What's a good mic for Voice Overs?

[Jarred Jones]

I've got a budget of $1000 and I'd like to get the best mic for the money.

I've been reading about the Neumann TLM 102 and AT4047 being quite good Are those the best I can get or is there even better?

[Gary Nattrass]

Can't go wrong with a neuman but I also like the AKG 414 for VO as it has a nice prescence.

Personally I just use a Rode NT2000 these days and it does the job without breaking the bank!

[Rick Reineke]

An expensive mic.. or the one that " ______" (VO hero) uses is not a substitute for talent.

[Steve House]

Don Capone's web site has a good run down on mics and other gear for the voice-over audio studio, Voice Talent Microphones the Best Voice Over Microphones and Microphone Reviews

[Jody Arnott]

I use the Rode NT2-A and I've been very happy with it. I've used it for a couple of TV commercials and documentaries.

Well priced too, $399 US.

[Jarred Jones]

Is that open and airy? I'd like to get a mic that sounds somewhat bright for my voice.

[Rick Reineke]

The AKG C-414 B ULS is 'bright'. Try it out. A great multi-pattern mic and versatile in almost any situation. I assume the later versions of this legendary mic are pretty much the same.
FWIW, It's my first choice for complex harmonic instrumentation, acoustic instruments, bell choirs, ect... not to mention drum overheads.

[Ty Ford]

There should be a sticky for this topic.

Bottom line; it's the mic and preamp combination that determine the sound. Some mics are more finicky than others and different preamps really change the sound of these mics.

So, it's not as easy as it sounds; literally.

Want a good VO mic for not a lot of money? Start here.

Ty Ford Audio and Video: MCA SP-1 Cardioid Condenser Mic

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Jon Fairhurst]

And don't forget EQ!

Many people listen to mics out of the box and do the comparison based largely on a warm/bright/neutral tone. They decide to use Mic A for men and B for women. By using just a bit of EQ, your mic decisions might change.

To me, the basics are the following:

1) Set a wide EQ area near the voice fundamental (2-300 Hz) and balance to taste. This can often fix a boomy or thin recording.

2) Raise or lower the content in the 5-15,000 Hz range to adjust the "air". With a cheap mic, you might find that you can't boost this much without adding hiss. But you can almost always lower this range if the sound is too bright or noisy.

After achieving the desired balance of the voice and mic with EQ, now you can get past the simple boomy/thin/tinny/dull thing and really hear what the mic is doing with the delicate mid-range. Does it sound nasal, hollow, or crunchy? Does it cut through or does the voice sound lifeless?

It's easy to EQ a simple balance. After balancing, the mic might fail right away if it's too noisy or lacks a full, wide response. However, if the mic passes after balancing, now you can listen for that "it" sound. One can tweak the mid range as well with EQ, but this takes much more expertise and can easily make things worse rather than better.

Anyway, to me, comparing mics without performing some basic EQ is like comparing RAW or S-log cameras without doing any grading.

[John Willett]

An excellent voice-over mic. is the Gefell M930 - popular with radio stations for speech and with voice-over artistes.

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