{"id":252,"date":"2018-02-18T15:13:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-18T20:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/?p=252"},"modified":"2025-12-26T09:49:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T14:49:39","slug":"external-condenser-mics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/external-condenser-mics\/","title":{"rendered":"External Condenser Mics"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">February 6, 2018<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">In December, when I made the videos of the two Free Bass accordions\u00a0 playing Silent Night, I noticed that the sound captured from the accordions was ok\u2026 but not much more than that, and I knew that I wanted to make the move from dynamic to condenser mics one day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Condenser mics are more sensitive, give a better quality of sound, but they absolutely <em>must<\/em> have a 48 volt phantom power source.\u00a0 Since my Mackie 1640i mixer has the ability to turn on or off phantom power on a per channel basis (on any of it&#8217;s 16 channels), this is a complete non-issue for me, but it does mean that if I use a condenser mic, it must be used through the mixer\u2026 which is one of the main reasons I have one in the first place.\u00a0 Having a higher quality mixer also means that your preamps will be of much higher quality and that means less noise and better quality of all sound captured.\u00a0 However, how accurate and good you sound is ultimately dependent on the first link in the chain, and that all starts with the microphone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Traditionally, if you wanted a really nice condenser microphone, you had to open the wallet wide and shell out some seriously big amounts of cash\u2026 we&#8217;re talking several thousands dollars!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">With the advent of digital music and technical advances, prices started dropping and quality kept increasing\u00a0 over the years.\u00a0 Today one can get a really nice microphone for a fraction of the cost.\u00a0 Something in the $500-$1000 range will offer you professional results under the right circumstances, however, even that amount is a lot of money for an amateur like me at this point in time.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t have $1000 to burn on microphones\u2026 so where does that leave me\u2026 am I doomed to never be able to record my accordions with even a modicum of good quality sound?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nope!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the Asian market again comes to the rescue with some bargain basement condenser mics that seem to have the reputation of being able to capture sound with pretty good results at an amazing price point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Now, one day soon I will invest in higher end condenser mics, but right now I want to get started in experimenting and making a few musical projects.\u00a0 Even with a DIY amateur mindset, I do want to improve the sound over what I can do now.\u00a0 Being always on the lookout for deals, I think I found the <strong>deal of the century<\/strong>\u2026 kinda.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Because of my desire to get condenser mics quickly and my current non-existent budget, I researched for a couple of weeks and found the cheapest, lowest priced condenser microphone out there that had the reputation of being able to capture fair quality sound.\u00a0 Before I tell you the price, here are the specs:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microphone-core: Diameter 16mm<br \/>Polar Pattern: Cardioid<br \/>Frequency Response: 20Hz-16kHz<br \/>Sensitivity: -38dB?2dB(0dB=1V\/Pa at 1kHz)<br \/>Output Impedance: 150db (at 1kHz)<br \/>Load Impedance: 1000ohm<br \/>Equivalent Noise Level: 16dBA<br \/>Max SPL: 132dB<br \/>S\/N Ratio: 78dB<br \/>Electrical Current: 3mA <br \/>Voltage: 48 volt phantom power<br \/>Body weight: 11oz\/316g<br \/>Color: Black\/Gold<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Yeah, nothing stunning in terms of specs.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, in the world of $500+ condenser mics, these specs are definitely weak sauce\u2026 but in the world of a $19.99 condenser mics (delivery <strong>included<\/strong>), these specs are stunning!\u00a0 Yup, you read that right, a <strong>sub-$20<\/strong>\u00a0condenser microphone!\u00a0 Even at that price, it comes with a windsock, shock-mount and let me repeat, includes the delivery too\u2026 so I placed an order for two of them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are a couple of pictures:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"1280\" class=\"wp-image-254\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-720x1280.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-720x1280.jpg 720w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-169x300.jpg 169w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-768x1365.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-864x1536.jpg 864w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-scaled.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1230\" class=\"wp-image-256\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-e1517710244180-1920x1230.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-e1517710244180-1920x1230.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-e1517710244180-300x192.jpg 300w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-e1517710244180-768x492.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-e1517710244180-1536x984.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_205358-e1517710244180-2048x1312.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">I tell you, I am one fortunate man in many wants but in this case I am referring to those mic stands. Back from my photography days I have a pair of small Manfrotto Nano tripods and these make PERFECT stands for my microphones.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Great little stands, super reliable and stable, but I would not suggest these for others because each one costs $110US\u2026 that&#8217;s the price of five and a half microphones!\u00a0 Instead look for cheap $10 mic stands, however, make sure that they can come up to 2-3 feet off the ground and are stable.\u00a0 One small fall and these mics will likely break and become non-functional.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s take a look at a couple of reviews from other people about this bottom-of-the-barrel condenser mic and get an idea of how this mic sounds for other people:<\/p>\r\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neewer NW-800 Condenser Microphone Review \/ Test\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2DIjVPyv3L8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">How about something ridiculous\u2026 a comparison of this $20 mic and a pro quality $3600 mic?\u00a0 No, don&#8217;t expect it to win, however, it does a LOT better than you would think!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"$22 MICROPHONE VS $3600 MICROPHONE\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XMiuElvxEFw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n<p>How about tearing one apart to take a look inside?<\/p>\r\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neewer NW-800 Condenser Microphone Teardown\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lA-7ngwqg3s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Ok, at least now we know where we stand, right?\u00a0 This stuff is not even basement quality, we are talking subterranean here\u2026 the lowest of the low, the crappiest of all the crappy\u2026 and yet, how well does it capture instruments, or more specifically, how well does it capture my acoustic accordions?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Well, before I show that, I am going to tell you in advance that I am about to cheat.\u00a0 I plan on using all the tricks I know to make this thing sound as good as I can.\u00a0 &#8220;Why would you do that?&#8221; you ask?\u00a0 Good question\u2026 two reasons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">First, knowledge is power, and in this case, it is going to permit me to draw out the best that this mic can do by itself, even if it is a bit rubbish.\u00a0 Anything I do is going to make these El Cheapo mics sound better than if left to their own, so why not?\u00a0 Besides, these are all tricks that other\u00a0 sound engineers are doing in real life, often even with those $10,000 and higher mics too!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Second, it&#8217;s going to be free!\u00a0 The tricks I happen to want to use are already integrated in both my hardware and software.\u00a0 I am talking good gain structure, software equalization, limiters, noise gates, reverb, compression and anything else I can think of.\u00a0 On the hardware side I am talking of using a high end quality mixer (Mackie 1640i) with boutique quality super clean preamps and a full and clean 48 volts of phantom power to each mic.\u00a0 Let&#8217;s see just how good I can make this mic sound for me in my circumstances.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ADDENDUM:\u00a0 January 24, 2018<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">OK, so my condenser mics have arrived early!\u00a0 They were supposed to have arrived on the 28th, but, nope, they came 4 days earlier\u2026 BONUS!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">I made an unboxing and review video, here below, but a small heads-up\u2026 the audio on this video is pretty bad.\u00a0 I made the mistake of first using an IN camera mic and second, having the furnace running (one kind of needs a functional furnace when it&#8217;s -20C outside).\u00a0 I tried cleaning it up, but it was still pretty ugly.\u00a0 So, you kind of have to bear with me this time\u2026 sorry about that.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Let me promise you that this is the last video I will ever make with bad voice audio in it, as I have come up with a solution for this, and the results of that will be visible (audible?) on all of my videos that I plan to release on the Roland FR-8X V-Accordion Mild to Wild series as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/LAV-TESTS.mp4\" controls=\"controls\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\"><\/video><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, let me present to you the unboxing video with the crappy audio:<\/p>\r\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neewer NW-800 Unboxing and First Impressions\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7JhUAfz6r2I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1.125rem;\">Here is how I addressed the vocal recording situation moving forward\u2026 I again pulled out my DIY skills and rewired this:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-image-257\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200418-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200418-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200418-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200418-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200418-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200418-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s just a cheap little lavalier mic that came with an old GPS unit that we once had a long time ago.\u00a0 The GPS unit is now gone a long time, but the lavalier mic was taking up room doing nothing in one of my drawers, so I decided to use it.\u00a0 First issue, I hot glued the little plastic clip so that I could clip it to my shirt, but the bigger issue was that the plug was the wrong type (it was TR and I needed TRRS for it to work for me) and did not work with my chosen recording device\u2026 my cell phone.\u00a0 I needed to get different connector and rewire it properly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-image-258\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200440-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200440-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200440-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200440-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200440-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_200440-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">With this connector properly connected and soldered to the right connectors, this mic actually does a pretty good job of capturing my voice, and again, the price was right for me\u2026 free!\u00a0 The connector, however, was a reasonable $1.25.\u00a0 So this plug, and 10 minutes with my soldering iron, and I will have much better vocals in all my future videos\u2026 I promise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Not to be one that doesn&#8217;t find more things to address in any new challenge, the next challenge was related to recording the acoustic accordion.\u00a0 &#8220;What problem ?&#8221; you might be asking\u2026 well, when recording one single acoustic accordion, there is no problem, however, what if I wanted to create a\u00a0 multitrack of two or more acoustic accordion parts?\u00a0 Normally one records the first accordion, then plays the first recording and plays along with it, saving it to a second track, however, if your microphones capture the sound of your first recording (if you play it through your speakers), the audio comes out muddy and of\u00a0 poor quality.\u00a0 Basically, this sucks and is very undesirable!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">The solution is relatively easy, do not let the recorded track be heard by the mics.\u00a0 Easy to address, just wear big tight and sealed headphones\u2026 but if you wear headphones, though it isolates the sound, the problem that is that wearing those things in a video makes you look ridiculous, so my solution was to again go out and make another quick, little DIY project.\u00a0 Two plugs and 15 feet of pro-grade microphone wire and a set of fairquality earplugs are the better solution\u2026 here let me show you!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We start with some good quality mic wire\u2026<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-image-259\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193635-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193635-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193635-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193635-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193635-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193635-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A nice quality 1\/4&#8243; male stereo plug on one side, and&#8230;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-image-260\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193643-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193643-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193643-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193643-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193643-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193643-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 3.5mm female stereo plug on the other side\u2026<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-image-261\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193655-1920x1080.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193655-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193655-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193655-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193655-1536x864.jpg 1536w, http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/20180203_193655-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toss in some ear buds, and you are all set!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180203_193909-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Connect them together, and voila!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">At least now I will be able to plug in this wire in to my mixer&#8217;s headphone jack or any stereo output source for that matter, and control exactly what I am hearing\u2026 both the recorded accordion parts and whatever I am playing in accompaniment on the other part while recording that track live, and though yes the earbuds are visible, they&#8217;re not the big, ugly headphones on display in the video and they are not loud enough to be heard by the condenser mics, but permit the sound track to be heard by the performer (me!)\u2026 the near perfect solution!\u00a0 I chose black earbuds because I can place then in my ears and have the wire hanging behind my hears and down my back making them <em>almost<\/em> invisible as I record the video.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WAIT!\u00a0 So what do the mics sound like???<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ok, ok\u2026 they sound like this:<\/p>\r\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mystery Mics!\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YGNPFb_PGv0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, they are sensitive as hell, and now I have to admit something\u2026 I had the sound of the furnace in the video that I almost successfully removed, but there was some loss in overall sound quality (if I want the best sound\u2026 turn off the heating and AC, and I plan to do that with the more serious recordings!).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">They also picked up every mechanical clack from the bass machine and even my breath was CLEARLY heard every time I hit a quiet spot in the song!\u00a0 I know that I need to do some more experimenting and find the sweet spot for recording my acoustic accordions.\u00a0 I should be able to improve on both those issues with more experimenting<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">One thing that I already learned\u2026 the recording above was with the foam windsock covers on the mics, and I later learned that the mics sound better without them.\u00a0 So, in the future\u2026 no foam windsock covers.\u00a0 Besides, they look better without them\u2026 in a gaudy gold kind of way. So, that leaves me with two final but important questions:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><em><strong>Is this setup better than the one I had while making my Silent Night videos? <\/strong><\/em>YES!\u00a0 First, there is a stereo image, there is better tonality, there is more dynamic range and the overall sound is much improved.\u00a0 Basically I took that $20 mic, and made it sound pretty good.\u00a0 Because they are more sensitive, I now also know that my environment is NOISY and requires more work to get better quality results.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<li><em><strong>How do these mics compare to better and more expensive mics? <\/strong><\/em>Here is a shot of reality\u2026 yeah, these things sound marvelous at $40 for the two mics, but they fall quite a way short if compared to a pair of those higher quality condenser mics that I plan to purchase in the future.\u00a0 For now, though, they are great to play around with, and I am enjoying them and learning all kinds of things in the process, and for that reason alone, this has been the best $40 I have spent in a long time!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Now, as mentioned, my basement is not the best place in the house to make recordings on sensitive microphones\u2026 unfortunately, it is the roomiest place in the house where I can do what I want and no one disturbs me, so the fact that it is noisy as heck thanks to a NAS, several computers and has a loud furnace about 6 feet away from the &#8220;recording area&#8221; are hard challenges to overcome at best and super annoying at worst.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">What that means is that I have no choice but to do a lot of background noise removal and this affects the overall quality of any recording I make or, as mentioned earlier, turn off the furnace (and relocate the NAS to the floor for now, further reducing noise in the room).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">Now, none of that really makes a huge difference, at least not in my life, and no mic at any price is going to sound good in that kind of an environment, so I live with my challenges, and as long as I am having fun, playing, enjoying and sharing my accordion journey, those issues just aren&#8217;t that important\u2026 but they are enjoyable and more than adequate for my needs!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">October 27, 2018<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">I just wanted to add an additional opinion since the initial post was made.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve used them a bit in outdoor events and in recording an interview, and I must admit, when used in general modes like this, I am really quite happy with the results.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">They are not terrible by any means, and no, though they don&#8217;t compare to my &#8220;expensive&#8221; mics, if these were the only mics I could ever afford, I should not let the fact that these are $20 mics deter me from making recordings, if that was all I had.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify wp-block-paragraph\">The big thing is that in both cases I used the Zoom F4, and through it&#8217;s amazingly great preamps, high gain ability and fantastic recording quality, it really does draw out every nuance that these mics can produce.\u00a0 These are easily like $100 mics used in this manner and sound way better than they almost have a right to.\u00a0 I am quite happy with the purchase!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enjoy!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\r\n\r\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I love my toys!  Here is the story of my uber-cheap condenser microphones, the supporting accessories, an unboxing and impressions discussion and several great hints about making good recordings with them! &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/external-condenser-mics\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">External Condenser Mics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":10,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories","category-technical"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/syner-g.no-ip.biz\/mymusic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}