Microphones 101 - The DSF production compendum

[deadly_habit]

they're mics, just not traditionally used ones. they're more for pickups and picking up vibrations

[tavravlavish]

What is the huge difference with using mics with 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch plugs? I have read that if it ain't XLR just forget about it. It had something to do with noise right?

[wirez]

yea seen that advertised, i wanna give it a test
if it's like their other mics it's quality

For sure man, Blue are the shiiiiiiit!

[tavravlavish]

What is the huge difference with using mics with 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch plugs? I have read that if it ain't XLR just forget about it. It had something to do with noise right?

question bump

[3za]

What is the huge difference with using mics with 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch plugs? I have read that if it ain't XLR just forget about it. It had something to do with noise right?

question bump

their are two types of jack plugs (im not talking audio/instrument cables like in that other thread) tip ring sleeve (TRS), and tip sleeve (TS)

TRS has 3 connections, and is a balanced (grounded) connection like a XLR.
TS only has 2 connections, and is unbalanced (ungrounded).

If you interface has TRS inputs, their will be no grounding issue. I am not sure in the difference in sound quality between XLR, and TRS connection, but I think it would be minimal.

[deadly_habit]

What is the huge difference with using mics with 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch plugs? I have read that if it ain't XLR just forget about it. It had something to do with noise right?

question bump

their are two types of jack plugs (im not talking audio/instrument cables like in that other thread) tip ring sleeve (TRS), and tip sleeve (TS)

TRS has 3 connections, and is a balanced (grounded) connection like a XLR.
TS only has 2 connections, and is unbalanced (ungrounded).

If you interface has TRS inputs, their will be no grounding issue. I am not sure in the difference in sound quality between XLR, and TRS connection, but I think it would be minimal.

bingo
as long as they're high quality cables the jack on the end shouldn't make a difference unless it's a balanced/unbalanced issue, but it should prolly be mentioned that with the smaller 1/8" jack they're probably using a thinner gauge of wiring

[tavravlavish]

Thank you! How do you tell if it is TS or TRS?

I have a bunch of really old mics that are all 1/4 or 1/8 inch plugs, that is basically why I am interested, and also it's probably just good to know in general. I have such I hard time understanding stuff like this and why it all matters. It is annoying because it all seems pretty important yet I don't know anything, and usually even if I read about technical stuff I still don't understand it or figure out quite why I should care.

ungrounded connections usually are pretty noisy right?

[deadly_habit]

ungrounded connections can be noisy, but is not always the case and there are often solutions like ground lifts for when there is noise

think you just gave me a beginners guide to cables for my blog since i posted up cable diagrams for making your own earlier this week
edit: nix that already done for me with a quick google http://www.tweakheadz.com/all_about_cables.htm

[nowaysj]

Whats up ladies, looking for a dynamic mic.

Just picked up an sp 404sx (sampler) and it's got a dynamic mic input. Am loving just sampling sounds directly into this sampler and getting to sound and beat fuckery. Really quick and fruitful way of working. Fun too, brozers.

I'm also expecting a zoom h4n from santa. I've written him a letter explaining that I've been a very good boy, and I would derive great enjoyment from its use. An elf I sell coke to revealed that Santa was receptive to the idea. So I'd like a mic that can plug into that as well, do some field recording.

So I'm thinking of a hypercarderoid for sound isolation reasons. I've got a very large highly reflective ceiling in my studio (aka my living room ) and some sound isolation would be great. Also out in the field I'd love to drill into sound sources. Don't get me started on shotguns, I'd love one, and if you want to give me one, I won't argue.

I was just gonna go 57 like all the other sheeple, but I'm afraid this whole mexico lower quality thing is becoming a reality. Also heard that the proximity effect on the 57 is pronounced... I'd like to use it for vocals occasionally, and so this presents a problem as I work with people with no microphone technique.

So looking for a tank, good sound quality, versatile, would love a hypercardorid, would do broader patterns though. I don't mind a hypie boost, so long as it is smooth. Oh yeah, in the 57 price range. I can get one for $85, plus a 10 buck rebate right now! That may be unbeatable...

Any ideas?

[deadly_habit]

audix i5

[nowaysj]

You think the i5 beats the 57 for my criteria, not just as an alternative?

[deadly_habit]

i prefer the tone on it for most stuff, but there are times i like the 57 too
go demo em out nukka

[nowaysj]

Which do you think has the most handling noise? I've read reviews by people, some say 57 has more handling noise, some say i5... for field recording, obviously, I'd like lower handling noise, no I will not be carrying around a boom.

Last time I went to gc and asked to try a mic out, they told me, no way bro, we don't do that. Which is a change, because back in the day, I probably spent an entire week trying out mics one time.

[deadly_habit]

that's when you say well i'll go spend my money somewhere that does or let me speak to a salesman that wants to make some commission, sounds like you just got a lazy fuck
far as handling noise it tends to vary by the user so can't really tell you definitively

[paravrais]

I'm always really wary about starting new threads so I thought I would revive this one instead.

Basically I'm hoping to buy myself a nice field recorder with the money I get for christmas so I can start making some higher quality samples out and about and start having all kinds of fun with recording any weird kinds of noises I come across. Problem is I really have no idea what sort of thing to buy. I looked through the production bible but this thread was the closest thing to advice on field recorders and everything in here is about cabled up mics for recording drums and vocals etc which is not what I'm after (I already have a decent but cheap shure mic for vocals). Figured if we can get some good advice here then it could maybe be added to the initial post and make this thread about field recording as well as home/studio set ups??

I'm looking at spending under 200 quid if possible and if I can get a bargain then that's all the better because really I want to be able to carry this thing with me to random places. What I'm saying is durability/portability are more important attributes to me than quality of recording but it does have to be significantly better than using the iphones built in mic XD

[3za]

I'm always really wary about starting new threads so I thought I would revive this one instead.

Basically I'm hoping to buy myself a nice field recorder with the money I get for christmas so I can start making some higher quality samples out and about and start having all kinds of fun with recording any weird kinds of noises I come across. Problem is I really have no idea what sort of thing to buy. I looked through the production bible but this thread was the closest thing to advice on field recorders and everything in here is about cabled up mics for recording drums and vocals etc which is not what I'm after (I already have a decent but cheap shure mic for vocals). Figured if we can get some good advice here then it could maybe be added to the initial post and make this thread about field recording as well as home/studio set ups??

I'm looking at spending under 200 quid if possible and if I can get a bargain then that's all the better because really I want to be able to carry this thing with me to random places. What I'm saying is durability/portability are more important attributes to me than quality of recording but it does have to be significantly better than using the iphones built in mic XD

Zoom H2 is a standard for this imo.

You might also want to take a look at binaural mics.

[paravrais]

That's exactly what I was after cheers dude XD well that was much simpler than I expected!

[Sharmaji]

Whats up ladies, looking for a dynamic mic.

Just picked up an sp 404sx (sampler) and it's got a dynamic mic input. Am loving just sampling sounds directly into this sampler and getting to sound and beat fuckery. Really quick and fruitful way of working. Fun too, brozers.

I'm also expecting a zoom h4n from santa. I've written him a letter explaining that I've been a very good boy, and I would derive great enjoyment from its use. An elf I sell coke to revealed that Santa was receptive to the idea. So I'd like a mic that can plug into that as well, do some field recording.

So I'm thinking of a hypercarderoid for sound isolation reasons. I've got a very large highly reflective ceiling in my studio (aka my living room ) and some sound isolation would be great. Also out in the field I'd love to drill into sound sources. Don't get me started on shotguns, I'd love one, and if you want to give me one, I won't argue.

I was just gonna go 57 like all the other sheeple, but I'm afraid this whole mexico lower quality thing is becoming a reality. Also heard that the proximity effect on the 57 is pronounced... I'd like to use it for vocals occasionally, and so this presents a problem as I work with people with no microphone technique.

So looking for a tank, good sound quality, versatile, would love a hypercardorid, would do broader patterns though. I don't mind a hypie boost, so long as it is smooth. Oh yeah, in the 57 price range. I can get one for $85, plus a 10 buck rebate right now! That may be unbeatable...

Any ideas?

the tighter the polar patten, then (usually) the more pronounced the proximity effect and the more oddball resonances you get. IE, a lot of hypercardiod mic's sound like you're looking down at the sound through a tube. totally fine if you're, say, multi-micing a kit and need a really specific snare drum sound that'll be blended w/ the sound from other sources, but when done in isolation-- i've never been pleased w/ really tight patterns.

the 57's great because it rarely sounds like shit; they really did a number on making it a thoroughly OK mic.

go to mercenary.com and order the transformer-modded 57. $150, reduced proximity, less of that supersharp sm57 1k bump, more open highs in general. great mic'.

[nowaysj]

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS ORDERING MY AUDIX?

HAHA! Oh well, live and learn. I might have a few cycles left on this planet to pick up the infamous 57!

For what it's worth, the audix sounds OK on voice, but it has a tendency to pop like a motherfuck, didn't see that coming. Granted I was using with an impedance mismatch cause I LOVE that SHIMMER, but I did back it off, and still popper.

[mks]

For what it's worth, the audix sounds OK on voice, but it has a tendency to pop like a motherfuck, didn't see that coming. Granted I was using with an impedance mismatch cause I LOVE that SHIMMER, but I did back it off, and still popper.

You got a pop filter man? Those i5's like the 57 don't have them built in like a 58, so using one with vocals should be the norm. I just use one of these cheap jobbies here, but effective in reducing plosives.