On the surface, yes. And if you're looking for a mic with a sound that is really EQ'ed, this might work for you. However, in professional situations, with this mic already having that over processed, scooped sound, I couldn't use it for a VO client.
It's a bit funny to read through the comments. Every time someone seems to like the sound of the SL40, you comment on the scooped sound and how engineers and professionals wouldn't like it. Of course they wouldn't - but hopefully they would never go for a $100 microphone anyway, if they are remotely serious about what they do. But does it matter? I don't think the target group for this mic is engineers / professionals. It's an entry level mic and for people who love the deep/dark SM7B-ish sound this could be a fine alternative (in XLR mode, USB sounds like crap). Using the SM7B myself, though it's a bit overkill for my use. I would probably have been fine with this using the XLR option. Really don't see the point in bashing an entry level $100 mic by stating several times in the comments that engineers / professionals wouldn't like it. It is what it is - an entry level mic - and a quite decent one, if you're into that darker sound out of the box and leave it at that..
Yeah it doesn't make sense - the SL40 sounds like a typical podcast mic AFTER processing. So if people can get that sound for that kind of money without processing - that's a win in my book.
Just popped in for a price update its 60£ now so ( BOOM ARM VERSION) so the downsides arent that bad to me yet so im gonna pick it up. and karin - is not a karen.
I don't think many people are claiming that the SL40 is great, I think most are saying that it's great for its price point, which it is. It's an awesome mic for youtube and other online podcasts which heavily compress the audio anyway. I think the Q9U was a better buy when it was only $99, but it's gone back up to over $150, so it's on the line. The MV7 does sound better, but not 4 times better. My biggest issue with the Fduce is that it is very boomy. I ended up going with the Samson Q9U just because it was less sibilant, but I wouldn't fault any amateur/enthusiast, or even seasoned content creator for using the Fduce, especially at the price. People have built empires using Blue Yetis, and those are a lot more expensive than the SL40, and sound a lot worse.
The SL40 sounds better than that Q9U. The MV7 is just a different sound but quality sounds on par with the SL40 to me. It does get louder though. My search for a plug-n-play USB dynamic mic continues.
Bought two of these for our podcast and soon after we bought two Rode Podmics thinking they would boost our audio quality even more. After some audio issues recording today’s episode, we decided to test them against our original Fduce mics. Long story short, there was no noticeable improvement with the Rode mics and some of us preferred the Fduce recordings. The Rode mic’s are being returned - they were $139 each (Cdn) compared to $55 each for Fduce.
FDUCE walks all over the Shure and Samson by far. Total thumbs up FDUCE, will go and pick one up tomorrow. I genuinely preferred the sound compared to the other two.
Great. Everyone has their own preferences. For me, I know that the producers and directors I work with would absolutly kill me if I sent them audio that sounded like this. Hope it works for you.
@@creatorsvillage As long as they pay well in order to have such high standards, sure. That would definitely aid you in order to get something a lot more superior to a SHURE mic or a FDUCE. This mic is clearly made for broadcasting and generally entry level people (even tho it sounds better than a SHURE). At the end, voiceovers are also a matter of production too.
I bought the fduce mainly because of the price point(baller on a budget) and sound that it gives. My voice is naturally a bit higher and im not a sound engineer so for my streams/youtube videos it makes my sound quality better with an easier workflow, it is actually perfect for me and my use case.
@@creatorsvillageif its not the best for podcasting, can i atleast record my keyboard and mouse sounds. And is the soudn quality the same quality as demonstrated in the video
The Feduce sounds the best to me, especially for the price. The Q9U sounds rather muffled. If the S and F were the same price at 100, I'd go for the Feduce and its open fire warmth. If any bought the S at nearly triple price of the F, some might be subconsciously biased towards beliefs that the more expensive sounded better..and had a less comical name ;-) The S's balance of separation, clarity and balance of lows, mids, and highs would provide the most versatility however for multi-task pro use perhaps.
The "headphone volume" that you said "doesn't work" controls the volume of the sound of what you are listening to on the PC. If you are listening to music on the PC the "headphone volume" adjustment is just a volume adjustment for the headphones plugged into the back of the microphone. It does not change your "monitoring" volume.
It is interesting to see your perspective. It sounds like you are an audio engineer or have experience in it. I have been trying to compare this to the FiFine K688 to determine which one I should get. My voice is more monotone but sounds higher/younger than I am. Right now I am using the R0de Podmic with the first R0de caster and although I can't complain too much, it definitely has issues with my voice. No one can hear me if I am too far away. It's almost like the mic has to be almost in my mouth to be heard. I am curious on your opinion of the FiFine K688 vs the Fduce SL40
Hated the Samson. It’s probably a flatter response than the SL40, but the mids sounded way too pronounced. The MV7 probably sounded the most natural. I’d buy the SL40 in a heartbeat. The lows are a bit hyped, but that’s just fine for podcasting and broadcast.
Hello friend, thanks for the elaborate video! I currently have the Audio-Technica ATR 2100x and I have a question, which model do you think would have more volume in USB mode, the Audio-Technica or the FDUCE SL40? They comment that the volume of the FDUCE SL40 in USB mode is low, I need it to do live shows through Streamyard and I need it to be heard loud and clear and I ask your advice, should I continue with the Audio-Technica or buy the Fduce Sl40? Greetings and thanks in advance, I hope for your help friend!! 🤟
I bought the Fduce when it first came out and was trés cheap. The USB output sounds like mud even with my fairly sibilant voice. The XLR output is much clearer. It’s not a horrible mic for zoom calls and the like. But there are other USB/XLR combo dynamics that I would recommend over it.
What headphones are you using to monitor it? Here on my m50x, on the v6, on the ad700x, cra cra+ and srh1540 and even on mu surround system, all of them sounded much better on the fduce. And even further, the one that sounded way more processed was, in fact, the mv7. I dont know what you're doing or how did you came up with "this mic gives you an amateur sound", but im even gonna buy one myself and check it. Seems really weird how you describe it, tho.
thanks for the comment, the amature sound comes from the fact that the mic is really colored. So much boost in the low and high. Whan a professional is looking for a high quality mic, the goal is to have that sound be as flat and transparent as possible.
@@creatorsvillage How can you say that when you had such a huge prise for the sE mic? Theres no mic on that price range that is more colored bassy heavy than that one. This video really gushes as if you're just hating the product. But again, how are you monitoring this? Here on my 7 diferent sets, they all sound better, less processed and much less baffled (booming exploding bassy sounds) than the mv7, simply no comparisson.
Not sure whether you had the XLR cable plugged-in when testing the headphone volume/mic gain settings, but as you may know, most of these mics only enable those kinds of controls in USB mode. And I'm wondering if maybe having both XLR and USB cables plugged-in, would be enough to disable those adjustments (or, at least the headphone volume).
I only had the USB plugged in. I've tested it several times since I put the video out and it still doesn't work. I even tried it on a different computer.
I think the FDUCE sound really good for the price. I can hear a bit better audio quality in the much more expensive ones, but honestly I would listen to a full four hour podcast with the FDUCE mics. Thanks for making this an easy buy for me, saving me some money. I'll probably just get four of the FDUCE SL40 or SL40X.
So basically emphasis on the "For Podcasting" written on the box. I can see why it wouldn't work for VO but say I got the FDuce for now until I am better skilled & am ready to invest in the MV7, are there ways around editing it to make it VO quality in the meantime? I have a Yeti right now and I'm absolutely tired of struggling with trying to eliminate background noise but I'm not ready to put down $300 (for the set) at the moment.
Not being familiar with your voice, I was wondering which of these very distinct sounds was most accurate. I'm glad the ending cleared that up. I don't think stripping the mids out of a "podcast" mic would be that appealing.
Nicely done entertaining review. To my ears, the Samson sounds muddier than the FDuce, although neither one sounds great. The MV7 has the best sound, but it also has the highest price tag. If you like that Shure slightly brighter, crisper sound and don't need a straight USB mic to computer connection, the better buy is the Shure MV7X. You will of course need an XLR interface as the MV7X is XLR only. Thanks for posting this and your other reviews.
After the long wait for the Q9U, and considering the impressive quality of its predecessor the Q2U, the Samson Q9U was the most disappointing new microphone I can recall. What a letdown.
The FDuce is really good, it has a rich bassy sound. Only other suggestion with superior sound around same price really is the king of mics: SM58 or SM57 - that have similar sound profile to the SM7B.
man, I don't know what y'all are hearing, I keep seeing these negative comparisons on the Fduce, man, it f*cking SLAYS those other mics. I owned a Shure MV7 & sold it almost immediately because it sounded thin & weak (kind of exactly how it sounds in your review!). I bought an RE27 which is SO much better than the MV7 - but I need another mic for quick videos that isn't running through my whole UAD/studio setup. This sold me 100% on the Fduce, less than a 1/3rd of the price and sounds so much better than the MV7. Just needs a little dip in the low mids, OBS noise suppressor & we're GOLDEN.
I have to be honest, I've had an sm7b for years and I came in here ready to trash the FDUCE by I'm listening on ATH-M50x cans. That mic actually surprised me by making the Q9U and MV7 sound thin by comparison. I think any unpredictable muffled behavior from the proximity distances can be treated with little counter-EQ.
It’s so weird that FDuce has such different sounds between USB and XLR. Sort of the opposite of the MV7, where the FDuce sounds better in XLR and awful in USB and the MV7 sounds bad in XLR mode.
I don't really know what you hear in your headphones, but what I can perceive out of my laptop speaker is barely the same. For me the FDUCE sounds enough more the things that I will use it for. The FDUCE sounds good in comparison with the MV7 that costs 5 time what the FDUCE does.
Let me say what he said without saying. The scooped sound is GOOD for when you don't want to process the audio for like a livestream or a zoom call but still want a broadcast-like sound. It even makes easier for those who know nothing about sound to get THAT sound. And, since it's affordable you won't feel back if things don't work out.
As a vocalist and streamer who owns 11 microphones and has a background in audio engineering I can say that the fduce is very good for the price point . It is true that the mid frequency range is lacking though.
Got the FDUCE for arround 40 USD + taxes. A bit dissapointed, honestly when comparing raw audio i preffer my k670, but k670 headphone output is really noisy and the FDUCE tough quieter is a bit more directional. Gotta EQ the heel out of that bass and use more post processing then i'm used to tough. Honestly, if the MV7's and Q8 are not double the quality i think i will stay on the FDUCE, had a way higher espectation regarding ambient noise rejection and noise floor.
Another huge turnoff about the Shure is the micro-B USB connection. Every product I have that uses that type of connector has become a pain in the ass to use because they easily bend or break. Plus I have a Mac so the USB C connector is already a lot more convenient.
My experience from this as someone with sensitive ears means I easily notice highs on these lower end mics and honestly, while wearing headphones the highs from the fduce are painful with the voice raising normally because it's not even a slow raise its too sharp compared to the mv7 which sounds smoother and natural so for me I'd definitely go for the Shure mv7 even if the price kills me😅
Personally I think the Samson mic you were using in this video was a bad comparison as it sounded very muffled and compressed. it also overdeviated at times as you were talking on it. and I listened to this video with a pair of Klipsch Sixes on flat eq settings. the FDUCE and the Shure have a very similar sound and response. The true difference i heard between the sure and the FDUCE was the Shure had a little better body to it. but I also noticed that your axis between the two microphones were slightly different. I own both the FDUCE and the Shure mircrophones and I can say both kill the samson mic, and I find my Fduce to be just as enjoyable to use as I do the MV7. one thing that will make a difference in either mic is using the windsock/popper stopper of the shure sm7b with either microphone though it tends to hold better on the FDUCE. over all I believe your review to be very opinionated and biased, which is your right to do so. but if you are going to do reviews do them with a true open mind. thanks for the video. BTW I did forget to mention that I use my FDUCE and MV7 for live webcast broadcasting. you should message me for the link so you can hear what the FDUCE sounds like from live stream.
Bro, you are the best in mic review area. It's a pleasure to watch your videos. A lot of other reviewers not showing\comparing enough and do not goes in depths like you do (let alone a lot of them don't even have proper mic technique). I hope RU-vid will be more fair to small chanell (i don't think so though), coz i only found you by accident, and your chanell have been around for many years not once being recommended to me. Thanks a lot, greetings from overseas (hence my poor english).
I just got mine and in discord my buddies were saying it sounded muffled compared to my other mic. (Using USB) is there a way to fix this with a mixer or anything else? Seeing how there is no firmware or app for it
Idk why he isnt reply, maybe he quit youtube. But i think its your Fduce which isnt functioning right! Get another one, return this one and get a new one
I think maybe you're letting your idea of best audio production practices get in the way of appreciating a solid mic. I don't really hear anything super problematic that a bit of shelving EQ on either end wouldn't fix!
But most pros make an EQ for their mic anyway. Anyone who "just" uses this right out of the box, doesn't seem like they're taking their audio seriously. Its also obvious this mic works best when youre NOT right up on it, but about 6 inches away.
Better than both of those Mics which for the price it's a great result. MV7 has the Software and that may be a big factor on people that choose the MV7.I prefer the SuperLux D421 over all three though.
That's all the actual LOLs I f'ducin' needed for the evening 😅... I actually think your voice sounded x2 better on the douche... duce*. The bass was well rounded. Just a take on it. I'm glad amazon sold it to me for 80$ (canadian bucks). I think we sound similar, so I'm excited to use it. Looking for that low room noise pick up....
I appreciate the fact that you are an avid AT2040 user. With all the bashing of the said mic i started to regret my purchase. But you make me feel justice of my purchase
In my opinion the SL40 sounds decent and the review seems a little biased (sorry if i misunderstood any point of the video). Btw thanks for sharing the comparison
So I've got the microphone. and want to use it on USB. is there a way that you can play the sound straight out of the Dongle. which I have got for my iPad which has headphone connection on it. because every time I try to. it only outputs out the back of the mic. And when I mute the microphone on the iPad it still comes out. if I use the microphone output for the headphones
@@creatorsvillage I have got a dongle with headphones out on it. It won't let me use that anymore I have to use the back of the microphone but when I plug it in and record something it is really distorted and if I press the mute button you can still hear the microphone
@@joshuagood4237 If you're using a Dongle out of the usbc port into an ipad, you'll be better served with an official apple dongle. If you're plugging into the headphone jack in the back, turn down the gain and the headphone volume to reduce distortion. If you're plugging into the xlr jack then you'll want to check your interface for the gain adjust. I'm not sure about the mute button situation, could be a defect.
Bro, your content needs to match your headline. This video is all over the place. Try scripting or using bullet points to keep you in track. Fellow ADHDer & fmr journalist. Love the play on words. Beautiful mind
My advice is to make sure that the interface you're going to buy has really low self noise. It's hard to fix a noisy interface or preamp. Watch the reviews and pick the one that has as little hiss as possible.
the FDUCE sounds better honestly I like the punchy-ness of it also the Samson sounds too muddy compared to it. So personally i think the FDUCE has a better bass than the MV7 and the FDUCE sounds clearer than the Samson
You mean to tell me that in order to achieve a professional sound with a 100 dollar microphone, I'll have to.. GASP!!! Process it?!?! Oh, the humanity!!! ...Said no one ever. It's always amusing to me watching "professionals" who SHOULD know better than to dump on affordable audio equipment that's aimed towards people who stream or voice act and don't have half of their rent money to put up for a microphone. It's like you made this review under the guise of looking out for us poor "amateurs", but all you've actually accomplished is coming off as pedantic and snobbish. So congratulations, Creators Village, on *entirely* missing the point of the SL40.
Outtakes are cute but distracts from your content... I came to figure out the cons of this product but about a third of the way in, im just now getting the info. Lots of others would simply move on.
10:08 Shure MV7 uses micro USB not mini one... I own both, and MV7 is simply better... tone of my voice sounds better, but that's subjective... objectively Shure kills FDuce with way lower noise level... it is damn good... silence is silence! and boundled software makes difference!
Q9U sounds like utter garbage, The Shure sounds hollow and grainy. I think the FDuce although not great still sounded the best of these three. I don't know what you mean by amateur, It just sounded more "finished" than the other 2. I don't think I'd use any of these for serious work.
So, the goal of the mic in VO is to capture the most accurate sound possible. This mic applies some sort of EQ to the audio it captures. And therefore it isn't very accurate. Kind of like Beats headphones can sound super bass heavy and punchy, but they don't give you an accurate flat response, which is what audio engineers want for their projects.
@@creatorsvillage So ultimately the engineer can use his own EQ and that may be easier to apply on a flatter mic or give him more flexibility with ultimate tonal manipulation. I get that but if the mic sounds terrible to begin with then no amount of EQ magic is going to fix that. Ultimately, I’d think the goal would be for the best overall tonal quality (subjectively) but it probably is not going to necessarily be the most accurate rendition of the individual’s voice. How does the engineer even know what your voice sounds like flat if he has never heard you? I guess my view is I’d prefer to start with the microphone that captures my voice in the most audibly pleasing way regardless of what the EQ curve looks like. I mean otherwise why do the thousands of different microphones get chosen for the same type of recording, they are not all selected for the flattest frequency response alone.
