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Actually it's a terrible interview because the interviewer won't shut up and is far less knowledgable than the person he's interviewing. The "EQ settings" on t

by tacos 10y ago

Actually it's a terrible interview because the interviewer won't shut up and is far less knowledgable than the person he's interviewing. The "EQ settings" on the mic are actually to compensate for proximity effect. On the U87 it starts cutting at 1k -- way above what the interview states. http://www.coutant.org/u87ai/u87.pdf http://www.coutant.org/u87ai/u87.pdf Another mic commonly seen in broadcast (and top podcasts) is the Shure SM7. Has similar switches, and even comes with a plate you can screw over the top of them so people don't futz with the settings.

Ericson2314 10y ago
Sobering what a non-expert like me can miss then reading this.
geerlingguy 10y ago
Mic choice is a lot more nuanced than is indicated in the review. Heil, EV, Neumann, Shure, and other manufacturers have a variety of mics for a variety of situations, and I bet there are some other reasons besides cost why the RE20 is such a popular studio mic across the US. Also, rooms, talent, and equipment are often much more influential than mic selection in making a 'signature' sound. But mics are to audio engineers as languages are to programmers... Everyone has a favorite, and opinions border on the religious. Source: worked in radio engineering for 4 years before starting programming, live audio engineering 4 years after that, and have worked with dozens of mics and varying degrees of on air talent in many environments.
- tacos 10y ago
  Agreed! Unlike the U87, the RE20 is a dynamic mic so it doesn't need power. Quieter, less to go wrong, built in pop screen, smaller but still big enough to look "important", and you really can't break it. It's less boomy by default and so you get a more natural sound when you close mic things with it. Likewise I'm sure you could swap a U87 on person X with a RE20 on person Y and it might even sound "more like NPR" depending on the natural sounds of their voices.
  - geerlingguy 10y ago
    Agreed on all points but the "really can't break it" — it's not some crazy indestructible capsule like the SM58! :)
    - riprowan 10y ago
      People use SM7s and RE20s as kick drum mics all the time, they're really, really durable compared to a U87.
gerbilly 10y ago
>Actually it's a terrible interview because the interviewer won't shut up and is far less knowledgable than the person he's interviewing. I agree. The number one rule of good journalism is not to put yourself in the story. Step back, way, back, and let your subject tell their story.
girvo 10y ago
The SM7s are by far my favourite mic, and what we had in my tiny little community radio studio!
ukyrgf 10y ago
I didn't even understand his follow up to the engineer saying it rolls off at 250MHz: > Current: Yes, but if you’re at a station and kind of frustrated with the bassy, boomy sound you get on your studio mic, and you can’t get the engineering staff to do anything about it for you, one thing that you could do yourself is to look on the mic and see if there is a bass roll-off switch, and turn it on. Is the interviewer just tossing out "life pro tips" in the middle of an interview? Why does it start "Yes, but" when it's not a counterpoint to _anything_?

by tacos 10y ago

Ericson2314 10y ago

Sobering what a non-expert like me can miss then reading this.

geerlingguy 10y ago

Mic choice is a lot more nuanced than is indicated in the review. Heil, EV, Neumann, Shure, and other manufacturers have a variety of mics for a variety of situations, and I bet there are some other reasons besides cost why the RE20 is such a popular studio mic across the US. Also, rooms, talent, and equipment are often much more influential than mic selection in making a 'signature' sound. But mics are to audio engineers as languages are to programmers... Everyone has a favorite, and opinions border on the religious. Source: worked in radio engineering for 4 years before starting programming, live audio engineering 4 years after that, and have worked with dozens of mics and varying degrees of on air talent in many environments.

tacos 10y ago
Agreed! Unlike the U87, the RE20 is a dynamic mic so it doesn't need power. Quieter, less to go wrong, built in pop screen, smaller but still big enough to look "important", and you really can't break it. It's less boomy by default and so you get a more natural sound when you close mic things with it. Likewise I'm sure you could swap a U87 on person X with a RE20 on person Y and it might even sound "more like NPR" depending on the natural sounds of their voices.
- geerlingguy 10y ago
  Agreed on all points but the "really can't break it" — it's not some crazy indestructible capsule like the SM58! :)
  - riprowan 10y ago
    People use SM7s and RE20s as kick drum mics all the time, they're really, really durable compared to a U87.

gerbilly 10y ago

>Actually it's a terrible interview because the interviewer won't shut up and is far less knowledgable than the person he's interviewing. I agree. The number one rule of good journalism is not to put yourself in the story. Step back, way, back, and let your subject tell their story.

girvo 10y ago

The SM7s are by far my favourite mic, and what we had in my tiny little community radio studio!

ukyrgf 10y ago

I didn't even understand his follow up to the engineer saying it rolls off at 250MHz: > Current: Yes, but if you’re at a station and kind of frustrated with the bassy, boomy sound you get on your studio mic, and you can’t get the engineering staff to do anything about it for you, one thing that you could do yourself is to look on the mic and see if there is a bass roll-off switch, and turn it on. Is the interviewer just tossing out "life pro tips" in the middle of an interview? Why does it start "Yes, but" when it's not a counterpoint to _anything_?