The Best Microphone For VoiceOver Is... 

I’m pretty happy with my Neumann BCM-104. I have yet to sample a U87, but I suppose that you can’t miss what you’ve never had. 🙂👍🏻

I completely forgot about renting microphones from a music store. Glad someone reminded me. 🤣

I have a Warm Audio 47j for VO, and I have a Shure SM7B for my podcast. I'm just starting out in VO, and I've received great feedback with my WA47jr.

Maybe but the Shure SM7b is more popular everywhere along with the ElectroVoice RE20. I own a Sennheiser MKH 416 but doubtful I would use it over the Shure for voice over. Neumann U87 is a classic vocal mic - for singing. But since many recording studios probably have the Neumann mics available they just opt in a sort of lazy way to use them as the default for the human voice. But then nobody ever got fired for using a Neumann. And I think you're wrong in that these 3 mics fit all. I have heard it for myself some mics sound better for some individuals and not others and vice versa.

Sir, on 1:33 you list a "SH 416". What should this be please? The Sennheiser MKH 416 you talk about? And… talking about the TLM 103 you show a TLM 102 - it's a different microphone and cheaper than the TLM 103.

I Live in queens, nyc....where did you rent your mic's from?

that image is a tlm 102. Nitpicking...but I do so because I HATE the sound of the 102. The 103 is miiiiiiles ahead of that soup can. 103 doesn't have that crappy silver ring around the middle. Solid video that will cause a lot of people to whine. Which is fine.

This is solid advice.

Rich people "Money doesn't matter". Attractive people "Looks don't matter". VO gurus with U87 " The microphone doesn't matter" 🤣

Over the past 5 years I have become a microphone freak. And I'm still trying to find the ideal. Probably in vain. :D And while I think mic selection depends on voice position and articulation (there are simply mics that pick up a baritone better than a soprano and vice versa), I intuitively came to a similar conclusion as you. And since I'm not a millionaire, I do most of my VO work through MKH416 and the rest through TLM103. The U87 is already too expensive and I just don't like its sound. It's really enough for me how the two-thirds cheaper TLM103 robs me of my low end. :-) I hate the SM7B for exactly the opposite reasons - it's flat, dull, boring... Just a dynamic microphone. :D I had it at home for about an hour and immediately sent it back to the e-shop. And I don't think that dynamic microphones are suitable for professional voiceover. Compared to condenser microphones, dynamic ones simply have a worse sound. And I agree with you 150% that the MKH416 is by far the best microphone I know for VO. And I have about 30 microphones at home - Mojave, Lauten, Sony, Telefunken, Lewitt, Audio-technica, etc., etc., including several tube ones.

When you spoke of using a microphone that netted you no results whatsoever, you made the point about there being microphones that are good/ bad for your voice.

Two mics, Lewitt 1040 & Synco D2