What's the most neutral sounding mic below 1000$?

[plautus]

The tlm103 arrived today. Good sound, the only slightly bothersome thing is the higher mids boost. It sounds a bit unpleasent to listen to. I'm still waiting for the Schoeps to arrive though, after that I will make the decision of which mic i keep. The Neumann really shows my voice, but sounds very airy.
Tlm103 needs EQ, lol. I didn't use EQ yet but my recordings sound 'pro' now.

 

[LTig]

The tlm103 arrived today. Good sound, the only slightly bothersome thing is the higher mids boost. It sounds a bit unpleasent to listen to. I'm still waiting for the Schoeps to arrive though, after that I will make the decision of which mic i keep.

Which Schoeps?

 

[plautus]

Which Schoeps?

cmc1 mk4
I ddint go for supercardiod bc i dont want to be forced to hold my head stiff all the time.

 

[plautus]

I made a mistake i should have gone wiht the mk41. Fucking AI messing up my decisiosn and not giving me the right info immidiately.
The cmc641 cuits out so mcuh reverb i read, so im not unboxing the mk4 and send it right back. And order the cmc641

I mean the Schoeps CMC141 bc it's muc smaller and has the same sound,.

 

[maximilianx33]

Hi, I'm looking for a mic that sounds neutral but not overly bright like a c414/c212 or whatevr their name is or the austrian mics.
Hope u have advice for me!


currently im using a Rode Nt1. It's harsh and muddy sounding at the same time. I don't like it, never did.

Hi, I totally get you. I had a problem with a Rode NT1 a few years ago and ended up getting rid of it for the same reasons. If you're looking for something truly neutral, you should definitely check out the Roswell Mini K47. It uses a K47-type capsule that does a good job of taming harsh highs and provides a very smooth and relatively refined sound. Alternatively, if your audio interface has a decent preamp with enough gain, you might want to ditch the cheap mics altogether and get a high-end dynamic mic like the Shure SM7B or Electro-Voice RE20. They're incredibly flat, handle EQ exceptionally well, and completely eliminate hissing harshness. Good luck with your upgrade!

 

[goat76]

The thing is that the best choice of a microphone for recording vocals is individually a very sensitive thing, where it’s often not about finding the microphone that necessarily sound most neutral, but rather sounds natural to your own reference of how your voice sounds to you, in your head. I’m sure most of us think our own voices sound somewhat strange when hearing a recording of them the first time, and that to the point it’s quite embarrassing.

I did go through many microphones before I found the one I could accept in accordance to how I think my voice sounds, or want it to sound. As the main reasons I bought most of my microphones wasn’t for recording vocals, and rather for recording instruments, I could try a few microphones to find the one that works for me.

I don’t find the AT PRO37, the AT4033a, the EV RE20, the Cascade Fat Head II, or the Line Audio OM1 (my microphone for speaker measurements), to suit my voice particularly well, but I really like the Warm Audio WA-47jr. That microphone makes the recordings of my voice come close to how I hear myself, and that makes it way less embarrassing for me to hear as I’m pretty far off from being a singer.

So, ask yourself what purpose finding the most “neutral” sounding microphone has in the application you are going to use it for. Is it really important if someone used to your voice in real life thinks that your recordings sound exactly like that, or if it may be better to just find a microphone that makes the recording of your voice sound closer to how you perceive how it sounds.

 

[plautus]

Stop recommending me trahs mics. THey are maybe great for Youtube vidoes but unadequate for my purpose. For voice acting u cant go lower than a tlm103. After I got the tlm103 my recordings went from amateur to pro sounding.
The only still worth considering mic for me is the schoeps cmc141 whicih costs 1700 euros.

 

[goat76]

Stop recommending me trahs mics. THey are maybe great for Youtube vidoes but unadequate for my purpose. For voice acting u cant go lower than a tlm103. After I got the tlm103 my recordings went from amateur to pro sounding.
The only still worth considering mic for me is the schoeps cmc141 whicih costs 1700 euros.

If that reply was ment for me, I can tell you that I have not yet given you a single suggestion on any particular microphone to buy. What I’m telling you is that the choice of a vocal microphone is a highly personal choice, which in many cases rather lands on how you hear your voice in your head, or what you think will enhance your voice. The microphone that suits your voice the best may even need some coloration to sound “neutral” to your ears.

I use it for youtube, a bit hobby voice acting nothing professional, and use my voice in games. The Neumann KM184/185 is a shock mind, they make the sound boomy.

It’s gone 3 weeks since you started this thread.
You went from using a Rode Nt1, then 2 weeks later you got a sE4100, today you got a Neumann TLM103, and now the only “upgrade” you can think of is a Schoeps CMC 141. It seems like you went from asking AI about microphones, to now being an expert in no time.

Again, not that I gave you any suggestions on any specific microphones to buy, but what do you think makes the ones I mentioned “trash” microphones?

 

[plautus]

the cheaper mics sound thin, sibilant, muddy and sound colored. It's not possible to get that professional sound out of them. The rode nt1 didnt give it to me and the sE4100 didnt do it either. The people that say it's more about technique and skills are delusional. I can go on voice123.com and instantly tell if someone is using a tlm103 a sennheiser mk416 or just a rode nt1.

 

[MADVO]

the cheaper mics sound thin, sibilant, muddy and sound colored. It's not possible to get that professional sound out of them. The rode nt1 didnt give it to me and the sE4100 didnt do it either. The people that say it's more about technique and skills are delusional. I can go on voice123.com and instantly tell if someone is using a tlm103 a sennheiser mk416 or just a rode nt1.

I started an account just to comment on this. I do voice work, my 3 mics that I primarily use are my TLM103, MKH416, EV RE20. Depending on the type of work you're wanting to do, you might want more than one option. MKH works for promo work when I need my voice to punch, TLM for slightly longer work and long-form, RE20 also for long form when I need the voice to be very easy on the ears. Also, I've overlapped, each of these mics are able to handle any work but having options and having each mic dialed in on my Apollo quad makes things easier. Now, here's the funny part, I'm thinking about adding an Earthworks Ethos to my lineup. I know a few people that are very successful with audiobooks that use one, and having listened to them I must admit it takes all of the harshness out of The Voice.

 

[Waveform Fidelity]

Hi, I'm looking for a mic that sounds neutral but not overly bright like a c414/c212 or whatevr their name is or the austrian mics.
Hope u have advice for me!


currently im using a Rode Nt1. It's harsh and muddy sounding at the same time. I don't like it, never did.

If its neutral, then it won’t be bright. If you want to record sound without add/subtracting anything then you need a measurement microphone.

Like an earth works M23. They have a very small diaphragm so not to disturb the sound field, so low sensitivity.

 

[plautus]

I aklreayd decided for the tlm103. Even had both the black and hte silver v erison, sticked with the nickle one. It's vastly superior to the se4100. Se4100 sounds till behind a curtain and harsh and lacks frequecnies

 

[plautus]

Yes, no doubt. I first wasnt unsure abhout the color i had nickel, so i ordere d the black mat verison, black was too ugly, and i could balrey see the orientation of the basket, iot was ahard tow ork wihtm, so i sent it back ,and keopt the nickel version,.
very happy now.