In article
27779659.973.1320240164827.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@yqce21,
wrote:
I would also add that some cheap electret mics are capable of
surprisingly good results.

They are indeed. Far better than even some expensive moving coil designs.

--
*Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away! *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article 27779659.973.1320240164827.JavaMail.geo-discussion-
forums@yqce21, scribeth thus
On Wednesday, September 28, 2011 1:30:26 PM UTC+1, Terry Pinnell wrote:


BUT, for making narratives for family DVDs I prefer a softer, more
intimate sound, and to achieve that I have to hold the mic. That then
produces a few distortions, which I gather are called pops or 'plosives.
So...I'm now looking for a slightly more expensive USB mic, one that is
*designed* to be held, and hopefully minimsing those 'pops'. Hence the
shortlist.


The plosives can be eliminated by speaking across the mic rather than into it.
Maybe invest in a mic stand and holder so that you don't have to pick it up and
hold it yourself. A boom stand is only a tenner from places like CPC or
Studiospares.

You need a Windgag by the sound of it;!...

You'll more often than not see them on the microphones interviewers use
outside..

http://www.canford.co.uk/Browse/4637


I would also add that some cheap electret mics are capable of surprisingly good
results. I use a mic from a Sun workstation for voice recording on my laptop
when I don't want to go to all the hassle of setting up something better.

Yes they can be excellent value for money...

James.

--
Tony Sayer

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
In article 27779659.973.1320240164827.JavaMail.geo-discussion-
forums@yqce21, scribeth thus
On Wednesday, September 28, 2011 1:30:26 PM UTC+1, Terry Pinnell wrote:


BUT, for making narratives for family DVDs I prefer a softer, more
intimate sound, and to achieve that I have to hold the mic. That then
produces a few distortions, which I gather are called pops or 'plosives.
So...I'm now looking for a slightly more expensive USB mic, one that is
*designed* to be held, and hopefully minimsing those 'pops'. Hence the
shortlist.


The plosives can be eliminated by speaking across the mic rather than into
it.
Maybe invest in a mic stand and holder so that you don't have to pick it
up and
hold it yourself. A boom stand is only a tenner from places like CPC or
Studiospares.

You need a Windgag by the sound of it;!...

You'll more often than not see them on the microphones interviewers use
outside..

http://www.canford.co.uk/Browse/4637


That is exactly what you don't need ! Windshields like the Rycote range (and
similar) are designed to reduce wind noise on outdoor recordings. You will
never see them used on studio microphones. That is because they tend to
colour the sound by affecting certain frequencies.

For studio use you need a pop shield. This allows you to speak (or sing)
relatively close to the microphone without breath pops affecting it. You can
get one from Canford http://www.canford.co.uk/Browse/21170 or there are many
cheaper varieties, e.g. Amazon, as mentioned in my earlier post. If you
don't have a very expensive microphone, there's little point getting a
Sennheiser or Beyer pop shield. Look on Ebay for cheaper options.

The microphone should be about 10-15 cm behind the pop shield. You should
then speak fairly close to it to get a good tight sound.

You should use a microphone stand, not hold the mic. The stand should
preferably be on the floor, rather than the table and have some sort of
shock-mount to help isolate the microphone from external vibrations. To
reduce room echo, you should set up facing a drape or a curtain.

All this will improve your quality a lot without going into any great
expense.

Vic.

"Terry Pinnell"

In fact quality isn't very good with any of these. It's either muddy and
too quiet or loud enough but spoiled by distortion at the start of some
words. So I just want to move up a bit in quality.


** You are barking up the wrong tree. Mics are not the problem - your
recording set up and technique is.

Making an effective voice over recording is non trivial - professionals
use specially built studios and a pile of audio signal processing to get the
results you hear on radio and TV.

At a minimum, you need a room that is acoustically dead so you can back off
from the mic by at least 30cm without hearing any room echo. Then fast and
slow acting limiters to keep the recorded signal down to a small dynamic
range. Some EQ and maybe a de-esser ( removes sibilance) are also standard
equipment.

Of course careful scripting, lotsa practice and a nice, clear, warm voice
are essential too.




..... Phil