recordinghacks

We had a little contest late last week to see who could write a mic review that crosses the fine line between clever and stupid. The funniest contributions, in my opinion, expressed a deep lack of understanding of some common aspect of transducer technology or lore, and expressed that misunderstanding with total confidence. We’ve all done it before, but it’s funny this time because we’re just kidding.

Judging from the traffic to the #badmicreviews hashtag on Twitter, lots of people enjoyed it.

Meet the judges, and the winner…

Introducing the Judges

I invited a distinguished panel of audio bloggers to judge the contest. You know them, you love them, you wish you wrote as often and with such great headlines as they do. (Well, I do, anyway.)

Dan Comerchero is the brains behind Quiztones, an ear-training app you ought to have. He also hosts The Pro Audio Files.

Björgvin Benediktsson blogs at Audio Issues, and has authored two ebooks about recording and mixing.

Ian Shepherd is a mastering engineer and producer. Visit his blog at Production Advice for great tips on using whatever gear you have to make fantastic productions. See also his new Home Mastering Masterclass.

Dave Chick is best known for hosting the Inside Home Recording podcast, which recently posted episode 100 (!). Visit his blog, Cracked Up.

And the winner is…!

There were lots of great contributions, but thanks to the tireless efforts of our judging panel, one entrant emerged, through the counting, the recounting, and the coin-toss, as the victor. James Clausen, I hereby name you the worst mic reviewer. Congratulations!

Here is the winning (or is it losing?) entry:

James Clausen (@NotTheSameMedia)

“The mic was manufactured in Australia. So if you use it in North America, you have to flip the phase.”

The Prize

James wins an RK-47 microphone capsule from Microphone-Parts.com.

James, if any of your badmicreviews were inspired by actual bad microphones, swapping in this capsule is an easy way to make the mic useful in the studio again.

Honorable Mentions

For those not on Twitter, here are a few more favorites:

Slau (@SlauBeSharp)

“Since condensers are sensitive to moisture, 30 seconds in the microwave is a good way to ensure a nice, dry capsule.”

Jon Tidey (@theaudiogeek)

“The omnidirectional polar pattern means you don’t have to worry about mic placement or technique.”

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bad mic reviews

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