MIC NEWS

Sunday 3 June

Simple Changes

I'm in the process of making this newsletter better: easier to read, easier to produce, higher in fiber, and guaranteed to kill germs on contact so you feel fresh all day. (You with the studio tan and last week's pants -- I'm talking to you!)

The shocking statistic from last month's newsletter: 35% of you read that issue on an iPhone. Let me know if this month's template is mobile-friendlier. Or at least, let me know if it's not.

Also, if you don't see the RecordingHacks logo above, please do me a favor and tell your email program to load images for this message. This helps me tailor this newsletter for the people who actually read it.

By the way, the sponsor for the June microphone giveaway will be announced next week. It's a good one; stay tuned!

(Podcasting) Boom Arm Shootout

I had been needing a boom arm for months. Face it, those desktop tripod things suck; serious podcasters have all taken a lesson from the broadcast industry and invested in a boom arm. Use one once and you'll never look back.

I received one as a gift, but as is often the case immediately questioned whether it was the best arm for me. I soon collected most of the competing models on the market, and set about evaluating them all.

Fortunately, I decided against the original plan of close-miking them to demonstrate the amount of mechanical noise produced by each stand. As has been said before, there is a fine line between clever and stupid. But I spent hours working with these things, really exercising them to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

In the end, I had a couple favorites, and a couple surprises. This turned into an unexpected giveaway opportunity, the details of which you can read in the review:

Microphone Boom Arm Shootout

Awesome Ribbon Mic Poster

Peterson Goodwyn of D.I.Y. Recording Equipment makes these really great RCA 44 posters. He sent me one recently, and it is so cool I decided immediately to share it with you.

He's only asking $10 for them. Your inner mic nerd deserves a cool poster! Well, it deserves a 44BX, too. But start with the poster.

Buy direct from Peterson.

Audio-Technica AT4050/LE Winner

If you saw my recent review of the AT4050, you know I think it's a great workhorse mic. I liked it a lot on drums, and I've since had a chance to hear it on female vox, where it shined. I ended up keeping the one I reviewed, so that should tell you something.

Our most recent drawing was for the commemorative anniversary model, the AT4050/LE. I'm excited to finally announce the winner:

Congratulations to Matt Parmenter of Austin, TX!

Matt started recording with a "Vietnam-era Sony reel-to-reel," moved on to borrowed 4-tracks, and ultimately built a studio in Chicago's Sterling Ice Cream Factory building. He relocated to Austin in 2008, where the current incarnation of Ice Cream Factory Studio houses two rooms, an amp closet, and a growing collection af mics, pres, outboard gear, and instruments. And a shiny new multipattern FET condenser from the good folks at Audio-Technica.

Matt's work in the local music scene was recently recognized by the Austin Music Awards, which picked one of his productions for best album, song, band and producer (!). Check out the record, Quiet Company's "Where We All Belong" -- now streaming via Bandcamp.

Congratulations on both wins, Matt!