ll be able to hear a hiss in the recording. If you have a cheap microphone with a high signal to noise ratio you’ll also introduce hiss. I started out with a more budget friendly audio interface with “cheap” preamps built in and quickly sold it. The idea is to keep the hiss or noise floor inaudible in the recording.
@@GregAllen2 oooh ok thank you. I took his advice on starting off with a $50 Fifine mic. Are you familiar and what are you thoughts ?
Bill is one of my favorite coach.Thanks a lot bill for sharing honest tips.
I've sifted through multiple videos on this topic. None of them are as quality as this. Thanks, Bill. This was the only video I needed.
I must be the only person who doesn't mind the jump cuts. I came here to listen, after all.
Same.
The golf analogy is spot on....lol. I also started playing when I was 13, (I'm 57 now), and I'm currently shopping for my next set of clubs. Thanks for the honest input. I've been researching mics for about 2 months now, hopefully purchasing one soon!
This video is fantastic and I love the point you make about not needing (necessarily) more expensive gear to get the results you're looking for. As someone who's recently gotten into guitars, that is 100% a thing that a ton of amateur (maybe even pro) musicians fall for. It also saved me some money on buying a mic because now I'm significantly more confident that for my purposes (recording voice overs for tutorial videos in a room with bad acoustics) I can definitely get away with a budget option. Thank you!
I just love your honesty
Keep up the content. I feel like a sponge absorbing all this infromation. I even bought the Fifine 670 a while back after seeing the video about the 50 dollar mic that you and your son went over. I love the mic. my friends say I sound clear to them through this mic.
I have an MXL 2001. It sounds great! Maybe not as good as a Neumann, but for the price, it’s outstanding. I saw your video about VO on the cheap, and bought all that gear; it has served me very well. 🙂
Fantastic video! I appreciate you sharing what you've learned on your VA journey.
So true...and refreshing ,that you do not have to spend a fortune on a mic when ur just startin' out. Thanks so much for this reassurance...and coming from a Pro like you is very very relieving. Thank you, sir... for saving my money.
Thank's Bill so much for your help!
Thank you so much. I hope this video goes viral on you tube so more of us can understand that, expensive mic is not important.
I'm a voice over talent for nearly 50 years now. The first 40 years i did my work with a Sennheiser MD 421. Still love that mic. Now that i have my own whisper room my mic is de Rode NT1A because of the whisper room. Cheaper than the Sennheiser was but OK.
I'm with ya, and for Greg Allen's comment above, too. My go-to is a Rode NT1. I prefer the very flat frequency response over the NT1A, and the little guy has a self-noise rating of only 4.5dB (I think the NT1A is about the same)...better than a lot of mics over four times the price, and actually a little lower than the Neumann TLM 103. The one thing I'd add to Bill's video is that, in my experience, there's a big leap--particularly in self-noise--from USB mics up to decent condenser mics. Most USB microphones don't disclose self-noise in their specs simply because many are well over the point (IMHO around 25dB to 30dB) where it starts to become difficult or impossible to remove the noise in post-production. That's one of the reasons for all the cautions about trying to use a USB mic for voiceover. To be fair, most dynamic mics don't mention self-noise in their specs, either, because for them that's so dependent on the pre-amp. In terms of pricey or not, I have a Neumann TLM 102 (which I regret buying; should have bitten the bullet and spent the extra $500 for the 103) that I hardly ever use. Good microphone, just not the best for me.
@@ed.williams your comment was awesome! Thank you for dropping knowledge 🤜🤛
Thank you very much for those pointers. I'm just getting started and very much interested in learning everything I can.
Cheers!
Been following your videos for a while Bill and they've been a great help while trying to sort out my home studio space. I actually moved to a dynamic mic and although I see so many people say never use that, only use a condenser, I found that the Shure SM 58 LC has worked better for me than anything I've used before. India is a noisy country so trying to get a quiet space at home is insanely difficult. Don't know whether you approve of that but in the last year it's worked fantastically. TV Ads, radio, corporate films audio books... Not had one complaint as yet.
Thanks for all the info you provide. Appreciate it
That's really cool! I have a dynamic mic for singing, but never thought I could also use it for V.O. Can I ask what your set up is for it? I'd love to be able to use the dynamic mic I already have. Any help would be appreciated.
I myself use a blue snowball with a cheap 5 euro pop filter... It works great🍻 and than you for bringing up the fact that most people cannot tell the difference between these things most of the time AND great tips in this
Great video! Your advice is helpful for voiceover mics and beyond.
Thanks for putting yourself out there
Hi Bill, great content as usual. I was wondering, I just started rereading your six figure voice over book (I bought it way back in 2013) and was curious if you feel the content has moved with the times/still relevant today. I mean, I still think it's a great read but have you thought about an updated edition? Do you think it even needs one?
Would be curious to hear your thoughts, maybe a video idea down the road 😁
All the best.
Great advice. Thanks Bill.
Some great points as always Bill, makes sense not to buy an expensive mic until the proper quiet studio is in place. If people listen to commercials I bet they could never tell if the voice was recorded using a Neumann, Rode, cheap USS FiFine or even a Blue Yeti. Speaking of plosives I notice you got rid of the mic shield. Anyway, good to see you're back with regular videos although the editing is a small bit disconcerting.
Thank you, I enjoyed your video. Liked your honesty and sincere thoughts.
Thank you for your wisdom coach!
Incredible video, true wisdom. Thank you!
Thanks Bill, I keep getting caught up on what equipment to buy. So learning the basics was helpful and definitely helped put my mind at ease.
I just started my VO training and I have a 20x18 portable building behind my home that I use for podcasting and RUclips. I have a section of my studio with acoustic foam tiles behind sound blankets. I have a Shure SM7B and a RE20 to start out. Thank you for this video!
This just gave me a great idea
Much appreciation from Nepal. :) This is great!
I've been reading your book... "6 figures"...AWESOME down to earth read...
Very true. Spend on your room acoustics and a nice less expensive mic.
You will get better results.
Cheers.
Thank you for sharing the tips!
I learned a simple and cheap trick from a Voice actor in LA. If you're REALLY cheap(like me,) you can use a dirt cheap mic like a USB one and cover yourself in moving blankets. If you're smart about the settings and careful with editing it will get you professional work.
So true! I've learned that the hard way
Simply excelent explanation. Thank you sir
I've found that proper acoustic placement, even if you have gobos or some free standing panels to block reflections modularly and a decent preamp, are more important than the mic. Project studio preamps weren't that great back in the day when I was experimenting, but a lot of these usb preamps like the Focusrite Scarlett or UA Volt, etc., are actually pretty damn smooth and detailed (I know the studio snobs have to pretend to disagree, but we aren't talking about tracking a band here), even more so if you use a balanced TRS cable from a hardware preamp and just use the interface as a passthrough, but if we're talking budget...those preamps for voice over are honestly pretty amazing alone. A middle of the road preamp will just get your voice heard in an underwhelming tone, but having something that warms up the voice a little and also learning how to EQ/Mix/Compress with some basics will take you a long way.
I think you should still be choosey about your mic, but you can still get a mic in the "crappy" price range that isn't actually crappy. So if you have $100 mic that sounds like cheap-made crap, find a great company and buy a $100 -$150 mic that isn't made like crap. There are some in the condenser range, but many more quality mics in that price range in the dynamic mic world, Behringer and Shure come to mind off of the bat. I'm still stunned at how great the SM58 and Behringer XM8500 sound. You pair those with a quality preamp that really lifts the voice and warms it up and apply some basic know-how in EQ and compression...WOW!
Amazing info , thank you so much
Great video, Bill!!
This is somewhat helpful! Because I'm trying to see what other people's thoughts are on microphones, I do plan to become a Voice actor because that's my dream and I find your video helpful thanks!
Thanks Bill, I wish Fifine could notice you and sponsor your videos.
The jump cuts are still unsettling and I fail to stay relaxed and calmly enjoy the video.
I was walking on the Newport pier and I saw a man with an expensive gold Penn reel and rod with an empty fist pail. Walking a little further I saw an Asian man with a bamboo rod, no reel and a bucket full of fish.
Great insight. Thanks.
Thanks so much for the content! Very helpful!
Thank god, I bought a blue yeti x a few years ago and am barely getting around to using it. I'm just going to go ahead with it because I already have it. I plan to use it on amateur short animations that will mostly likely be heard on phones anyway. It's good enough. If Robert Rodriguez was able to make his first film on a very limited budget with equipment he could afford, it was enough.
Great info Thank you
Thanks a lot, Sir.
Thank you so much for this!
Always so helpful. Could that be applied to recording singing? Thanks
Very staright forward and honest information.
Love from India.
I use and mv7 and swapped out the windscreen with the sm7b brand. Practically, the same sound quality. A quarter of the price and it works lime a champ!
Thank you so much ❤
great video lots of good information thanks brotha.
Thank you sir I appreciate it have a great day
Love the show!!! 👏
Thank you for the information. Just starting to learn about voice over. You got a new suscriber.
This is valuable advice. Could you please also advise on details of post-processing, in the same no-nonsense way you’ve handled the mic topic?
I bought a RODE nt1 for about $200.00. I have nothing but excellent results with it. I really started with an SM47 of all things! got it free, got my eq right, and picked up a few jobs with it. As my work load picked up, I decided to get a larger diaphragm mike, and found the Rode. Lots of run, but you still have to get your vocal production right as well as your performance.
I recently upgraded from an NT1 to a Sennheiser 416. I don't think it's a coincidence that just 2 days of auditioning using the 416 resulted in a booking. My acoustic treatment is lacking and it really showed with the NT1. Now my noise floor is below -60 dB whereas with the NT1 it was at -52. So I can't really agree with Bill here. The mic matters. I feel he's speaking from the perspective of someone with professional quality acoustics and not everyone has that.
Excellent. I use a Deity S-Mic2 specifically because it is not perfectly quiet where I record. It's not expensive, but it's not cheap either. Even if I upgrade my space, I can see myself using this unless I end up in a situation like you where audio engineers start asking what I use and having more expensive gear could mean the difference between getting the gig or not.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah, if it's working for your setup, there's no reason to switch to anything else. There may come a time when it makes sense, like you said, but at that point that's a great "problem" to have. Hope you're having a great week, Michael! :-)
I've a Sennheiser older 441U I bought used for $175 back in the 80's before digital recording existed. Add the Cloudlifter into the Focusrite iTrack, sounds good enough to make some clients happy. Now they sell for nearly $1K retail. Roll off filter and high pass give me tons of room for adjusting the input to my DAW, Adobe Audition 3.0....I used to have an MXL and it didn't sound bad on my deeper pipes either. Gave it to someone else starting out in VO as a gift with an interface....so whatever works...works, if you treat the area soundwise and don't tell the client you're not rich enough for Neumann yet...they hear pro results...you're in a closet with clothing doing your thing. Thanks Bill...common sense for Covid times here...
Thanks Sir 🙏🏽
I don't use a microphone; I just speak into a jar and mail it to the client.
Okay, rruth... I started with a MXL USB.006 and my clients had no idea I was using a " cheap" microphone. I use a Neumann TLM 103 in my home studio now, but when traveling I use the MXL USB.009, and nobody knows the difference.
Oh my gosh! I thought I was unique and alone when I discovered this. Are you using a pint, quart, or larger? Size does matter.
Thanks for the video man. You just made me save a few hundred dollars with this vid.
Wow, thanks for speaking the truth. Extremely well.
You're very welcome! Glad to hear it was helpful. :-)
DLF was known for telling people "it ain't about the microphone." Yes, cheap condensers can create problems, but the space and mic technique, along with the preamp and converters, have a major impact as well. 416s, U87s, TLM 103s, etc. have earned their place as go-to VO mics, but put them in a bad space, and you'll still have issues.
Very informative. Thanks!
So glad to hear that, Greg! I try to include as much information as I can.😁
Precisely!
My first microphone was a MXL990, and I used it for over eight years before I moved to a different one, and I made awesome projects with it. I'm rocking a mid-range Rode NT1 now, after more than fifteen years in VO, and I agree, it's not really the mic, but your space and the technique (and, of course, the talent) that makes a great VO. Thanks for the video, great tips!
I am just a hobbyist. I got to say: While I never could blindly spot what microphone weaknesses, unless they stare me in the face, I still can hear differences in a side by side comparison. But that being said: The differences that I hear are certainly not worth the extra money, unless you have the money to spend easily, or you are in a space, where you get a proper return from that investment.
honestly, thank you. There seems to be a good amount of GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome) that no one addressed until this video
Realtor here, came for advice on a new mike for my videos, those "p's" are killing me😫 I learned so much more, the p's are plosives!! Excellent advice from beginning to end, Im excited to learn more and this isn't even my lane. Great video and pretty easy to listen to.
Something that has helped me is learning a bit about the international phonetic alphabet and vocal pedagogy (just the basics really) because I was able to pinpoint those tricky spots like plosives and glottal stops. Good luck!
Cool thanks Bill thanks for this knowledge how is the Fifine K669B Cardioid USB Condenser Microphone to start my voiceover business ?
Best one I've come across that isn't expensive, and it's an XLR mic, is a Samson C01.
Im practicing my voiceovers now and im so siked to get a career going.
When he said Fifine K670, my whole body felt all warm and happy because that's what I have lol
While I mostly agree there's a bit more to this. First matching the mic your voice, some mic work better with different people's voices. Second I know you may not need to spend a lot on a first microphone but if you DO have the funds sometimes buy it once is cheaper than buying a better one later and also the cheaper stuff you started with. Having the ability to try different mics with your own voice and listen to what they produce is golden.
Thanks a lot Bill, this is very helpful. Mic technique not the microphone.
For anyone who's wondering what else is a good starter mic, you can pick up the MXL V67G, which was sort of the step up from the MXL 2001 for between $40-$60. It was almost $300 when it came out in the early 2000's (I want to say '03). I have to disagree about stuff like the Fifine mics though, they are not good, and a lot of people can tell.
Uh - I have a V67G, and the best thing I can say about it is that it looks pretty. It claims to be a cardioid, but it only sucks in the back side -8 dB at 1kHz (and who knows what it is at 100 Hz - probably next to nothing). So, my acoustic situation is far from perfect and I cannot use it. I would be glad to sell it. I have been using an Oktava MK-319, which has superb back rejection - up to -25 dB - and there is no room sound at all. A mic with a better polar pattern will simplify anyone's acoustic situation. If I were purchasing a mic today it would probably be either an AKG C-3000 or a Shure SM27, or a BLUE Baby Bottle, though it's $100 more than the other two.
@@glenkippel819 Of course it's not as good an Oktava. My MK-012s are almost as good as my MKH 8050.
I understand what you are saying about people wanting the best stuff. For me though its more about having the best base for doing what i am doing. For example. If i want to compete in cycling, i would like to buy the most expensive and best equipment. If i fail i can only blame myself. I am a photographer as well. We all know that a person can take beautiful pictures with a simple camera and with the right light. BUT... its the same thing in this case. If i buy the best gear that could litteraly do anything, i can only blame my knowledge in photo if i fail. As for voiceover i bought a Rode NT USB 2 years ago. I really regret it because that mic really cant pick up my potentially good voice (i have tried other mics after that).
What video shows you your mic stand.
Loved your vidoe
Is it better to use a pop filter or having the mic slightly off access to avoid plosives?
Does this mic the 103 pick up alot of noise. Ok to use if you don't have a whisper room or something that closed off?
My humble request is to you Sir that tell us about a budget but good one studio monitors for home studio setup
What do you think about small diaphragm condenser mics like the Oktava MK12 or Rode NT5. Could they survive the demands for voice over ?
Okay, good to go with that advice, and it does hold true for almost any hobby or profession. Young football players now gear up like pros. Does it make them pros? No. But it does signal at least potential commitment and it adds confidence. Does a beginning voice actor need a U87? Likely not, but many things are learned simultaneously, like figuring out how to build a clean signal chain. And with more VO done from home studios now, pro studio engineers (the receiving end of the read) DO want to know that your output will meet expectation. Trading equipment, figuring out what works for your voice and feeling good about it does matter. If anything, getting a good mic and then discovering your sound still needs to improve simply prompts you to do more to treat your space and zero in on mic position and how far away to be. I just don’t think you have to punish yourself with a $60 mic.
Thx for the vid. Can't find the Fifine K670 on Amazon anymore? Got another recommendation for cheap? I want to do Audible recordings for Amazon. Thx again!
Whats your opinion on a sampson qu2?
Seems the k670 fifine has been superseded. Which one are you suggesting these days
You know your stuff Bill through and through, the real deal :) Please let me throw my 2c in though....not all expensive mics are as hyper-sensitive to environment as the 103....Sennheiser 416 is an example, as you know it's a film mic, made for booms and locations designed to focus on a pinpoint spot and ignore the rest. You know all that though and your point is v valid, just helps to be accurate that $ doesn't necessarily=hyper-sensitivity and a lack of rejection.
Cheers
hey dobbatron... great point.... however, i must say a 416 is not a film mic... thats just one application. 416 is actually just as much of the studio standard for commercial tv and radio recording too as it is for on set mics, no matter what it might or might not have been designed for... while it does not have as wide a field to pick up as the 103, it certainly does pick up room sounds and reflections of a room, sounds that will kinda be 'glued' to your dry voice sound.... it might in theory 'hear less' than a 103 due to polar pattern, however it certainly does hear whats going on in your environment....
;)
but some great point you have made.... 416, yes less polar patter range than a 103, expensive yes, but will not avoid picking up a bad room sound
@@shutupandplay208 very true, I bought a 416 to get started in VO and built a small room that was acoustically treated and it still picked up noises that I didn’t expect to be an issue. My house got destroyed by a hurricane before I could even truly get into VO but as soon as I’m in another house I’m buying a whisper room because I didn’t realize that even with the 416 outside noise is still a factor.
Should you be 6" away if you're using a Shure 58 (dynamic) microphone? I notice if I do that then the sound wave on the audio recording program (Audacity) isn't as big and therefore too quiet so I have to use the "normalize" effect on it.
Can we hear a comparison of the mics?? I was so hoping you'd throw that in
Hi Bill. I love your content, Thanks for all the VO tips. Just one quick question. I have a 4ft x 5ft home studio, Is it okay to get a 15ft xlr cable? I know I'll have excess cable coiled up, or should I get 6ft or 10ft cable?
It doesn't matter with low impedance cables. Use whichever length works best for you.
Hello How to add emotions or make a script sound flowery?
Pretty interesting assertion, especially with some guests practically demanding that certain mics need to be used, like shotgun mics.
Depending who and for what you're submitting, some production houses have engineers v familiar with certain mics and with processing templates set up to deal with them to fit their spec. It is also a kind of filter/barrier to entry and sets a kind of minimum standard so while that's not always the case it is kind of understandable too.
👋🏽😁 Do you have a runner up mic recommendation? The fifine 670 isn't available anymore.
Is the Fifine 670 still what you'd recomend 2 years later?
I'm trying to start my voiceover career with an Audio-Technica AT2005 dynamic microphone, a Scarlett 2i2 audio interface and a homemade "portable vocal booth".
These voice techniques are really helping, now I'm learning to properly EQ my recordings in order to improve as much as I can my sound. Do you have any recomendations about that??.
Also, I''ll upgrade my equipment and recording environment as I get more jobs.
What is a 2i2 audio interface?
@Bill DeWees May I ask another great recommendation(s) than Marshall MXL 2001 ; Fifeine K670, to start with ? Something non-USB and more XLR I’m thinking (under 300$ let’s say)… Greatly appreciated, thank you. 🙌🏼🎶🎙️