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REC. SETTINGS

OFF

REC. LOWCUT

N/A

REC. LIMITER

6.3

REC. LEVEL

AUX. SETTINGS

N/A

AUX. BASS

N/A

AUX. HIGH-LOW

N/A

AUX. OUTPUT

MIC. SETTINGS

N/A

MIC. LOWCUT

N/A

MIC. HIGH PASS

N/A

MIC. BOOST

(RFI) RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE

GOOD

LESS THAN

1.1ft / 0.34m

JUST OKAY

BETWEEN
1.1ft / 0.34m -2.2ft / 0.67m 

​

BETWEEN
2.2ft / 0.67m -3.3ft / 1m

​

BETWEEN
3.3ft / 1m -4.4ft / 1.34m

Published: 

January 4, 2023 at 5:21:25 PM

 REAL  RATINGS

After testing each microphone, I like to know if it sounds realistic (accurate lows/bass, mids, highs/treble) in combination with the recorder and/or AUX. amplifier, to see if it needs EQ.

Catching a Wave

LOWS/BASS

B

 DO THE "LOWS" SOUND REAL? 

Song Notes

MIDS

B

 DO THE "MIDS" SOUND REAL? 

A woman singing in a record studio

HIGHS/TREBLE

C

 DO THE "HIGHS" SOUND REAL? 

NOTES:

AUDIO RECORDER SPECIFIC:
I can't really recommend this microphone/audio recorder combination as a good solution for a lavalier mic like this, because the recorder DOES NOT HAVE A LOCK/HOLD function (and the REC. LEVEL dial can get bumped if you put it in somebody's pocket). This microphone only records a MONO signal and not a stereo one like when used with the Zoom H1. Like the Zoom H1 too, this mic doesn't sound as good as the Zoom F1 (it's not as full). I don't know if this has to do with the differences between how much gain was applied to each test in post-production or what, but I've learned I can't push the Zoom H1 or H1n beyond 63 or 6.3 on the dial respectively, because the pre-amps become too noisy above that. So, maybe it's just because this microphone comes in as MONO and not in stereo as it does on the Zoom F1, or perhaps the Zoom F1 has a better pre-amp?

GENERAL (MIC-SPECIFIC):
I've got quite a few notes about this mic (and most of them apply to any audio recorder). The first thing I'm noting, is that this mic does NOT sound good with the FURRY windscreen I've been testing recently (the Comica CVM-MF1). It does sound good (natural and "REAL") with the included stock FOAM windscreen. So, until I find a furry windscreen that matches this mic well, I cannot recommend this for OUTDOOR use (I'm looking into the white versions of the Ursa and Movo furry windscreens because the copy I have of this mic is white). Next, this microphone does NOT do a good job of reducing background noise. I know, it's an omnidirectional mic, but in comparison to a lot of the other lavaliers I've tested, it doesn't do well here. This can be used to your advantage in certain situations, however. One example might be if you're recording somebody like a comedian (or anyone speaking in front of a large crowd) as it may do a good job capturing a bit of the audience's reaction, etc. This can be helpful if you want to avoid combining multiple audio sources in post (i.e. one for the crowd noise, one for presenter).

 

Remember to always monitor your audio while you're recording (using accurate headphones) because good settings can't fix bad audio. Also, these settings will not establish the exact level you'll need for every scene, but the goal is to provide a good starting point that will become clean, after adjusting in post. Additionally, these "custom settings" are used to make the Microphone-Specific EQ files work (as they won't work as intended if any of they aren't used). The EQ files were created to correct any imperfections of the microphone and/or wind protection (FOAM and/or FURRY) and were made in Audacity (the free audio editor) to make them as affordable & universal as possible.

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