Microphones post: what's good for foley, ADR voiceover and sound effects - Cover Story

Post, March, 2004 by David John Farinella

As for the future, Edwards points out that Audio Technica is looking toward the burgeoning independent market where audio pros are working in home studios on computers. "Right now they are relying on some external device, either a [Digidesign] Mbox, some outboard preamp or something to go between the microphone and the computer. Those are things we always look at--what's going to satisfy the needs of whatever new technology is out there."

SHURE

Dan Smith, product manager, microphone products for Shure (www.shure.com), points out that there are two popular Shure products for audio post applications. "We'd recommend our KSM 44--it's a multi-pattern large diaphragm microphone. It has a really low noise floor," he says. "What makes it most appropriate for post applications is that it is a dual-diaphragm technology. During the development of this microphone we did a lot of tests on the properties of dual-diaphragm microphones and we found it gives you a very controlled and tight sounding low end, and most post people prefer that."

The SM-7, which is a dynamic microphone, is used in broadcast situations and occasionally gets brought into some recording applications. "Most people like it if they're doing smaller projects and they're not working in the greatest facility, where they have a lot of isolation and they have some background noise that they might be dealing with," Smith says.

For Foley dates, Shure offers the KSM 137. It's a smaller mic that has an end address rather than a side address. "It has a very smooth frequency response where the low end rolls off a little bit to eliminate any boomy effects," Smith explains. The KSM 137 also has a 25dB pad that allows users to slam loud sounds right into the microphone.

SENNHEISER

According to Anthony L Buzzeo, Sennheiser's product manager, microphones & specialty products, the company's mics are a natural complement to Neumann's line of microphones for audio post production. (Sennheiser owns Neumann.) The most widely used Sennheiser (www.sennheiserusa.com) is the MKH RF condenser line. "These mics use small diaphragm capsules that are driven by a unique RF condenser operating principal," he explains. "Just about the entire line has been used at one point or another for post applications, including the MKH20, MKH40, MKH50, MKH416, MKH60 and MKH70 shotguns. However, the piece d' resistance has got to be the multi-patterned MKH800, which delivers to the highest of production demands."

The Sennheiser line is used in voiceover, Foley and sound effects applications, he adds. "The MKH416 is extremely popular with voiceover artists. It has a voice enhancing proximity effect despite it being a short shotgun. Location shooting with these mics integrates nicely into post production, as recordists typically want to replicate the same set-up used in both places.

"Our classic dynamics have also been used for on-site sound effects as they provide excellence sound reproduction while withstanding tremendous SPL levels," he continues. "I've talked to soundmen who have subjected our MD 421 II to explosions at very close proximity. They'll say to me, 'Can you fix this, it's in 10 pieces?' Then they'll add, 'But don't change anything sonically, it still works.'" Both the MKH800 and the MD 421 II mics were used while recording the three Matrix films.