VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Jason Huggins]

I still need to try one of those CAD e100s's.

[Leslie Humble]

Hey who doesn't love a good Mic thread?
I'll launch into a few things with the caveat that I feel like a junior level expert in any Mic thread featuring Frank and several more of our august members.

What makes a good VO mic? May I suggest a slight presence boost. A Mic with low sibilence. And most importantly it has to fit YOUR voice. It should also be an LDC that will pick up the flight of the isosceles mosquito, as well as the timbre and colors of your voice.

Let's talk about the most generally respected Mic in VO....the U87.
It has a lot going for it. A High Frequency boost of about 2dB around 8K for presence. It is ubiquitous and you'll match the frequency specs on a lot of projects. It takes both EQ and Compression very well. I have heard quite a few people also say this "It rarely sounds bad on anything...but it rarely sounds great on anything." Again that probably depends on the artist because I prefer , on me, the Mojave MA 200 ...the U67 clone.
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the U87 built with the U67 capsule originally?

So I conclude this: What is a good VO Mic? First and foremost it sounds right on you, your chain, and room. It is not sibilant but picks up all the nuances of the voice. And it has a slight presence boost. But is otherwise flat. It also takes EQ and Compression well whether you are doing it, or the post is done by studio engineers.

As many of you have I went through quite a journey before ending up with the 416 for commercials and the MA 200 for longform. From the EV 27, Sennheiser 416, Sm7B, TLM 103, U87, and a few more.....agggggg I'm glad that's over.

I'd be interested in hearing the Mic progressions that our members went through before finding the Mic they love. Let's hear your search for the Holy Grail.
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There are rules to the Universe. Learn them and prosper. www.HumbleVoiceover.com

[Jason Huggins]

Money has assisted in my lack of GAS 😃