I know you have never heard this before, but if I had a voice like yours, I would just sit and record myself reading the dang dictionary. Nice vocal genes, or something. Cheers!
This is so helpful to me as I'm just starting to get serious about trying to do some home recording, and this message just cut through all the noise for me. Thank you!
A very rarely comment on RUclips videos. This video is a combination of someone who understands both review making and video production professionally in the field and for RUclips. I appreciate your ability to understand the viewers needs and actively inform them in both the intro and full duration. It's inspiring to see such good craft 😎 You managed to give my like in 30 seconds. Sub an under a minute. And a comment in 5 min. Wp gg
After watching this all the way through I can say honestly I'm pretty disappointed and feel like you missed the point of what most people who clicked on this were expecting to learn: What we really want to know is what did your mother eat while she was pregnant with you? Silk? Leather? Where can I buy vocal cords as soothing as yours? And what's the typical price range?
I would love to see a video on stereo recording sounds. From setting up the gear in a place to working with the sound in a daw. Also, Maybe even show off how the samples can be treated as moving around (panning / binaural) in a song?
Man, what a wealth of information as always, Cameron! I was looking for a video on how to record samples and of course you had a video on it from over 3 years ago! :D
6:30 , to continue on from your points about using a phone as a mic. I think it's one of easiest way of starting out in music, overall, because it comes with SO MANY great tools (voice recorder, music apps sometimes, etc). In fact, before I got a mic last year, the majority of the vocals on my latest album were all recorded on my phone, and they sound clean as ever
Tight list of recommendations thank you. For me the lewitt pair and the contact mics were the answer to my question of "what next?". I don't need them just yet, but when I do, now I know.
Most new smart phones (also tablets and some laptops) use microphone array that usually consist of 3 microphones located on the lower end, on the side and on the top. There is a DSP unit within smartphone that drives those mics, and combination of these is the main reason why smartphones are so good when it comes to sound. For example, 7 years ago (2014) I was recording a voice conversation of a actor, with GoPro camera - but for the sound I simply put the smartphone in the shirt pocket of the actor, because mic from the GoPro cam was picking sounds all around. At the time I had no other options, and result was a very good audio recording on the smartphone. Just make sure that you take the smartphone out of protective cover and leave it standing closer to the subject you are recording, or if you have to hold it in your hands - make sure to hold it stable and that your fingers aren't touching holes where those microphone are, make sure to look for them and know where they are. You may also want to record in stereo, which is doable but avoid if not really necessary. Use the highest available sampling quality, like 48000Hz/16-bit WAV, avoid using MP3, AAG or other compression standards. Also, make sure that you always have enough space in your memory, internal or SD card.
Interesting choices. I found the Lewitt 040 Match mics to be quite noisy. They're about my fifth choice behind many other models, including some pretty inexpensive options. I bought those and the 440 Pure, and found it to be quite harsh and too bright... not to mention that the resonant ringing of its case drives me batty. Not impressed by the Lewitt mics I've tried so far. I also have an S-Mic 2 and don't particularly care for the sound of it. Very thin and honky. It definitely doesn't compare to an MKH-416 -- they sound nothing alike even though the Internet seems to insist otherwise. I also own a C 214. Generally happy with it, but yeah... the highs can be grating on the wrong source. Not as smooth as the 414 that it is based on, and noticeably noisier. My favorite budget LDC has recently become the Rode NT1. It's got a really great neutral sound, especially for its price.
A great video again. And, folks, the most important part of this video are the first 2 minutes! Really! (not at all saying, that the rest of the video is not worth watching - it absolutely is worth being watched and thought about). But according to my more than 40 years experience there is no, absolutely no, gear, that is sooo bad, that you can´t make anything interesting with it. There´s always a way to get something useful out of even the cheapest things. Enjoy your day! Rolf
Yeah I guess that has been my error. Well at the moment I don't have much cause I don't have the dough but bruh if pros have axepted phone audio from him. Boy oh boy 1 was I wrong and 2 boy am I nitpicky. Because to me pro has always ment Sound-Devices recorders or now the new F recorders from Zoom and real mad expensive mics. No shade to any of the quote on quote cheep stuff. But how do I say this? I guess to me I always wanted close to mixer desk audio. Audio like what you hear in films. What I have now by the way is an Olympus LS 14, which I always took as kinda meh it's convenient you can have it in your pocket but meh. It's just there. I also have an H6 original from Zoom which I like the Audio of. Perfect for DSLR video. Then because I thought I had messed up my H6 I got an H8. Which I like the audio of even more. It sounds to me 3 times more pro more studio then the H6. As for mics I just have the 8022 from Audio-Technica. Love the stereo from it. Very nice and wide. But to me again the dream teem the crem de la crem would be a sound Devices 833 and at least 2 NT1's. Just cause of how studio that sounds. How almost like they are right there with you people sound when you record them on there. Ah and that is something he didn't get into in this vid. How many channels you wana record. Which my thing's always been I wana do surround sound.
I would also love to know what interface you use, do you use that art tube preamp? And what is your eq you use and how you use it? Sounds incredibly warm and pleasing to listen, I am self learning how to eq my voice but, it´s still not quite what I want
Thank you so much for the great video! If you want to make HQ recordings with your smartphone, plug in the Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset. Looks like (kind of) a regular headset and provides fantastic quality!
Love the video! I’m into field recording, have three Sony pcm d50, Sony pcm d100, Sony pcm d10, Sony pcm a10, zoom H4N and H6, Roland field recorder. Looking for external xlr microphone’s for field recording and paranormal investigations. Which mics would you recommend?
My most useful mic is my good old Sm58. I like it more than my fancier condenser mic. It works in every room it's build like a tank and the quality is decent.
Thank you so much for helping me to look at the variety of mics out there. Getting into this field has been kind of overwhelming to know where to start
Another thing about phones - you can use Koala Sampler. It lets you move seamlessly from audio capture to sound design to music quickly, if that's your thing. I had a lot of fun with that and a small USB mic.
Thank you for this very informative and professional video! I have a question though : when you use the h4n on the field, do you need a boom or a tripod or can you simply record without any other gear? I mean if you use without any other gear, don't you get unwanted noises caused by the mere handling of the field recorder?
A tripod makes Your life much easier, but it is not necessary. You can learn how to handle the recorder in a way that doesn't transfer the sound, but most of the time when You are recording, You want to stand still.
Cameron, would you mind doing a tutorial how to software-tweak voice recordings with VST-plugins? Like giving more resonance, bass or saturation to the recorded voice? Or do you already have a video that illustrates this? (Sorry, I wouldn't actually know what search terms to use to look this up)
Haha well I'll think about it! I don't really do much to my voice for videos other than a highpass and a limiter with PSP InfiniStrip just to make sure there's no rumble and catch any random peaks. There's also a little cut around 400hz or so to remove some boxyness but that's more for the mic I use than the dialog. Maybe I'll do a 'voiceover voice editing' tutorial someday though to show a more 'movie guy' approach.
Thanks for the video! And could help me? ✌️ I'm looking for mic to capture the sound of a room. Some people in there, but each onde speaks each time. Thank you
Hm,. thinking,... Could a contact mic be attached to a window to pick up the sounds coming from outside (wind, rain, birds, thunder etc)? It'd be so helpful if it was USB powered instead of the usual mic port. Any advice about this would be welcome. Thanks. :) Purpose for listening is just for relaxation, mono or stereo isn't important. :)
Another hint: if you are using Zoom H4n Pro or any other similar recorders that are light in weight, I would strongly recommend to put it on a stable tripod, but not the cheapest one. Tripod should give you a better stability, and a little better chance that portable recorder isn't knocked off, or blown by wind.
I would also say, if you’re putting it on a tripod, mount the Zoom in a vibration cage, and your recording will have a much lower noise floor. If Zoom doesn’t make one, it wouldn’t be hard to McGyver a large diaphram condenser mic cage for the Zoom.
If we have a lavalier, does the phone quality influence the recording? Can you heard the difference with the same lavalier recorded by different phone?
Great video. Just a question…in our channel we are making flight and walking tour and we are using an iPhone 11 Pro to record video. We are going to include also ambient sound but we do not think that the iPhone mic is useful in this sense. Can you suggest a solution? Do you recommend a mic to connect to the phone or an external device? Let us know thanks 😊
Hi! Would you recomend a Roland R26 nowadays? I've found a really cheap one; I've searched a little bit and it looks like it works great but I'm afraid it could be a bit outdated nowadays... I very much would appreciate your answer. Thnx!!
Wow, I've got a pair of cheap Sennheiser hd 202 headphones on and what a difference those Lewitt sdc's bring. Way more sibilant. I was thinking of buying those for acoustic guitar and maybe more distanced voices. Gues I'll be youtubing some more for some sdc vs video's.
what external battery would you recommend for a mix pre6? Ankor Ankors are hard to find, at least the really powerful ones. What would be a good quality battery? Great Vid very informative. Love the hair too
Have you recorded any sound with Lewitt 040 at 192k?I found that my two lewitt 040 microphones were excellent when recording at 48 khz, but there was a lot of noise when recording at 96 khz and 192 khz. Those noises are in the frequency band above 20khz, so they have no impact on general sound recording.I would like to know if this is an individual phenomenon and look forward to hearing back. Thank you very much!
Every time I see a youtube video with the word collection in it, I end up building my own. I have a bunch of padlocks, a raspberry pi cluster, ipods, guitar pedals, multitrack recorders, wood working tools, and a virtual NAS server running proxmox. Now guess the channels😅😅😊
Found this video while looking to get started with some recording for upcoming projects I'll be doing. I notice its a few years old, do you have a more recent one related to these things? Or has your setup mostly stayed the same along with your opinions of the equipment?
One misunderstanding that you are not alone with is that small diaphragm microphones have a bad bass response per se. This ist characteristic for all gradient microphones If the Sound source ist far away. Omnidirectional small diaphragm microphones pick up bass absolutely realistisc down to really low frequencies. The large radius ist not necessary to record bass, only to create it. Apart from that, great video, thanks!
Thank you for sharing this, that's help a lot. I was looking for Lewitt LCT 040, but I heard many reviews saying that it is too noisy for recording quiet sounds accurately. Is equivalent noise level is 20 dB(A). From your experience, this amout of self noise, wasn't an issue for recording quiet nature for exemple ? Would you advice another small diaphragm mics in order to have less noise ?
Hi David ,noise level i20 dB(A) thats the point!!! For recording quiet nature in my opinion this value is too high at the end of the day you will unfortunately record a lot of noise. in the post-processing you will only be able to remove this noise with difficulty or not at all from your recording, take a look at the clippy em 272 from microboost .I am very satisfied with that. Greetings😉✌
Phone mics really depend on the phone from what I've heard. All these decades of cellphone development, and yet phone call audio quality has stayed pretty much the same since the 90s. I tried to find a way to adjust the preamp gain on my phone so it doesn't clip when I record my band, but couldn't find a way to do it.
I got some for field recording going into the zoom h4n pro. And wow! What a combo. For nature ambience they sound fantastic. I’m so pleased. Can’t recommend these mics highly enough.
iPhones have nice mics for sure. I think it's the 'auto gain' functions most phones use that cause it. That said, it can give you some REALLY interest results when recording very quiet sounds.
I think there is one new product that is honestly essential for my sound design work now the $50 Primo EM258 Ultrasonic microphone capsule. It is an alternative to the Sanken cm-100k and it is honestly the best $50 I have ever spent because it sounds amazing even when pitched 3+ octaves down and it picks up frequencies up to 96k.
@@dr5290 recently I will record more sources with ultrasonic mics though like if you record rocks you can make them sound like a building falling so I record anything I want to sound bigger by size shifting(pitch shifting)
@@dr5290 yea I have always wondered why if few sources produce ultrasound why does this effect seem to work on just about everything but it could be just a perceived difference but I now have a Sanken 100k and I have tested extensively vs microphones that only go up to 20,000 hertz and it seems to be a pronounced difference in quality when pitching down even with sources that shouldn’t be producing ultrasound in the first place.
@@dr5290 I wish I could send you boom library’s sound recordings recorded on the Sanken for this purpose to test for yourself but it really seems to make a big difference
Hi Venus, I'm totally a newbie here, I've a condenser mic and I want to record nature sounds, like ocean waves and forest sounds, is it good enough? And what type of mics are best for recording nature relaxing sounds?
Great informative video for Beginner like me. Thanks :) Does the contact mic require a field recorder with phantom power? I have an Zoom H2 with 1/8 mic in plug.
You probably dont have time to read all of the comments, but I need help finding the right microphone to record exhaust and intake sounds on cars. Ive used rode video micros but those seem to not be able to record such loud noises. Im also using a Zoom H1N
Is there a USB powered cardioid condenser microphone good for listening to (via headphones obviously) weather ambience (birds, wind, rain, thunder etc) through a PC (not Mac)? It'd be connected via a 30ft USB 2.0 active repeating USB cable. Can anyone recommend an affordable (sub £80 GBP) mic that'd be suitable? Thank you.
Great video! I have been wondering about something for a while: everyone seems to use zoom recorders, namely the H4N. My question being: what does it offer that a more affordable option like the tascam DR40 (which I use) doesn't? I'm talking relevant features for sampling/sound design recordings because I know the zoom does have a few extras but I don't think I have ever come across someone who actually uses them
I am curious about the 040 match pair which have specified self noise level of 20db... and i was reccomended looking for mics that are lower than 14 or even 12db self noise. But cameron is saying they sound super clean? Looking to do field recording with my h4npro. Finding mics with that type of self noise seems to require some significant investment for 1 mic let alone 2.
Im wanting to record sounds of 'crafting' cutting leather, fabric, a sewing machine.....thinking now a contact mic would be best. Still need a field recorder.....
I'm curious how you decided that any sort of sound design you made might be good enough to actually put up for sale when you were less experienced. I'm just starting my journey in field recording, foley, and sound design, and I have no clue how to go about deciding when my recordings and sounds might be of any use for those who may actually be in the market for sounds.
@@Joesire Hi! The journey is going okay so far. Plenty of microphones and gear I’m looking at, but not a whole lot of exposure just yet. Life has gotten going and I haven’t recorded much or processed much in the past few months, but it definitely isn’t over. Thank you for asking! Hope your day/night is going well!
Do you have any recommendations for something in between using your smartphone and the H4n? If I have no intention of using external mics, and just want a self-contained field recorder, is there any significant difference between the recording quality of the H1n vs. the H4n?
I have the Zoom H4N and the only real drawback for me is the incredibly loud handling noise that mine creates. In other words if I hold it in my hand while using it and moves your fingers even slightly- even changing the pressure with which you are holding it- the plastic case transmits a lot of noise to the recording. It is very audible and it will be recorded. I would suggest if you use the H4N plan on using it mounted (not moving or being touched) in some capacity and not handheld or even on a clip or in a bag. I don't know if mine is defective but I honestly can't use it as a handheld recorder at all, it is really that noisy. I haven't used the H1N but if it's got less self handling noise it would probably be the way to go. Also I must mention my H4N is just a secondary backup recorder that I use as I have another primary recorder that I use for anything of quality that I want to record. The H4N would be decent enough but not great recording quality for a lot of applications.
Has anyone compared the Lewitt LCT 040s to Clippy EM272 XLR ? Curious how they compare. I'm leaning toward Clippys after hearing demos on "Time preservation society" channel; They seem to be a not-so-hidden gem of field recording; But I've also heard so many great things about Lewitt for years.
I’ve used them both and I think the Deity S Mic 2 blows it away I love my Deity and I don’t see myself ever buying one of the $1,000 + shotgun microphones because it is so good. There are good comparison videos on RUclips to check out the sound yourself.
The raw truth is that you do not need practically anything (and any mic) at all to get any sound you need; with enough efforts, time & play with any raw frequency, you can get any sound you could ever imagine; it would take a lot of time and work you say, and you are right; that's why we have many different effect processors which help us achieve what we want to achive; but it also makes us little bit lazy; I remember my early days of music making and I always come to that thought : how I was working with the sound when I had practically NO GEAR at all ! And you may not believe me, but I recorded my first vocals using some very basic headphones (which came together with my dad's walkman from the late 80s); yes, you hear me well, I simply took those headphones, plugged them to the MIC-IN and recorded my vocals from the other side, simply because I've had no microphone ! I purchased my first mic two years later; and everything I recorded back in those days was also used in many different ways like cutting, chopping, chaining, reversing, squeezing, halling on SoundBlaster; and many times I even found myself editing the very nods of the sound in CoolEdit, etc. How funny ...
Unfortunately not really - sound design isn't a very well documented process. That said, in both my approach and with what I hear from a lot of my friends in the industry/my peers the biggest thing is just 'try stuff and see what happens'. You'll learn a lot by simply messing with things and seeing what they do. The happy accidents make the most interesting sounds. For some really good ideas and 'starting points' I'd highly recommend watching some game/film sound design videos on RUclips or blogs like designingsound.org Perhaps I'll make some videos though with some tips!
The Foley Grail - The Art of performing Sound for Film, Games and Animation (Vanessa Themes Ament) This book teaches you how to master classic and cutting-edge Foley techniques in order to create rich and convincing sound for any medium, be it film, television, radio, podcasts, animation, or games. Award-winning Foley artist Vanessa Theme Ament demonstrates how Foley is designed, crafted, and edited for any project, down to the nuts and bolts of spotting, cueing, and performing sounds. Various renowned sound artists provide a treasure trove of indispensable shortcuts, hot tips, and other valuable tricks of the trade.
Yo! No idea on the exact model or anything, I think I picked it up off the sale rack at Target or something years ago. It's just a standard smartphone battery bank - with a USB to 5v adapter, you can power the H4n Pro for several hours.
Finally, avoid cheap microphones. Like Behringer C2, the pair that I bought. Those mics gave me much higher noise compared to another small diaphragm condenser mic pair. They are cheap, but even that amount of money will be a lost investment. Maybe there are Behringer microphones that are good but I would rather stay with AKG, Senheiser, RODE and of course - Shure! These are the manufacturers that you usually cannot go wrong with.
I know you have never heard this before, but if I had a voice like yours, I would just sit and record myself reading the dang dictionary. Nice vocal genes, or something. Cheers!
He tweaks sounds for a living. I suspect, if you met him in real life, he's probably a falsetto :-)
@@stevesargent8731 can you imagine lmao
The coffie has a bass filter in it
This is so helpful to me as I'm just starting to get serious about trying to do some home recording, and this message just cut through all the noise for me. Thank you!
A very rarely comment on RUclips videos.
This video is a combination of someone who understands both review making and video production professionally in the field and for RUclips.
I appreciate your ability to understand the viewers needs and actively inform them in both the intro and full duration.
It's inspiring to see such good craft 😎
You managed to give my like in 30 seconds. Sub an under a minute. And a comment in 5 min. Wp gg
Nice one Cameron. A well thought out and explained video. This has helped me quite a bit. Big thanks.
After watching this all the way through I can say honestly I'm pretty disappointed and feel like you missed the point of what most people who clicked on this were expecting to learn:
What we really want to know is what did your mother eat while she was pregnant with you? Silk? Leather? Where can I buy vocal cords as soothing as yours? And what's the typical price range?
Comment of the year haha
I would love to see a video on stereo recording sounds. From setting up the gear in a place to working with the sound in a daw. Also, Maybe even show off how the samples can be treated as moving around (panning / binaural) in a song?
I second this!
Man, what a wealth of information as always, Cameron! I was looking for a video on how to record samples and of course you had a video on it from over 3 years ago! :D
6:30 , to continue on from your points about using a phone as a mic. I think it's one of easiest way of starting out in music, overall, because it comes with SO MANY great tools (voice recorder, music apps sometimes, etc). In fact, before I got a mic last year, the majority of the vocals on my latest album were all recorded on my phone, and they sound clean as ever
Koala Sampler!
Tight list of recommendations thank you. For me the lewitt pair and the contact mics were the answer to my question of "what next?". I don't need them just yet, but when I do, now I know.
Thank you for the video! I am learning how to record sound for my animations and found your video very inspiring and informative!
Wow! BEST review I've seen so far for a beginner recordist. Big Thanks!. One thing - - cover cameras as recording devices, similar to the smart phone.
Great overview and thanks for introducing me to Lewitt :)
Most new smart phones (also tablets and some laptops) use microphone array that usually consist of 3 microphones located on the lower end, on the side and on the top. There is a DSP unit within smartphone that drives those mics, and combination of these is the main reason why smartphones are so good when it comes to sound. For example, 7 years ago (2014) I was recording a voice conversation of a actor, with GoPro camera - but for the sound I simply put the smartphone in the shirt pocket of the actor, because mic from the GoPro cam was picking sounds all around. At the time I had no other options, and result was a very good audio recording on the smartphone. Just make sure that you take the smartphone out of protective cover and leave it standing closer to the subject you are recording, or if you have to hold it in your hands - make sure to hold it stable and that your fingers aren't touching holes where those microphone are, make sure to look for them and know where they are. You may also want to record in stereo, which is doable but avoid if not really necessary. Use the highest available sampling quality, like 48000Hz/16-bit WAV, avoid using MP3, AAG or other compression standards. Also, make sure that you always have enough space in your memory, internal or SD card.
Interesting choices. I found the Lewitt 040 Match mics to be quite noisy. They're about my fifth choice behind many other models, including some pretty inexpensive options. I bought those and the 440 Pure, and found it to be quite harsh and too bright... not to mention that the resonant ringing of its case drives me batty. Not impressed by the Lewitt mics I've tried so far.
I also have an S-Mic 2 and don't particularly care for the sound of it. Very thin and honky. It definitely doesn't compare to an MKH-416 -- they sound nothing alike even though the Internet seems to insist otherwise.
I also own a C 214. Generally happy with it, but yeah... the highs can be grating on the wrong source. Not as smooth as the 414 that it is based on, and noticeably noisier.
My favorite budget LDC has recently become the Rode NT1. It's got a really great neutral sound, especially for its price.
A great video again. And, folks, the most important part of this video are the first 2 minutes! Really! (not at all saying, that the rest of the video is not worth watching - it absolutely is worth being watched and thought about). But according to my more than 40 years experience there is no, absolutely no, gear, that is sooo bad, that you can´t make anything interesting with it. There´s always a way to get something useful out of even the cheapest things. Enjoy your day! Rolf
Yeah I guess that has been my error.
Well at the moment I don't have much cause I don't have the dough but bruh if pros have axepted phone audio from him. Boy oh boy 1 was I wrong and 2 boy am I nitpicky. Because to me pro has always ment Sound-Devices recorders or now the new F recorders from Zoom and real mad expensive mics. No shade to any of the quote on quote cheep stuff. But how do I say this? I guess to me I always wanted close to mixer desk audio. Audio like what you hear in films.
What I have now by the way is an Olympus LS 14, which I always took as kinda meh it's convenient you can have it in your pocket but meh. It's just there.
I also have an H6 original from Zoom which I like the Audio of. Perfect for DSLR video. Then because I thought I had messed up my H6 I got an H8.
Which I like the audio of even more.
It sounds to me 3 times more pro more studio then the H6.
As for mics I just have the 8022 from Audio-Technica. Love the stereo from it. Very nice and wide.
But to me again the dream teem the crem de la crem would be a sound Devices 833 and at least 2 NT1's.
Just cause of how studio that sounds. How almost like they are right there with you people sound when you record them on there.
Ah and that is something he didn't get into in this vid. How many channels you wana record. Which my thing's always been I wana do surround sound.
Came for the audio advice, subscribed for the sick burns.
Thanks ....awesome explanation for a complete newb like myself...thanks.
I would also love to know what interface you use, do you use that art tube preamp? And what is your eq you use and how you use it? Sounds incredibly warm and pleasing to listen, I am self learning how to eq my voice but, it´s still not quite what I want
Thank you for making this video
Thank you so much for the great video! If you want to make HQ recordings with your smartphone, plug in the Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset. Looks like (kind of) a regular headset and provides fantastic quality!
Quality video. I really don't understand why not more people have found you yet
Would really like to have have more videos like this btw
Love the video! I’m into field recording, have three Sony pcm d50, Sony pcm d100, Sony pcm d10, Sony pcm a10, zoom H4N and H6, Roland field recorder. Looking for external xlr microphone’s for field recording and paranormal investigations. Which mics would you recommend?
I like how the coffee sign and the preamp are exactly the same color scheme
Love this. have done a little foley work in my films and now Im doing animation I want to upgrade from my ntg2.
My most useful mic is my good old Sm58. I like it more than my fancier condenser mic. It works in every room it's build like a tank and the quality is decent.
Good video! Awesome Thanks!
Thank you so much for helping me to look at the variety of mics out there. Getting into this field has been kind of overwhelming to know where to start
Great video!
Another thing about phones - you can use Koala Sampler. It lets you move seamlessly from audio capture to sound design to music quickly, if that's your thing. I had a lot of fun with that and a small USB mic.
Thank you for this very informative and professional video! I have a question though : when you use the h4n on the field, do you need a boom or a tripod or can you simply record without any other gear? I mean if you use without any other gear, don't you get unwanted noises caused by the mere handling of the field recorder?
A tripod makes Your life much easier, but it is not necessary. You can learn how to handle the recorder in a way that doesn't transfer the sound, but most of the time when You are recording, You want to stand still.
Cameron, would you mind doing a tutorial how to software-tweak voice recordings with VST-plugins?
Like giving more resonance, bass or saturation to the recorded voice?
Or do you already have a video that illustrates this? (Sorry, I wouldn't actually know what search terms to use to look this up)
Haha well I'll think about it! I don't really do much to my voice for videos other than a highpass and a limiter with PSP InfiniStrip just to make sure there's no rumble and catch any random peaks. There's also a little cut around 400hz or so to remove some boxyness but that's more for the mic I use than the dialog.
Maybe I'll do a 'voiceover voice editing' tutorial someday though to show a more 'movie guy' approach.
Thanks for the video! And could help me? ✌️ I'm looking for mic to capture the sound of a room. Some people in there, but each onde speaks each time. Thank you
Hm,. thinking,... Could a contact mic be attached to a window to pick up the sounds coming from outside (wind, rain, birds, thunder etc)? It'd be so helpful if it was USB powered instead of the usual mic port. Any advice about this would be welcome. Thanks. :) Purpose for listening is just for relaxation, mono or stereo isn't important. :)
Another hint: if you are using Zoom H4n Pro or any other similar recorders that are light in weight, I would strongly recommend to put it on a stable tripod, but not the cheapest one. Tripod should give you a better stability, and a little better chance that portable recorder isn't knocked off, or blown by wind.
I would also say, if you’re putting it on a tripod, mount the Zoom in a vibration cage, and your recording will have a much lower noise floor. If Zoom doesn’t make one, it wouldn’t be hard to McGyver a large diaphram condenser mic cage for the Zoom.
Awesome 👏🏿
Hi, thanks for your video. I have a zoom H4n, do you think rode NT5 are a good value with this recorder for field recording ?
I really like the timestamps!
If we have a lavalier, does the phone quality influence the recording?
Can you heard the difference with the same lavalier recorded by different phone?
Nice Video. Thank you :)
Wat is the difference between lewitt 040 and 140? Is there any specific situation when you would prefer the 140?
Great video, have you upgraded to 32bit float yet? If so what are u using? ❤
Great video. Just a question…in our channel we are making flight and walking tour and we are using an iPhone 11 Pro to record video. We are going to include also ambient sound but we do not think that the iPhone mic is useful in this sense. Can you suggest a solution? Do you recommend a mic to connect to the phone or an external device? Let us know thanks 😊
The gear acquisition syndrome is very real. Thank you for the reminder that doing the work is more important than getting the toys.
Hi! Would you recomend a Roland R26 nowadays? I've found a really cheap one; I've searched a little bit and it looks like it works great but I'm afraid it could be a bit outdated nowadays... I very much would appreciate your answer. Thnx!!
Wow, I've got a pair of cheap Sennheiser hd 202 headphones on and what a difference those Lewitt sdc's bring. Way more sibilant.
I was thinking of buying those for acoustic guitar and maybe more distanced voices. Gues I'll be youtubing some more for some sdc vs video's.
what external battery would you recommend for a mix pre6? Ankor Ankors are hard to find, at least the really powerful ones. What would be a good quality battery? Great Vid very informative. Love the hair too
Have you recorded any sound with Lewitt 040 at 192k?I found that my two lewitt 040 microphones were excellent when recording at 48 khz, but there was a lot of noise when recording at 96 khz and 192 khz. Those noises are in the frequency band above 20khz, so they have no impact on general sound recording.I would like to know if this is an individual phenomenon and look forward to hearing back. Thank you very much!
Another Cameron sound nerd? Subscribed!
Good teacher !
Every time I see a youtube video with the word collection in it, I end up building my own. I have a bunch of padlocks, a raspberry pi cluster, ipods, guitar pedals, multitrack recorders, wood working tools, and a virtual NAS server running proxmox. Now guess the channels😅😅😊
i need a mic to record wind through overhead wires any ideas thanks .
Great voice❤
Found this video while looking to get started with some recording for upcoming projects I'll be doing. I notice its a few years old, do you have a more recent one related to these things? Or has your setup mostly stayed the same along with your opinions of the equipment?
One misunderstanding that you are not alone with is that small diaphragm microphones have a bad bass response per se. This ist characteristic for all gradient microphones If the Sound source ist far away. Omnidirectional small diaphragm microphones pick up bass absolutely realistisc down to really low frequencies. The large radius ist not necessary to record bass, only to create it.
Apart from that, great video, thanks!
Thank you for sharing this, that's help a lot.
I was looking for Lewitt LCT 040, but I heard many reviews saying that it is too noisy for recording quiet sounds accurately.
Is equivalent noise level is 20 dB(A). From your experience, this amout of self noise, wasn't an issue for recording quiet nature for exemple ? Would you advice another small diaphragm mics in order to have less noise ?
Hi David ,noise level i20 dB(A) thats the point!!! For recording quiet nature in my opinion this value is too high at the end of the day you will unfortunately record a lot of noise. in the post-processing you will only be able to remove this noise with difficulty or not at all from your recording, take a look at the clippy em 272 from microboost .I am very satisfied with that. Greetings😉✌
About pen mics, for field recording and sometimes in studio, what is better Lewitt or Rode M5?
Phone mics really depend on the phone from what I've heard. All these decades of cellphone development, and yet phone call audio quality has stayed pretty much the same since the 90s. I tried to find a way to adjust the preamp gain on my phone so it doesn't clip when I record my band, but couldn't find a way to do it.
Would you recommend the lewitt lct 040 pair for ambience recordings as well, let's say wildlife/forest ambiences e.g. in an ortf position?
I got some for field recording going into the zoom h4n pro. And wow! What a combo. For nature ambience they sound fantastic. I’m so pleased. Can’t recommend these mics highly enough.
@@intheblinkofmyeye7252 cool to hear that, how do you position them?
@@maksspiga1106 ortf. They come with a spacer and a manual with measurements for spacing.
@@intheblinkofmyeye7252 cool, I'm interested in getting either these ones or the rode nt5 as a matched pair, some time...
@@maksspiga1106 yeah, I think they are good mics. I’m only an amateur, so couldn’t justify the price. The lewitts are a bit cheaper.
The iphone does have a very crisp sound, almost sounds like it has a little OTT on it in a good way.
iPhones have nice mics for sure. I think it's the 'auto gain' functions most phones use that cause it. That said, it can give you some REALLY interest results when recording very quiet sounds.
I think there is one new product that is honestly essential for my sound design work now the $50 Primo EM258 Ultrasonic microphone capsule. It is an alternative to the Sanken cm-100k and it is honestly the best $50 I have ever spent because it sounds amazing even when pitched 3+ octaves down and it picks up frequencies up to 96k.
@@dr5290 mainly animals or humans imitating animals so I can pitch them down without a loss of punch and fidelity.
@@dr5290 recently I will record more sources with ultrasonic mics though like if you record rocks you can make them sound like a building falling so I record anything I want to sound bigger by size shifting(pitch shifting)
@@dr5290 yea I have always wondered why if few sources produce ultrasound why does this effect seem to work on just about everything but it could be just a perceived difference but I now have a Sanken 100k and I have tested extensively vs microphones that only go up to 20,000 hertz and it seems to be a pronounced difference in quality when pitching down even with sources that shouldn’t be producing ultrasound in the first place.
@@dr5290 I wish I could send you boom library’s sound recordings recorded on the Sanken for this purpose to test for yourself but it really seems to make a big difference
I'd like to record the audio from my headset. What mic do you recommend? Thanks
Hi Venus, I'm totally a newbie here, I've a condenser mic and I want to record nature sounds, like ocean waves and forest sounds, is it good enough? And what type of mics are best for recording nature relaxing sounds?
I’m in the process of setting up a music studio and upgrading my field recording gear! Where/how do you get work as a sound designer?
Did you use the Lewis or the Deity for the audio of the video?
Great informative video for Beginner like me. Thanks :) Does the contact mic require a field recorder with phantom power? I have an Zoom H2 with 1/8 mic in plug.
Yo! This contact mic doesn't require additional power, so you can just run it into the 1/8" input directly!
@@VenusTheory thanks :)
You probably dont have time to read all of the comments, but I need help finding the right microphone to record exhaust and intake sounds on cars. Ive used rode video micros but those seem to not be able to record such loud noises. Im also using a Zoom H1N
Thanks.
No problem!
But WHEN does Lewitt make an awesome shotgun mic!?!?
Thanks for the detailed video!!
Is there a USB powered cardioid condenser microphone good for listening to (via headphones obviously) weather ambience (birds, wind, rain, thunder etc) through a PC (not Mac)? It'd be connected via a 30ft USB 2.0 active repeating USB cable. Can anyone recommend an affordable (sub £80 GBP) mic that'd be suitable? Thank you.
I will save this timestamp (1:10) forever xDD
I'm convinced this is anthony fantano from an alternate timeline.
for h4n he went pretty quickly from high end quality audio to so-so built in mic. how can i trust this?
fabulous 😜
Great video! I have been wondering about something for a while: everyone seems to use zoom recorders, namely the H4N.
My question being: what does it offer that a more affordable option like the tascam DR40 (which I use) doesn't?
I'm talking relevant features for sampling/sound design recordings because I know the zoom does have a few extras but I don't think I have ever come across someone who actually uses them
It’s no upgrade to your rascal. The h5 and h6 tho have much better preamps with lower self noise. I wouldn’t consider the H4n at this point anymore.
@@apocryphal_man Thanks for clarifying! Not that I was considering the zoom anyway but I still don't get why barely anyone goes for the tascam
I am curious about the 040 match pair which have specified self noise level of 20db... and i was reccomended looking for mics that are lower than 14 or even 12db self noise. But cameron is saying they sound super clean? Looking to do field recording with my h4npro. Finding mics with that type of self noise seems to require some significant investment for 1 mic let alone 2.
I bursted out at "cool trash can"
What about Tbone SC 140 vs Lewit 040 and 140???
I love this channel
Then you'll love the Discord too ;)
Glad to hear it!
Im wanting to record sounds of 'crafting' cutting leather, fabric, a sewing machine.....thinking now a contact mic would be best. Still need a field recorder.....
Which/what microphone was used to record this video ??
I'm curious how you decided that any sort of sound design you made might be good enough to actually put up for sale when you were less experienced. I'm just starting my journey in field recording, foley, and sound design, and I have no clue how to go about deciding when my recordings and sounds might be of any use for those who may actually be in the market for sounds.
how is your sound design journey going?
@@Joesire Hi! The journey is going okay so far. Plenty of microphones and gear I’m looking at, but not a whole lot of exposure just yet. Life has gotten going and I haven’t recorded much or processed much in the past few months, but it definitely isn’t over. Thank you for asking! Hope your day/night is going well!
Would you recommomend the Lewitt small condenser mic´s for stereo recording outdoor (nature sounds)? Thank you.
Definitely! They're my primary field recording mics for stereo stuff.
For the same purpose which one is more recommendable Lewitt or Rode M5?
Do you have any recommendations for something in between using your smartphone and the H4n? If I have no intention of using external mics, and just want a self-contained field recorder, is there any significant difference between the recording quality of the H1n vs. the H4n?
I have Zoom H2n, and I am very happy with it.
I have the Zoom H4N and the only real drawback for me is the incredibly loud handling noise that mine creates. In other words if I hold it in my hand while using it and moves your fingers even slightly- even changing the pressure with which you are holding it- the plastic case transmits a lot of noise to the recording. It is very audible and it will be recorded. I would suggest if you use the H4N plan on using it mounted (not moving or being touched) in some capacity and not handheld or even on a clip or in a bag. I don't know if mine is defective but I honestly can't use it as a handheld recorder at all, it is really that noisy. I haven't used the H1N but if it's got less self handling noise it would probably be the way to go. Also I must mention my H4N is just a secondary backup recorder that I use as I have another primary recorder that I use for anything of quality that I want to record. The H4N would be decent enough but not great recording quality for a lot of applications.
How do you deal with mouth noise?
wow you say just about everything :D
I try to make things as thorough as I can haha. Drives me nuts when videos are just like 'it's really good' and move on.
Has anyone compared the Lewitt LCT 040s to Clippy EM272 XLR ? Curious how they compare. I'm leaning toward Clippys after hearing demos on "Time preservation society" channel; They seem to be a not-so-hidden gem of field recording; But I've also heard so many great things about Lewitt for years.
How would you compare the Deity Mic with a Senheiser MKE600?
I’ve used them both and I think the Deity S Mic 2 blows it away I love my Deity and I don’t see myself ever buying one of the $1,000 + shotgun microphones because it is so good. There are good comparison videos on RUclips to check out the sound yourself.
Heyo just noticed your intro pouring sound is cold liquid. Sounds different from the usual hot liquid sound of coffee
Whats that fuzzy thing called? I have a DR-40
That would be a windscreen/deadcat. You should be able to google around for a deadcat or windscreen for the DR-40 and find a few options!
The raw truth is that you do not need practically anything (and any mic) at all to get any sound you need; with enough efforts, time & play with any raw frequency, you can get any sound you could ever imagine; it would take a lot of time and work you say, and you are right; that's why we have many different effect processors which help us achieve what we want to achive; but it also makes us little bit lazy; I remember my early days of music making and I always come to that thought : how I was working with the sound when I had practically NO GEAR at all ! And you may not believe me, but I recorded my first vocals using some very basic headphones (which came together with my dad's walkman from the late 80s); yes, you hear me well, I simply took those headphones, plugged them to the MIC-IN and recorded my vocals from the other side, simply because I've had no microphone ! I purchased my first mic two years later; and everything I recorded back in those days was also used in many different ways like cutting, chopping, chaining, reversing, squeezing, halling on SoundBlaster; and many times I even found myself editing the very nods of the sound in CoolEdit, etc. How funny ...
Do you have any books you reccomend for sound design?
Unfortunately not really - sound design isn't a very well documented process. That said, in both my approach and with what I hear from a lot of my friends in the industry/my peers the biggest thing is just 'try stuff and see what happens'. You'll learn a lot by simply messing with things and seeing what they do. The happy accidents make the most interesting sounds.
For some really good ideas and 'starting points' I'd highly recommend watching some game/film sound design videos on RUclips or blogs like designingsound.org
Perhaps I'll make some videos though with some tips!
@@VenusTheory thanks Cameron! If you do happen to make videos on it, I'll be sure to check it out!
The Foley Grail - The Art of performing Sound for Film, Games and Animation (Vanessa Themes Ament)
This book teaches you how to master classic and cutting-edge Foley techniques in order to create rich and convincing sound for any medium, be it film, television, radio, podcasts, animation, or games.
Award-winning Foley artist Vanessa Theme Ament demonstrates how Foley is designed, crafted, and edited for any project, down to the nuts and bolts of spotting, cueing, and performing sounds. Various renowned sound artists provide a treasure trove of indispensable shortcuts, hot tips, and other valuable tricks of the trade.
The Sound Effects Bible (Ric Viers)
Designing Sound (Andy Farnell)
Something tells me that Zoom H4N isn't used on proper feature films, lol.
Super interesting and encouraging video, but, is it just me who wants to know which battery bank he's using?
Yo! No idea on the exact model or anything, I think I picked it up off the sale rack at Target or something years ago.
It's just a standard smartphone battery bank - with a USB to 5v adapter, you can power the H4n Pro for several hours.
@@VenusTheory Ah great, cheers! It felt like a bit of a dumb question, but wanted to be sure :-)
@@jamestelford4021 No dumb questions here!
Lmao that raid shadow legends bit
Finally, avoid cheap microphones. Like Behringer C2, the pair that I bought. Those mics gave me much higher noise compared to another small diaphragm condenser mic pair. They are cheap, but even that amount of money will be a lost investment. Maybe there are Behringer microphones that are good but I would rather stay with AKG, Senheiser, RODE and of course - Shure! These are the manufacturers that you usually cannot go wrong with.
ok so now I need to get those Lewitt LCT 240 I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (great video, thanks!)
Random question. What's your favorite coffee?
A day without Venus Theory is like... Just kidding I have no idea.
Promised my mom I'd put the sign she made me in a video haha
Kinda surprised there’s no omni in the lineup
Is this video still relevant? Or has sound tech expanded that much further?