Reviews by peterbeck

peterbeck says "Quality condenser mic for voice, if you must use a condenser." about Shure - KSM27/SL Co... Professional Microphone

peterbeck — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:08:22 GMT

I got this as my first mic, and as a gift, after throwing up a hail mary: "Well, if you're paying, I'd just love the mic that Jason Van Orden uses for his podcast, www.podcastingunderground.com."

My voice is middle range deep, and it has done me well this past year. It does exactly what it should, and the quality of the sound is beautiful.

My only "complaint" is that as a podcasting mic for a home setup, it's probably too sensitive. It was designed as a studio mic, and will pick up every clothing rustle, toilet flush, and reverb bounce off the table and other flat surfaces in your room.

That's not its fault. But if I had it to do over again, I'd take the advice of broadcast pros like Mark Jensen of PodSqod (www.podsqod.com), and go with a dynamic mic, like the
Electrovoice RE20, the Shure SM7B, or for under $100, the legendary Shure SM57.

...

peterbeck says "A great first step into vocal audio quality." about Dbx 286a Mic Preamp

peterbeck — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:45:07 GMT

Hard to beat this as the first step up from naked mic podcasting. The difference in ease of listening without fatigue, and perceived loudness and clarity, is amazing compared to the mic alone.

The Aphex 230 can do more, arguably better, but at 3.5 times the price.

To get started in quality podcasting or voiceover narration work, this will get the job done without breaking the bank.

...

peterbeck says "THE ultimate, pro mic processor." about Aphex 230 Master Voice Channel Tube Mic Pre

peterbeck — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:00:35 GMT

Simply put, the best mic processor you can get, short of working at a radio station.

You can work on your voice's sound quality in post production, which takes time...or you can hook one of these up to your mic, dial in your settings, and focus on your show and content.

It's costly -- $700 -- but totally worth it if you've settled on moving up to a pro sound. The next step up from here -- literally -- is several thousand dollars up. 230's are in use professionally, on The Tonight Show and other pro tv and radio setups.

I started with a dbx 286a, which worked perfectly for my first year of quality podcasting...after a year of knowing what to listen for, I listened to a demo of a 230, and my eyes popped. I left the floor with one of these tucked under my arm.

...