Improving a Lav Mic, Microphones Over Coffee, and More (BSP-397)

[@bedykev1]

Thank you for the Lav microphone tests. Your presentation of the results is great. Even better and motivating, is that you were willing to do the test.

[@SadLuigi98]

i don't know if you remember but a while back i begged you to review lct 840 because i wanted to get rid of my TLM 103 as i wasnt that happy with it. But even after your review I ended up selling the 103 and getting the Sony C80 instead and i could not be happier with my decision. But I thank you for taking your time to review the lct 840! Great mic but the sony just worked with what i needed better than the TLM Or Lewitt could. Appreciate you so much!

[@homestudioacademy]

Whatever you do with guitars, keep doing it. The music sections and compositions sound awesome.

[@SoundSpeeds]

Watching you walk around wearing your lav just because you can made me smile. You need a boom operator so you won't have to switch mics in the edit or... try an automix sometime and see how that works. That could be fun.

[@samoz5306]

Thankyou patrons for keeping this show ad free for us who have had to tighten our belts and can't spare the cash. You are much appreciated.

[@davidkennerly]

Patrons, thank you very much for subsidizing us freeloaders! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

[@jameslifetimelearner]

Agree with the lav mic placement, you got it right IMO

[@DimebagDarrenLowe]

i did like the sound of collar placement with eq, too muffly without eq and too reflective nearer the table just as you described.

[@MarineX]

Great rational. That's why i sunk costs in an ascaso espresso machine two years ago and a niche zero grinder. I have saved the costs in the equipment in brewing from home. And now the coffee companies send me beans just to be featured during my EDC Cup series

[@timrober75]

Thank you for being at me, with me, about me and, indeed, around me. Have just had a quick listen to the previews of 4 Year Strong and I think I might get hooked very quickly so must resist until I can afford the back catalogue 😉🤩 One thing that you could also factor in to buying mics, of course, is the resale value. You certainly don’t get that with a cup of coffee! Thanks for all you do brother B 😇🙏❤️

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke! I just wanted to save your life! It's not sufficient to wear a tinfoil hat. You do have to wrap tinfoil around your whole body. Otherwise, all those beams and intrusive thoughts will hit you unprotected. This would do significant damage to us, your audience. Because you wouldn't be able to provide us with great content about lav mics.

[@TopTierAudio]

Thanks!

[@thetoniomethod]

With EQ sounds great! would also be a good exercise to implement that EQ curve using 1 instance of Logic's stock EQ, see if you can make it work with limited bands. That way it will also be easier to make simple adjustments to your liking. I've also been tempted to upgrade my microphone but since I've learned to EQ it I felt so comfy with it!

[@dannylightning-audio-reviews]

Wait, how do you EQ match?? does pro Q do this for you or did you do this manually, You almost make it sound like it matched the eq for you. im going to have to get out the manual and look this up.. that would be super cool if you can do that.

[@bsp]

It auto does it in Pro q3. There’s an eq match button you hit, play both channels and train the plugin of the tone of the mic. Save the spectrum. Then apply the SDC spectrum to the LAV and it allows you to select up to a 20 band EQ if you want it to get super wild with it. Logic also has an EQ match plugin that I’ve never used.

[@Tarkov.]

I think you sound great on the M201TG, it's what made me want one.

[@bsp]

M201 is another absolute stellar mic!

[@johnheiser2604]

Hey Tin Man - great video. Thanks

[@meistudiony]

I have a theory… youre not hearing reflections from the desk and probably more off the monitors you have in front of you. Sound wont turn around on itself from a flat surface at an angle. It will reflect similarly to light and continue forward and bounce. So if you have screens that are parallel with your face hole, thats gonna bounce back way more and sound hitting the desk may bounce off the desk continue to the monitor and THEN back to you. Easy way to test. Just back up a couple feet and see if it changes drastically. My desk and computer monitor are both angled. My mic is usually less than a foot off of it (underboomed). I didnt notice many issues w it.

[@mind-brainstudio927]

The lav sounds much better clipped on your collar with EQ. The reflections were quite bad with it clipped on your chest. I like the sound of the SDC better than the lav. So there! Thanks, Bandrew!

[@EremEdition]

Pigtronix Infinity looper. You could loop all of those instruments simultaneously or one after another. I have the first one pretty pricey but I'm sure the newer ones do the same thing. It'll cut it forsure

[@fredoverflow]

That EQ curve looks like a *wild* theme park ride!

[@bsp]

That was limiting the correction to 6 bands. Imagine how crazy it would have been with a 20 band EQ. People would be vomiting all over the place. 🤮

[@soramittenpaw2127]

Would using a cardioid lav help reduce pickup of reflections from hard surfaces like your desk? While cardioid lavs are rarer compared to omni ones, there are options out there. I remember liking Audio-Technica PRO70.

[@willcarter7079]

Your website isn't loading and I cannot get the latest episode in my podcatcher

[@shingAMarie]

can you make available the fab filter eq you used on the lav to improve it, I'd love to try it on my recordings, thanks so much!

[@BandrewScott]

SM7b, M201TG, Pure Tube, NTG3, KMS105, TLM49, U67

[@legacyShredder1]

I've seen you somewhere before, but I can't quite place it.

[@djspell2928]

V4V! TYFYC!

[@bsp]

ITM good sir.

[@MilesTFBaxxter]

Have you ever thought of expanding your expertise to field and foley recording, rather than "just" vocal and guitar studio recording? Whether making field and foley a part of your tests, or expanding the kind of gear you test to include microphones intended for such use cases. Thank you!

[@othinus]

greetings from a blind subscriber here in the Philippines! I have a TC helicon mic mechanic 2 pedal which allows me easy tactile access to FX and DSP processing. but sadly it has 24 volts always-on phantom power, and not 48 volts. planning on buying an SM7DB for my untreated bedroom. I was fortunate enough to use its predecessor back when I was still in college and a door the sound and headroom it has on my extreme vocals. will the 24 volts phantom power of the TCMM2 affect the the SM7DB set to +18 and +28dB gain? as a second option I could also purchase an SM7B alongside a Triton Fethead/sE Dynamite (Cloud lifter is not available in my country). how would the 24 volts phantom power of the TCMM2 affect this setup? stay happy healthy and more power to you.

[@ericdano]

Lav sound pretty good with EQ in the center.

[@ferossan]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@michaelj.4187]

Bandrew has awoken, and the renascence has begun...wise guy, eh!

[@dylonbeamer]

We got an appearance of Stand-drew?!

[@artash4090]

hi bandrew please check bock 187 its 1200 dollar u87 from universal audio with k67 capsule

[@Dracomies]

Still doesn't sound good though (dodges tomatoes). Lav mics.....are last resort when all else fails :D Even with eq it's....not quite there :P but it is an improvement

[@bsp]

Haha. 10/10 I’m still going for shotgun, SDC, LDC, LDD, or Handheld. But I think it was a big improvement in terms of reflections when it was on the collar with the EQ.

[@michaelj.4187]

ear wax, all fixed it was f2...if you find value in this video please consider a thumbs up...thank you

[@45KevinR]

At the coffee soap box and realised something. Let's say someone bought five coffees a day at $4. And they do that every work day. So that's 4 x 5 x 5 = $100 per week. At 50 weeks a year since Americans don't get time off, that's 5000. With that much money someone can buy a fancy Neumann U87 and an a7iv full frame camera. Every year. Now 5 a day might be excessive, but many people drink far more than that of cheap coffee if it's available. When I did IT my (cheap) coffee was practically intravenous.... Now if someone is buying one a day to savour, and survive the commute home. Then that's *only* 1000 a year, unless they buy the even nicer $8 coffee. I remember the 1990s when a basic coffee at the station cost less than £1. And sometimes I felt guilty for that over the year vs spending it on wife & family.

[@bianca_claudia]

I will save my money and buy shure WH20 than lav mic or expensive wireless lav mic

[@gregelgie]

When do the Tinfoil hats get added to the merch store?

[@dougtalks]

Todays podcast theme is "value is subjective"

[@fluphybunny930]

"Planning for retirement" Just accept that you will work till you drop like the rest of us 😉

[@bsp]

I am kindly rejecting your offer. I’m going to continue living well below my means and plan for retirement. 😀

[@legacyShredder1]

The only way I can think of improving a lav mic is by throwing it away.

[@bsp]

Haha! Lav mics have left the chat.

[@_aPaladin]

who would've thought, microphone sounds better closer to your mouth....

[@bsp]

I think it’s more nuanced than that. With the Lav in the center of my chest it sounds way better totally, and if I’m not sitting at a desk with the mic right next to a reflective surface, it sounds way better. But once that desk & computer monitor enters the mix, the collar position yields better results. So it’s less of an absolute in my opinion.

[@michaelj.4187]

did he say f u or f2? yikes!

[@homestudioacademy]

Whatever you do with guitars, keep doing it. The music sections and compositions sound awesome.

[@meistudiony]

I have a theory… youre not hearing reflections from the desk and probably more off the monitors you have in front of you. Sound wont turn around on itself from a flat surface at an angle. It will reflect similarly to light and continue forward and bounce. So if you have screens that are parallel with your face hole, thats gonna bounce back way more and sound hitting the desk may bounce off the desk continue to the monitor and THEN back to you. Easy way to test. Just back up a couple feet and see if it changes drastically. My desk and computer monitor are both angled. My mic is usually less than a foot off of it (underboomed). I didnt notice many issues w it.