How to Choose the Right Microphone for your Voice

In today's Masterclass, I will showcase different types of microphones, explaining pros & cons to each, deep-dive into details like pickup patterns, sensitivity/SPL, using windscreens, USB vs XLR, condenser vs. dynamic and more.

NOW WITH CHAPTERS, for your viewing/skipping pleasure :)

00:15 Intro
02:40 Microphone types: listing types and beginning with Dynamic mics (Shure, EV,
05:28 Understanding top address/front address versus side-address
07:48 Condenser microphones
08:20 Side-address microphones
09:20 Benefits of condensers: multipattern, low cut filter, padding
12:00 USB, miniplug and shotgun (RODE, Blue, Samson, Sennheiser)
15:00 Pickup patterns (Omni, Cardioid, Super-Cardioid, Hyper-Cardioid, Bi/Figure-8)
22:23 USB mics and having integrated A/D conversion versus dedicated sound device with A/D
26:25 Setting up your device for recording in Audition
27:18 Creating an Aggregate Audio devices for multiple USB inputs (on Mac OS via Audio/Midi Utility)
28:40 Recording the AT4050, multi-pattern condenser and understanding Mono vs Stereo Inputs
33:04 Going into Waveform/Edit View and adjusting amplitude with on-clip volume tool
34:08 Bass roll-off, understanding what it looks like in Frequency Analysis and Frequency Response
36:26 “The wand chooses the wizard; the microphone chooses the voice”
38:53 Sub-bass and the differences in mic mounting (boom, arms, stands, mic clip differences)
42:21 The Shure SM-58 dynamic microphone (and some tips on gain)
45:15 Keyframing volume on voice tracks and converting curves to bezier/splines
48:02 Recording the SM58 dynamic mic
49:22 Using Spectral Frequency to understand (visually) frequency response of mics
51:26 Recording the Sennheiser MKH416, super-cardioid shotgun condenser