3 Top Microphones Under $1k for VO | (Earthworks Ethos, Shure KSM 32, Neumann TLM 102)

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Did you have a favorite of the three? And/Or what’s your mic of choice?

[@TsosmiLosGizmoXou]

which of these would you suggest for a bass voice type? and for a baritone maybe?

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

@@TsosmiLosGizmoXou They’re all kind of different, and honestly would work well with a lower register. It’s probably more a question of your preference and intended use than anything. The KSM 32 is neutral and even. The 102 is more ‘silky’ I’d say. And the Ethos is probably the darkest of them all. None better/worse, but different.

[@TsosmiLosGizmoXou]

ty for the info .. im a bass/baritone voice type and i wanna record rap, im considering to buy the tlm102@@jaymyersvoiceover

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

@@TsosmiLosGizmoXou Gotcha! Yeah you really can’t go wrong with the 102, or any of those mics.

[@EarthworksAudio]

Thanks for including us in your comparison Jay! You sound excellent on your ETHOS :)

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

My pleasure! It's one of my favorites for sure. Love what you all do.

[@vadimsky]

Wholesome moment🤗

[@russiangrammar]

On the basis of some other reviews last year, I went for a used KSM32, and it has been great. My voice can sometimes tend to a thinner sound, so I'm really happy with the warmth and smoothness that the KSM32 brings to it. Nice to see it getting the attention it deserves here. :)

[@chesskiller666]

Hi, I've read your comment and you've mentioned that you bought s used one ksm mic, I found some on second hand market but I don't know whether used mics are somehow worn down and worts than new ? Or it's worth to look at ?

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

I bought mine used as well. In fact almost all of my mics are second hand. Works great! Most folks are pretty upstanding when reselling, but I usually opt to buy used from a store over an individual to be on the safe side. Definitely worth

[@chesskiller666]

@@jaymyersvoiceover thankyou, thank you very much for your comment, it helped me to make my mind. I'm gonna go and buy one now, cheers

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

@chesskiller666 you bet!

[@psufilm]

I picked out the TLM 102 right away. It's my favorite microphone of all time. I actually like it more than the U87. To me it's clear but not bright/harsh, balanced and smooth. The other mics sounded tubby/stuffy in the low mids in comparison to the 102. For me the TLM 102 just works on everything, acoustic guitars, electric guitar cabs, brass, woodwinds, percussion. At $750 it's a steal.

[@tjalle199]

I just bought a used KSM32, excited to use it!

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Killer! Looking forward to hearing how you like it

[@PureGlide]

Very interesting thank you! I couldn't really tell much difference between these 3 microphones, normally in most reviews including the Ethos it's pretty obvious, but I'd be happy with all 3 of those! I have an Ethos on the way...

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

I use my ETHOS whenever I get the chance!

[@liquidvelvetliterature]

That KSM-32 loves your voice, man.

[@sxbarral]

Another great video! I find particularly useful the back and forth comparisons. Impatient me, I wrote a first comment halfway through it, suggesting a test of the Earthworks without the foam, just to see you doing it right after. 😅 Thanks for doing it. And I agree it sounds completely different.

[@scot_smith]

This is so helpful! I don't often comment or subscribe but doing both. I really like the balanced sound of the KSM32 and I was considering a TLM102 for audiobooks but I don't think it would be as different to the mic I was already using (RODE K2 with Telefunken tube) but am just loving the smoothness of the Shure for sure

[@Schmuddel]

Earthworks is really underrated, I love their flat response curves.

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@timotheusmiller]

That ksm32 sounds very balanced on your voice. Excellent review of all three. Thanks!

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Thanks!

[@narrator-timothymckean]

Another (newish) contender in this area is the Sennheiser MK4. Apprently produced in the same factory as some of the TLM components.

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

couldn't agree more.

[@CryptoFreaks]

I had to send the Ethos back. Its just muddy sounding to me. I tried removing the pop filter and applied some rediculous amounts of EQ to finally clear it up. At the end of the day if i did this much processing and fenagling on a 100$ mic it would sound just as good. So for 435$ a mic shouldn't require this much work. I AB tested it with other much cheaper mics, i was disappointed because of how much I wanted to love this thing. Its probably the most beautiful mic Ive ever seen. And this is coming from a collector. Now the Icon Pro definitely worth every penny. Also takes EQ very nicely. Could be slightly thin, but adding some low end works while still staying tight.

[@RealityDictates]

👍👌Thanks!

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

You bet!

[@tjzuppe]

Love the comparison…I’ve got a pair of these: The Ethos and the KSM32. two of my favorites. How do you normally process the Ethos? I love hearing how others massage the sound they get from it with EQ and what not. Certainly no such thing as an endgame chain. We are all constantly tinkering lol

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Oh killer! And I couldn't agree more. I don't do much honestly. In post, I just cut some room resonance and give a little presence boost at ~8kHz. If I'm feeling spicy I'll do a noise reduction using room tone just to cut some of the self-noise of the mic, but not always. Otherwise, I trust the manufacturer on the ETHOS.

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

How about yourself?

[@tjzuppe]

@@jaymyersvoiceover nice! I try not to do much noise reduction unless I have to just because even the best software takes a little something from the voice. I typically apply the slightest of expander to control some of the breathing (just like 3db of reduction) or kids playing upstairs. EQ I’m constantly adjusting. I prefer less is more approach after my radio days wore off. Some slight mud reduction around 250, maybe 450 to 500 between 1-2 db of cut. HPF around 65, tho sometimes I feel like the Ethos loses a little something I like when I remove too much of the lows. But then a slight high shelf around 3.5 to 4.5 (unless I’m using without the foam). I love the Ethos but don’t feel like I’ve ever fully unlocked it for my particular voice.

[@austinmurray8610]

Would love to hear your thoughts on the mkh416 vs the tlm103!

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

You got it! I'll perhaps do a separate video comparing them directly soon, but if you want some of my thoughts now I talk about them both in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHuZqH6Xqr-frJY

[@donnelson8524]

I agree that they all sound great on your voice, but I think I prefer the KSM32 because it splits the difference between the darker Ethos and the thinner TLM102. One thing I appreciate about many Shure mics is precisely what you mentioned: they are ... well, kinda boring! They don't have much "personality" but also have few obvious flaws. The KSM32 is so neutral and has such a natural and smooth high end it seems to take EQ really well and can be made to sound however you want it to in post. I am using a KSM44A now and... dang! its noise floor is so low it's kind of uncanny how quiet it is. It's a bit brighter than the KSM32 but is still "boring" in that good way :-)

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

I’ve been curious about the ksm 44 as well! How do you like it relative to the 32?

[@donnelson8524]

@@jaymyersvoiceover I'm still so new at this that you should take my opinion with a grain of salt 🙂. The two biggest differences I hear are: 1) the noise floor is basically non-existent on the 44. Not that the 32 is bad in that regard, but the 44 is just... EERILY quiet! (4 dB SPL-A). 2) the highs are a bit crisper without being harsh. This could be a good or a bad thing I suppose since the 32 is sooo smooth up there! Like the 32, the 44 has that nice girthy low-midrange that gives heft to my voice... I'd say it sounds a bit like a if the KSM32 and TLM102/3 had a baby 🙂. I saw the $200-off sale on Sweetwater and couldn't resist. And thank you for what you do; I've learned a lot from your channel and think you deserve more subs!

[@bubbletea5294]

Thanks for the great video! By the by, I checked out your site and saw you have an MFA in acting. Did you feel that college really helped you prepare for being an actor/voice-over artist successfully and efficiently? I'm in the process of getting an associate's degree in the performing arts and may transfer to a 4-year university for a BFA in acting, to ultimately pursue voice-over professionally.

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Hi there! Thanks for the kind words. That's a great question, and I'll do my best to answer it. Ultimately, I believe it's a call for each individual on a personal level. For my experience, a degree and extensive performance training loaded me with tons of tools, skills, and experience that made me much more flexible as a performer. Actors and voice actors are tradespeople, a bit like carpenters or plumbers, and the training made it so I can be competitive for a wider range of jobs with skills that help me to complete the job 'successfully and efficiently' as you put so well. Training does not however grant you a silver bullet for success. While some networking does happen from any degree, it guarantees you nothing and the job is still a lot of work with a lot of rejection and uncertainty. There's also a fair measure of luck involved for better or worse. In my case, after I graduated with my MFA (granted it was during the pandemic's height) it was nearly 18 months of 40+ hour weeks recording and submitting auditions on my own with no returns before I started booking with any sort of regularity, and probably another year about until I was making a comfortable living. That's on top of another 12+ years as a professional actor. So, all to say if you're passionate about acting, VO, and performance and you want to go into the training to enrich and better yourself--it was worth it for me. Hope that helps, and happy to talk about it more if more questions pop up for you.

[@artash4090]

perfect video❤ did you find noise on ethos after eq? imean self noise not room sound? because ethos self noise is about 16 and im a little worried about hearing noise after eq

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Thanks! Per the ETHOS, the self noise isn’t much of an issue in my use. Though I use it for long form narration/broadcast narration, not for commercial/animation/video games as those genres are better suited to some of the other mics in my studio.

[@deCLOCK_NJ]

Got a question…..does a TLM 102 really require a preamp? I have a MOTU M2 which maxs out at 60db - would that be enough to drive the 102? Thanks.

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Yes, the 102 does need a preamp, though I think your Motu would suit it just fine with 60dB of gain. :)

[@deCLOCK_NJ]

Dude…..I thought I said thank you for the response and seems I didn’t. Apologies and thank you. If I could indulge you a moment longer…. What do you think of the Black Lion Audio B173MK2 Microphone Preamp in case my MOTU M2 gets a little noisy with my TLM 102. Cheers….

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

@@deCLOCK_NJ Ah no worries! Thanks for circling back nonetheless, I appreciate it. Admittedly, I'm not too familiar with the Black Lion personally, though there are a couple of important things to be aware of with it. (Some you may know, but just in case.) Firstly, it needs to be plugged into power separately, and it doesn't connect directly to your computer. Effectively it'll power your mic but won't convert the signal to your computer directly like your Motu will. Beyond that it'll be emulating a vintage preamp, meaning it's going for a specific tone rather than transparency. That's neither good not bad, but something to consider. I'd probably hit up Sweetwater directly and ask them what they think would be the best way to go for you if you're really curious. They'll be able to offer you a wider range of options than I will. But for my money I think you'll be fine with the Motu and the TLM 102.

[@deCLOCK_NJ]

Thanks again….will take your advice and ask Sweetwater for options when my need arises to that level. Love the videos too Dude…..

[@lockolocolocke476]

you cant compare different loudness

[@jaymyersvoiceover]

Exactly right! They are roughly level matched across samples.