Microphones at ITP
This is a brief listing of the microphones and preamps available to you here at ITP, all kept in the ER.
Blue snowball
Blue Snowball
This is without a doubt the easiest mic in the ITP arsenal, and make recording pretty much any audio source a snap. All that's needed is the mic, a USB cable, and a computer. Plug it in, open your audio program of choice, select the mic as an input (no additional software installation needed!), and you're good to go.
The mic has only one control on it, which is a three-way selection switch on its back that lets you pick among its mic modes:
Position 1 — Cardioid pattern
Position 2 — Cardioid pattern, -10db
Position 3 — Omnidirectional pattern
This mic is equally at home as a voice-over input (there's one already set up in the sound booth) and for quick-and-dirty recordings on the floor.
Shure SM57
Shure SM57
The Shure SM57 is ideal for live sound reinforcement and recording. It's a cardioid mic which does an especially good job of picking up what's right in front of it while minimizing background noise. In the studio, it is excellent for recording drums, guitar, and woodwinds.
In short, it's a hard mic to mess up while using.
It requires no additional power, though you'll want to preamp it before going into a recorder or computer.
Shure SM58
Shure SM58
The Shure SM58 unidirectional (cardioid) dynamic vocal microphone is designed for professional vocal use in live performance, sound reinforcement, and studio recording. It's a robust, no-fuss, damn-near-indestructable mic that can be found in many a live audio application.
This would be a great choice for using up-close, but not so great for getting a "picture" of the room.
It requires no additional power, though you'll want to preamp it before going into a recorder or computer.
R0de NT1A
R0de NT1A
The R0de NT1A is a superb-sounding cardioid-pattern mic. It has a great tone to it and is a great fit for voice and acoustic instruments. However, it will require a separate preamp and phantom 48v power, so keep that in mind when selecting you gear.
Give those read, and if you've got any questions, give Mike a shout: michael.dory@nyu.edu