Hello, everyone! I have a little bit of a unique situation, and not being a massive expert with audio and what not, I figured I could go to a forum that is filled with users far more knowledgeable than I am on the subject. So, here’s my current audio/microphone setup…
Audio: Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Microphone: Beyerdynamic MMX 300 microphone Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 AMP/DAC: Sennheiser GSX 1000 (both headphones, microphone, and speakers connected through this; like the audio-swapping feature plus it powers the headset well)
So, here’s my dilemma… I am wanting to upgrade my headset to a pair of headphones that doesn’t have a microphone attached. I have been eyeing the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X that recently released. So, that leads me to have to buy a microphone, however I have no desire to purchase a boom arm, condenser microphone, and XLR audio interface due to the clean look I am going for with my desk. Ideally, as my 34" ultrawide monitor is mounted on an arm mount, I’d like a microphone that can mount to the arm that’s holding my monitor, and has a 3.5mm jack to connect to my AMP/DAC as my current headset does. If it needs additional power, that’s not a problem. Where the problem lies is I would like the microphone to sit above my monitor, but not be hanging out close to me. Basically a 2ft distance if possible. This has led me to check out shotgun microphones, but I have concerns on pricing there. I have considered making a custom mount at the bottom of my desk with a hinge that can swing up and place the microphone in front of my chest (something small and compact like the Shure MV88+), but low enough to be out of my sight, but I’d prefer to see if this avenue is possible before I look into that. I considered the Rode VideoMic Pro+ shotgun microphone that’s made for on-camera mounting, however it’s battery powered and that sounds like a hassle, though I may have to do it to fit the build.
So there it is. Haha Any recommendations/help? It is massively appreciated! Also, sorry for the long post! I just wanted to be as detailed as possible for those who can provide help.
A shotgun mic will work for that distance. Problem is that it will also pick up sounds from the room (air con, echo, etc.)
That is a relatively minor problem. You could get a clamp (Manfrotto SuperClamp, for example). A Flex-Arm may not be strong enough so you may have to piece together a custom arm (Manfrotto and K&M have parts to do so)
Can you check the manual to see whether the GSX can take Line-In on its microphone port? If so, you need a Mic Pre-Amp of sorts.
A gate is not a magical noise remover, it would just cut the mic when noise is below threshold. Yes it can help with low level background noise (maybe airconditioning or a washing machine in the next room), but the moment anything loud happens (clicky keyboard, etc.), it may not be all that effective.
Hey, Maze! Thanks for the response! I ended up grabbing a gooseneck clamp for the mount and it’s perfect. To test, I bought two microphone: the Rode VideoMicro and the Movo VXR10. The super-cardioid polar pattern definitely picks up too much noise around the room like I expected (I haven’t done any noise treatment, to be fair). However, I was under the impression that shotgun microphones all had lobar polar patterns so it would minimize the sounds on the sides and strengthen the sound directly in front of it. Turns out I was wrong. Haha I guess that’s a more accurate description of the type of microphone I feel I would need, however I’m having a hard time finding that around the internet for some reason.
I guess I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and get a boom arm and just deal with a microphone being near my face. Lol
Are you using equalizer APO for filters? Reaper plugins?
The reason I ask is that some time playing with filters can really go a long way towards taming those room noises. It takes some doing, as the UI isn’t exactly intuitive, but you can apply multiple config files to a single device, each in order (and I am under the impression, though I could well be wrong that each filter is applied in order within a config file).
Start with a basic noise gate, then add a little compression (nothing too drastic, but a compression filter in this spot is kinda critical for the rest of the filters). Follow that with a downward expansion filter, which is like compression, but in reverse, making quiet sounds below a given threshold even quieter. Follow that up with another noise gate to shut those sounds out entirely.
It’s not a sound treated studio room, but it should help with ambient noises to some degree.