Reddit reviews Neewer Universal 45MM Microphone Shock Mount for 43MM-46MM Diameter Condenser Mic (Black)

Ok, strap in because there is a lot to cover here! And before I get started, remember that there is rarely one correct way to go about any of this, and everyone will have their own experiences and thoughts, and although different (sometimes very different) that doesn't mean that they aren't both valid.

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I'm going to get started with the gear, as it's actually one of the easier parts to cover.

You will want your own gear. Studio fees get pretty expensive when you are doing a lot of work, and buying your own gear will pay for itself in the long run. For those starting out (with a low budget) I recommend the MXL V67G, Behringer UM2, XLR cable, pop filter, mic stand, and shock mount. This isn't the only setup,and if you can find used gear you may be able to get even better quality stuff cheaper (or the same price). You will also want to spend some money on sound treatment if you can, but it's easy enough to use a closet or make a blanket-fort if you need to. Just remember, the thicker the material the more effective it will be, and layering works wonders when improvising a booth. I have a furnace on the other side of one wall by my booth, but with a layer of insulation, and three layers of heavy blankets, almost none of that sound reaches the booth (and what does can be cut out with a bass roll-off). Just remember to factor the treatment into your budget when you look for gear. You may be able to use materials you already have, but try to figure it out beforehand.

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Now, the harder part: Where to actually get started?

The first place to look is voice coaching and acting classes, if you can afford them. Having someone dedicated to helping you grow as a voice actor can make a world of difference. As far as going out and getting jobs though, I do have a bit of advice.

Personally, I would avoid radio. While it can help get you used to he mic, radio announcing typically use their own style of voice that currently is avoided with voice over. Many agents are hesitant about hiring former radio hosts. But, in the end it's the quality of your voice that matters, so going into radio isn't going to kill your career before it can even get started.

There are various ways you can get in, but typically you will start out doing unpaid fan projects and stuff to get practice and experience (not necessarily resume experience, but personal experience with your setup and gear to work out any kinks). This is usually animation/character voice over, and can be pretty fun, especially if that's where you want to end up. Audiobooks are another entryway, as there isn't a huge barrier to cross before getting started. There are also far more books out there to be read that there are narrators reading them. On the other hand, there is a reason for that; it's usually low paying, long hours of recording and editing, and there is rarely much feedback to help you improve your voice.

You can also try and find small, local businesses that are just getting large enough to start advertising, and strike up a conversation with the owners. Get to know them, and their business, and let it be known that you do voice acting. If you do this enough, you will find yourself in the right place at the right time as they need a VO for a radio commercial, and start landing jobs that way. Unfortunately, for this you will need a demo.

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The Demo:

For finding local work, it's perfectly fine to use homemade demo (so long as it's good). There is a lot that goes into one though, so I'm going to try and break it down.

*SCRIPTS***: You will want to find, at a minimum, five or six commercial scripts, preferably actual commercials and not "stock" practice scripts. Those are fine for getting feedback from other VO talent, but actual scripts work better for a demo. Preferably, find ten or more so that you have options. You will want them to have different tones, different pacing, basically ones that will allow you to show off a wide range in what you can do. The next step is to practice. A lot. And then some more. You want these to be perfect, as they are what people will be listening to when they are deciding to hire you or not. Sub-perfection won't cut it. Record them, and get feedback. Practice some more. Get more feedback. Keep doing this until you think you are ready, and get feedback on your final recording as well. If the overall impressions are good, then use those recordings. If there is still quite a bit of critiquing being done, especially on major stuff (background noise, hiss, or the read itself) keep practicing.

MUSIC: There are a lot of sites out there that provide royalty free music to download, and these will be your friend. Find tracks that mach up with your reads, that fit naturally with what you already have recorded. If need be you can always re-take a script, but it's easier if you already have something that fits to work with. You may already eliminate some of your takes at this time just from lack of a good music track, but that's why you have extra!

Mixing:* Here is where you find your best takes, and the best sections of those takes. Go ahead and trim them down (keep the original file too, just in case) and start putting the best pieces together. You will want them set up so that no two takes that are back to back use the same style if at all possible. Keep it varied, and let them be distinct. You will want the takes trimmed to about 10 seconds, 15 at the most, before moving to the next take. You may also want the audio to overlap some. Put the music tracks with their respective takes, and work to set the volume. Too loud with the music and it drowns out your voice, too quiet and it doesn't do any good. This part is mostly played by ear, but get feedback before showing it off to prospective clients.

There are other things you can add, like sound effects and stereo mixes, but keep it simple to start. If you try to do too much, it's easy to get things messed up without knowing what is causing the issue. For local clients, just music will be fine, and not even all pro demos go overboard here. The goal is to highlight you voice, not mixing skills.

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Professionally produced demo:

When you think you are ready for an agent, you will need a pro demo. Most agencies won't even consider you if you don't have one. They cost a lot, but the return is well worth it. You will* want to ensure that you go with a reputable studio; there are a lot of scams out there that will take your money and don't care if you have the skill for a good demo yet. Ask around and do your research to find the right studio. Listen to work they have done, and get other voice actors' opinions of them.

They will provide you with scripts and do all the mixing for you; all you do is read the lines to the absolute best of your abilities. Again, the point of a demo is to showcase your voice and talent, not the mixing. That's just a part of it so that the client knows how you sound in a full mix. The audio engineers making your demo know this, and it's their job to make you stand out. The quality of a demo is only limited by your own abilities.

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I know I covered a lot, but hopefully you can find at least something useful in there. It's not a full guide to getting into voice over, but it should work as a starting place. If you want to listen to my demos to get a feel for what I am talking about, you can find them here. Feel free to ask any follow-up question!

Cheap, but has lasted 1 year now no issues with noise or anything else..

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C86FA0E/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DY1F2CS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also this is probably the best quality USB mic you will find, rivals the Yeti. Remember to always run USB mics on a POWERED USB hub for zero feedback noise...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GHOM67W/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

at2020 and a Behringer 502 USb mixer.

As for the shock mount and mic stand. The AT2020 XLR comes with a mount that will screw on to any 5/8th mic stand thread. If you really want to go with a shock mount, than I ordered the Neewer shock mount, it was like 8 bucks, thing works great and fits the AT2020 perfectly.

Here are a couple links
http://www.amazon.ca/Technica-AT2020-Cardiod-Condensor-XLRM-type/dp/B0006H92QK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420340421&sr=8-2&keywords=at2020

http://www.amazon.ca/Behringer-Q502USB-Premium-5-Input-2-Bus/dp/B008O516JW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420340440&sr=8-1&keywords=behringer+502+usb

http://www.amazon.ca/NEEWER%C2%AE-Black-Universal-Microphone-Bearable/dp/B00C86FA0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420340455&sr=8-1&keywords=neewer+shock

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000978D58?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

You will also need an XLR cable, look for one with Neutrik connectors. I'm not sure how many of those ship to Aussie, but that is my setup and I love it.

TLDR: Tips on how to record with any type of Mic

So I make hypnosis recordings professionally and I could get into some technical stuff but wellgnawed did a pretty good job going over that so I am going to go over more how I record. Step one find a place that has good acoustics in your home. This is pretty simple you only need to go room to room and speak like you would when you are going to record and see if you like the sound. It is best to avoid rooms that have any sort of echo. Try to work in a room that has a carpet or rug covering the floor.

Next if you can try to hang blankets from the wall or make a blanket fort. Your goal is to create an environment were the only sound the microphone is picking up is the sound coming from your mouth and not the reflected sound off the walls. Sound in rooms with hard walls that reflect sound can make what is called standing waves. This will result in certain frequency ranges becoming exaggerated. This is what makes large reflective spaces like a gymnasium have that kinda off sound. Just do the best you can and test how it sounds with your ears before setting up. If it sounds like an environment where you could listen to your voice for a long time then it is good enough.

Next you will want a mic stand or desk arm that can hold your mic in shock mount and support a pop filter. Now a shock mount isolates your mic from the stand so if you bump it gently it will not ruin your take. They look like this (https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting-Voice-over/dp/B00C86FA0E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1500782010&sr=8-8&keywords=blue+yeti+shockmount). This where I would say also not to buy a Blue Yeti mic or the Snowball. They don't fit in cheap shock mounts you could spend $50+ on a Blue Yeti mount (https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Radius-II-Microphone-Improved/dp/B00TTQLA50/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500782010&sr=8-2&keywords=blue+yeti+shockmount). Work on placing your mic in a way that it faces your mouth and it is about 6 inches to at most about 12 inches away from your mouth. Then put on your pop filter and see if you are comfy and can stand or sit up straight. Then record a test clip to see if you like the sound. I recommend count down from 5 to 1. 5 has a nice loud I sound in it and you can use this to see if you need to adjust your gain to make your mic more or less sensitive. This can take a bit of time think of this like tuning an instrument. It is also a great time to do some vocal warm ups.

Now if you are reading from a script and you have a cardioid pattern mic a suggested placement of the mic would be at about a 45 degree angle from your mouth so that you hold your script out in front of you to read off of without the mic in the way. But it is key to test this set up first by recording a clip and then listening to it to make sure it works in your space. Also place your mic so that any sources of noise such as a laptop are on the least sensitive side of the mic (normally the back). Also take breaks to breathe between lines. It can be easy when you record to get on a roll and then forget to breathe, which can result in your vocals sounding weaker.

So some other things are that you should drink lots of water long before you start recording and have some handy when you are. If you are a little dehydrated your mouth will make sticky sounds. Also if you are in a loud environment getting closer to the mic and turning down the gain can help make you loud and the background soft. As far as buying a mic look at the patterns it offers. Link showing patterns (http://www.shure.eu/support_download/educational_content/microphones-basics/microphone_polar_patterns). Cardioid is a common and very useful pattern for vocals. Next see what kind of mic you want. Common types are condenser and dynamic mics. You can use both of them for vocals, a condenser mic is usually found in a studio in more optimal conditions, and a lot of popular stage mics are dynamic and they are put less optimal conditions. Finally there is the connection type the common ones are USB and XLR. USB is convenient but you will not find it on any equipment that is meant for true professional use. I also find that a lot of USB mics have higher levels of noise than XLR mics. This seems to be more of an issue in USB condenser mics. XLR is a 3 pin analog connector that carries data and sometimes power (48 volt Phantom Power). To use XLR mics on a computer you will need a USB interface. Be sure to check if your interface provides phantom power if your mic needs it. If you just want to make a recording for fun I recommend sticking with mics that connect via USB. If you ever want to consider recording things more seriously then getting an XLR interface and XLR mic would be the way to go. Also a lot of interfaces take inputs from a guitar amps so you can record a sound with vocals if that is your thing. Another thing to check for is zero-latency monitoring. This means you can listen to yourself on headphones as you record with the mic with no lag or delay. This can help speed up your sound checks. Finally watch a review online of the mic you want to buy. Try to find a person with a similar voice to yours speaking into it. Your ears are the best tool you have to making a good recording. One last note make sure you have decent headphones. You will want over the ear closed back headphones if you are trying to compare audio. You can make earbuds do but it really is best to just make the jump up to something better. Wow, this was a bit longer than I intended. Well good luck with your recording and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Max load of 1.5kg ain't bad.

I also have this and this for the full set.

Ah... that's pretty severe.

I'd be afraid the spinning lasers would cause it to wobble a bit without a solid mount, but maybe not. You could try foam rubber behind the mount, but I doubt it would help much.

I'm thinking a shock mount like they make for condenser microphones are the best thing to isolate vibrations, but it would take some fancy jury-rigging to make it work with the lighthouse.

That might work for a desk stand, but i do not see a suspension system. You need to find a suspension holder that holds the mic and suspends it such that desk movement doesn't go up the stand and vibrate the mic.

This is just an example- I dont know the specifics of your mic.

Europe, and you mean this?

I'm just wondering whether the Meteor will fit. If you check google pictures, it really is meant for 5/8" bottom screw-in mounting, it doesn't have much space it can grip onto, because of the volume knob & mute button, and the miniusb in the back.

I'm actually happy with most of our set up now:

I own an iPad, so:

• Alesis iO Mix - $200
  
• x4 MXL V250 - $200, though they seem to often show up fro $50 apiece.
  
• x4 shockmounts - $40
  
• x4 XLR cables - $36
  
• x4 stands - $60-$80 for whatever stands worked
  
• x4 pop filters - $28
  
  $600, just to round up.
  
  I could invest in costlier mics, but the V250 I just bought worked great for the latest episode of the podcast.
  
  Maybe I'd buy better pop filters, nicer stands, and some headphones.
  

if you know what diameter the bottom thread is, you could find a generic fit one, e.g. this one fits 43-46mm microphone bases - https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting-Voice-over/dp/B00C86FA0E

Perhaps this is what you want. https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Microphone-Suspension-Broadcasting-Voice-over/dp/B00C86FA0E

This is the most inexpensive one with the highest rating that I could find. This should suffice.