Do i need a -db /low pass filter on my mic?

[MetalManiac]

I have a couple f MXL 990's, the Mics w/o the "rumble" filter.
I saw today the stupid deal was the MXL 5000's with the -10db pad "low pass filter".
I talked to one guy who says you can eq a reasonable amount of rumble( meaning grbage trucks and such that pass by the street when you are reroding) form your preamp and /or compressor or also your software recording program?

I would much prefer that, to kee my 990's w/o the low pass filter.

Then I also told the guy who knows about mics that theres often motorcycle and such that pass by, and he said that would not be addressed by a low pass filter, nad that you really cannot avois such form being in your recording just from home without a soundproof studio, but could "filter" such to an extent with a compressor?

advise. should I need to get get the mics with the low pad cutoff?

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Do i need a -db /low pass filter on my mic?

Ok, few things here:

MXL500:
-The MXL 5000 has a -10 Pad, AND a low freq roll off (this is NOT a low pass, the opposite actually...see bottom of my post)
-The -10db pad is for loud sources. To either help reduce distortion from the mic itself or to send a good level into your preamp (some preamps are super hot at 0)
-The low freq roll off...its doesn't say on their site where its begins, the slope, or how aggressive it is, so who the **** knows what its doing

Rumble:
-The only way your preamp will help reduce rumble is if it has a high pass filter on it.
-The only way a compressor is going to help reduce it is if it has a built in gate.
-your DAW can certainly do this through EQ/ gates etc.
-No you are not going to be able to get that motorcycle out of there. And a compressor is just going to make it louder...

Further on the rumble:
-What are you recording mainly? If you're picking up that much sounds like your recording something quiet/ sensitive?
-What's your room like?
-Whats the rest of your recording setup?
-Are you making sure all your windows are closed?

If I knew a bit more about your situation, what you are recording etc. We can come up with better ways to help reduce capturing these annoying sounds.

Advise: Don't get the 5000. And start looking at dynamic mic options

Also an FYI:

-High Pass filter: Let's the HIGHS PASS THROUGH. i.e. cuts the lows
-Low Pass filter: The opposite of above.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Do i need a -db /low pass filter on my mic?

Not much to add to the excellent post above. You can have a mic with ten switches on it, it doesn't matter if you don't know how they work. A simple shock mount will filter out subsonic rumble as well as a HP filter on a mic, but once you filter those freqs out, they are gone FOREVER and it will take quite a bit of skill and effort to make a thin sounding track sound fuller once those freqs are filtered out of the source audio.

I agree with the above, if constant traffic is an issue you should be looking at something that is a lot less sensitive to the frequency extremes; ie a dynamic microphone, NOT a condenser mic. If a passing truck is loud enough to be picked up through your mic then it's not just the LF you have to worry about. Dynamic mics are also a lot more forgivng of high SPL sources like electric guitar and drums. Ribbon microphones are as well but they have a MASSIVE proximity boost, need a lot more preamp gain to get the same level as a dynamic mic, and quite a bit of post recording care and feeding.

All that being said, I pretty much use the filters on my SSL on everything I record. Reasons why:

- The EQ/filter section of the SSL sounds extremely musical and even set flat I prefer the sound with the EQ engaged (usually set the EQ for post-insert effects, so I EQ AFTER compression when recording).
- The filter is very gentle at 3dB per octave, so it tightens up the sound, requires less filtering when mixng, gets my original flat tracks very close to a finished sound, and since it doesn't simply DUMP those freqs, I can bring them back with an aggressive LF shelf.
- It helps even out the lumpiness you get when you are playing parts arcoss different strings. An open A on a bass guitar has a very different response than a fretted A on the low E string. Filtering allows me to do this without having to get too aggressive with compression straight away.

One final thought re: filtering. Most filters have a small rise in the response on the 'corner' frequency, right where the filter starts. If you have a lot of tracks with the exact same filter at the exact same place this can in fact add a gnarly build up right where you are trying to control the sound! So using a HP filter may not be set it and forget it.

[GilmourD]

Re: Do i need a -db /low pass filter on my mic?

I have two 990s that I use for my radio show. I've never had a rumble issue with them. They are REALLY sensitive, though. One night I was listening to the playback of my show through headphones and I heard my daughter playing upstairs in the background. LOL