VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Philip Banks · Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:48 pm Post subject:

If you have a good mic then as long as you're in the same room with your face pointing approximately at the mic then things will sound fine. Should someone choose a valve/tube mic it really doesn't matter which way up it is as most VOs are sending mp3 audio or are doing sessions over ISDN and the x factor a tube brings to the party is lost.

My mic is inverted and more important, out of my way as I'm there to read to you not a capsule.

Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2281 Location: Atlanta

I don't think it's so much the "x factor" of tube mics more than the fact that many companies' best microphones (NTK, Audio Technica) are their tube mics. With Neumann and many other companies, you're better off going solid-state for VO in most cases. I've worked with and or owned the AT-40 range for example, and hands-down the tube AT4060 is marvellous...even on low res mp3s. I was listening to clips of Studio Projects mics the other day and their tube T3 sounded excellent even the MXL Genesis sounded great. The solid state Neumann TLM 49 creates those even order harmonic distortions without tubes, as do the MXL M3 and V6...and these are good solid state mics. It's not about being vintage, retro, or having an "x factor" it's about what happens to the sound. With many tube mics you're getting great sound not simply because it's a tube mic, but because it's engineered as a tube mic to give great sound. I don't think tube=quality by definition at all. However, quality gear that it expertly engineered with tubes is quality gear; and quality solid state gear that is expertly engineered is also quality gear.

As for that x factor, mp3s do not erase or mask/negate the even order harmonics that tubes can create, nor do they erase the lift at around 200Hz nor the tapering off in the high end with the sense of airy space in the very upper end that tubes often create.
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ronharpervoice · Club 300 Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 347 Location: Ohio

The mic is upside down. I'm standing up
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donrandall · Guest

I keep the mic right side up - I, however, hang upside down.

Solid State or Tube Mic? My lack of ability appears to be unaffected by the choice of technology.