You missed one quite important factor, imo, that way too few ppl know and talk about. It is the impulse response, aka the fact that condencer mics have a resonance, because of the tightness of their membranes. The best way to explain it is that the condencer mic capsule essentially is a tiny drum, which has a resonant frequency. Usually this is in some high frequency(2-8khz more or less) , where exactly, depends on the mic. Since most manufacturers do mitigate this resonance, its not a single frequency, but more like an area. But there still is a resonance to it. Mic manufacturers might even call it some fancy nice sounding name(presence, airy highs etc), rather than what it really is. So yeah.
This is also a big reason why condencer mics for stereo recording are often matched pairs. They essentially match the resonance for these matched pairs.
Every elastic system has a resonance frequency fam, especially dynamics which often have a very narrow one tuned around the most sensitive part of the ear around 3-4K, it really shows on the FR graphs of pretty much all of them. This also helps make them sound louder (needed because of the very low sensitivity) and it sounds like they're rejecting more background noise (but it's an illusion). This results in a very unnatural mid centric sound, with very little treble and bass only available with the proximity effect (which makes things even less natural and accurate). They're truly old tech, the only advantage is that they're a simpler and more robust system, but that comes with a lot of trade offs. Their value is way too inflated by """"broadcast""""" """"" radio""""""" """""""for noisy environnements"""""" marketings (which are outright false at that) and should all cost way less than they do
I use condensers exclusively in a bluegrass band. I find that 57/58’s have a huge resonance that want to feed back at 4-6Khz. In my experience, condensers have a much flatter response, and sound much better in an acoustic band. To me, the peaky SM57/58’s work best in an electric band where you need that bump to bring it through the mix. For me, throwing those in with condensers, just cause a bunch of response imbalances that I don’t have even with a mixed variety of condensers.
@@capohd28 I agree sm57/58 have a shrinkwrapped sound which make any large or resonant instrument sound tiny and clear, I never use them. It is a cult of just good enough not great but workhorse tiny clear sound. Acoustic instruments have many subtle overtones, sound of wood, sound of strings, mix of sounds in the air around the instruments that SM57 make tiny and clear, and loses the big and warm hug of a much better mic, Neuman instrument condenser mics for live performance are my favorites. If someone uses SM 57/58 run, unless it's a rock bank of all electric instruments in a loud non subtle environment where fighting to be heard in the storm of sound is the norm. It's worth the money for a great mic that will last a lifetime. If you spend thousands on instruments and then shrink your sound with cheap mikes then why not buy one great mike for your great instrument or voice? I buy used Neumans on eBay and I can love the great vocal instrument sounds for live performance. I played a gig in a Jazz band with a Bosendorfer and the sound guy miked it with SM57's and the constrat between the live real sound of the piano and the playback was so painful to hear. I suggested to stop miking a 100000 dollar instrument with cheap mikes that make it sound like stuffed into a hifiradio and instead replace the mic with condensers and wow the great grand sound of the piano returned, and then I had to mic my violin next to that great sound, this was a live jazz gig in NYC.
The AA OC818 is about $1000 so I'm not surprised he didn't drop test it, besides that great video i still don't know everything about audio but its been 4 Years since my mum gave me her NT1-A and when i got it had no clue how to actually use it vs today, i almost bought a new mic because it sounded bad when ever i used it.
i suck at using the sm58. i just mumble all the time and the mic fails to pick me up. kind of a bummer but i know i need to use it better. maybe tweak with obs filters
When I volunteered for an afterschool group, we used SM58s. half of them had been used around and by children for decades. Those things pretty much need water damage, extreme heat, or repeated blunt force trauma to break.
I am pretty experienced with audio engineering, just came for a recap / see if I forgot anything or could learn anything new and I always love a great comparison video. This was probably the actual best video for explaining the differences on a fundamental level and showing the differences in a nuanced way. I'm sure many people listening through their phone speakers won't hear much of a difference but I just hope they can understand that this is a different use of different microphones than usual. It really matters a lot what you start with when recording music that will then be post editted and cleaned up. You may only hear that one mic sounds obviously crisper here... clearly has much more audible super high treble... but that may sound obviously better in this context... but that may not be what you want to use on a dark folk acoustic song snare drum... for example. OR it may be exactly what you want on it to liven it up without changing the magical guitar tone or whatever. It's incredibly important what the intent is. And it's so so important to inform beginners that when in doubt... always record higher fidelity than you may think you need. It is much... much easier to degrade a sound or change a sound to a darker or less dynamic sound than it is to feign or edit something to be "better" than what was captured. If you effectively reduce or eliminate as much mixing as possible when in the "micing" phase... you have done your job well. Mic choice and placement and knowing the intent could result in you barely needing to do anything in the mixing stage if you nail it. Of course that's almost never the case... but you can get damn good to the point where you only need to do basic mixing later like basic volume or low end roll off for plosives etc. The better it is at the source... is the less of a chance of fucking it up later.
I'd like to defend the AT2020! I'll agree that it's not the best general purpose mic but I've found the it works very well for field recording or live/streaming unamplified music when the mics are placed some distance away from the instruments or singers (usually 10-20 feet) so it captures the sound as an audience member would hear it. I've used it for piano, chamber groups, choir, and organ and gotten very good results I've used some other more expensive mics in these settings and haven't really heard much difference. So, I'll continue to take these less expensive mics out in the field rather than risking my more expensive mics! It's not a mic that I would use on a guitar cabinet, drum set or for any close mic setting however.
I do not prefer that mic I bought it and was extremely disappointed in comparison to a dynamic sm48. I can see how it could sound good for certain situations, but bottom line that essentially makes this a niche mic.
The AT2020 is also one of the more popular microphones for streamers on Twitch, as it's a very nice sounding mic for just recording voice for relatively cheap
I believe you. The sound of your voice in this video is excellent, and the level is perfect as compared to many other sound/ audiofile videos on youtube.
Hey Audio University, love your channel, thanks for informative and meticulous content as well as your dedication to help and educate people who are in audio. Wish you all the best and the continous channel growth🙂♥️
I yelled at a singer once for swinging a SM58 by the cord. Like muted the whole band, stopped practice, and made sure he never wanted to do it again. They're indestructible but no reason to test it.
Thanks for the explanation. After watching a few videos explaining the difference, I've learned a dynamic microphone is better for live use, dj gig or maybe live podcast. Condenser for studio recording.
Imagine - one day, there will be a mic holder that recognizes the microphone, knows it orientation and polar pattern, knows what you want to record, knows the layout of the environment you are in and adjusts the microphone for you. One day. Today, be nice if microphones had their polar pattern printed on them. Idea for you - do a set of stickers for microphones with their polar pattern on them. Might make a merchusic store revenue for you. I'm donating that idea to you, alas can't afford anything else. Keep up the great content.
when i was shopping for a mic years ago, i didnt know much, but i was looking at the "self noise" numbers and settled on an nt1a because it was drastically lower than even more expensive mics. is there a reason for that? is the nt1a just a jem? or am i missing something?
I love your channel bro. You are definitely educated in audio. Thank you so much. If I learn anything in audio, it’s definitely you I trust, thanks again for your service.
Depends on the usage, in an ambient room, take the Dynamic, in a special treated room with zero ambient, U can use a dynamic, or a condenser. A SM58 sounds a little muffled if you hold it to your mouth (close mic), if a little from your mouth, it sounds way better. You have to find the sweet spot from that MIC. You can learn MIC techniques, close MIC or FOR podcasts I would use a SM7b, problem with this MIC the output is low, and you have to use a very transparent MIC Pré or a TritonAudio FetHead class A Pré amplifier, and maybe a few mods for your kind of voice/ instrument, for the fethead you also need Phantom Power 24 or 48V, just as Condensers 48V from your console or MIC pré. Condensers are not made for close MIC, heck you can even destroy the capsule from the MIC, always look good to the max db's pressures these can handle, these are also very sensitive, a shock mount and a popfilter is necessary. But the sound is much better than a dynamic MIC. I use the best of both worlds, like the Lewitt LCT 440 PURE $220. That's a very low price for a quality Condenser MIC.
So I have a SM58 and I have to be putting my mouth all up in the mic just to hear a sound. I test it at a plethora of ranges but it still sounds the same low, muffled quiet sound. I just rap and speak into the mic pretty much but it’s barely picking my voice up even if I speak up or scream so ion know what to do
bruh. i subscribed the moment you spoke. please baby jesus tell me you have a tutorial on how to get a voice sounding with great quality like yours, ie compressor, etc etc?
Thanks! Glad you like it. I don’t have a video on it yet, but it’s a great suggestion. I’m using compression and limiting. I really like Fabfilter Pro C-2 for this purpose.
I love dynamic mics for vocal productions but condenser mic works well for certain instruments as well dynamics. But you you really have to understand which mic is best for you, as in the after edit product you've recorded is easier to edit for you. I own a sm57 and a sm7b but I plan to upgrade here soon as well.
@@johnsuggs7828what’s a good mic for recording rap vocals and for people with just quieter voices? Im just a quiet reserved dude and I gotta be eating my SM58 mic just to hear a sound and then frank the gain up to max and it barely comes out crisp or loud. Any tips?
Great video; really enjoyed it. Driving a lot of the popular dynamics these days (RE20 and SM7B specifically) basically necessitates that Cloudlifter though. Pairing those two really cuts back on how much preamp gain you need to feed the dynamics and makes them a lot easier to work with in the less-than-perfect environments we often find ourselves recording in. I love the RE20 because it's so much more forgiving when you go slightly off-axis. Lets me dodge a lot of flubbed takes because of plosives or whatever.
You don't need a cloudlifter to drive those mics. I've used the ART Tube MP Studio Microphone Preamp, which I got for 30 dollars. Even without the preamp, I've used the focusrite and it's worked just fine with both of those
You can consider the TNT by sE electronics who cost half the price of the cloudfilter. I don't use these kind of mics, but something always surprising me when watching reviews : the need of an external preamp: If these mics are more dedicated to non (fully) treated rooms, increasing the gain that much, doesn't make the mic to pick up too much external noise? A real pros of these mics is their noise reduction due to the size of the diaphragm (for the same reason, some people use shotgun mics). So, are these preamps a misuse of their original purpose? These preamps seems to also increase plausible which sounds logic. Last but not least, I wonder if many users are not placing the mic too close from their mouth to increase the low end effect. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
The amount of gain needed to amplify a mic to a good level really depends on how much headroom your system has. USB powered interfaces don't have the same kind of headroom that outboard Pres have, so they won't require the same amount. Maximum input levels vary from device to device. It also, of course, depends on your application
It looks like he's using the Electro-Voice. They run about $300.00 (USD) and are the primary microphone for almost every radio station in the United States. They've been around since 1968. I used one when I was in radio in 1976. Great mics.
Or is the sm58 indestructable? I found one that just was making pop sounds. To be fair, it was covered with yellow grime and probably was 20+ years old
Condenser mics tend to be a little brighter because they're quicker diaphragm response. Good advice, overall. The SM58 might survive a nuke blast, lol.
Cant make up my mind. And videos pike this aint helping me much. Will keep on checking for review from somebody without affiliation links. I just meed a nice allround mic for some videocalls, maybe bit of gaming, making voice over for some of my dronevids, and if my wife would like to use it for singing, recording karaoke song. No budget to buy 10 different microphones and mixers.
As a singer in a live setting you absolutely need the higher SPL or you start clipping in the red at volume 4 on any decent PA system. Try comparing Neumanns or Alexis tube microphones to the less expensive ones you compared. It’s akin to the difference between a Lamborghini super car and a production corvette. Tubes however seem to work even better in the studio.
For electric guitar, the Shure SM57 and Heil PR30 are great. For acoustic, I really liked the Austrian Audio OC818 (single capsule version is OC18) from this video: ruclips.net/video/R8kOp4jYcr4/видео.html
what mic would you recomend for home recordings (with non treated accoustics) . Is it better to get a dynamic mic? What set up do i need to record with a condenser mic? As you said a dynamic would need more gain so the volume of the recording will be low. Is that a problem?
Thank you for this comprehensive overview. But there is one thing I don't understand: Dynamic mics are often said to reject off-axis sound better - like you demonstrated in your video at 04:00. Yet I didn't find any proof that this behaviour has anything to do with the type of transformation from acoustic energy to electric energy. I'd rather suspect it to be a design feature of the individual microphones. Because dynamic mics are more often used in situations which profit in strong off-axis rejection (like live shows, high noise environments, etc) the designers of these microphones may have favored a stronger directivity whereas condenser mics are mostly used in well controlled studio situations in which fidelity (eg. an angle invariant frequency range) is of more importance.
You're right, it depends on each mics polar pattern, but they all mostly behave the same, I've done tons of experiments about this. It's one of the biggest misconception about them
It would seem that the 'signature' or audio characteristics of a mic could be better indicated by a standardized response graph by frequency & attack responses
Why is that the sound quality of this video is so great? Even though he is using very different mics. Is that his room adapted with the foam things to mitigate noise?
I used an SM58 for years, but what killed it was that I forgot to turn off the phantom power before plugin it in. Could be that it was worn down, and the phantom power was the enough to trow it over the edge. My SM57 have survived the times I have forgot it though but that mic is used primarily for recording guitar cabs.
@@AudioUniversity Yup. Directly into a Steinberg Ci2+. Not sure what broke as it became very quiet afterwards. I had to yell to get any sound from it and eventually became totally silent. Tried replacing the cable. Bought a new audio interface even. Unlike yours, mine never got banged into the floor.
Next video you should try using some AGC so when you start the "puker" portion of your sentence (the last few words at the end of a sentence that always sounded mumbled and drop off in level) it will bring the level up and allow us to actually hear what you're saying, even when you feel you have to sound like that. The "puker" sound was so described over 3 decades ago in the radio broadcast industry, and is found very often in both male and female narrators. Women tend to make the "puker" sound more noticeable by sounding as if they are literally speaking their last words before dying. Yes, it's very nauseating.
Julian was the one who originally convicted me to improve my own sound setup, went from tiny pc speaker and a astro A40 setup to presonus E5xt speakers, audient id4 mk II audio interface and the xm8500 mic (punches well above its weight for its price), excellent video for someone who has limited knowledge of condenser mics,
Emphasizing the importance of doing a mic "shootout" before recording for real. Even if you have a favorite mic because it does one thing well, you gotta compare and contrast for the task at hand. Everybody loves those thick velvety bassy mics for vocals, but sometimes you're recording a source with too much fat bass already. It's gonna sound like _mud._
Pretty simple and accurate video, not falling for the usual memes and myths so it's great. One thing tho, regarding the polar pattern, comparing an open Cardio condenser to a RE20 is not really fair, as RE are known to be closer to supercardio (it shows on the specs sheets) as they have a special technology that makes their microphone pretty focused and that virtually eliminates the proximity effect (you can pretty clearly see the feedback vents on the mic). In reality and by rigorously testing it, you'll find that most cardios behave the same way, regardless of the tech especially in real world use and that sometimes some cardio SDCs actually leave dynamics in the dust regarding off axis rejection. An important thing to note is that background noise rejection is not a thing, it's impossible for a mic to reject background noise unless they have some sort of expander behaviour, which is never the case and would be a nightmare anyway. The feeling of rejection is almost entirely due to 1 - frequency response and 2 - polar pattern, 1 can be easily matched from condenser to dyn (not the other way around) and 2 is not really bound to a certain technology. But in the end what makes a real difference is just getting closer to the mic, it's like zooming on a picture
You are right. I have also tested it. In general dynamics "reject more background noise" due to a closer working distance. Many stage/live type dynamic mics are also often hyper-cardioid or super-cardioid , which means more side-rejection - BUT at the cost of increased REAR pickup vs a regular cardioid. It's all about positioning.
@@Tazmanian_Ninjabruh I have to eat my sm58 mic and it’s touching my lips and it still sounds quiet and muffled. I’ve moved it and positioned it every way but it just comes out muffled and quiet
I'm interested in getting a mic for home recording, mostly for metal vocals and recording acoustic/classical guitar. I was looking at the at2020, however, I have seen the shure sm75 and shure sm58 used for around $80 which in my opinion are amazing steals. However, I am not 100% sure my interface (UAD volt 1) can properly utilize the shure mic's. Is it true that dynamic mic's require more gain in general than condenser mics would? For example, my volt 1 only has a max gain of 55dB, but both the shure sm57/58 require more than this, but the at2020 only requires about 37dB i think..?
The Volt 1 probably has enough preamp gain for recording metal vocals using any of the Shure dynamic mics you've listed. For recording acoustic guitar, I'd recommend a condenser microphone.
@@AudioUniversity thanks for the quick response! I would assume that if I were to buy a fethead or cloud lifter with the sm57, I would be able to do both metal vocals and acoustic/classical guitar?
A few quibbles. I understand what you're saying when you say "sound waves" his the dynamic microphone, but what's really moving the diaphragm is differences in air pressure. A sound "wave" is an abstraction. I'd argue it's individual air molecules moving against the diaphragm that move it (and attached to magnets creates a current from which we abstract our waves). Calling the current an "amplification" on a condenser is true in a general sense, but can be somewhat misleading because sounds like that's better than a dynamic. That is, why can a dynamic be better than a condenser? Your video doesn't answer that question. Indeed, when you talk about self-noise, that condensers can have a lower amount than dynamics, you really throw dynamics under the bus!!! :) A dynamic microphone works by using the energy of the sound pressures created by your voice to move a magnet, past a coil, which creates an electronic current (very very small). Because that current is created only from your physical sound it is as pure a representation of your voice as possible. I get triggered when I hear you (and others) say "the SM7B needs a lot of pre-amp gain." NO. It needs you to use the microphone properly which is 3 inches from your mouth so your voice has enough energy to move its diaphragm enough to generate a good current. If you use an SM7B more than a foot away from your face, and you're not singing loudly, you should use a different microphone. The noise you get isn't from the microphone, it's from the noise added from amplifying a very weak signal. Again, one must use a dynamic properly for it to give that unmatched benefit of natural fidelity (at least to me). Just my opinion, but condensers are mics we need because we can't always have dynamics a few inches from our face--especially in the movies, or on TV shows, etc. What's the difference between a dynamic and condenser? A dynamic delivers the most natural sound but must be close to its subject. A condenser delivers the best sound for any situation where you can't get close to the mic. Of course, there are those who use condensers for singing, or in ways where the condenser is close and pick up great detail. None of this is simple. But I feel in practical terms, that's how I look at it, for what that's worth.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Maxotics. This is very well-formulated feedback. It will definitely help others in the community to read your perspective. I suppose "more natural" is a subjective term that should have been left out of this review (that was intended to be objective). The SM7B does require more preamp gain than most other microphones, assuming an equal source level and distance from the source. However, I completely agree that it works well in its intended application. Thanks again! Great points.
True. Many consider both moving coil and ribbon to be “dynamic” microphones. There are also carbon microphones and crystal microphones. Most people who are searching for the difference between dynamic and condenser mics want to know about moving coil and condenser mics. A future video to come!
I went to school for Broadcast Sound Engineering in 2008 and quickly realized I just liked it as a hobby and didn't want it as a job. Anyways I ended up selling all my gear (I miss my RCA 77-DX) and quit paying attention to everything. Its weird coming back. Honestly I am not sure why I even clicked on this video as I know the difference between the 2. But I guess I just wanted to see new gear. Anyways one of the biggest differences I have seen since then is Neumann mics are not the #1 best mics anymore. And even back then they weren't the best really but it was what people wanted most. The other big difference is cheap audio interfaces and Rode gear. Back then Rode was this cheap brand that made everything. None of it was great but it worked. But now it seems like they have found their market and they are not the cheap stuff anymore. Its just kinda weird. Hell they have me considering picking up a PodMic for discord calls and what not. What I really want is an RE20 but I can't justify the price when the podmic sounds as good as it does. Oh also the fact the SM58 is still $99 is crazy. It has been that price since 2009. However I think they went on sale back then for $79 pretty often. What a great microphone.
My college teacher showed some of your content in class. Now you’re in my recommended. Huh.
That is the best diagramming of the difference that I have seen. Very excellent and organized presentation.
Thank you, Thomas!
You missed one quite important factor, imo, that way too few ppl know and talk about. It is the impulse response, aka the fact that condencer mics have a resonance, because of the tightness of their membranes. The best way to explain it is that the condencer mic capsule essentially is a tiny drum, which has a resonant frequency. Usually this is in some high frequency(2-8khz more or less) , where exactly, depends on the mic. Since most manufacturers do mitigate this resonance, its not a single frequency, but more like an area. But there still is a resonance to it. Mic manufacturers might even call it some fancy nice sounding name(presence, airy highs etc), rather than what it really is.
So yeah.
This is also a big reason why condencer mics for stereo recording are often matched pairs. They essentially match the resonance for these matched pairs.
Thanks for adding this. Very interesting!
Every elastic system has a resonance frequency fam, especially dynamics which often have a very narrow one tuned around the most sensitive part of the ear around 3-4K, it really shows on the FR graphs of pretty much all of them. This also helps make them sound louder (needed because of the very low sensitivity) and it sounds like they're rejecting more background noise (but it's an illusion). This results in a very unnatural mid centric sound, with very little treble and bass only available with the proximity effect (which makes things even less natural and accurate).
They're truly old tech, the only advantage is that they're a simpler and more robust system, but that comes with a lot of trade offs. Their value is way too inflated by """"broadcast""""" """"" radio""""""" """""""for noisy environnements"""""" marketings (which are outright false at that) and should all cost way less than they do
I use condensers exclusively in a bluegrass band. I find that 57/58’s have a huge resonance that want to feed back at 4-6Khz. In my experience, condensers have a much flatter response, and sound much better in an acoustic band. To me, the peaky SM57/58’s work best in an electric band where you need that bump to bring it through the mix. For me, throwing those in with condensers, just cause a bunch of response imbalances that I don’t have even with a mixed variety of condensers.
@@capohd28 I agree sm57/58 have a shrinkwrapped sound which make any large or resonant instrument sound tiny and clear, I never use them. It is a cult of just good enough not great but workhorse tiny clear sound. Acoustic instruments have many subtle overtones, sound of wood, sound of strings, mix of sounds in the air around the instruments that SM57 make tiny and clear, and loses the big and warm hug of a much better mic, Neuman instrument condenser mics for live performance are my favorites. If someone uses SM 57/58 run, unless it's a rock bank of all electric instruments in a loud non subtle environment where fighting to be heard in the storm of sound is the norm. It's worth the money for a great mic that will last a lifetime. If you spend thousands on instruments and then shrink your sound with cheap mikes then why not buy one great mike for your great instrument or voice? I buy used Neumans on eBay and I can love the great vocal instrument sounds for live performance. I played a gig in a Jazz band with a Bosendorfer and the sound guy miked it with SM57's and the constrat between the live real sound of the piano and the playback was so painful to hear. I suggested to stop miking a 100000 dollar instrument with cheap mikes that make it sound like stuffed into a hifiradio and instead replace the mic with condensers and wow the great grand sound of the piano returned, and then I had to mic my violin next to that great sound, this was a live jazz gig in NYC.
i really like the real time use of other mics, it really helps put whats being explained.
The AA OC818 is about $1000 so I'm not surprised he didn't drop test it, besides that great video i still don't know everything about audio but its been 4 Years since my mum gave me her NT1-A and when i got it had no clue how to actually use it vs today, i almost bought a new mic because it sounded bad when ever i used it.
i suck at using the sm58. i just mumble all the time and the mic fails to pick me up. kind of a bummer but i know i need to use it better. maybe tweak with obs filters
what microphone are u using in this video??
1:45 lmao you're hilarious
Awesome r🎉❤
you really sounds like a professor
I think if you talked faster that might help me understand better. lololol
So basically, only perform a mic drop when you've got a Dynamic mic
Ideally, never perform a mic drop.
Audio University..the best channel for sound engineers..👍👍👍
Thanks, ebor! I’m happy that you think so!
👍
Definitely agree
Agree
I agree ☝️
3:19 we’re all thinking the same thing….
I have an SM58 I found in the basement of a hotel at which I used to work. I checked the serial number and it's from the 1970s. Still works perfectly.
@AaronFigueroa1 It depends on the bullet :D :D
When I volunteered for an afterschool group, we used SM58s. half of them had been used around and by children for decades. Those things pretty much need water damage, extreme heat, or repeated blunt force trauma to break.
Thank you. We just bought 4 x AT2040 after going through a number of videos including yours
I am pretty experienced with audio engineering, just came for a recap / see if I forgot anything or could learn anything new and I always love a great comparison video. This was probably the actual best video for explaining the differences on a fundamental level and showing the differences in a nuanced way. I'm sure many people listening through their phone speakers won't hear much of a difference but I just hope they can understand that this is a different use of different microphones than usual. It really matters a lot what you start with when recording music that will then be post editted and cleaned up. You may only hear that one mic sounds obviously crisper here... clearly has much more audible super high treble... but that may sound obviously better in this context... but that may not be what you want to use on a dark folk acoustic song snare drum... for example. OR it may be exactly what you want on it to liven it up without changing the magical guitar tone or whatever. It's incredibly important what the intent is. And it's so so important to inform beginners that when in doubt... always record higher fidelity than you may think you need. It is much... much easier to degrade a sound or change a sound to a darker or less dynamic sound than it is to feign or edit something to be "better" than what was captured. If you effectively reduce or eliminate as much mixing as possible when in the "micing" phase... you have done your job well. Mic choice and placement and knowing the intent could result in you barely needing to do anything in the mixing stage if you nail it.
Of course that's almost never the case... but you can get damn good to the point where you only need to do basic mixing later like basic volume or low end roll off for plosives etc. The better it is at the source... is the less of a chance of fucking it up later.
i can hardly finish reading your words😂
@@kelsaxu That says more about you and your lack of attention & comprehension than about anyone else.
I don't always drop the mic, but when I do, it's with a Shure SM58.
LMAO!!
I'm a singer songwriter who is just getting more into recording my own music, and this was extremely helpful info. Thank you so much!
I'd like to defend the AT2020! I'll agree that it's not the best general purpose mic but I've found the it works very well for field recording or live/streaming unamplified music when the mics are placed some distance away from the instruments or singers (usually 10-20 feet) so it captures the sound as an audience member would hear it. I've used it for piano, chamber groups, choir, and organ and gotten very good results I've used some other more expensive mics in these settings and haven't really heard much difference. So, I'll continue to take these less expensive mics out in the field rather than risking my more expensive mics! It's not a mic that I would use on a guitar cabinet, drum set or for any close mic setting however.
I totally agree. Audio Technica builds some very fine mics which are competitively priced.
I do not prefer that mic I bought it and was extremely disappointed in comparison to a dynamic sm48. I can see how it could sound good for certain situations, but bottom line that essentially makes this a niche mic.
The AT2020 is also one of the more popular microphones for streamers on Twitch, as it's a very nice sounding mic for just recording voice for relatively cheap
SpectreSoundStudios did a video on the at2020 and put the mic up to a guitar cabinet while playing metal. It actually sounded quite good..
I believe you. The sound of your voice in this video is excellent, and the level is perfect as compared to many other sound/ audiofile videos on youtube.
Thanks, @B F!
Love these videos. I use them as refreshers to make sure I never forget the basics of my work!
Hey Audio University, love your channel, thanks for informative and meticulous content as well as your dedication to help and educate people who are in audio. Wish you all the best and the continous channel growth🙂♥️
Thank you!
Well said bro
Really gaining knowledge everytime while watching your videos
Glad to hear that! Happy to help! Thank you.
Shure SM58 are build to last,
Let me show you...carelessly drop it like it's nothing.
Most singer on stage: *Yes*
I yelled at a singer once for swinging a SM58 by the cord. Like muted the whole band, stopped practice, and made sure he never wanted to do it again.
They're indestructible but no reason to test it.
@@FARLANDER762Forget the mic - I'd fear for damage to the cable and XLR connections!
Thanks for the explanation. After watching a few videos explaining the difference, I've learned a dynamic microphone is better for live use, dj gig or maybe live podcast. Condenser for studio recording.
Thank you for stating what I needed to know in such clear terms for us noobs
Imagine - one day, there will be a mic holder that recognizes the microphone, knows it orientation and polar pattern, knows what you want to record, knows the layout of the environment you are in and adjusts the microphone for you.
One day.
Today, be nice if microphones had their polar pattern printed on them.
Idea for you - do a set of stickers for microphones with their polar pattern on them. Might make a merchusic store revenue for you. I'm donating that idea to you, alas can't afford anything else.
Keep up the great content.
Thanks for the idea, Paul! Much appreciated! Also - I'm glad you are enjoying the content. Thank you for watching!
A lot of microphones do have their polar pattern printed on them, or at least on the data sheet.
@@in.der.welt.sein. Some do, I like the sticker idea though.
Respected sir,
Your videos are really helpful for me...
Thanks
Love from INDIA❤❤
when i was shopping for a mic years ago, i didnt know much, but i was looking at the "self noise" numbers and settled on an nt1a because it was drastically lower than even more expensive mics. is there a reason for that? is the nt1a just a jem? or am i missing something?
I love your channel bro. You are definitely educated in audio. Thank you so much. If I learn anything in audio, it’s definitely you I trust, thanks again for your service.
Thanks, Mike! Glad to help!
Excellent video, straight forward, yet explaining complex topics relatively well!
What is your microphone?
This fella sure loves him some European microphones!
Not that I'm going to be able to afford it any time soon, but wow… That OC818 is one Impressive piece of work!
You have to try the shoes on to see if they fit! Great video! I wish I could try before I buy.
~🌺
Depends on the usage, in an ambient room, take the Dynamic, in a special treated room with zero ambient, U can use a dynamic, or a condenser.
A SM58 sounds a little muffled if you hold it to your mouth (close mic), if a little from your mouth, it sounds way better. You have to find the sweet spot from that MIC. You can learn MIC techniques, close MIC or FOR podcasts I would use a SM7b, problem with this MIC the output is low, and you have to use a very transparent MIC Pré or a TritonAudio FetHead class A Pré amplifier, and maybe a few mods for your kind of voice/ instrument, for the fethead you also need Phantom Power 24 or 48V, just as Condensers 48V from your console or MIC pré. Condensers are not made for close MIC, heck you can even destroy the capsule from the MIC, always look good to the max db's pressures these can handle, these are also very sensitive, a shock mount and a popfilter is necessary. But the sound is much better than a dynamic MIC. I use the best of both worlds, like the Lewitt LCT 440 PURE $220. That's a very low price for a quality Condenser MIC.
So I have a SM58 and I have to be putting my mouth all up in the mic just to hear a sound. I test it at a plethora of ranges but it still sounds the same low, muffled quiet sound. I just rap and speak into the mic pretty much but it’s barely picking my voice up even if I speak up or scream so ion know what to do
bruh. i subscribed the moment you spoke. please baby jesus tell me you have a tutorial on how to get a voice sounding with great quality like yours, ie compressor, etc etc?
Thanks! Glad you like it. I don’t have a video on it yet, but it’s a great suggestion. I’m using compression and limiting. I really like Fabfilter Pro C-2 for this purpose.
@@AudioUniversity thanks, keep up the great work and i look forward to great content in the future! thanks again for the hard work!
Hey thanks for the informative audio facts and hands on audio performance great for beginners like me
Dynamic Mic = Speaker, running in reverse.
Condensor Mic = Capacitor. Easy to remember because of C/C similarity.
Plus, condenser is just another, mostly disused word for capacitor.
Great video but I can't afford those microphones
You’ve just got to work with what you can. You can still make great recordings. The info still applies!
Telefunkenm80IsMyFavourite.
Nice, but ridiculously over priced. I've used mics that were less than 1000 that out performed them
I love dynamic mics for vocal productions but condenser mic works well for certain instruments as well dynamics. But you you really have to understand which mic is best for you, as in the after edit product you've recorded is easier to edit for you. I own a sm57 and a sm7b but I plan to upgrade here soon as well.
Both of those mics are really good. They're the preferred stage mic. Durable, good sound. And not terribly expensive.
@@johnsuggs7828what’s a good mic for recording rap vocals and for people with just quieter voices? Im just a quiet reserved dude and I gotta be eating my SM58 mic just to hear a sound and then frank the gain up to max and it barely comes out crisp or loud. Any tips?
Great video; really enjoyed it. Driving a lot of the popular dynamics these days (RE20 and SM7B specifically) basically necessitates that Cloudlifter though. Pairing those two really cuts back on how much preamp gain you need to feed the dynamics and makes them a lot easier to work with in the less-than-perfect environments we often find ourselves recording in.
I love the RE20 because it's so much more forgiving when you go slightly off-axis. Lets me dodge a lot of flubbed takes because of plosives or whatever.
You don't need a cloudlifter to drive those mics.
I've used the ART Tube MP Studio Microphone Preamp, which I got for 30 dollars.
Even without the preamp, I've used the focusrite and it's worked just fine with both of those
You can consider the TNT by sE electronics who cost half the price of the cloudfilter.
I don't use these kind of mics, but something always surprising me when watching reviews : the need of an external preamp:
If these mics are more dedicated to non (fully) treated rooms, increasing the gain that much, doesn't make the mic to pick up too much external noise?
A real pros of these mics is their noise reduction due to the size of the diaphragm (for the same reason, some people use shotgun mics). So, are these preamps a misuse of their original purpose? These preamps seems to also increase plausible which sounds logic.
Last but not least, I wonder if many users are not placing the mic too close from their mouth to increase the low end effect. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts.
huh, out of all commenters, didn't expect to see you. guess we all got some love for good audio!
The amount of gain needed to amplify a mic to a good level really depends on how much headroom your system has. USB powered interfaces don't have the same kind of headroom that outboard Pres have, so they won't require the same amount. Maximum input levels vary from device to device. It also, of course, depends on your application
what mic are you using while talking throughout the majority of the video?
It looks like he's using the Electro-Voice. They run about $300.00 (USD) and are the primary microphone for almost every radio station in the United States. They've been around since 1968. I used one when I was in radio in 1976. Great mics.
Ugh.. I love making music... But I'm so hardware illiterate 😭😭😭
Making music is the important part. I think you’re on the right track.
I've had a couple of sm58s since 1978.
The price hasn't changed much. Approx £100 then and now!
I have the rode nt1a and thinking of upgrading was wondering if you had any recommendations around the Same price?
That’s probably what I’d go with at this price range. Great mic for the money, in my opinion.
What do you want in the new mic? Why are you upgrading?
Seeing the OC818 as an example feels so good (as an austrian Guy who also likes audio stuff)
do you have any tips for diy recording, like how to make the best out of built-in microphones on smartphones?
Or is the sm58 indestructable? I found one that just was making pop sounds. To be fair, it was covered with yellow grime and probably was 20+ years old
Condenser mics tend to be a little brighter because they're quicker diaphragm response. Good advice, overall. The SM58 might survive a nuke blast, lol.
Yes audiotechnica very good microphones I'm looking now for at4040 for speaker recording, he a little better in the low frequencies than 2020
great channel
Cant make up my mind. And videos pike this aint helping me much. Will keep on checking for review from somebody without affiliation links.
I just meed a nice allround mic for some videocalls, maybe bit of gaming, making voice over for some of my dronevids, and if my wife would like to use it for singing, recording karaoke song. No budget to buy 10 different microphones and mixers.
Anyone out there wanting to play around dropping mics, make damn sure that 58 isn't a M160.
As a singer in a live setting you absolutely need the higher SPL or you start clipping in the red at volume 4 on any decent PA system. Try comparing Neumanns or Alexis tube microphones to the less expensive ones you compared. It’s akin to the difference between a Lamborghini super car and a production corvette. Tubes however seem to work even better in the studio.
Whats spl?
Thanks for this vid I own a sm7b and a akg p220 and I’ve been wondering
Glad I could help, Robert! Thanks for watching.
Iv always used a sm57 (yep old school) and a cheap condenser with no brand but sounded good . Do u have favorite's for guitar ?
For electric guitar, the Shure SM57 and Heil PR30 are great. For acoustic, I really liked the Austrian Audio OC818 (single capsule version is OC18) from this video: ruclips.net/video/R8kOp4jYcr4/видео.html
Thanks alot Prof 🙏🙏🙏🌸🌸🌸🌸
Glad to help!
what mic would you recomend for home recordings (with non treated accoustics) . Is it better to get a dynamic mic? What set up do i need to record with a condenser mic? As you said a dynamic would need more gain so the volume of the recording will be low. Is that a problem?
👍
Thank you for this comprehensive overview.
But there is one thing I don't understand: Dynamic mics are often said to reject off-axis sound better - like you demonstrated in your video at 04:00. Yet I didn't find any proof that this behaviour has anything to do with the type of transformation from acoustic energy to electric energy. I'd rather suspect it to be a design feature of the individual microphones. Because dynamic mics are more often used in situations which profit in strong off-axis rejection (like live shows, high noise environments, etc) the designers of these microphones may have favored a stronger directivity whereas condenser mics are mostly used in well controlled studio situations in which fidelity (eg. an angle invariant frequency range) is of more importance.
You're right, it depends on each mics polar pattern, but they all mostly behave the same, I've done tons of experiments about this. It's one of the biggest misconception about them
Thank you both for your feedback. I believe I may have bought into this misconception without due diligence. I’ve edited the video to avoid confusion.
It would seem that the 'signature' or audio characteristics of a mic could be better indicated by a standardized response graph by frequency & attack responses
Funny no comment on the industry standard AKG 414 BULS microphone
Your audio from the re20 sounds great, could you show us what processing (eq/compression etc) you do for your audio production?
Why is that the sound quality of this video is so great? Even though he is using very different mics. Is that his room adapted with the foam things to mitigate noise?
USB microphones vs XLR requiring a preamp?
Bro im so stupid gime adivese on my sound??? I so need help... Recomendation Please
Please add bangla captains
I see the the video from Bangladesh
Any good mic for Thunder Strom recording ?
I can confirm if you drop your condescending mic. It WILL change the sound.
@3:18 the Cardioid pattern sounds just like my ex
very well done thanks
I think you will just need to take my word on that one.
😂
We believe you.
I used an SM58 for years, but what killed it was that I forgot to turn off the phantom power before plugin it in. Could be that it was worn down, and the phantom power was the enough to trow it over the edge. My SM57 have survived the times I have forgot it though but that mic is used primarily for recording guitar cabs.
Phantom power shouldn't effect a moving coil microphone at all. I'm surprised to hear that. Was the mic connected directly to the preamp/interface?
@@AudioUniversity Yup. Directly into a Steinberg Ci2+. Not sure what broke as it became very quiet afterwards. I had to yell to get any sound from it and eventually became totally silent. Tried replacing the cable. Bought a new audio interface even. Unlike yours, mine never got banged into the floor.
Sad to hear that, Jean. Also astonished, as broken SM58s are a rarity. Thanks for sharing this info though.
That shouldn't have happened. Dynamic mics don't have the circuitry to use phantom power.
As a experienced audio gear person I feel like I got brain damage listening to all this.
Next video you should try using some AGC so when you start the "puker" portion of your sentence (the last few words at the end of a sentence that always sounded mumbled and drop off in level) it will bring the level up and allow us to actually hear what you're saying, even when you feel you have to sound like that. The "puker" sound was so described over 3 decades ago in the radio broadcast industry, and is found very often in both male and female narrators. Women tend to make the "puker" sound more noticeable by sounding as if they are literally speaking their last words before dying. Yes, it's very nauseating.
Good idea. Thanks for the tip, Mark.
That cardioid polar pattern's bout to make me act up...
3:19
Julian was the one who originally convicted me to improve my own sound setup, went from tiny pc speaker and a astro A40 setup to presonus E5xt speakers, audient id4 mk II audio interface and the xm8500 mic (punches well above its weight for its price), excellent video for someone who has limited knowledge of condenser mics,
I have the xm8500 and it's amazing. I use it for all my recordings now, it just has a certain "sound" that suits my voice like no other!!
Полное ощущение, что парень русский.
Good video! Made me make my mind up and get an NT1, thanks !
How are you able to get such clarity in your audio? No background noise, etc.. just clear radio quality voice
Yeah right? I think is not just the damn mic, he is doing a great EQ work behind the scenes. And maybe some noise filtering on his room
Emphasizing the importance of doing a mic "shootout" before recording for real. Even if you have a favorite mic because it does one thing well, you gotta compare and contrast for the task at hand. Everybody loves those thick velvety bassy mics for vocals, but sometimes you're recording a source with too much fat bass already. It's gonna sound like _mud._
Great tip! Thank you.
Oh man, the EV RE20 sounds so good on voices…
Pretty simple and accurate video, not falling for the usual memes and myths so it's great.
One thing tho, regarding the polar pattern, comparing an open Cardio condenser to a RE20 is not really fair, as RE are known to be closer to supercardio (it shows on the specs sheets) as they have a special technology that makes their microphone pretty focused and that virtually eliminates the proximity effect (you can pretty clearly see the feedback vents on the mic).
In reality and by rigorously testing it, you'll find that most cardios behave the same way, regardless of the tech especially in real world use and that sometimes some cardio SDCs actually leave dynamics in the dust regarding off axis rejection.
An important thing to note is that background noise rejection is not a thing, it's impossible for a mic to reject background noise unless they have some sort of expander behaviour, which is never the case and would be a nightmare anyway. The feeling of rejection is almost entirely due to 1 - frequency response and 2 - polar pattern, 1 can be easily matched from condenser to dyn (not the other way around) and 2 is not really bound to a certain technology. But in the end what makes a real difference is just getting closer to the mic, it's like zooming on a picture
This is very well-articulated feedback, Leonidas. In fact, I've edited the video a bit to avoid any confusion for future viewers. Thank you!
You are right. I have also tested it. In general dynamics "reject more background noise" due to a closer working distance. Many stage/live type dynamic mics are also often hyper-cardioid or super-cardioid , which means more side-rejection - BUT at the cost of increased REAR pickup vs a regular cardioid.
It's all about positioning.
@@Tazmanian_Ninjabruh I have to eat my sm58 mic and it’s touching my lips and it still sounds quiet and muffled. I’ve moved it and positioned it every way but it just comes out muffled and quiet
Now how do we get ASMRtists to stop using the shrill, bright, high sensitivity microphones that ruin their content??
How do we stop ASMRtist
Your voice does not match to your face 🙂
is there a mic that rejects creaky-voice? 😝
I'm interested in getting a mic for home recording, mostly for metal vocals and recording acoustic/classical guitar. I was looking at the at2020, however, I have seen the shure sm75 and shure sm58 used for around $80 which in my opinion are amazing steals. However, I am not 100% sure my interface (UAD volt 1) can properly utilize the shure mic's. Is it true that dynamic mic's require more gain in general than condenser mics would? For example, my volt 1 only has a max gain of 55dB, but both the shure sm57/58 require more than this, but the at2020 only requires about 37dB i think..?
The Volt 1 probably has enough preamp gain for recording metal vocals using any of the Shure dynamic mics you've listed. For recording acoustic guitar, I'd recommend a condenser microphone.
@@AudioUniversity thanks for the quick response! I would assume that if I were to buy a fethead or cloud lifter with the sm57, I would be able to do both metal vocals and acoustic/classical guitar?
A few quibbles. I understand what you're saying when you say "sound waves" his the dynamic microphone, but what's really moving the diaphragm is differences in air pressure. A sound "wave" is an abstraction. I'd argue it's individual air molecules moving against the diaphragm that move it (and attached to magnets creates a current from which we abstract our waves).
Calling the current an "amplification" on a condenser is true in a general sense, but can be somewhat misleading because sounds like that's better than a dynamic. That is, why can a dynamic be better than a condenser? Your video doesn't answer that question. Indeed, when you talk about self-noise, that condensers can have a lower amount than dynamics, you really throw dynamics under the bus!!! :)
A dynamic microphone works by using the energy of the sound pressures created by your voice to move a magnet, past a coil, which creates an electronic current (very very small). Because that current is created only from your physical sound it is as pure a representation of your voice as possible. I get triggered when I hear you (and others) say "the SM7B needs a lot of pre-amp gain." NO. It needs you to use the microphone properly which is 3 inches from your mouth so your voice has enough energy to move its diaphragm enough to generate a good current.
If you use an SM7B more than a foot away from your face, and you're not singing loudly, you should use a different microphone. The noise you get isn't from the microphone, it's from the noise added from amplifying a very weak signal. Again, one must use a dynamic properly for it to give that unmatched benefit of natural fidelity (at least to me).
Just my opinion, but condensers are mics we need because we can't always have dynamics a few inches from our face--especially in the movies, or on TV shows, etc. What's the difference between a dynamic and condenser? A dynamic delivers the most natural sound but must be close to its subject. A condenser delivers the best sound for any situation where you can't get close to the mic. Of course, there are those who use condensers for singing, or in ways where the condenser is close and pick up great detail. None of this is simple. But I feel in practical terms, that's how I look at it, for what that's worth.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Maxotics. This is very well-formulated feedback. It will definitely help others in the community to read your perspective.
I suppose "more natural" is a subjective term that should have been left out of this review (that was intended to be objective).
The SM7B does require more preamp gain than most other microphones, assuming an equal source level and distance from the source. However, I completely agree that it works well in its intended application.
Thanks again! Great points.
@@AudioUniversity Thanks for the kind words!
Excellent video. However, there definitely is a third type of microphone. The ribbon Mic.
True. Many consider both moving coil and ribbon to be “dynamic” microphones. There are also carbon microphones and crystal microphones. Most people who are searching for the difference between dynamic and condenser mics want to know about moving coil and condenser mics. A future video to come!
Nice
what mic will you recoment for use with speakers when playing pc games so my mates i speak to dont hear them self or my game thrue the mic ??
I’d recommend using headphones. Without AEC (echo cancellation), it will be difficult to prevent the echo.
Most straight forward video on the internet
waooooooooooooooooooo, thanku sooooooooooooooooo much for amazing & very importent information, god blessssssssss u brother
Thanks for watching!
This video is so helpful! I can't thank you enough 🔥
I went to school for Broadcast Sound Engineering in 2008 and quickly realized I just liked it as a hobby and didn't want it as a job. Anyways I ended up selling all my gear (I miss my RCA 77-DX) and quit paying attention to everything. Its weird coming back. Honestly I am not sure why I even clicked on this video as I know the difference between the 2. But I guess I just wanted to see new gear. Anyways one of the biggest differences I have seen since then is Neumann mics are not the #1 best mics anymore. And even back then they weren't the best really but it was what people wanted most. The other big difference is cheap audio interfaces and Rode gear. Back then Rode was this cheap brand that made everything. None of it was great but it worked. But now it seems like they have found their market and they are not the cheap stuff anymore. Its just kinda weird. Hell they have me considering picking up a PodMic for discord calls and what not. What I really want is an RE20 but I can't justify the price when the podmic sounds as good as it does.
Oh also the fact the SM58 is still $99 is crazy. It has been that price since 2009. However I think they went on sale back then for $79 pretty often. What a great microphone.
Very nice presentation. I think I'll go with the dynamic mic
Why are dynamic mics used more often in live situations? Is it the robustness and the polar pattern?
Yes. Condensers are used in live sound too. But I believe those two features are what make dynamics more common.
Thank you l❤❤❤ sir