The absolute quietest voice chain?

[seanmccoy]

Hey all. I'm working on a poetry reading project with a girl who essentially whispers all the time. I've tracked her with a UMT70S through a Grace 101 and Urei 1176, and though that's a pretty clean chain and I have a nice, quiet room, I'm still unhappy with the amount of hiss in the track.

I realize it's asking a lot to get an absolutely pristine voice with a completely exposed whisperer, but given this situation, what mic-pre-compressor (if necessary) combos would you recommend for the minimum possible amount of noise?

[NathanEldred]

I own two vintage 1176's (rev H) and have used blackface vintage and reissues. If you are using a Grace and a Gefell, I KNOW that the Urei is the piece adding the noise. It's far from a quiet circuit. For whispering poetry, I'd think a plug in would be just fine, applied in post. It's just one voice and it's there more for the words, than the delivery of the voice itself (of course it's intertwined, but I think you'll get great results with the mic/preamp combo you have).

Just ask her to read for a couple minutes, in a part where you know she's the loudest. Make sure that you have plenty of headroom so there are no peaks (or even close to peaks, probably -8dbFS is plenty), remove the comp from the path, and compress in the computer. If you have to have an outboard compressor, you're going to need something extremely quiet like a Buzz Audio, GML, Crane Song, Intertube. But I'd think that an outboard piece would only be necessary when you have a very dynamic reader who gets very loud and then very quiet instantaneously.

[seanmccoy]

Mine's a revision F, and I'll bet you're absolutely right, Nathan. I made her go through some gyrations in the first session so I could try out different mic, pre and compressor combinations, and was so intent on just getting a pleasant sound I didn't pay enough attention to the noise factor. This was a great combo for her, but in retrospect I probably should have lived without the character of the 1176 and used my UAD-1 version in post instead. Thanks for the tip.

[Eganmedia]

A plug-in compressor won't add noticeable noise. Thank god you're not recording to tape!

[woomanmoomin]

I don't know about the Gefell, but does it bring out any depth there is in her voice towards the lower end? If not, maybe another mic would help. Some kind of ballsy Neumann or something? Maybe that's the Gefell...

P.S. Have just read that the UMT70S is airier than the UM70. Maybe a mic with a little less high end would get you off to a good start.

[DSD_Mastering]

The quietest I've used are the Millennia HV-3D or the GML 8302/04

Use a high quality plug like a Sonox or something.

Regards,
Bruce

[AB3]

The gefell m930 is a very quiet mic and it sounds very good.

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by AB3

The gefell m930 is a very quiet mic and it sounds very good.

Back from the dead! After doing another voiceover-heavy project, I'm really leaning toward getting an M930 for its 7dB noise spec. My only hesitation is over how similar it might be in character to my UMT70s's. If I'm going to spend the dough on another high-end mic, I'd prefer to add a new flavor to the arsenal. Any opinions on their comparison?

The only other LDC's I've come across with similar noise specs are the TLM103, which I've already ruled out for various reasons, and the Shure KSM44 and Rode NT2000, which are much less expensive. Any comments on these two mics for voiceover in particular?

[Olllli]

I do a lot of voice recording the last few years (around 200 cds. For example the complete bible which is 100cds.) and I do most of the compression in the computer with plugins and used some noise canceling software to get it really quiet.

I used the SPL Channel One which isn't the quietest. But it has the sound, we were looking for. Just a bit of compression from the built in compressor, some light deessing and bit of it's "Air" EQ.

Greetings
Olllli

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by Olllli

I...used some noise canceling software to get it really quiet.

I've made extensive use of Izotope RX with good results. But I'm getting lazier as I get older, and hope to capture a clean enough path without having to resort to noise reduction.

[Franz]

The Gefells I have used have been very quiet! Try it with Amek 9098! That's an insanely quiet preamp!

[waxx]

a gml 2020 channel will be the quiest i know ... but is rather expensive. Maybe hire one somewhere for this occasion. The gefelll wont add noise in my experience. All gefells are very quiet concerning noise.

[Mr. Man]

Originally Posted by DSD_Mastering

The quietest I've used are the Millennia HV-3D or the GML 8302/04

+1 for the Millenia

[James Lehmann]

Originally Posted by seanmccoy

After doing another voiceover-heavy project, I'm really leaning toward getting an M930 for its 7dB noise spec.

The Gefell M930 is an insanely good mic for voice-over IMHO and extremely quiet. I've found nothing that sounds substantially 'better' until you hit stuff like the Brauner VM1 which is 5x the price! The only strike against it is the unusual and expensive bespoke 'rubber doughnut' of a shockmount which doesn't work well for 'overhanging' the mic upside down.

Originally Posted by Olllli

I do a lot of voice recording the last few years (around 200 cds. For example the complete bible which is 100cds.)

Wow! That would keep me in work for a goodly length of time - please add me to your casting database!