Sock Test

Sock Test ©

By Michael Casey

Now I’ve decided to start recording al my shorts, all 500 of them. I write 2 or 3 a week so the total increases all the time.  I have recorded about 20 or so already, but some of those were spoken only and not down on paper, if you like spontaneous. I did get asked by a Radio station to provide audio and even a bit of video, the quality was not perfect, but I did sent PDFs of my material too. So I was hoping that they would open the door for me. I’m beginning to think that one has escaped me.

So I’ve decided to make better recordings and to record the lot, 500 or so. I have put some recordings on Tumblr, so check out michaelgcasey there. I had thought that my microphone was too hissy, so I’ve been looking at mikes on the internet. There is a great site in Germany where you can actually hear the sound quality  of the mike before you buy it, you get a snatch of somebody singing using the different mikes. So this is great.

I’ve also looked at different sites here in the UK and on Amazon of course. I was recommended a good mike by the German site and they give 3 years guarantee. I decided to do a bit more research, the recommended mike had great reviews on Amazon. However I decided to follow my brother’s advice, always look for the negative when buying a house, so ditto when buying a mike. So I looked at the worst reviews.

When you read reviews you are trusting a stranger, and bad reviewers could have an axe to grind. The bad reviewer just said google “hiss on the XYZ” and there I found more “evidence”. I could have bought the wrong mike. However what you have to remember is that audiophiles have a much much much higher standard. They will use specially speaker wire and have amps and preamps galore, and remember the kind of mike I hope to use is what professional musicians use. Obviously the cheaper version, but musicians do have a better ear.

So in a way it left me uncertain what to do, as money is scarce, IF and when Radio people DO use my stuff all my opportunities will arrive together, like dominoes all falling down. Or as my Irish cousins said when my dad survived a “fatal” heart attack and then I met my wife at the old people’s home, I had all my luck in one go. I’m hoping that a film producer picks up a script of mine too, but I just have to keep on waiting, I read somewhere that preproduction can take months.

I also googled “best usb microphone” and got a list of the top ten. So I looked on Amazon again and by accident I was on USA Amazon, and there I stumbled over the 6 minute filmed review of the best usb micro. It was one of the cheapest ones. But I watched and listened, and after 6 minutes I thought I should get that one. Its 40dollars on Amazon USA.  Sound quality really good.

The next thing I thought about was how could I improve my mike. Which leads me to the title of tonight’s short, Sock Test.  All profession mikes have a cover, or a piece of fluffy stuff on the end of the mike to prevent wind noise and hiss, sounds like noises from toilets. So I thought what if I put the cover from my unused mobile phone over the end of my stick mike. Once I did that I recorded a few sample words and listened back to the result.

It did improve the sound of my voice, or rather took away some of the hiss. Actually I don’t like the way I sound , I sound like a teenager, or like a drunk to my own ears. So I then thought how can I make it better. So I found some old work fluffy socks, and used one of them wrapped around my mike, with the mobile sock holding it in place. Sound quality improved and the mike looking more ridiculous. I then had to go out shopping.

I had a brainwave on my way home, what if I used some mini rollers for painting as a microphone sock. I had to tear away the core of the roller just so I could get the foam off. Once done I tested my sound again. The mike looked silly, see photo below, it was like a corn dog on a stick or something. But more importantly the sound quality was getting so much better, I then tweaked it by pulling the foam up about ½ an inch, hey presto I was a BBC sound man. I’d get an Oscar next.

I’ll do a few more tests in the morning, once the screams from the horror film in the living room subside, ½ the wife and ½ the film. I’m pleased with my endeavours, if you go to Tumblr  you can listen to me reading this short out, using my corn dog microphone. Just tell your local radio to put my 500 shorts on their play list, and on their websites. Or tell me to put a sock on it.