Microphone recs for spoken word

[indieninja92]

Hello all,

First things first, I'm still pretty green with audio recording things so please don't worry about talking down to me or mentioning something that seems obvious to you, I promise I won't be offended!

I'm applying for a microgrant for podcasters and am hoping to get a bit of money to upgrade my microphone. I'm currently using a SubZero SZC-400 that cost about £60 (I got it in a bundle with some other stuff) and it's... fine.

Here is a clip of my podcast unedited: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsIPtQ74lp92jpwthJ4u5grG5uFnxg?e=Bx3h4n

While here is the best I can make of it, with my limited editing skills: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsIPtQ74lp92jpwuHeG-fdqS3ts4aA?e=KAM7oF

This is, noise reduction, both high and low pass limiters, and normalised up to about 3.4dB. (As an aside, if you read that and are immediately like, "Oh well if you did XYZ it would improve things no end," feel free to let me know!)

One of my issues is that I live in a super noisy house - it's a terrace basically made of cardboard and while I do my best, recording in a wardrobe full of blankets etc, it still picks up everything from cars two streets away to the neighbour's conversations. (I'm not kidding about these cardboard walls - lockdown's been great craic...!) Is there anything that can be done about that mic-wise? I saw some people use directional mics rather than condenser ones, but I'm not super clear on the difference or if that would suit.

I also find I get a fair bit of mouth noise, though I do my best with warming up properly and keeping hydrated etc. Again, is that something some different equipment can help with, or just something I have to work around? Luckily it's a scripted fiction podcast and the episodes are only 10-15 mins long, so editing out a few clicks isn't too much of a hassle, but obviously I'd prefer not to.

I'm looking to ask for c.£100-200 for a new mic in my grant application, so recommendations in that ballpark would be appreciated.

And if there's any other equipment you think would be worth getting, please let me know. If it's relevant, I'm currently using a SubZero AI2 USB Audio Interface and Marshall Major III headphones.

Thanks so much for your help! And, since I'm here, if an agony aunt for monsters seems up your street, you can listen to the podcast at http://www.monstrousagonies.co.uk

[Hugh Robjohns]

What you have now is already delivering much better quality than many Podcasts I've heard, and I'm not convinced that the very modest (mic) budget you're suggesting would really make a significant or worthwhile improvement.

Mouth noise is obviously caused largely by the way you speak, and a good voice-coach can help you to learn how to minimise it... but it can also be emphasised by having the mic too close and directly in front of the lips. Moving the mic to the side rather than directly in front for, better still, up to forehead level looking down towards the mouth can often make a very big improvement. As can moving it further away... although that will also reduce the signal-noise ratio and pick up a greater proportion of external noise compared to the wanted voice... and that sounds like it might be a problem in your location.

I can hear that you're recording in a wardrobe. It has a slightly boxy sound character that comes from having a well-damped HF and MF, but a less well controlled LF (although there may also be some proximity boost going on too)... A gentle small EQ cut in the lower mid range might help to reduce that and give a slightly more natural sound, but what you currently have isn't bad by any means.

Given the issues you have with external noise, I wonder if a mic designed for lose work -- like the Shure SM7B might be a more practical option. It's more than your budget -- around £350 -- but it is beloved of radio DJs and you can get right on top of it which will maximimse the voice-to-background-noise ratio. Being a dynamic, it's also a little smoother sounding and doesn't emphasise lip-smacks like cheap capacitors mics do, so it could help with your mouth noises too.

The downside, though, is that it has a relatively low output level which can challenge mic preamps of limited gain. Most people get around that by using an inline gain-boosting unit like a FetHead or Cloudbuster.

...but to be honest, I'd save your money and keep doing what you're doing. It sounds perfectly acceptable to me.

[James Perrett]

Sound quality wise, I've heard far worse and Hugh has pretty much covered the issues apart from one. On your sound samples and your podcast I'm hearing everything coming out of the left channel and nothing in the right. It looks like it might be an issue with the web player when it plays mono files so it might be worth checking to see if it happens to everyone or just certain listeners.

[indieninja92]

Gosh, OK, thank you!

Hugh - the budget is sort of flexible, since it's a grant application. They accept applications for £250, £500 or £1000, and I don't feel like at this stage I need £1000 so was aiming to keep it modest at £500, using roughly half for a new laptop and half for a new mic, with a little left for some ad spots on other small pods. But if you think the quality is OK, perhaps I will rethink things.

James - thanks for the heads up! I haven't heard this from other people but I'll ask around and see what the craic is.

[Mike Stranks]

The SM7B is the 'go to' in these situations - or the Electrovoice RE models.

But the Rode Procaster may be worth checking out... I used one in days of yore and was very happy with it.

Used by the BBC QI 'Elves' for their broadcasts/podcasts...

[Drew Stephenson]

Not sure if anyone's had chance to listen to the SM7B's baby brother yet? https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Li ... Black/3L0F

[Mike Stranks]

Not sure if anyone's had chance to listen to the SM7B's baby brother yet? https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Li ... Black/3L0F

Review from two 'trusted sources' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhFCsL7bq6Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlT0yBOqhVY

Obviously this is YouTube audio, but both these guys know what they're about and (name-drop!) Curtis and I are on first-name terms...

[Drew Stephenson]

Thanks Mike