Isn't a Mic a Mic?_004
Deciding on which microphone to use for the Remaining Mark Podcast
Hi there!
Seems I forget a greeting in the last one—still unclear as to how I should be structuring these bits, maybe someone can comment and help me out. Anyway, moving swiftly onwards…
In the last post (Piece by Piece_003) I briefly highlighted that I was using my work microphone, the Audio-Technica AT2020 in my original setup, but had a different one up my sleeve.
After following many podcasts online for the better part of the last few years, I’ve found that there is a staple microphone in use, and so, to be safe, I thought I would follow suit.
31 December 2023, 11:00
I’m excited!
I placed the order on the Shure SM7B this morning and yeah it wasn’t cheap, setting me back €389, but it’s the first proper microphone I’ve bought for myself. I look forward to putting it to good use, recording my voiceovers, sound effects, work stuff too and just generally putting my Music Technology skills to good use… it’s been too long!
Genuine excitement to get this project up off the ground and with the first real microphone I’ve bought for myself; I’m setting the bar high!
Some of you might be wondering though what the point in the change in microphone is, and that’s two-fold. The first being, it belongs to me, and the second being that a condenser microphone would be too sensitive for the reflective environment that is my rented and mostly unacoustically treated flat. Since I cannot drill into the walls, nor properly create a dead or control room, I have to be strategic about what microphones I choose to use.
The SM7B is a dynamic mic, meaning it doesn’t require 48V phantom power and while is sensitive for the most part, is a bit less so for the nuances that are considered a pain for audio engineers. I am of course referring to a few things that most people wouldn’t even think of… the air conditioner, ventilation, static in the long cables, rumbles on the floor and any other useless sound you can think of. Condenser microphones pick all of them up.
And that’s fine when you have a control room and proper studio because you can deaden it out. But not in a reflective flat where neighbours are unpredictable and so forth.
In the next few posts I will explain more about my choices and some of the issues I ran into when setting up my SM7B with the preamp and digital audio workstation.
~M.