Microphones

If you are looking for the best recording equipment for your home voice over studio, your microphone is a key piece.  Blue Microphones Baby Bottle Mic is an excellent choice.

Blue is great at what we call “industrial design.” They make great looking gear. The Baby Bottle is a classic example of borrowing from early German condenser mics. I use it on the set of Voice Over Body Shop as our guest mic. It shows off its versatility and great ability to deliver in VO format. Many engineers mention to me that they love my voice on the Baby Bottle! Its why I have one in my mic locker!

Baby Bottle SL is a cardioid condenser microphone that delivers a classic sound and unmatched versatility. With a warm, present midrange, smooth top end, and neutral bottom, Baby Bottle SL is not unlike any of world’s finest vintage microphones. Featuring a high-pass filter and -20dB pad, Baby Bottle SL excels at adding a rich, classic vibe to nearly any sound source.

It comes with a custom pop screen, A beautiful wood, padded case and shock mount.

With the best home studio set up, silence is golden! If your a VO mic! Meaning little self-noise. You know. That hissing sound in the background of your recordings. The CADE100S large diaphragm Supercardioid condenser microphone is lauded for its extremely low self-noise. At 3.7 dBA, it puts it in the same class of quiet mics as RODE, Sennheiser/Neumann and other premium manufactures. Plus it sounds as good as a mic in a higher price point with the smooth, vintage tone and robust low end CAD is known for. The bootstrapped, full differential Quadra-FET front end delivers high sensitivity and low distortion, plus CAD’s proprietary circuitry ensures the highest performance.

The nickel (not Gold) plated 1 inch capsule delivers a full rich vocal tone, accentuated by the extended low frequency response. It also features an 80Hz hi-pass filter and a 10dB pad. Very useful tools in marginal environments.

The CAD Equitek E100S will prove to be one of the most versatile tools in your microphone locker. It comes in a vintage wood grain cherry case. As with any studio condenser,   48V Phantom power is required.

The included, very unique, stealth shock mount is integrated into the mic. Not so great if you set up your mic upside down or on a boom, as its hard to modify it to rotate freely in all directions. I built a modification that allowed me to do this. Buts its not a biggie. Its still has what you need for the for the best home studio set up. I give this mic a hefty thumbs up!

Product Specs #1

Operating Principle – Condenser.

Polar Pattern – Supercardioid.

Frequency Response <40Hz – 18KHz.

Sensitivity -30dBV (28mV) @ 1Pa.

Impedance 150 ohms.

Max SPL 150dB (Pad engaged).

Self Noise 3.7dBA (best in class).

Hi-Pass 80Hz.

Attenuator 10dB.

Power Requirement P48.

Net Weight 22oz (610g).

I love this microphone! I’ve been using the Harlan Hogan VO-1A on the set of Voice Over Body Shop for over 3 years! It helps us show how this mic is perfect for VO. Harlan Hogan custom designed it with the people at MXL to make a VO only Studio Condenser mic and succeeded with making the perfect product at a great price point! At this price you can’t find a better mic built for what you do. Voice Over!

It comes with:

• Foam-lined travel case and fleece-lined protective storage pouch
• MXL quick mic clip & shock mount
• Fifteen foot Marshall XLR microphone cable
• 1 YEAR WARRANTY & 30 DAY ‘No Questions asked’ refund policy
• Gold sputtered diaphragm
• Wiring by Mogami®

Put this one straight into your VO booth! You’ll see (Hear) why its a great value!

A VO microphone that delivers! The sE Electronics sE2200 studio condenser microphone has been a popular choice by many voice artists over the past 10 years. I’ve seen it at trade shows, read lots of reviews and yet never had the chance to try one in my own studio.

It was fairly easy to set-up with the twist tight shock mount which also has a clip for the included “Pop” filter. 

A versatile VO Microphone

Multi-pattern microphones do have a lot to offer.  A cardioid pattern makes it a go-to for vocal and instrument use in the studio. Why compromise on quality or increase the price with pattern switching when all you want and need is the simplicity of a cardioid pickup pattern. This is what you get with the sE2200: Excellent side and rear rejection to cut down on room reflections and a present noise floor from other hardware, with clear audio capture in front 

Over-all Impression: A high end VO microphone for great price

As well as creating a large diaphragm microphone perfect for voice over that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, sE has included several little touches to ensure it can work in a range of situations. Firstly, a -10 or -20 dB attenuation switch allows you to pull back the gain for high SPL signals, capturing even the loudest of voices with excellent clarity. There is also a high pass filter with two different roll-off points to take care of low frequency rumble. This is further addressed with the included shock mount and pop filter, making this an ideal combination for any home studio or professional setup looking for another microphone flavor. When it comes to the quality of this microphone’s performance, the sE2200 can stand up to a range of higher priced microphones and deliver results over and over. 

Summary

A great, professional sounding mic for voice over, at a great price! When you consider the price of this model, it would be hard to consider any microphone collection not having an sE2200. You could do a lot worse if you wanted to stand with just one microphone in your kit, but you should certainly consider having an sE2200 in there for variety of tone and additional signal source offerings even when more expensive microphones are in use. In all, there’s a reason why this microphone has remained so popular over recent years.

Specifications

Microphone Type:              Condenser

Polar Pattern:                       Cardioid

Diaphragm Size:                 1” 25.4mm

Frequency Range:              20Hz-20kHz

Max SPL:                                125dB SPL, 145dB (with pad)

Output Impedance:            50 ohms

Signal to Noise Ratio:        82dB (A weighted)

Self Noise :                            12dB

Low Cut Filter:                    80Hz, 160Hz 6dB

Pads:                                       -10dB, -20dB

Color:                                      Black

Connector:                            XLR

Power Source:                    48V phantom power

Included Accessories        Shock mount

Roswell Pro Audio is a boutique microphone company based in the wine country of northern California.These guys know what they’re doing! Roswell boasts of “microphones that provide a distinctive sound, and a level of performance normally associated with far more expensive devices.”  Can’t argue with that. Super quality craftsmanship and the cleanest sound I’ve heard on any microphones at an even higher price point.

A great Mic For Voice Over

The  K47 Microphone is the most affordable K47-based condenser microphone on the market, capturing the tone of a vintage microphone, with modern performance specifications.. The “K47” refers to the capsule design. The capsule in this microphone is modeled after the one in the Neumann’s U47. It provides a full, balanced tone without any harshness or hype in the upper frequencies. It will record less sibilance and fewer mouth sounds on your next vocal track. It will add weight and body to high strings. It will reduce the jangle in strummed acoustic tracks. For this microphone, Roswell chose a very clean and transparent circuit design. It lets the sound of the capsule pass through without alteration. Self-noise and distortion performance are on par with microphones costing significantly more. They’ve applied the best tricks they’ve learned from modifying and upgrading other companies’ products. To ensure that every Mini K47 microphone delivers superior performance out of the box, Roswell tests them extensively prior to shipping: for polarity, noise, frequency response, and sensitivity.

Roswell’s Mini K47 Microphone differs extensively in its components, its performance, and its sound. The most significant difference is in the capsule. The Roswell Mini K47 Microphone — as its name states — uses a true 34mm K47 type capsule, modeled after the capsule in the most famous microphone of all time. Roswell selected this capsule because it delivers a beautiful midrange detail with a neutral top end. The Mini K47’s individually biased JFET circuit provides a much lower input capacitance, and ensures the highest possible gain without distortion. The Mini K47 also uses a polystyrene capacitor, since they are generally considered to be the most neutrally voiced, cleanest sounding capacitors. The main signal capacitors in this circuit are polypropylene film types, imported from Germany. This combination of components delivers a sonic profile that is much more musical and balanced than anything in its price category.

Summary

The Roswell Mini K47 Microphone is the definition of a workhorse. It’s honest, yet energetic nature provides quality recordings of any sound source. It may be a small mic, but it packs a lot of versatility – making it a valuable asset in any home voice over studio.

Roswell Mini K47 Microphone Features

• Large K47 style capsule with gold-plated membrane

• Cardioid polar pattern

• True single-backplate 34mm K47 style capsule

• 3-micron diaphragm for enhanced articulation

• Ultra-clean, low-distortion transformerless circuit

• Imported, audiophile-grade capacitors

• High sensitivity

• Low self-noise

• Modern performance with vintage tone

• Low-noise transformerless circuitry

• Ultra-clean signal path (no switches)

• Specially selected, audiophile-grade components

• Durable, heavy solid brass body

• Supply voltage: +48 VDC Phantom Power

• Output connector: XLR3M

• Output: Electronically balanced (transformerless)

• Physical dimensions: 150mm A – 44mm; 325g (mic only)

 

 

sE Electronics sE4400 Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone

Manufacturer:   sE Electronics

Review Date: 3/16/2018

MSRP: $499

Rating:

 

Over-all Impression: You might think its an AKG 414, but its not, and, it sounds just as good, as well as having all the same features of 414!

Home Studio Master Overview

At around $499, with the sE Electronics sE 4400a, you get what you pay for and more!

The sE 4400 is certainly stacked with lots of options. Unlike the 2200a, the 4400a has not one, but two capsules, which allows for a variety of pick up patterns. Cardioid, Hyper-cardioid, Figure of 8 and Omni are all available from the switches on the microphone’s body, which means that this mic has the ability to recording pretty much anything you want. Voice Over, a concerto and a two sided interview.

It also has two bass roll-off options at either 60Hz or 120Hz, while there are also two pad options for automatic gain reduction at 10 and 20dB respectively.

The mic capsule itself has twin diaphragms that are a full one-inch in size. All of these functions are built into the recognizable flat-design which suggests the classic and venerable AKG 414. All of which makes it rather a surprise that the 4400a is so small. Could this little microphone, despite its feature-packed body, possibly deliver a big sound? It sure does

Mic Sound For Voice Over

The sound of sE mics is hard to define.The best way is to say it’s transparent and natural, and I can say is that the 4400a delivers on sE’s tradition beautifully. It doesn’t unnaturally color voice over recordings, but the sound is clear and tight and does what vocal recordings really need to do – leave you with a result that will respond well to any EQ and compression treatment  the engineers at the other end will appreciate.

Summary

If you’re searching for a single microphone to carry out all of your recording tasks, the 4400a is definitely more than up to the job.

sE’s reputation will be further enhanced with this model and deservedly so, for here is a multi-function mic which performs fabulously without a lot of configuring.

https://www.amazon.com/SE-Electronics-sE-sE4400a-Single/dp/B001ECBU2A/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1523232917&sr=1-1&keywords=sE+Electronics+sE4400a

 Specifications

Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz

Sensitivity: 14.1mv/pa-34 ± 1dB

Polar Pattern: Cardioid, Figure 8, Omni, Super-Cardioid

Impedance: ≤ 50 Ohms

Equivalent Noise Level: 17dB(A weighted)

Max SPL for 0.5% THD@1000Hz: 130dB

Power Requirement: Phantom power 48V±4V

Connector: 3-pin