omarsdayoff
New member
Dr. Bob, is it possible for you to name the top brands for professional mics. thanks a lot we really appreciate your insight
mic brands
- Thread starter omarsdayoff
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Bob Kessler
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Are we talking about production sound, field recording, live recording or studio mics? Are you asking about quality or popularity?
Once you start spending over $1k on a mic it's more a question of what mic has the sound you want rather than which is "better". A mic that sounds great on talent X may sound like garbage on talent Z. Some mics handle extreme weather conditions or extremely rough use better than others. Some "inexpensive" mics do a fantastic job for one or two specific purposes. That's why production sound mixers and recording studios have a large selection of mics. I have ten mics in my mic closet and want to add quite a few more when my budget allows it.
I could tell you to get a Schoeps shotgun mic for your production sound needs, but it costs more than most indie filmmakers will spend on their entire production sound kit. But someone else would tell you that a Neumann, which costs about the same, blows the Schoeps out of the water. And I could tell you that neither one is what you want for indoor usage, while someone else would say that they're perfect. Decisions like this are very subjective.
The mic is not the only piece of gear in your audio chain. There are the pre-amps, the AD/DA converters, the mixer and the actual recording medium itself (flash/microdrive, DAT, etc.), not to mention sample rates. Even the quality of the cables can affect the quality of the sound. Then you have to use all the pieces of the audio chain to best advantage.
What you have to do is figure out your needs and try to shoehorn the best gear you can into your budget. One thing that many people forget is that they need more than the mic. For production sound work you also need a shockmount, a boom pole, a blimp, a windjammer, cables and other various and sundry items.
The other thing to keep in mind is the person using the gear. An experienced production sound crew can use "budget" gear and make it sound great, but that $3k mic in the hands of a PA with nothing else to do is not going to produce professional results.
BTW I appreciate the promotion to "doctor", but I never even finished college, unless you want to count the College of Hard Knocks. "Uncle" Bob am I, a nickname I've had for over 30 years. Everyone needs a crazy Uncle Bob.
Once you start spending over $1k on a mic it's more a question of what mic has the sound you want rather than which is "better". A mic that sounds great on talent X may sound like garbage on talent Z. Some mics handle extreme weather conditions or extremely rough use better than others. Some "inexpensive" mics do a fantastic job for one or two specific purposes. That's why production sound mixers and recording studios have a large selection of mics. I have ten mics in my mic closet and want to add quite a few more when my budget allows it.
I could tell you to get a Schoeps shotgun mic for your production sound needs, but it costs more than most indie filmmakers will spend on their entire production sound kit. But someone else would tell you that a Neumann, which costs about the same, blows the Schoeps out of the water. And I could tell you that neither one is what you want for indoor usage, while someone else would say that they're perfect. Decisions like this are very subjective.
The mic is not the only piece of gear in your audio chain. There are the pre-amps, the AD/DA converters, the mixer and the actual recording medium itself (flash/microdrive, DAT, etc.), not to mention sample rates. Even the quality of the cables can affect the quality of the sound. Then you have to use all the pieces of the audio chain to best advantage.
What you have to do is figure out your needs and try to shoehorn the best gear you can into your budget. One thing that many people forget is that they need more than the mic. For production sound work you also need a shockmount, a boom pole, a blimp, a windjammer, cables and other various and sundry items.
The other thing to keep in mind is the person using the gear. An experienced production sound crew can use "budget" gear and make it sound great, but that $3k mic in the hands of a PA with nothing else to do is not going to produce professional results.
BTW I appreciate the promotion to "doctor", but I never even finished college, unless you want to count the College of Hard Knocks. "Uncle" Bob am I, a nickname I've had for over 30 years. Everyone needs a crazy Uncle Bob.
Red Prince
New member
This is the second time you got called Doctor. Maybe you should just accept it. :mrgreen:
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