And what a difference making sure that you are using the right one can make.
In my profession I spend most of my time in recording studios, lots of them, and I have worked with many types of microphones over the years. And I can tell you that there is nothing more frustrating than working with a wonderful voice actor that you know is capable of giving you just the sound texture for the performance that you want – but not having a microphone that is up to the task. Or listening to a brilliant voice demo that would be absolutely perfect if only…..the actor had just used the right microphone for their vocal quality.
So let me audio geek out here for a moment if you will with a basic primer on the subject:
First of all, let’s talk about background walla. If you are doing any kind of crowd walla for a given scene, (aka “looping” or “sweetening” in our biz), it is often a good idea to use a shotgun microphone, even if you have mics more suited to capturing a wide range of vocals in your studio. This is because shotgun mics are most often the mic of choice on set, so using this same type of mic for your loop group session will help you to match your sound as closely as possible to the rest of the audio for the series or film.
For animation, one of the most popular and frequently used microphones is the Neumann U-87, mainly because it has a high SPL – sound pressure level. This means that it is less likely to distort and so it is very good for recording performances that are going to involve a large dynamic range, (= really big and varied performance levels from soft to loud for the laymen out there), which animated voiceover performances usually have. (At least the good ones, in my opinion!) Apparently the Neumann is also the mic of choice for many different types of productions as the U-87 Ai was just voted the “THE BEST” at the 2012 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California.
That being said, U-87’s ain’t cheap. Often a studio will have a handful of them, but not 6 or 8. So what do you do when you want to record an ensemble cast of 7 or even 10 actors for example? Well, there are a lot of people who think that the Sony C-48 is great match to a U-87, but with about half the price tag. Sometimes you will see the mics mixed and matched in an ensemble record and the thing to do then is just to do a sound check to make sure that the difference is indistinguishable (at the very least once the show is mixed with all the underscore and sound effects added). Then make sure that your actor with the biggest dynamic range (often the villain) gets a U-87, and you are away to the races.
I have also had great success in the past few years recording for animation on Studio Project’s C-1 microphones. They give a wonderful crisp and warm sound if paired with a good pre-amp.
But what to do if you are not blowing up the dynamic range charts, and instead want to opt for an intimate, softer, more radio commercial type read for engagement rings or diapers or lost puppies etc.? This is the time to look to a ribbon mic. Royer makes some industry favorites. They are much more sensitive and can pick up all those warm sparkly timbres or what I like to call “melted butter being poured over brown sugar” tones.
And for all you small business freelancers out there…. what if you are a voice actor who wants to start up a home studio, or you are a sound recordist who wants to record it all – voiceovers, singers, musicians, sound effects, everything – but can only afford one mic starting out? Simple. Get yourself a dynamic microphone. The award for the Best Time Tested All-Rounder has got to be the good old Shure SM-57.
Trust me – you know it this microphone. If you’ve ever seen a live band, been to a wedding with an MC, or sung karaoke, chances are the mic that was being used was an SM-57. Because they are reliable, affordable, and they can record anything. Those feedback loops and squeals that often come with these situations are not the fault of the poor SM-57; rather of the poor, usually inexperienced schmuck who has been tasked with running the sound board that evening. N.B. Some people opt also for the Shure SM-58, as it has a great pop shield ball for vocals that can help with those Pesky Plosives. (Say that five times fast and you will see why this is a helpful added feature!)
As for me, what would be my microphone of choice if I had the luxury of choosing? Hands down, the new Neumann 102. I had the opportunity to work with one a few times over this past year and it absolutely blew me away. It was like an eardrum massage for my overworked studio ears. {sigh}
And now for my final thoughts on the subject. For most people who don’t make a living from having dog ears, they would probably say that the differences between these types of microphones won’t make a huge difference to their listening pleasure. But I think that the average audience member responds to audio quality and makes a judgement about it, whether it be on a conscious or subconscious level, (and I’m not just talking your brother-in-law with the awesome home entertainment system with 5:1 surround sound). And I think judgement is basically whether or not they think that what they are viewing or listening to was a low-budget or high-budget production. Why bother taking that risk when it could be so simply rectified by starting with the right microphone to begin with? As overall production budgets go, it’s a low budget investment that gives you bang-for-your-buck returns back in spades. And for those of us in the industry, it can make all the difference between turning something “passable” into “PRO”.
Happy recording everyone!