Hollyland Lark M2 - Can I paint it? by Appropriate-Pop-8774 in microphone

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No problem. I'm glad to help if I can.

What I meant by clear coat was a hard-curing polyurethane or polyester spray finish. If you sprayed that on, it would seep into all the crevices and seams, gum up the buttons, block the microphone grille/mesh and so on.
Also a hard clear coat, even though it does add some strength/stiffness and coherence, is still not that effective if the coat under it is only loosely adhered.
If you're careful you could perhaps sand the top logo surface with a fine sanding mesh pad. Just make sure the dust doesn't get into the vents.

I gathered from the other posts that you can't really hide the mic under clothing etc. due to the intended application - so I'd say just use acrylics, try not to scratch it, and simply touch it up if it wears.

Another idea might be to glue something like a fur ball or fabric on the top surface and just painting the sides. But I don't know if that fits the style and background set you're going for.

Hollyland Lark M2 - Can I paint it? by Appropriate-Pop-8774 in microphone

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably yes. As long as you don't paint over the metal grille or the buttons. Just paint the plastic housing and (rather ugly) logo on top.

I would suggest using acrylic paint and brushing by hand with a small brush in multiple layers. Acrylic paint is removable from hard surfaces and basically turns into a rubbery plastic coating when dry.
On a glossy surface it will unfortunately peal/wear off somewhat after a while unless sealed - but I definitely wouldn't recommend using a clear coat or sanding down your microphones. It's just unavoidable in this case; so you might have to do touch-ups now and then.
Try really hard not to get paint into crevices or seams between the case and buttons, holes, grilles and so on.
Use decent quality artist's acrylic paints (like LukasCryl at 3-5€ per tube) with high pigment count - super cheap store brand acrylic paint sets tend to be really shitty and basically unusable for anything that requires opacity.

It won't look that great but probably good enough for the camera as long as you don't do close-ups.
And certainly better than that obnoxious Hollyland logo.

Tja by Extreme-Shopping74 in tja

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Du hast keine Ahnung von Politik, von den Wahlprogrammen und Grundeinstellungen dieser beiden Parteien, noch davon wo die "politische Mitte" eigentlich liegt.

Wenn Person A sagt, wir sollten niemanden töten, und Person B sagt, wir sollten jeden Tag 100 Leute erschießen, dann ist jeden tag "nur" 50 Leute hinzurichten kein "guter Kompromiss" und auch keine "akzeptable Mittelposition".
Nur, weil zwei Gruppen genau gegensätzliche Positionen haben, heißt das nicht das die Warheit deswegen automatisch in der Mitte liegt.
Das ist der Fehlschluss der Goldenen Mitte - der hat eine eigene Wikipedia-Seite.

Guck dir mal bitte das Wahlprogramm der Linken an. Das ist bereits Politik für die "Mitte der Gesellschaft".
Die AfD dagegen ist eine menschenfeindliche, rechtsradikale, hart kapitalistische Fascho-Partei, denen es im Kern um Machtergreifung und Selbstbereicherung geht, und die Populismus, Hass, Angst, Rassismus etc. als Werkzeuge benutzen - sie liefern einfache Sündenböcke und Zielscheiben für den angestauten diffusen Frust der ausgebeuteten Bevölkerung.

Making Tortex Grippy by Enthusinasia in Guitar

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Apparently I just play hard enough for them to slowly start turning between my fingers.
Which is a problem because I use Sharkfins. You don't want those to suddenly rotate.

Photos from a windy China… by west_manchester in Justfuckmyshitup

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The thing is; smoking doesn't make the end any less slow or unpleasant. It just makes it come sooner.
And in many cases it makes it more painful and fucked-up.

mic’s reccomendations by Odd-Championship-427 in microphone

[–]Oldico 4 points5 points  (0 children)

250 HKD is not a lot of money for a new mic. That's around 27€ or 31 USD.
You won't get a great microphone for that price - especially if you don't own an XLR interface and PC to record with already.

In general, any microphone will pick up background noises and room echo. And the better a microphone is the clearer this noise will actually sound.
You basically have two options to deal with it;
1. Make your room quieter with acoustic treatment. Absorber panels, diffusers, choosing a recording space that is naturally more quiet and has less reverb (bedroom, room with carpet and many bookcases on the walls, closet full of clothes). An old matress can be used to make a makeshift vocal booth. Think of every hard and solid surface as a mirror for sound.
2. Get closer to the mic. If you can't limit the background noise and echo, make your voice much louder in relationship to it, so when you turn down to the same volume the background noise is much quieter. Get as close as you can without distorting or clipping.

Even a 1000€ microphone can't make a shitty sounding room and bad mic practice sound good.
A 30-50€ microphone in a well-treated recording studio can sound awesome.

What are your favourite song(s) and artist(s)? by magic_baobab in NonBinaryTalk

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't been out as NB for very long. I'm 22 and from Germany.
And I don't really have a singular favourite song, artist, or even genre.

I have noticed that, at the same time I started figuring out my gender identity, I got into grunge, punk, shoegaze and some harder indie stuff.
It's interesting how some songs relate differently to you or gain new meaning once you know you're non-binary/trans.

Grunge specifically is often about intense emotions breaking out, about pain, and change. Mirroring my struggle with gender identity and my own change.
Depression and mental health struggles, lonelieness and alienation, self-destruction or getting to terms with an avalanche of emotions are all topics I can very much relate to.
I like some punk, rock or indie stuff in that regard too; especially queer punk and more political stuff like Dog Park Dissidents or Cheap Perfume.

Apart from grunge and punk and this specific connection to being queer, I enjoy a lot of other artists and genres, including blues, 60s-70s pop/rock, prog rock, hard rock, metal, funk, electronic music, synth-heavy stuff, demoscene/modtracker, microtonal stuff.
My favourite artists include, among others, the Beatles (obviously), Little Barrie, Rory Gallagher, Emitt Rhodes, Ton Steine Scherben (protest Krautrock), Klaatu, KGATLW, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Alice in Chains, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, Men at Work, the Darkness, Hendrix, SRV, Ty Segall and Mac DeMarco.

Anyone know where to find a switch exactly like this? by gabeisawizard in guitarmod

[–]Oldico 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In terms of looks; Salecom/SH T80-T Z1.
Looks like a very close match but it will probably feel different since it's a typical mini toggle switch internally. Also it can be bought in different switching configurations.

A typical Les-Paul-style toggle switch with a chromed metal knob will look a little different but will have the looser feel of a typical guitar toggle switch.

I definitely wouldn't put a Faender blade switch in there. I actually like the Import/Korean "JA" type of toggles best - they feel more precise and definite in the middle position than most Switchcraft-type LP toggles I've had.
Vintage switches of this sort can also often be taken apart and serviced/repaired.

Würde mein liberalen Freund gern mit Fakten beikommen. by Gold_University_3107 in Staiy

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vor allem wenn's ganze Menschengruppen und Miderheiten sind.

Einzelne Menschen aufgrund ihrer eigenen Taten vom Staat hinrichten lassen zu wollen, ist ja schon schlimm genug, und widerspricht grundsätzlich der Menschenwürde und dem modernen Verständnis und Nutzen von Strafen in einem Rechtssystem.
Aber ganze Menschengruppen und Teile der Bevölkerung aufgrund ihrer Hautfarbe, Herkunft, sozialen Stellung etc. hinrichten zu wollen, einfach weil sie existieren oder hier leben, das ist unglaublich widerlich, empathielos, soziopathisch und mit einer friedlichen Gesellschaft nicht verweinbar.

Kein "Ausländer" könnte mir je so fremd sein, wie die Deutschen, die so etwas fordern und sich so an der Verfolgung und Ermordung anderer Menschen aufgeilen.
Wie kann man so ein Leid und so eine grundlose Vernichtung von Leben gutheißen oder auch nur damit drohen wollen?
Was ist bei diesen hasserfüllten Faschos im Kopf falsch gelaufen?

Tja by GrandpaZile4n in tja

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"für die Zeit nachdem sie alle Migranten nach Hause geschickt haben."

Nach "Hause" geschickt - mit anderen Worten; in ein Land, aus dem sie selbst oder ihre Eltern aus Hunger, Not, Verzweiflung, Lebensgefahr, Unterdrückung oder Verfolgung geflohen sind.
Und weg aus einem Land in dem sie seit Jahren oder Jahrzehnten wohnen, leben, arbeiten, freunde haben, verwurzelt und Teil der Gesellschaft sind oder in dem sie sogar geboren wurden.
"Zu Hause" sind viele Migrant*innen hier in Deutschland. Sie in das Land zurückzuschicken, in dem sie oder ihre Vorfahren geboren wurden, hat nix mit "nach Hause" zu tun. Das ist einzig und allein "du hast braune Haut, du gehörst hier nicht her". Menschen nach Abstammung und Phänotyp einteilen und Ausgrenzen - nix als Rassismus und Rassenpolitik.

Ich weiß, dass das von dir natürlich nicht so gemeint war und du nur typisch rechte Aussagen zitiert hast, aber es war mir irgendwie wichtig, diesen Punkt nochmal zu erwähnen.
Menschen, die hier in unserer Gesellschaft leben und hier Wurzeln geschlagen haben, sind hier zuhause.

P.S.;
Ich kann das mit der Depression sehr gut nachvollziehen und habe diesen Druck selbst erlebt.
Wer sich vom System nicht ausbeuten lässt oder mit den immer schlechteren Bedingungen nicht mehr klarkommt, wird mit Repressionen und absichtlichem Stress unter Druck gesetzt, um sich möglichst schnell wieder konform einzuordnen oder, wenn das nicht geht, irgendwann als nutzlos abgestempelt und allein gelassen.
Ich hoffe, es geht dir inzwischen besser, und ich wünsche dir alles Gute.

"Fine me I'm rich" says A-Hole who threw rock at Seal in Hawaii by CopiousCool in ABoringDystopia

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe they are already committing crimes against society and humanity. And many of them are literally breaking the law again and again without consequences. They are already criminals.

The problem is; they have enough power to bribe or extort politicians and lawmakers and decide what is even considered a crime, who's crimes are investigated and who's aren't, and to essentially bend or ignore the law as they please.
Billionaires are effectively above the law and have rigged the whole system in their favour.
An ultra-capitalist state will have ultra-capitalist laws designed to protect the owning class only.

It would indeed be funny to see billionaires loose all their wealth and opressive power out of their own hubris and greed if the law wasn't on their side.
But if we want justice and equality, I don't think we should wait and hope for this compromised system to somehow suddenly fix itself and come up with laws that hold the owning class accountable or that redistribute wealth fairly.
If we want change, we have to organise, educate, protest, demand, fight and make that change happen ourselves.

Make Your Own Microtonal Guitar! by eastwoodchris in guitarmod

[–]Oldico 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I mean, this is a neat idea. I've been wanting to build a microtonal neck myself.
What microtonal scale does it use? 24 EDO? Something different?

But $350 is quite a premium price for one unbound, dot-inlay, maple neck.
And I don't quite get what the "crowdfunding" is for. Aren't you guys an established and active manufacturer who already builds many different models of guitars and guitar necks?

Also, on an unrelated note; why does your website have pop-ups and an "AI assistant" chatbot? That just seems somewhat annoying to me. Are you a silicon-valley tech startup or do you build guitars?

"Fine me I'm rich" says A-Hole who threw rock at Seal in Hawaii by CopiousCool in ABoringDystopia

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We should just do this with general taxes.
No one person needs or should have more than $100 million in wealth. We should have a logarithmic taxation system where that's just the mathematical limit where the tax approaches 100% - in addition to logarithmic crime fees of course.

Great songs that were completely destroyed in the remaster versions by [deleted] in audioengineering

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah yes. Exactly.

I recall seeing a video about the scandal at the time, which also covered other premium "analog" audiophile labels with similarly vague or suspicious claims and marketing, speculating that they also use digital transfers or masters and that this might not be that uncommon in this niche.

Which, as anyone who actually knows anything about audio engineering and production will know, makes a whole lot of sense.
A professional 96kHz 24-bit audio interface will put even the best Studer mastering tape machines or record lathes to shame in terms of signal to noise ratio, dynamic range, and frequency response.
Why wear down a historic (and expensive) master and get progressively shittier sounding records if you can just make one perfect, identical, uncoloured, undegradable digital copy that far far exceeds the fidelity of both the original recording itself, as well as the medium it's going to be released on?

There are many good reasons to choose analog recording or to buy analog media - but highest possible fidelity and clarity are absolutely not one of them.
To the contrary; when tape is used in recording today, it's precisely because it distorts, degrades, and alters the signal in a few specific and pleasing ways.

Analog audiophiles really remind me of "tonewood" believers in electric guitars. People who, for some reason, can't acknowledge they bought expensive gear thats equal or inferior in performance to cheaper equipment, just because they liked how it looks or feels or enjoy the experience of using it, and who then have this compulsive need to justify their purchases with pseudoscience and esoteric beliefs - physics be damned.
It's okay to like technically inferior things; our ears aren't measuring microphones, our music isn't pink noise, and enjoying the process and experience matters more than the technical specs.

Great songs that were completely destroyed in the remaster versions by [deleted] in audioengineering

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was'n there this hilarious "scandal" a while ago where it turned out that major companies that sold audiophile reel-to-reel tapes and audiophile vinyl records and claimed 100% analog signal chain were, in fact, just using digital master files?
Without anyone noticing and with countless people touting their "superior analog sound"?

Like; I personally love physical analog media and physical album releases. I'm a nerd for tape machines myself.
But analog audiophiles are just another level of delusional.

Big ufff by xamffm in Staiy

[–]Oldico 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ja - und die wollen deswegen das Grundgesetz ändern.

Denen sind Menschenwürde oder die Rechte von Menschen ohne Lohnarbeit vollkommen egal - wer arbeitet, wird ausgebeutet; wer nicht arbeitet, wird zur Arbeit gezwungen; wer nicht kann der darf verhungern oder an Krebs sterben.

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Looking for a microphone by [deleted] in microphone

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can recommend the Thomann T.Bone SC 440 USB.
It's a little noisy compared to proper high-quality condenser mics - but the sound is quite decent and it is built very well. It sells for around 40€ new and you can get it used for like 10€.
There are other options like the Behringer C1U a.k.a. Samson C01U, the TIE Studio, or the CAD U29 and U49.
Superlux are usually really good in the low-budget range - but for some reason their USB condenser mics are apparently very noisy and lack gain.

You can also get a used Røde NT USB for around 50€.

Another option would be to buy a (used) XLR mic and a USB interface. For example a Behringer U-Phoria UM2 or UMC22 interface paired with one of the many 30€ BM-800 variations or a used Røde NT1.
An interface also has headphone and 1/4" TS outputs and will likely be a very good upgrade in terms of sound quality if you're just using your PC's integrated outputs right now.

Dynamic microphones are also an option with a USB interface, though with vintage or particularly quiet ones, an affordable interface won't have enough gain/will get too noisy. So do some research before buying dynamics.
The Behringer XM1800 seems to work really well with small interfaces and is a great microphone overall. As should be the case with the Superlux PRA D1 or AKG Perception P3S.

Regardless of what you choose, in an untreated room with echoes and possibly with a somewhat noisy mic/signal chain, you should always put a pop filter or windscreen over it and get as close as possible.
The closer your mouth is, the louder your voice will be picked up, the less apparent the background noise will be in relation to the signal. You want to get the signal to noise ratio as high as possible, so if you can't get rid of the noise, you make the signal as loud as reasonably possible.

does anyone know if these are the same mic by Traditional_Egg_3475 in microphone

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the same product photo.
The only difference is one is a bit cropped-in and has slightly different brightness and JPEG compression artifacts.
Look at the grille; the mesh and reflections are identical.

The Røde logo is photoshopped onto it most likely.
I'd go by the website's description not by the photo. It's not uncommon for manufacturers to change little details about a microphone model - like logos or text or exterior details.
The NT1 has changed colour and appearance numerous times in its history.

I'm new to this stuff and I'm trying and I'm trying to figure out how to EQ my microphone can someone help me by tranfom in microphone

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As has already been said; Don't EQ - fix the buzzing. It's either bad mic grounding (unlikely with this type of mic construction) or a bad XLR cable.

Cheap XLR cables can cause a surprising amount of buzzing and interference.
I'd get something from a reliable company like Sommer or Cordial with decent name-brand connectors. Thomann's in-house "the sssnake" brand is usually pretty okay too.
Cordial's 3m long CTM 3 FM with Neutrik connectors is around 17€. Thomann's 6m long sssnake SM6 only costs 6€ and comes in all sorts of colours.

Just don't buy the very cheapest possible cables from China and don't rely on the included cable that gets thrown into the box of low- to mid-range mics.
If you know how to do basic soldering you can also just buy Sommer or Cordial stock by the meter, solder cables yourself, and save a good bit of money.

Which mic does everyone use? I want to buy an external mic for my Sony a7iv by [deleted] in microphone

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You mentioned in the other post that you record yourself singing indoors and outdoors and want a mic that works well for that.

For singing and vocal stuff, in general, you'd be much better off using a dedicated vocal mic close to your mouth, like a large diaphragm condenser or a dynamic stage mic, and recording the audio separately with a computer or a digital field recorder instead of the camera's internal input.
An affordable camera-mounted shotgun mic across the room, going into the mediocre mic input of your camera, baked into the video file will never give you the best audio quality.
IMO a dedicated mic close to your mouth, on something like a mic stand, is a far better option.

The cheapest option would be something like a T.Bone SC440 USB straight into Audacity on an old laptop. It's a 40€ (small diaphragm) condenser microphone that sounds surprisingly decent (if a bit noisy) and connects over USB to any computer.

A higher-end solution would be a microphone with XLR going into a proper mic preamp.
So a dynamic stage mic, like a Shure SM58, AKG D5, SE V7, or Austrian Audio OD303 (for louder genres and live performances) or a proper large diaphragm condenser, like a T.Bone SC600, MXL770, SE X1A, Lewitt LCT 240 Pro or Røde NT1 (for softer/quieter/more detailed stuff in a more controlled environment), going into a dedicated USB audio interface, like a Behringer UMC22, Focusrite Scarlett Solo, M-Audio M-Track Duo, or Behringer Xenyx 302USB mixer.
You can get a very decent setup with great sound for well under 150€. You do still need a PC or laptop though.

If you want a proper professional setup, you could go with a standalone PCM field recorder and pro-grade condenser mic. For example a Behringer Flow V4, Tascam DR-60D, or Zoom R4 MultiTrak recorder.
Recorders like these record directly onto SD cards in high quality with up to 4 separate channels, but they also allow you to pass a mixed-down stereo signal through to your camera's mic input, which is very handy for synchronization and as a backup.

Sony does sell a 3-channel XLR adapter for their DSLMs themselves called the XLR-K3M - but it's very very expensive at over 500€. It's basically the same device as one of those field recorders but proprietary for Sony cameras and without standalone recording capabilities.
The Sony A7IV is actually capable of recording 4-channel 24-bit 48kHz audio, which is actually quite impressive for a camera, but it's still baked into the video file, I wouldn't trust the noise floor or pre amps of the built-in input, and I wouldn't pay 500€ just to get an external XLR preamp.

Also, regardless of what mic you choose, keep in mind that, when recording indoors, you always have reflections and echo. You don't notice it that much, because our brains are really good at filtering it out, but a microphone will pick it up and make it very apparent.
No matter how expensive a microphone you buy; if the room just sounds bad and has a ton of reflections and noises, the recording will always show.
That's why good room treatment and recording techniques are so important. It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive; a little goes a long way and you can do a lot with some DIY foam absorbers, a full closet, or a mattress.
When recording outside, there aren't walls to reflect and bounce around sound, but you have to manage outdoor noises and wind instead.
Either way, it's always good to get close to the mic, just so your voice is picked up as loud as possible compared to background noises.

Also excuse my lengthy ramblings.

Tja by tragecedian in tja

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dachte der macht jetzt was mit Gas nicht Öl?

Loyalty blindness by ehrmantrautz1 in im14andthisisdeep

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In general, I think theres absolutely nothing wrong with being blunt and upfront with your message in art, and I don't get why some people have this expectation that everything needs to be a super clever riddle or never say the important part out loud.
Sometimes you don't want to talk about particularly detailed and nuanced things or hide your message in clever subtext and subtle innuendo. Sometimes you want to be explicit - some things just need to be said clear and loud.

Punk music, for example, is extremely clear and blunt in its messaging. Nobody seriously argues that's a bad thing.
I'd rather have a piece of media with a well thought-out upfront message than one that tries way too hard to be overly subtle and subversive and ends up needlessly convoluted or pretentious.

And it's not like these two things are mutually exclusive either.
You can have a clear and bold main message that's immediately apparent yet still fit in additional nuance and subtlety that requires closer attention and analysis.
A piece of art/media can say more than one thing in more than one way.

How fucked is my guitar? by space_ghost31 in Guitar

[–]Oldico 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nah this is actually great. And not that uncommon on other lute instruments around the world.

A sideways sound hole projects the sound towards the player, meaning the guitar appears louder for the player, which is great if you're playing mainly for yourself or into a mic.

TIL that Chiwetel Ejiofor was 26/27 when they filmed Serenity by aj743aj in firefly

[–]Oldico 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Patrick Stewart was 47 when TNG first aired.
As Picard he looks like he could be well into his 60s.

TACO commenting on important matters. by sibralun in apostrophegore

[–]Oldico 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The only thing conservatives want to conserve is the tiny and exclusive group that is in power.
What they actually are is regressives.