Do You NEED to Record 24-Bit Audio? (FAQ Series)

In this video I share some tests I did to try and hear what the audible benefit of 24-bit is over 16-bit recording.

00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - Part I: Theoretical Benefit of 24-Bit Audio
01:25 - Part II: Do 16-bit & 24-bit Clip at Different Levels?
02:44 - Part III: Recording a Mic at 16-bit and 24-bit
04:34 - Part IV: DAW Recording at 16-bit and 24-bit
05:36 - Can You Hear a Difference?
07:00 - What's the Real Benefit?
07:42 - Do You Need to Record in 24-Bit?
10:28 - Wrap

Behringer C-2 Review / Test

Today i review probably the most affordable small diaphragm condensers on the market, the Behringer C2's. These cost $60 for a pair, so essentially $30/each. The sound is surprisingly good for that price, but it's not without it's flaws. On some sound sources the bass and low mids can get out of hand, and the treble boost is a bit artificial and harsh. If you're able to work around these issues, for $30/each, I think they're pretty good.

Buy the Behringer C2s (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/behrc2
Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/behrc2

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Setup
00:44 - What’s in the Box
01:08 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:38 - Specifications
02:03 - High Pass Filter Off
02:27 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:45 - Plosive Test
03:04 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
03:24 - Background Noise Test 
03:44 - Untreated Room Test
04:05 - A Few Mic Position Tests
04:32 - Shock Rejection Test
04:55 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
05:16 - Windscreen Tone Test
05:50 - High Pass Filter Test
06:15 - 10dB Pad Test
06:38 - Intro to Comparison
07:06 - Samson C02 Comparison
07:29 - Rode M5 Comparison
07:57 - sE Electronics sE7 Comparison
08:23 - Shure SM81 Comparison
08:58 - Beyerdynamic MC930 Comparison
09:31 - Neumann KM185 Comparison
10:16 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
10:57 - Music Test
12:46  - Pros & Cons
14:21 - Overall Thoughts
17:11 - Recommendation
18:23 - Outro

Rode NT1 (5th Gen) Review / Test

Today I review the brand new NT1 from Rode which offers 32-bit floating point A/D conversion over the USB output. This offers a pretty neutral bass and mids frequency response which means it can get a bit overpowering in the lower frequencies if you're close micing, and then you get a detailed treble sound. It has an impressive self noise of only 4dBa and a max SPL of 142dB. It's a very impressive mic that will serve some people extremely well.

Buy the Rode NT1 (5th Gen) (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/nt15th
Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/nt15th

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Demo of 32-Bit Floating Point Recording
00:20 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
01:06 - Setup
01:27 - What’s in the Box
01:53 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
02:38 - Specifications
03:09 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
03:27 - Plosive Test
03:40 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
04:05 - Background Noise Test 
04:25 - Untreated Room Test
04:45 - Shock Rejection Test
05:06 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
05:20 - USB vs XLR Output
06:17 - Intro to Comparison
06:46 - Audio Technica AT2020 Comparison
07:06 - Neat King Bee II Comparison
07:30 - Rode NT1a Comparison
07:57 - Lewitt LCT440 Comparison
08:21 - Rode NT1 (4th) Comparison
09:11 - Rode NT2a Comparison
09:44 - Shure KSM32 Comparison
10:13 - Neumann TLM103 Comparison
11:44 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
11:17 - Music Test
12:36 - Pros & Cons
14:57 - Overall Thoughts
17:35 - Recommendation
18:39 - Who Is 32 Bit Floating Point For?
20:37 - Outro

Lewitt MTP W950 Mic Review / Test (vs. SM58, E835, KMS105, U87 Ai)

Today I review a brand new multipattern handheld condenser mic from Lewitt. This thing also has a high pass filter and a -12dB pad, and the huge surprise is the fact that you can unscrew the handle and get a wireless capsule. It does great with handling noise, background noise, plosives, cupping the mic, and it offers that standard Lewitt sound which is very clear and bright.

Buy the Lewitt MTP W950 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: n/a
Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/mtpw950

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:28 - Setup
00:48 - What’s in the Box
01:23 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
02:14 - Specifications
02:39 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
03:38 - Plosive Test
03:51 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
04:17 - Background Noise Test 
04:34 - Untreated Room Test
04:54 - Shock Rejection Test
05:11 - Handling Noise Rejection Test
05:25 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
05:38 - Cup the Mic Test
05:55 - Wind Screen Tone Test
06:24 - High Pass Filter Test
06:45 - Pad Switch Test
07:16 - Intro to Comparison
07:41 - Shure SM58 Comparison
08:03 - Sennheiser E835 Comparison
08:28 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
08:50 - Audio Technica AT2010 Comparison
09:12 - Shure Beta 87a Comparison
09:41 - Electro Voice RE520 Comparison
10:08 - Lewitt MTP 940 CM Comparison
10:41 - Earthworks SR314 Comparison
11:13 - Neumann KMS105 Comparison
11:44 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
12:17 - Music Test
13:46 - Pros & Cons
14:46  - Overall Thoughts
17:03 - Recommendation
18:24 - Outro

Audio Technica ATH-M50xSTS & M50xSTS-USB Review /Test

The Headphone Show Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwR4aIGHa50

Today I review the new headset mics from Audio Technica. These things use the ATH-M50x as the platform, and pull the capsule from the AT2020. The headphones are very easy to listen to, and the mic ends up with a lot of the same characteristics of most headset mics. It does sound better than a lot of headset mics, but it still sounds like a headset mic.

Buy the ATH-M50xSTS-USB (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/athm50xstsusb
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/athm50xstsusb

Buy the ATH-M50xSTS (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/athm50xsts
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/athm50xsts

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:26 - Setup
00:47 - What’s in the Box
01:28 - Build Quality
03:12 - Microphone Functionality
04:06 - Comfort
04:38 - Specifications
05:22 - Headphone Discussion
06:14 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
06:33 - Plosive Test
06:51 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
07:11 - Background Noise Test 
07:31 - Untreated Room Test
07:51 - Shock Rejection Test 
08:07 - Microphone Mute Test
08:31 - EQ-Ing The Mic to Sound Better
10:06 - Intro to Comparison
10:29 - Audio Technica AT2020 Comparison
11:00 - Sennheiser Game One Comparison
11:44 - Audio Technica ATH-M50x-STS-USB Comparison
12:14 - Audio Technica BPHS1 Comparison
12:51 - Audio Technica BPHS2 Comparison
13:24 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
13:51 - Pros & Cons
15:32 - Overall Thoughts
17:06 - Recommendation
19:50 - Outro

Adobe Podcast AI Sounds Bad

Adobe Podcast AI: https://podcast.adobe.com

Today I test out Adobe Podcast A.I. to see how it handles mics recorded in untreated spaces, how it handles phone call audio, clipping audio, recordings with too much background noise and a few more things. It's powerful and it has a lot of potential, but I think in it's current iteration it sounds pretty bad.

Gear Used This Episode (Affiliate Links):
Lewitt MTP W950: n/a
Universal Audio LA610 MKII: http://bit.ly/2MBhwLA
Universal Audio x8: https://imp.i114863.net/zMg2r
Sennheiser HD650: https://geni.us/sennhd650

As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

00:00 - Intro
00:33 - 1.1: Distance Micing
01:21 - 1.2: Phone Voice Memo
01:55 - 1.3: Phone Call
02:29 - 1.4: Wrong Side of the Mic
03:16 - 1.5: Clipping Audio
03:57 - 1.6: Excessive Background Noise
04:33 - 1.7: Properly Recorded Audio
05:23 - 2: My Thoughts
06:56 - 3: Who Is This For?
07:46 - 4: Words of Warning
08:37 - 5: Wrap Up
10:10 - Outro

Presonus M7 Budget Mic Review / Test

Today I review a budget mic, the Presonus M7. This offers a rolled off low end, a forward mid section and a somewhat dull air region. I don't think this mic sounds particularly good on any sound source, and I don't recommend it as a stand alone purchase, but if you're getting it as a part of a kit you can make it work.

Buy the Presonus M7 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/prem7
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/preM7

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:17 - Setup
00:38 - What’s in the Box
01:07 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:30 - Specifications
01:52 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:12 - Plosive Test
02:26 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:51 - Background Noise Test 
03:11 - Untreated Room Test
03:34 - Shock Rejection Test
03:50 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:04 - Intro to Comparison
04:28 - Neewer NW700 Comparison
04:48 - Tascam TM80 Comparison
05:07 - Audio Technica AT2020 Comparison
05:31 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
06:00 - Music Test
07:40 - Pros & Cons
08:23  - Overall Thoughts
10:57 - Recommendation
11:55 - Outro

Your Desk & Screens Sound TERRIBLE

A quick video demonstrating how your desk and computer monitors can impact your recording and I share a few ways to resolve this issue in your recordings.

Gear Used (Affiliate Links)
Neumann KM184: https://geni.us/km184
Deity Pocket Wireless: https://geni.us/deitypockwire
Shure SM7b: https://geni.us/shuresm7b
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2: https://geni.us/2i32rd

00:00 - Intro
00:17 - Explanation
01:32 - Solution 1: Facing Away From Desk
03:07 - Solution 2: Treat Your Desk (Affordable)
04:01 - Solution 3: Treat Your Desk (Expensive)
05:13 - Testing With The SM7b
06:11 - Takeaways & Lessons
09:49 - Why Did I Make This Video?
10:35 - Conclusion 

#Recording #DeskSetup #Improvement

sE Electronics DCM6 Review / Test (vs. SM7b, RE20, PodMic, AT2040)

Today I review a new budget broadcast dynamic mic, the sE Electronics DCM 3 and DCM 6. The DCM 3 is pretty comparable to other $100 "broadcast" dynamics, but the DCM6 has a built in mic activator which makes it louder than a condenser!

Buy the sE Electronics DCM6 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/dcm6
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/dcm6

Buy the sE Electronics DCM3 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/dcm3
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/dcm3

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

RECORDING SETTINGS:
Interface: Focusrite 18i20 2nd Gen
Gain: ~8:45
Boosted in Post: 3dB
Bit-Depth: 24-bit
Sample Rate: 48kHz

00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer 
00:22 - Setup
00:56 - What’s in the Box
01:23 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
02:05 - Specifications
02:46 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
03:06 - Plosive Test
03:18 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
03:47 - Background Noise Test 
04:11 - Untreated Room Test
04:32 - Shock Rejection Test
04:48 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
05:03 - Foam Windscreen Tone Test
05:42 - Intro to Comparison
06:09 - Behringer XM8500 Comparison
06:28 - Shure SM58 Comparison
06:47 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
07:11 - sE Electronics DCM3 Comparison
07:30 - Rode Pod Mic Comparison
07:50 - Elgato Wave DX Comparison
08:15 - Audio Technica AT2040 Comparison
08:38 - Presonus PD-70 Comparison
09:08 - MXL BCD-1 Comparison
09:35 - Shure MV7x Comparison
10:08 - sE Electronics Dynacaster Comparison
10:46 - Electro Voice RE320 Comparison
11:14 - Logitech Blue Sona Comparison
11:42 - Shure SM7b Comparison
12:13 - Electro Voice RE20 Comparison
12:39 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
13:26 - Music Test
14:58 - Pros & Cons
15:47 - Overall Thoughts & Opinions
18:28 - Recommendation
20:10 - Outro

Samson C02 Neo-Vintage Review / Test (vs. M5, sE7, KM184)

Today I review a budget pair of small diaphragm condenser and each of these mics costs $50. The microphone has a relatively low sensitivity and a high self noise which can be a problem if you're recording quiet sound sources or recording at great distances. The low end leaves a bit to be desired, and it comes across more mid focused with a grainy upper mid and treble region.

Buy the Samson C02 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/samc02
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/c02

Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: https://geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: https://imp.i114863.net/k6g4d

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

00:00 - Intro
00:37 - Setup
01:05 - What’s in the Box
01:29 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:50 - Specifications
02:14 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:32 - Plosive Test
02:44 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
03:03 - A Few Mic Position Tests
03:31 - Background Noise Test 
03:59 - Untreated Room Test
04:16 - Shock Rejection Test
04:41 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:55 - Windscreen Tone Test
05:20 - Intro to Comparison
05:40 - Rode M5 Comparison
06:09 - sE Electronics sE7 Comparison
06:34 - Sennheiser E614 Comparison
07:01 - Neumann KM184 Comparison
07:39 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
08:13 - Music Test
09:49 - Pros & Cons
11:38 - Overall Thoughts
14:30 - Recommendation
15:47 - Outro