What mic and sound effects to create this dynamic sound?

[Rob-]

Hi sound experts! Trying to learn about microphones, studios and studio environment.

Saw a German TV promo and enjoyed listening to the speker. His voice is very dynamic and deep bass. Here is the promo.

I would like some help with analyzing the technical side.

Although he has a very deep voice, what kind of sound fx do you belive were used? Extra bass? Does it sound like there are any effects used to create more dynamic? Any specific sort of microphone? And environment?

-Robert

[raffriff42]

Cardioid (directional) microphones have a natural bass boost when you speak into them very closely. This is often used as an effect.

http://www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/what-is-the-proximity-effect

[netmask56]

Nothing special about any processing IMO, he just has a good V/O voice ! - I'm monitoring on 15" Tannoy dual concentrics. Sounds like he is about 30 ~ 40cms away from a cardioid pattern microphone. Most likely there is a peak limiter in the chain but there is no obvious processing. If you want to process voice this is the beast https://www.izotope.com/en/products/mix/nectar.html or http://www.waves.com/bundles/vocal

[JVRaines]

There is plenty of dynamic compression in this clip. Use a multiband compressor to achieve this effect.

[pippas]

I agree with JVRaines -- there's a lot of audio processing here..

• The most important factor (by far!) is the quality of the voice

• The microphone used is probably a side entry large diaphragm condenser......maybe a top price 'designer label' mic - like a Neumann (as mentioned by riffraff42) -- or possibly one of the new high spec mics from Rode - like the NT1 (much cheaper!)

• It's a 'close mic' recording in a dead audio acoustic environment (probably an acoustic booth - or radio studio)

• Multi function audio post-processing - possibly using Orban or Omnia radio station style processing equipment? - Broadband dynamic limiting - EQ - De-ess - Multiband compression - Final hard limiting

Fortunately, this kind of audio is one of those 'law of diminishing returns' type of things - you can get similar results with much cheaper equipment (although not quite as good of course!)

The attached short clip is only a poor imitation (the basic voice is rubbish - it's mine! ) but it illustrates the point.

It was made as part of a test of a different capsule fitted to a cheap Neewer condenser mic.

The mic used there is a $15 Neewer NW700 (fitted with a £5 Primo EM158 capsule). Audio processing used a very old version of Audition 3 (which you can now download from Adobe for free).

If you have access to a better voice - you should be able to get quite good results - and for not very much money!