The Comfort LTC Studio
Voice-Over & Video Editing Studio v1.0
Now decommissioned (office move),
this was my first recording/production studio for training videos and webinars.
Scroll down to read about the equipment used.
this was my first recording/production studio for training videos and webinars.
Scroll down to read about the equipment used.
AAR Studio Version 2.0:
A classic broadcast voice microphone - in sound and looks. I also considered the Shure SM7B, but after a live A/B test at the B&H Photo main store in NYC, the RE20 just sounded better with my voice. And because I record in my regular office space and not a true, sound-proofed studio, I needed strong "rejection" of other sounds that a more-sensitive condenser mic would make problematic.
Without an extra filter, the mic is very good at rejecting vocal pops and "plosives", and there is little to no boomy "proximity effect" when working the mic close. And I had to have the EV shock mount too - works great to isolate the mic, but also because it makes this mic look the way it should! I've had a RE20 for five years, and added a second when I launched AAR this summer. I now also have a EV RE50 (long) handheld mic for travel and field recording - this is a broadcast news workhorse. I used one back in the 1980s when working for an NPR station as well as doing TV news. Great sound, built in wind/pop screen, and nearly indestructible. I record remotely to a Tascam DR-40 digital recorder with a Strut field case. |
This simple, patented box is a MUST when using low-output dynamic mics like the RE20 (or SM7B). Without it you need a very clean (and very expensive) mic preamp. As good as the Mackie Onyx (and studio v2.1 Allen & Heath) preamps are, for spoken voice there is simply not enough gain coming out of the mic. The Cloudlifter (also available in 1 or 4-mic versions) uses phantom power from the preamp to cleanly boost the gain +25dB. It works! I used the one-mic CL-1 for five years, and traded up when I added a second RE20 to produce AAR. I can't say enough about how well this works and how necessary it is for spoken voice through the RE20.
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A GREAT little preamp and USB digital interface. Extremely rugged and well-built, all-steel construction. I like the fact that the inputs and outputs are on the back vs. the front keeping the workspace in front of me clear of cables. The angled profile also makes the knobs easy to see and use.
Simple, easy to use, with high-quality Onyx preamps. Takes mic or line-level inputs. +48v phantom power. Balanced TRS monitor outputs and a "real" 1/4" headphone jack. This is a solid piece of professional gear that's affordable for beginners and hobbyists too. It's totally plug-and-play with Macs, and apparently all the bugs are finally out of the Windows drivers - though I've never had any trouble with Windows in five years of use on several different laptops. With my console upgrade (see v. 2.1 below), this is now at home working flawlessly with my iMac. |
I have six of these (24"x48") in my 15'x12' office. The reduction in "slap echo" is significant. I have always hated recordings or webinars where the host sounds like he's sitting in his bathtub, or where the voice just sounds thin and "hollow" - that's "slap echo". Besides being necessary for recording, the sound is nicer for conversations when meeting with clients or when on the phone too. This is not "sound proofing", rather sound control. And they look nice in the office.
DO NOT use foam products. I know, it has a cool, retro-studio look, but they simply do not work as well as these panels. You actually get better sound control with less square feet covered than with acoustic foam - especially if you need bass control where foam literally does nothing. While more expensive per square foot than foam, you can get by with less - try half or less! They hang (and come down) like a picture; easy to change or adjust placement too. No messy glue. And who wants walls of foam for an office, or home studio, or home theatre?! (A couple of these plus a couple bass traps will dramatically improve your home theatre/stereo sound.) ("Bass traps" are not necessary for spoken voice recording, but GIK also makes the best, affordable bass traps as well. The v1.0 studio was a 10'x10'x10' cube and I used four GIK 244 Bass Traps plus the six 242 acoustic panels - a bit over-kill, but the sound was tight. The bass traps are now in my son's drum room!) |
Studio Upgrade 2.1
I've been looking at mixers that will allow me to eventually add a 3rd mic to interview two guests at the same time - my trusty, old Onyx Blackjack only has two inputs. And I wanted a way to mix in and record phone interviews "live" instead of having to edit together separate phone and host audio files. I don't need all the F/X and additional inputs/outputs found on "normal" recording mixers since my work is spoken voice-only. You can set-up a "regular" mixer to execute a phone "mix-minus", but at least for me it over-complicates the process.
It's all built-in on this compact "broadcast console". The broadcast features come at a premium over a mixer with comparable inputs, but that's made up for by ease of use and the dedicated Telco (phone) channel with mix-minus hardwired in. This works for an outboard phone hybrid OR via the two-way USB connection for using a VOIP soft-phone (like Skype or RingCentral). One button on the XB-10 switches the set up from mics only to mics & Telco with a clean mix-minus feed for the caller. Works great to-from my Windows laptop with RingCentral managing the phone (mix-minused!), and Audition is able to capture and record it all! My phone interviews have a much higher quality. And my production time (including my engineer Joey's time) should go way down!
The gearhead in me LOVES the broadcast channel ON buttons. I can leave the faders up and simply click on-off what I want "live" - with built-in automatic studio monitor muting too. Not strictly necessary in a pre-production recording studio, but very broadcast-cool. And that is at least part of the point! I can also mix in stereo audio from my cell phone or a tablet and another computer.
The only thing missing is individual channel "inserts" that would allow an outboard gate/compressor (the XB-10's big brother, XB-14-2, has mic channel inserts), but since my shows are recorded and pre-produced, adding a gate & compression in Audition after the fact isn't that big a deal. (The XB-10 does have inserts for the main mix, but this doesn't allow for individual mic gating/compression, only universally to the final mix to recorder or air.) There is a simple built-in compressor on each of the three mic channels, but for my needs a gate is more important since I want to eliminate the quiet, low-level sound, not raise it.
The mic preamps are better than the Blackjack, but the RE20 mics still benefit from the Cloudlifter - the XB-10 does include +48v phantom power.
The size is perfect for my studio/office desk, the footprint is the same as a mid-size laptop. It fits perfectly on an Allsop laptop stand giving me valuable room underneath.
If you've made it this far, welcome fellow gearhead! If I lost you at mix-minus ... that's a subject for another time. The new console/mixer makes its debut on the September 3rd show.
It's all built-in on this compact "broadcast console". The broadcast features come at a premium over a mixer with comparable inputs, but that's made up for by ease of use and the dedicated Telco (phone) channel with mix-minus hardwired in. This works for an outboard phone hybrid OR via the two-way USB connection for using a VOIP soft-phone (like Skype or RingCentral). One button on the XB-10 switches the set up from mics only to mics & Telco with a clean mix-minus feed for the caller. Works great to-from my Windows laptop with RingCentral managing the phone (mix-minused!), and Audition is able to capture and record it all! My phone interviews have a much higher quality. And my production time (including my engineer Joey's time) should go way down!
The gearhead in me LOVES the broadcast channel ON buttons. I can leave the faders up and simply click on-off what I want "live" - with built-in automatic studio monitor muting too. Not strictly necessary in a pre-production recording studio, but very broadcast-cool. And that is at least part of the point! I can also mix in stereo audio from my cell phone or a tablet and another computer.
The only thing missing is individual channel "inserts" that would allow an outboard gate/compressor (the XB-10's big brother, XB-14-2, has mic channel inserts), but since my shows are recorded and pre-produced, adding a gate & compression in Audition after the fact isn't that big a deal. (The XB-10 does have inserts for the main mix, but this doesn't allow for individual mic gating/compression, only universally to the final mix to recorder or air.) There is a simple built-in compressor on each of the three mic channels, but for my needs a gate is more important since I want to eliminate the quiet, low-level sound, not raise it.
The mic preamps are better than the Blackjack, but the RE20 mics still benefit from the Cloudlifter - the XB-10 does include +48v phantom power.
The size is perfect for my studio/office desk, the footprint is the same as a mid-size laptop. It fits perfectly on an Allsop laptop stand giving me valuable room underneath.
If you've made it this far, welcome fellow gearhead! If I lost you at mix-minus ... that's a subject for another time. The new console/mixer makes its debut on the September 3rd show.
New mic flags just came in!
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I buy most of my gear from B&H Photo in New York City; the website and customer service are outstanding. Order acoustic panels directly from GIK Acoustics, and mic flags from Impact PBS. I do not receive any compensation for links to or purchases from any of the vendors represented on this site. The product links are for information only.