Voice-over / Podcast Recording Studio Tips

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If you are setting up a studio and want to contact me for advice or suggestions, please do and I'll try to advise - but please read these pages before you do! Previous interesting questions and answers are on page 3 of this article.

I record voice-overs for all manner of things - radio, TV, phone lines, websites, store announcements, etc. and along the way I learn a lot about what equipment is useful and what is superfluous to requirements. The following rambling diatribe is a description of the equipment I use and techniques I have learned. I do not claim to be an expert, which is why I'm not selling you a book! I do, however, like value for money and so the equipment I buy will not break the bank.

I only record voice-overs, but the information and equipment suggestions on these pages would also be valuable to those who record podcasts, audio books, and also community radio stations, RSLs, AM talk stations, and more.

Microphones

For a long time I had three main microphones - an AKG C414 B-ULS, an Electrovoice RE20 (now sold) and an Audio Technica ATM31a. I've been a bit of a microphone collector since I was young, but these were the ones I aquired specifically for voice work. I had a great plan to use an AKG D202 with my Studer A807 tape recorder to get an authentic 'vintage' sound, but that's another story!

Electrovoice RE20

For a while I used the Electrovoice RE20. I bought it because so many radio studios in the US had them, and a few VO artists I'd spoken to here in the UK had them too. I had one shipped over from New York and was quite surprised at how heavy it was (it is a dynamic rather than a condenser so its weight was justified). It is also highly directional, virtually blocking all sound that is off-axis. I've seen travel reporters on US radio stations speak into the side of an RE20 which reduces a lot of the high frequencies to make them sound like they are wearing a headset in a helicopter! Sadly, I really couldn't get a nice sound out of the RE20. I used a Mackie mixer which didn't seem to 'match' it - perhaps being too clinical in its accurate depiction of the dynamic mic's sound. Don't get me wrong - a lot of peoples' voices (and equipment) work really well with RE20s, but mine didn't.

It was pretty hard to make it pop even when touching the mic. Proximity effect is almost zero because the many side ports vent away the air pressure. In the end I sold it to an ex-Capital newsreader and ITV VO for his home podcasting studio who prefered the RE20 over other mics as his voice 'cut through' more, which just goes to show how people prefer microphones for their own voice over others. Paul McCartney always seems to use the same mics since the 1970s when he records albums. And it's not like he can't afford the most expensive mic in the world - he just prefers that one. Strangely, the RE20 is most often used in two very different applications - voice and saxaphone! I have read that the RE20 sounds a lot like the Sennheiser MD421 which is another dynamic. Before the RE20 came along, most US radio stations had MD421s, and I know that Rick Dees prefered an MD421 in his studio at KIIS FM. The stations switched to RE20s because they looked 'sexier' and bigger. But according to broadcasters who've used both, you can get more 'balls' with an MD421 because of the proximity effect, having no side-vents.

American readers can get an RE20 for $399.00 from Musician's Friend

AKG C414

My AKG C414 B ULS opened my eyes as to what a great mic can pick up. If you have poor acoustics or have no plans to acoustically treat the room you'll be recording your voice in, you shouldn't get a great sensitive mic like this - you will hear your room very easily - not only heating pipes / outside / neighbours, but the acoustics of the room as your voice bounces off walls will be picked up by the mic. Although the C414 isn't specifically a voice-over mic, I had worked with them in the BBC's radio studios in the basement at Broadcasting House and found them to be very versatile with the switchable polar patterns (cardioid, hyper-cardioid, figure of eight and omni), bass roll off and attentuation and flat frequency response. I've only ever seen them in one or two other radio studios. I think one of them was Ireland's 2FM. It came with a suspension mount, windshield and case (this AKG C414 B-ULS version has been superceeded by the 'digital' version, but many people prefer this previous model). You do need the supplied suspension mount as it will pick-up low frequency rumbles if put in a normal stand clip. Proximity effect is noticable - you need to be a fair distance away from the mic to achieve a more 'natural' sound. I mostly had it in hypercardioid mode but switching to other patterns is easy to do and rather interesting to hear the difference. Frequency response is as flat as they come, hence it being widely considered a 'reference' mic. I eventually sold mine to a TV station in London for their continuity announcer studio.

An aside... Popper stoppers are only required for voice-actors and broadcasters (but mostly singers) who are not practiced enough in controlling their plosive sounds (notably 'b's and 'p's) whose 'explosions' of air pressure overload the microphone's diaphragm, ruining a recording. They are also used to keep talent the correct distance away from the mic so they don't get too close to it. Windshields tend to 'muddy' the sound by filtering out a lot of the high frequency sounds condensers can pick up. If you do get a popper stopper, get one with two layers of material. One layer does not work at all.

Audio Technica ATM31a

The ATM31a - what a mic! I purchased one of these years before I was doing voice work, when I was starting out in radio, and eventually began using it as a general purpose mic (with a windsheild for outdoors) which gave a perfect sonic quality for vox pops - much richer and fuller than reporter's omnidirectional mics. It's a studio condenser mic that can be phantom powered or use power from an internal AA battery if no phantom is available. It's not quite as full sounding as the C414, but its diaphragm is about 1/4 the size and it cost around 6 times less, so this is to be expected. Audio Technica in the UK were very helpful when supplying this mic. I really can't praise this microphone enough - I think it's a cracker. Sadly, it was discontinued by Audio Technia in 2006.

Audio Technica AT2020

More recently I bought another Audio Technica mic - the AT2020. Only £70, it's made in China and has a 16mm diaphragm. It pops much less than the C414 because the grille is more heavy duty and thick woven. With AT's thick foam windshield you could virtually lip-mic with it. It comes with a metal stand mount (not suspension) and a storage pouch. It would be a viable and more cosmetically pleasing side-address alternative to RE20s in American radio stations (and a LOT cheaper). I find the mic technique and sonic quality of American radio presenters quite poor in comparison to UK ones, mainly because the majority of UK stations use large diaphragm condensers and American stations use RE20s or other dynamics that are limited to buggery. But lots still use tape carts! Anyway, and to be honest, the reason I bought the AT2020 was to be permanently on my desk for using Skype and voice recognition software! However, this mic stands up very well to other mics - it even gives the C414 a very good run for its money, even though it is the same price as a good dynamic. This is currently my favourite microphone which I now use for most voice-overs.

American readers can get an AT2020 for $99.00 on Musician's Friend
OR an AT2020 with USB connector - ideal for podcasts - for $149!

Oktava MK319

The Russian-made Oktava MK319 is an alternative to the increasing number of cheaper Far Eastern-made condenser microphones - yet is very competitively priced and excels in build quality. It has a very wide cardioid pick-up (it's almost omni, really). It comes with Russian instructions, and the online shop from which I purchased it put the price up by £20 the day after I'd ordered, then stopped selling them altogether - maybe I got the last one in the country. It seems very well made and sturdy, with reed switches for a long switch life but no shockmount (like the AT2020, presumably to keep cost down). I've heard that the quality of the transformer is far superior to the far eastern made mics in this price range. It looks nice too, with a slightly 1970s recording studio look to it. Americans aren't too keen on these, but there seems to have been an issue with a 'duff batch' that a chain of guitar stores bought up at a knock-down price which has given them a bad name - customers weren't aware that they were seconds when they bought them and assumed all MK319s are like that. Apparently these mics the same internals as the MK219 but in a different body which is acoustically less 'boxy'. Now discontinued.

Shure SM57

The Shure SM57 with the huge A81WS windsheild (which cost nearly half as much as the mic itself!) surprised me (photo below right). It is not and has never purported to be a voice-over mic. Yes - you see them on the US President's podium, but this is more for their ruggedness than anything else. It is officially a mic for snare and other instruments, and is essentially an SM58 (the classic vocal mic) with a different head and slightly different response. The SM57 has a very different and noticable tone to that of the more 'clinical' condenser mics above. I have to say I bought my SM57 more for fun than serious voice work. It will pop a lot without a windshield. Highly directional - it rejects sound from virtually everywhere except the front. There is a well known modification which involves putting the mic body in boiling water to melt the epoxy glue that secures the output transformer inside so that it can be removed which makes the mic sound more like the SM7 (promoted by Shure as a radio / announcer / voice-over mic - see below) but with 10db lower output (= more noise). I have been informed that the SM48 is actually a transformerless version of the SM57 with more distinct highs, so that modification isn't really necessary. My grand plan was to use an AKG SO40 plug-in radio mic attachment with an SR40 receiver to create an SM57 radio mic...but maybe another time (I'm not sure how much noise floor it would add). The large windshield has a sort of scouring pad material inside it, presumably to give it better structure than if it were all foam. It's a mid-grey rather than black, fits the SM57 snugly, and eliminates all popping, however hard I try. It's also nice to know in the specs that it is suitable for use when the wind is over 15 mph (which is rare in my studio unless I've had a particularly fiesty madras). You sometimes to see them on 1970s/80s rock concerts as the main vocal mics. They have a different sound to the SM58 because they don't have the ball-type grill - this means extended response in both low and high end. Don't get me wrong - it's not a condenser, but in blind tests, many people prefer the SM57 to Neumann U87s!

I sometimes use the SM57 as my main voice-over mic for non-broadcast recordings (i.e. phone greetings, store announcements, etc.). I never thought I would - I feel I'm almost going back a step with my microphone arsenal, and I know audio pros may be shaking their head, but I really like using it. The windsheild helps - I cannot pop it, it sounds nice and warm, I don't have to bother with acoustic treatment for these recordings, and I don't feel I have to molly-coddle it like the C414 so as not to damage it. The thing is, ever since I've started using it, I've been receiving compliments for every voice job I've done - which never happened nearly as much when I was using condenser mics. It hasn't got the top-end response of condensers, but us humans can only hear so high, after all. I do use it without windsheild more these days, and the recordings have a crisper high end because of this.

If you are just starting off, I would recommend the SM57 as a first purchase. You may find you still have it in your studio when you become a pro!

American readers can get an SM57 for $99.00 on Musician's Friend

SM57 with smaller, more 'standard' windsheild

Shure SM7B

A visitor to this website sent an interesting email regarding the Shure SM7B (pictured left) - a voice microphone seen in radio studios. I knew they were dynamic and expensive here in the UK, but the visitor informed me they were a lot less in the US. I thought that if it was as good as the SM57 and specifically designed for studio voice work (rather than instruments like the SM57), I'd give it a go because it would be more appropriate for the work I do - in theory it would perform better. It has bass roll-off and presense peak switches, and its frequency range goes all the way up to 20,000Hz, but it's not a smooth frequency response graph and looks a lot like the SM57's. The pick-up zone seems larger than the SM57. It comes with two windsheilds - the slender one which is the same girth as the mic body itself, and a larger one which is fatter but makes it un-poppable. I suppose in many ways the SM7B is a modern version of the SM5B (pictured right) which was discontinued in 1986 yet still in active use in certain American radio stations.

My verdict: ...I think the SM7B and SM57 are very similar. There is little audible difference between the two mics which would make me think that one is over 6 times the price of the other. The SM7B seems to have slightly more bass and more high ends, but only if you really concentrate can you hear the difference (it's not like the difference between an RE20 and a C414 - it is hard to hear the difference between these two Shure mics).
This from Shure themselves: "The SM7, the SM57, and the SM58 are all based on the Unidyne III capsule design. The SM7 capsule is not identical to the SM57 or SM58, but it is similar."

I actually found the SM57 gave a superior, crisper sound to the SM7B.

I sold my SM7B to a music producer in London. As an aside, a Shure SM7 was used for Michael Jackson's vocals on his Thriller album, and on Red Hot Chili Peppers albums.

American readers can get a Shure SM7B for $349.00 from Musician's Friend
UK readers - Buy a brand new Shure SM7B for £375.00 ex. VAT.

Electrovoice CO4

I notice Electrovoice's CO4 has a similar look and purpose to the SM57, with a response that goes up to 18kHz. At less than half the price of the SM57, it may be worth trying (although no frequency response graphs are available).

Shure Beta 57A

So, the SM57 is a good microphone for non-critical voice work (i.e. non-broadcast). With some EQing, the sound is warm and flattering, and highly directional (= no room noise). The Shure Beta 57A is the 'new and improved' version of the SM57. It has more of a sturdy grille and a smoother frequency response with an extended high. I bought one but didn't find it particularly inspiring after some tests so sold it.

Shure Beta 87A

The Shure Beta 87A (below) is a condenser mic with a supercardioid pattern and a wide frequency range. I bought one and it has a nice sound, but I don't use it as much as other mics.

Shure SM81

I also bought a Shure SM81. With another A81WS windsheild, I use this as my main mic at the moment. I find it crisp and clear, with less proximity effect compared to large condensers. It is also more directional. It is very long! I also use it with the A81G, which is a plastic grille. In this 'format' it was how Brian Cobby's voice was recorded for the speaking clock in 1985.

SM81 with the A81G (which IS plastic, no matter what all the websites telling you say it's made from!)

'Naked' SM81. Ooooh!

You can see 2 x SM81s with A81WS windsheilds as guest mics in the photo at the right. I queried this with Shure, as they've not really been promoted as speech mics.

Shure said, "You are right, SM81 is not highlighted for voice-overs in our catalog. As a general statement: small condenser microphones produce an accurate recording, i.e. the recording will not sound 'warm' and 'full' like recording with large condenser microphones or with a special radio microphone like the SM7, specially designed to give a very 'warm' sound.
If you use the PG81 for voice-over recording you might have to use the EQ in your mixing desk to 'warm' up the sound, i.e. using a microphone which is recommended for a specific application makes life much easier."

However, when I re-read the catalogue from 1994, in a mic selection guide table recommends the SM7 as the "premium mic for VO / announce (dynamic) but the premium mic for VO / announce (condenser) is the SM81". I suppose this was before they started the KSM large diaphragm series, but still...!

American readers can get a Shure SM81 for $349.00 from Musician's Friend
Buy a brand new Shure SM81 for £319.50 ex. VAT.

Sennheiser MD431 II

I also have a Sennheiser MD431 II, a dynamic mic with super cardoid pick-up. Sennheiser used the same mic casing for a number of different models including the Blackfire BF 5032 P (condenser), BF431 (dynamic), BF531, a range which had specific singing in mind (pop, rock, and loud rock which had a moisture resistant capsule!) and a number of radio microphones (which were the standard on BBC TV in the early 1990s). The casing appears to have been around before 1982 - quite retro! This model now seems to have found an odd niche as a voice-recognition microphone on some websites.

Initial tests I have done have proven its high directionality leading to excellent feedback rejection and rich tone with little proximity effect. I have the MZW 4032 windshield for it (which is an incredibly tight and takes some time to fit!). It's the first mic I've had in many years which has an 'on/off' switch on it! 40 - 16,000Hz.

MD431 II laid bare on my mixer (see next page for info on that)

Beyerdynamic M201

I have just purchased a Beyerdynamic M201. A dynamic mic, this seems to be much used by BBC radio stations - mainly BBC Radio 4 (speech based) as a main studio microphone and for panel games / round table discussions and also in BBC local radio studios. Hypercardioid, small physical size, metal body, and rarely seen for speech without a windshield (supplied), it gives a condenser type sound with rich tones. Because it's a dynamic, you don't need phantom power so it's an option for podcasters. After initial use, it gives a very nice tone and includes high-ends that most dynamics miss. I'm actually very pleased with it and I'm surprised it isn't used more in speech recordings. I use the big windshield I got for my SM57 on it, which totally eliminates pops. 40 - 18,000Hz frequency response.

    
The M201 without and with windsheild. This is the windshield you get with it, not the A81WS I mention.

Sennheiser MD421 II

I have just bought a Sennheiser MD421 II. A dynamic mic, it is almost as popular as SM57s in terms of popularity in recording studio arsenals. My first impression, cosmetically, was, "Oh, it is made of plastic". My next impression was, "Oh, the frequency response print out looks rather different to that on the internet". For a £250 dynamic mic, I suppose I was expecting more. Haven't plugged it in yet as I'm moving offices. I will, of course, post findings on this page. 30 - 17,000Hz frequency response.

   
MD421 without and with windsheild. It looks like it's got an 'afro'!

  

American readers can get a Sennheiser MD421 for $379.00 from Musician's Friend


Left photo: MD421 wiith windsheild. Right photo: MD421 (biggest), M201 (top) and SM57 (right)

Rode Podcaster

Aimed specifically for podcasting, Australian company Rode have invented an innovative microphone that negates the need for a mixer altogether. It's called the Rode Podcaster, costs around £149, and is a broadcast quality dynamic microphone that plugs straight into your PC's USB socket. It even has a built-in headphone amp and volume control, so you just plug your headphones into the side of the mic itself. Certainly borrowing some aesthetic design from the EV RE20 but in Apple-style white, it has a generous 5 metre USB cable. It certainly seems to be the most convenient way to record podcasts direct to your PC, but does lack flexibility of control (e.g. tone, compression, limiting) for more critical applications.

American readers can get a Podcaster for $229 on Musician's Friend

My prediction is that audio equipment manufacturers will begin to offer 'bundles' of equipment and software in a convenient box to appeal to podcasters - an ever-increasing market. Behringer have already announced a bundle that includes a microphone, mixer and headphones. The mixer plugs straight into the USB port. It's a new market for them, and in a similar way that blogs went, many will sign up to do podcasts begin with, then won't be bothered to continue after the initial excitement (unless you're a geek on a particular topic or an experienced talk radio presenter, I really don't know what people talk about on them!).

The Rode M3 is a new low cost condenser mic from Rode. Looking a lot like the AKG C1000S, it uses a PP3 9v battery and at £75 sounds like pretty good value for anyone wanting a low cost mic for their podcast recordings.

Musician's Friend have some bargains on microphones, mixers and other recording equipment. By following the link you are supporting this site.

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Fun stuff:
	Voice-overs in a limo - see a video of five big names from the VO world

* prices of equipment correct at time of publication.
For price in US dollars ($) simply double price you see in £.

AKG C414 - Quality all-rounder. Multiple polar patterns probably not useful for voice work. Acoustic room recommended.
RE20 - Works better on certain voices. Expensive for what it is.
SM57 - Excellent value - with suitable windshield, ideal for non-broadcast voice work.
SM7B - Expensive - better to get an SM57 for such a similar tone.
ATM31a - Very nice condenser, ideal for location recording.
AT2020 - Superb side-address condenser.
MK319 - Well built, picks up too much, discontinued.
SM87A - More for studio vocals or stage work than voice work really. Michel Buble's mic of choice.
SM81 - Not cheap, but more rugged than large diaphragm condensers.
M201 - Superb dynamic.

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