Why is this mic so weird?
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- čas přidán 6. 08. 2024
- It's one of the strangest looking microphones I’ve ever seen, but the Coles 4104 has an interesting history and a very specific purpose so let’s take a closer look at what it’s all about!
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⏱ Chapter Markers:
0:00 - What the heck is this microphone?
1:20 - Outdoor Wind Test
2:36 - Mic Design & Features
4:27 - Sound Test w/ No EQ
5:45 - Sound Test w/ Basic EQ
6:22 - What is a ribbon mic?
8:28 - Why This Mic Is Interesting
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#microphone #audio #broadcasting
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Episode 361: Why is this mic so weird? - Krátké a kreslené filmy
its hard to pay attention to your very scientific wind test when there's two cute doggies just existing in the background
I think those are called “variables” 🥼🧪
I've been watching Premier League Football for years and years and years and never thought to ask who made those crazy looking microphones so thanks Tom for teaching me something new today!
It's such an interesting history! Plus another Ted Lasso benefit is that I feel like I finally "get it" when it comes to why people love football so much. I like that.
A specialist mic indeed. Think about broadcasters with binoculars (calling horse racing, greyhounds or F1 motor racing etc) or when there are multiple announcers for different stations/ tv networks all in a common broadcast booth, yelling and screaming due to the excitement of the event. This allows the tech team to lower the gain on the feed and train the presenter to keep the mic at a consistent distance. It also takes away the need for a mic stand (space saver).
Totally makes sense. Such an interesting thing to learn about!
W comment!
I have one because I walk for exercise, and I often record while I walk - so I get a very nice and controlled ambient sound and still have very clear audio for my podcast.
That's such a brilliant idea!
Originally designed to a British patent (737096) owned by the BBC and manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables LTD. In the mid 1960s two ex-STC employees (Colin & Les hence Coles) took over the right to manufacture. First design of the 4104 goes back to the 1930s. Early versions came with a wooden carry box with a built-in switchable equaliser, very useful to rest your feet on on a very cold concrete floor at a sports commentary.
Good for News voice-overs in hostile environments, hotel rooms or in a car. Just use under a duvet and you remove the 'room tone' or the car acoustic creating a similar effect to a voice-over booth. The response is bi-directional (figure of eight) so at a push you can speak into the back of the mic too for a 1+1 interview if out of vision or on the radio but the main benefit is the fact that your co-commentators sitting beside you are on the dead axis of the mic.
Designed to work in loud environments such as sports commentary but also work very well in quiet situations. Good example is an Out of Vision (OOV) commentary at a classical music performance, but you need a 'proper' broadcast desk which has 70 to 75dB of gain (or a lifter). They hate phantom power and although transformer coupled, the switch on/off pulse from the desk can easily rupture the ribbon on power-up.
Optional extras included a shoulder harness, similar to an harmonica cradle, that allowed horse racing commentators to continue speaking while holding binoculars in both hands.
These mics were part of my life for 35 years, like an old friend.
Great video and really interesting. Loved the Batman and Ribbon pun (10/10). You forgot to talk about the price!
Depends on the model, but usually around $700-ish
Makes perfect sense that you need to boost the volume with a fethead for normal speech. Ribbons are used a lot for very loud sources, like horns and, as with this, sports announcers. “He shoots! He scores!” is usually shouted in excitement. :) Great video as always, Tom!
Great video!, Love the variety and specialized audio and microphone design can get.
Possible series idea, deep dive into speciality microphones from different industries, I would watch 1000%
I don’t not love this idea 🤔
Hey Tom, I'm so glad you made this video because I've been wondering about those mics since season 1, but I just never remembered to Google it! Thanks for the vid!
“Batman and Ribbon” knee slapper 😂
I'm glad that joker didn't get away...
Love that you're covering this mic Tom, we've been wondering when someone was gonna get around to talking about the ted Lasso mics!!!
I'm so happy that I wasn't the only one who was curious about them!
Very interesting, I've seen these from time to time, but never knew the origin/purpose - thanks for covering this!
Thanks Andrew! It's just one of those, "Hey isn't this interesting?" kind of things. Glad you liked it!
they are also super populair in SNG vans for news voice overs
I am glad you covered this mic! When I was watching Ted Lasso I was curious about it too.
This mic is actually pretty cool!
If I knew more about processing I'm sure I could've really gotten it sounding great, but it's so cool1
A BBC classic. With the Fetlifter or Cloudhead, be sure that is a model that doen not pass through phantom power. You mentioned it in your video, but there are different types of boosters, so check it out.
That's true, and definitely something important to keep an eye out for.
I genuinely believe it’s the most well written show I have ever seen!
Totes.
I wish to see B&H comment in here saying "We believe you would Tom" 😅😂
It's on its way back to them right now, I swear! 👀
Awesome and informative video as always! I love weird and interesting tech! Now you've got me thinking... I'd love to see a review of the type of headset/mic that sports broadcasters wear in the States. You know... dual headphones with a big boom arm in front of the mouth. They're handsfree, unlike the this Coles mic! 😎🎤
Very cool mic. Thank you 🎉🙏
Your dad jokes are the best! I love it!
Cant wait for the new podmic review!
Hopefully in the not too distant future! Really trying to spend as much time as I can using the mic before making anything about it.
We love the Coles we use at Darlington FC - we're only volunteer / amateur commentators but using these helps us feel that little bit more authentic!
Very interesting microphone! Also… colored headband and ear pads in that NTH-100!? 🤯
Yeah, Rode sent those over and I love them! Hoping that they release more colors to order.
@@tombuck wow I do hope so!! I’m the first in line 😁 (maybe the second…)
Another excellent video! I was wondering if those mics were a prop. It sounds great!
It was so cool to learn that they were not only real, but have a pretty cool legacy.
@@tombuck It sure is. I appreciate you delving into this. I loved that series.
I am a voice over actor and when I first binged Ted Lasso I was like wth is this mic lol I immediately looked it up! Think I will add this to the arsenal in the future, Great review!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who had to look it up right away 😁
Thanks for explenation! I"ve seen this mics for too long
It’s definitely got an interesting history!
Sennheiser MKH 50 is USD 1200 Tom!!!Why such an expensive shotgun!?!For some reason I always thought this commentator mic was by Shure! Well thanks for schooling me!
I don't know exactly the the MKH50 is priced the way it is, but it's definitely a pro level mic that can last for decades. Expensive, but worth it.
Nice mic. My favorite mic I use now is an announcer mic also. An EV 635 n/d-b. I use it into a Cloudlifter. I can record my voice or instruments. It is omnidirectional. I looooove it. It is the Howard Cosell mic only mine has a neodymium magnet and is more expensive. The normal version is still nice though too.
That sounds super interesting! I love it.
Thank you for covering this mic! Love the video. Just to be super annoying, ribbon mics are also dynamic; in other words, both moving-coil mics and ribbon mics are dynamic mic.
I would love to see a comparison between this mic and Sony F-115B Weather Resistant dynamic mic, the go-to mic for ENG folks in Japan for their typhoon coverage.
Thanks for the additional insight! I'll have to check out the F-115B now. 👍
“Batman and Ribbon 🎀 “ 😂 great video.
I was proud of that one.
Great video on a really niche microphone Tom! Just wondering, it looked like you had somewhat of an external mixer aside from the RØDECASTER on your desk there, just wondering what that was! Keep up the good work!
I’ve got the Boss Gigcaster and Mackie DLZ that I’m experimenting with. I like them both, but the RCP still seems to be the best.
I wasn’t expecting that video. 😮😮 great idea. (Ted Lasso best feel good TV show ever!) I really like the sound of the mic it’s got an old AM radio sound. Vintage me loooves it! Although I’m not sure about the practicality of it… you really have to hold it all the time… that close? Not really ergonomic. My elbows hurt already 😬
For what it is worth the reasons soft touch coating, TPU, PVC or rubber get sticky to the the degradation of the plastisols due to hydrolysis. Moisture from you ands and air eventually turns it back to that sticky mess.
My Zoom H4 got really gross from just existing in the desert. Had to take some rubbing alcohol and elbow grease to get it all off 💪
So interesting! Reminds me I have to watch season 3 of Ted Lasso. One question, with the RCP 2 and its awesome amount of gain, why did you need to use a Fet Head with the Coles? Is it the nature of ribbon mics to be VERY gain hungry? Thanks!
This is the only ribbon mic I've used, so I don't have a ton of experience, but yeah, it really needed A LOT of gain to sound good and clean.
@@tombuck Interesting! The more you know...
Hi Tom, what is the mic arm you use from your stand to boom your MKH 50? Im looking to give this a go myself.
It’s an iFootage Support Rode that’s attached directly to my tripod head using one of their “SpiderCrab” quick release mounts. I REALLY love it. Their stuff is super sturdy and having it attached to the tripod head keeps things much more compact and manageable.
What kind of gain does it require? You mention using a mic booster, but was that because you needed the extra gain or because you were usinf it as a "safety" to prevent accidentally frying it with phantom power.
Also curious if you what kind of ambient noise tests you might have done, like how much computer fan noise would it pick up at only a couple feet separation.
The Rodecaster has 76dB of gain and it still needed more, but worked really well once the FetHead (another 26dB) was added.
I don't think it'd have any issues blocking out fan noise from a few feet away. 👍
Australian television sportscasters have been using them since I was a kid in the 1960's although headsets are starting to take over.
It was actually the BBC that designed the microphone especially for sports commentary on the radio and TV, and it’s become the standard across the industry. The BBC designed it and Coles make it.
Oh wow, I thought the BBC commissioned it, but I didn't realize they were behind the design. It's so specialized that makes a ton of sense. Thanks for the history lesson!
@@tombuck If you’re not from the UK you might not realise that the BBC was/is heavily involved in audio/visual engineering and particularly in the early days of TV just after the war they made serious efforts to improve the technology. You’d probably also find “The BBC Radiophonic Workshop” a fascinating topic to look into in particular, lots of cutting edge audio/synthesiser work done by those guys.
@@Szlater Whovians worldwide have Delia Derbyshire of The BBC Radiophonic Workshop to thank for taking Ron Grainer's composition and turning into the theme song to _Doctor Who!_
@@jalabi99 yeah, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was an unparalleled hotbed of talent.
Oh! RODE needs to make a version of this! I can see it now... the RODE NOSECASTER PRO! :D
They could then make a version for both nostrils called the Nosecaster Duo!
LMAO! @@tombuck
I'm sure the reviews would blow the competition away!@@tombuck
I had one of those on a show I worked on - we we recording a live lottery draw, as the balls were bouncing around in the machine the presenter switched to that mic, off camera. Worked really well.
Its one of the coolest I've ever seen. I know the BBC and especially Sky Sports LOVE to use these microphones.
Someone else in the comments pointed out that the BBC actually designed it and then had Coles manufacture it. That's super cool!
@@tombuck Yep! Its a decades-old microphone. The BBC L1 from 1937-1960.
I remember the first time I saw one I was going "what in the world" but It does well outside and it is a super speciality MIC. Nope I don't own one. Many soundguys have never seen one unless you did some work in live Sports.
Seems like they mostly live in the sports broadcast world, but I'm curious if there are weather reporters out there who use them. I noticed our local hockey announcers use headsets, but I'm not sure what kind.
@@tombuck, the few events I did with FoxSports were all either LAV's or SM7B type, mostly LAV's
2:49 is it just me or is a Gigcaster review coming soon in the making???
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that thing. For all things music related, it's pretty phenomenal. But it also should not be anywhere near the same price as the Rodecaster...
Where did you find those custom pads, for your NTH100?
BTW, now you need to finish it with the blue cable.
Rode sent them with the Streamer X. I’m hoping they’re something that’ll be available to order in lots of colors!
@@tombuck They know their target demographics.
😆
Let's hope for orange, like they did for their cables.
For ultimate wind-blocking effect, you could get the noiseless karaoke microphones that totally cup your whole mouth
I haven’t seen those- need to take a look now 👀
Awesome review! Now you can start reviewing more ribbon mics. 🎤 🇺🇸
I would love to!
Sooo interesting, ribbon mics were used a lot when recording the early blues and jazz artists…
It seems like a lot of early mics were ribbons. This one fascinates me because it's such a rugged mic with such a delicate part inside.
Wouldn’t it be great to get Chris Powell and Arlo White to speak to the real life use of the Coles mic !!!
I would LOVE that!
Imagine using this mic in a really loud as in a rock concert and yell at it like an Edison phonograph.
This is gonna be fun! =D
I love this. Best idea.
As soon as I saw this microphone in the thumbnail I stopped watching one of your other videos 😂 I love this look.
Do I need a microphone? Yes, I dont have one and do need one. Would I love this one? Yes I would, but not at this price. Looking into getting the Sennheiser md21 any thoughts?
Did you test the other iconic coles (3804 or something like that from failing memory) ?
This is the only Coles I've used, but it's really awesome! I love everything about it.
Fun fact this mic was used by Nicholas Briggs to voice the daleks and Cybermen
Aww Yeah!
The BBC have used this mic for football and cricket commentary for years.
Interesting mic.
MICROPHONES IS LIFE!!!!!!!!!
Preach 🙌
All sports broadcasting here in Australia use these 🎤. Cricket 🏏
We won’t talk about that. Hahahahaha 😂
You can use a fan for wind simulator 🤓 Especially the oscillating kind. Or run really fast 😂
Your right you don't need it!!😂😂😂❤
SpongeBob joke?
Thats one Lippy Mic!!!!!
👄
I have two of these.
Nice! That's awesome.
@@tombuck rewatching this because I finally started playing around with streaming a bit more on the RCPII .. ADHd baby. Anyhow, I initially bought one from GC here in the USA because it was used and they have an amazing return policy but had an opportunity to pick up another for dirt cheap (considering it’s price) and I had been annoying using it to broadcast live when I had the L-8.
Batman and Ribbon… oy!
I own one. It is available if anybody would like to buy it, I no longer have a need for it.
Does it shave the mustache off too?
Over time, it'll create a nice little micspot in there.