[Perform-Talk] Any recommendations for a good quality microphone?

Wed Jun 29 20:03:54 UTC 2022

	I'm not sure if it is so that all condenser mics pick up surrounding
noises. Like dynamic mics, condenser mics are available in different polar
patterns. I have a blue Bird mic which is a cardioid or heart-shaped
pattern. It picks up sound from directly in front but fades away as you move
to the sides and doesn't hear any noise from the  rear. I am happy with my
Blue Bird for vocal work but am researching a new mic for recording my
guitar. As a point of reference, I purchased my Blue Bird and my FocusRite
2i2 interface as a package for $300. The mic alone is that much!

Peace!
Marion

-----Original Message-----
From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Chris
Nusbaum via Perform-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2022 5:34 PM
To: 'Performing Arts Division list' <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Chris Nusbaum <cnusbaumnfb at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Perform-Talk] Any recommendations for a good quality
microphone?

Hi Leslie,

In some ways it depends on what kind of mic you need. The Blue Yeti is great
in terms of sound quality and ease of setup, but it is a condenser, meaning
that it picks up all sound in a room. This means that the Yeti isn't ideal
if you don't have a way to block out background noise or "treat" a room to
make it soundproof. If you want something that will only record the sound in
front of it, which I would think you want for cello lessons, you would need
a "dynamic" mic. The most popular USB mic of this kind among most
broadcasters and musicians I know is the ATR 2100X, made by Audiotechnica.
Like the Blue Yeti, the ATR sits on a boom stand which clamps on a desk or
table. A USB connector is included to connect the mic directly to your
computer. I recently bought one, and I'm now having to send it in for
repairs because of a mysterious defect that caused it to suddenly sound very
distorted. However, I think I made the mistake of buying it from a reseller
on Amazon, which could have contributed to my problem. So, if you choose to
go with the ATR, I would encourage you to buy it from the manufacturer
directly.

There are various other high-quality mics, both condencers and dynamics,
which could be recommended, particularly the SM7 and other models from
Shure. In my opinion, some of them might have better quality than either the
Yeti or the ATR. However, you'll need a sound interface for those, so those
two USB mics would be your best bet if you don't have that equipment. Also,
for simple recording, there are several all-in-one headsets that have very
good sound quality. Recently the Plantronics Blackwire was recommended to
me, and I got it as a portable backup while my ATR is being repaired. It
just came in today, so I haven't had an opportunity to do any testing of my
own with it, but people I have heard who have used it in Zoom calls have
sounded great. Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/2w68pyc4

Finally, concerning your issues with interactions between the Blue Yeti and
your sound card, keep in mind that any mic that plugs directly into a USB
port acts as its own soundcard. So, when you were using the Blue Yeti, it
was acting as your computer's default sound card, where all sound comes into
and goes out of. If you want to change this, you can do so in Windows sound
settings. Also, if you are using JAWS, you can go into the sound cards
section of the JAWS settings to tell it which sound card you want your
screen reader to come out of. Please reach out if you need any further
clarification.

Hope this helps!

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Leslie
Hamric via Perform-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2022 3:39 PM
To: perform-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Leslie Hamric <lhamric930 at comcast.net>
Subject: [Perform-Talk] Any recommendations for a good quality microphone?

Hi everyone. This questionis for all the audio recording folksout there. Can
you recommend a good microphone other than the blue yeti  that I could use
for recording and teaching cello lessons? I haven't found the support at
blue yeti to be very helpful, the USB port on my blue jetty keeps wearing
out and I would like to get some thing that hopefully won't interfere with
my sound card. For example, when I plug in the blue yeti I have to put my
headphones on still be able to hear my screen reader. Any recommendations
would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

Leslie Hamric
Cello and Braille Music Teacher
Board member of National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division

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