Since we’ve started AD Radio, I’ve learned volumes about sound recording and broadcasting, and I still feel like I’ve just barely begun. When we were still in the planning phases for the show, I spent dozens of hours researching equipment and configurations and all sorts of things. Not that I am complaining– I quite enjoyed it. And it paid off, too.
When the closing music began to play after the first show, I was very satisfied with how it had worked out. The equipment I had chosen and spent a considerable sum to acquire worked very well for our uses. It was a huge relief.
Now, with 30 shows under our belts (making it around 90 broadcast hours!), I’ve continued to fine-tune our setup, and have continued to research ways to improve.
Lately, I’ve been looking at microphones. Mics are obviously a key part of any talk-radio broadcast, and having a good-sounding mic that is easy to use is important.
Right now, we’re using these microphones. They’re cheap, but they are doing the job. I’ve also picked up a couple of these microphones for a roundtable discussion that I hope to conduct this weekend with Wertz and Sean, who will be in town visiting. These mics are fine for now, but man oh man am I itching to get a new mic!
There are a couple that have caught my eye recently. I’m going to list them in case anyone is actually interested…heh.
First up is the Studio Projects C1 ($240). It’s a large diaphragm condenser mic like the mics we currently use. It has been compared to a Neumann U87, a much more expensive microphone that you have certainly heard if you listent to music– any music. Now, I know the C1 can’t be as good as the 10x-the-price Neumann, but the reviews are positive. The reviews seem to indicate that the C1 has a nice, predictable sweet spot, and a lot less of a proximity effect than our current mics (proximity effect is the artificial bass created when you talk very close to a microphone).
Next up is the Heil Sound PR-40 ($270). It’s a dynamic mic, which usually means it is less sensitive than its powered condenser counter-part. This microphone also has great reviews, and is tailored specifically at broadcasters. It’s an “end fire” mic, meaning you talk directly into the end of it, and not into the side like our current mic and the mic listed above.
Lastly is the industry-standard Electro Voice RE20 ($400). You have almost certainly heard this microphone if you have ever listened to the radio. When Rush Limbaugh talks into his “golden EIB microphone,” it is a gold-plated RE20 that he is addressing. It is also a dynamic mic, and requires no outside power. This is the daddy of broadcast mics it seems, with reviews that say you can put your lips directly on the mic and talk without popping your Ps or driving people insane with your SSSssssssses. The proximity effect is minimal. It’s supposed to be a very easy mic to use, with a very natural sound. I’ll let you know after I get one. 
So, there you have it– Mike on Mics. Whenever you are ready to buy one for each of us, just let me know. I’ll be waiting. 
Mike
