Radio Imaging Mic

[Jon Morss]

Bob,

I remember your post regarding how VoiceHunter got you started in Radio Imaging. Do you record in your own recording studio or in an outside studio? Also, do you have a favorite mic when recording RI? I want to add RI to my own VO skill set and would like to have the right tools to get started.

Just curious.

Jon

[Glenn Moore]

good post Jon. I have the same questions. I have a Neumann TLM-103 and am wondering if it is the right mic for imaging...especially the CHR, AC, and Country formats. Looking forward to hearing Bob's thoughts.

G

[Bob Bergen]

Hey guys!

I have a Sennheiser 416. But I sound better on a Neumann U87. My booth is a 4x4 Acoustic System Isolation Booth. The guy who installed everything told me that since my booth is in my hone office, which has a 15 foot ceiling, AND the booth is next to a wall of windows, the 416 would be best since it's directional. I've since been told that's BS. I could use the U87 fine!! But I'm still using the 416.

If you want to hear my imaging demo, it's on the Abrams voicebank listing here:
voicebank.net
(click Bob Bergen Radio)

Each spot was recorded in my home booth.

By the way, keep in mind that the mic is only one factor in your recording. The space, cords, program, preamp, etc., all factor in.

;-)

[Jon Morss]

Bob,

Awesome. Nothing but the best for you. The 416 seems to be pretty popular. I guess you don't agree with Corey Burton with regards to the 416?

Speaking of preamps, if you don't mind me asking, what preamp are you using with your U87 and Senn 416?

The demo is great. Love the Joe FM spot(s). Radio Imaging just sounds plain fun to do. I really have to get into that.

[Bob Bergen]

I totally agree with Corey!!! That's why I said on the above reply I was wrong about the advice I got about the 416 being best. The U87 is the best for my voice type. But I don't want to spend the money getting one right now. I have oodles of imaging accounts, and book all the time with my 416. One of these days I'll get a U87.

NO idea what my preamp is. I am a tech idiot!!! I had a booth and mic for an entire year gathering dust in my office before I got the nerve to hire someone to plug it all in and help me learn how to record from home. Most of the people here who record from home know a hellova lot more than I do when it comes to home recording equipment. Most LA based talent don't record from home.

;-)

[Jon Morss]

Ah! I thought the 416 BS thing you mentioned had to do with the location of your VO booth and not your voice. There still seems to be a ton of folks that swear by the 416. I'll have to see if I can rent one and maybe a U87 and see if either woks for my voice. The U87 would be the ultimate mic to have though.

Thanks man.

[jsgilbert]

If you don't have the money for a U87, there are some less expensive microphones that will give you strong microphone proximity and offer many characteristics that people favor in the U87. It's not the same as looking down on the Neumann tag, but I have done recordings on both the Groove Tubes GT 67 and the Rode NT1. They are both under $600 and if you have an opportunity to go to a Guitar Center, try them against a U87 and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The GT 67 is a multi pattern microphone and as such offers a few different "flavors" for recording, as well as a figure 8 pattern for recording two people on one microphone.

[PierceVoice]

From the producer's side, I look for the sound to be consistent & not overly processed (but try telling MOST folks that), and clean & free of hum-hiss-distortion.

A good producer (which is what I am diguising myself as currently) will tell you that they want just plain old vo-- leave the tricks to me. When it's mostly done on MY end I get the sound I want. I can't undo heavy processing, but I can always add to it. So don't be fooled by the final product-- TONS of my talent come over really raw & it's MY job to make them sound like the biggest people on earth.

Biggest mistakes I see that show lack of confidence in talent:

Over compressed. Don't be that guy/gal!
WAY too much bass (I end up pulling back most of it anyway)
Trying too hard (you either have it, or you don't... ya can't force it)
Puke reads... kinda goes with above. It's that back-of-the-throat "strip club dj" sound. Ew.

Don't get me wrong-- gotta have a good mic. Gots me a Neumann running straight into ProTools MBox. Cool closet I've turned into a thickly padded nightmare. Hey, it works!

Best of luck!!!!

[Jon Morss]

Peirce -- Thanks. You offer some good points. I was really interested in mics though.

I'm not sure what you mean by "
you either have it, or you don't... ya can't force it".

I don't really subscribe to that . If I don't have it, then I must find how I can learn it. Training, practice, listening and so on. There are limitations but again this is not Rocket Science.

What Neumann mic are you using? TLM103?


Thanks.

[PierceVoice]

Originally Posted by Jon Morss

I'm not sure what you mean by "
you either have it, or you don't... ya can't force it".

Maybe I'm just venting in an inappropriate way with that statement...

A guy I produce has one of the worst presentations I have ever heard. [deleted blah blah ranting about this guy that makes me sound like an a-hole]

WITH THAT SAID, I have no doubts that with your level of professionalism and experience you'll have no problem giving a natural and great read on the stuff you get. We can all learn (holy crap do I represent THAT statement), but I believe there's a certain "thing" you need to have going on in your brain to really grasp what this stuff's all about. I guess I just meant that as a blanket statement what I said above. No offense intended!

U87 to get back to your original post (sorry for straying so far!).