Review: Blue Snowflake and SM Pro Audio Mic Thing
Pages: 1, 2

Clip the Mic Thing to a mic stand for instant sound treatment.

Meet the Mic Thing

SM Pro Audio describes the Mic Thing ($319) as "a portable multi-purpose acoustic treatment panel suitable for minimizing room artifacts and improving separation during microphone recording sessions." I agree with everything in that description other than the word "portable." If by portable they mean "lug it across the room" or "pack it in your case and take it to a gig," then yes. It is portable like a snare drum is. It is not portable like a mobile phone. It's not portable like the Snowflake. The Mic Thing weighs 14.3 pounds and spreads 29 x 15.75 inches. And that's without the optional stand.

So although I won't be flying with the Mic Thing anytime soon, is is easy to set up and arrange the way you want. The optional stand works well with it, allowing you to set up a microphone in a perfect position for the baffle. (You can also use a generic stand, though you'll probably want to weigh down the base for stability.)

The Mic Thing has three sections. The two sides can be rotated from the flat position inwards to an almost 90-degree angle. Once you've positioned it the way you want, you turn a couple of knobs to secure it in place. The adjustments were very easy to make.

You can also adjust the sound by placing two metal screens (included) over the foam padding. These slip easily over the top of each of the wings and add a bit of reflection that helps liven up the sound you have just worked to deaden (examples below).

If you work from copy, the Mic Thing does make it hard for you to read your text. You can work a bit farther way from the surface or you can place your copy above or below.

By bending the Mic Thing's side panels forward or back, you can focus the sound. Metal screens (not shown) add liveness if desired.

Listening to the Mic Thing

Before I set up the Mic Thing I used the Quilt Thing. This isn't a product so much as it is me dragging a quilt over my head and the microphone. It works wonderfully and is a great solution when you're traveling and have to do some recording in a hotel room. It is, however, hot and stifling and not the best setup on a sizzling summer day.

I did try building a version of Harlan Hogan's portable sound booth. I didn't have much luck with it; folks who evaluated my sound files definitely liked the recordings without this booth better.

On the other hand, the sound comparisons with and without the Mic Thing made it clear that people liked the sound of the mics used with the Mic Thing more than the sound of those used without it. Here are some WAV recordings of a Shure SM57 mic with and without the Mic Thing. Other than normalizing levels in the computer, I added no processing.

• SM57 in Room (479KB WAV)
• SM57 with Mic Thing, Flat (469KB WAV)
• SM57 with Mic Thing, Semicircle (590KB WAV)
• SM57 with Mic Thing, Semicircle + Reflectors (562KB WAV)

For comparison, here's the Snowflake mic recorded with the Mic Thing:

• Snowflake with Mic Thing (802KB WAV)

It's important to understand what the Mic Thing does and doesn't do. This is not a way for you to soundproof your environment. When I record up in my attic and a car drives by, the Mic Thing can't make that ambient sound go away.

The Mic Thing changes the feel of the room. Your voice will sound different depending whether you're in a big room or a small room. You will get a different sound in a box-shaped room versus one with a sloping ceiling. You will get a different sound in a room made of glass and wood than you will in a room that has carpeting on the walls and floor.

This diagram from SM Pro Audio's site shows some ways to use the Mic Thing in a recording or live setting.

The Mic Thing changes the reflection pattern and eliminates some of the unwanted bounces. If you don't spend a lot of time listening to audio you may not be able to put your finger on what sounds different or better, but your audio should sound cleaner. Experiment with different angles for the two wings — different angles produce different sounds. For my voice with the mic I used, I got the best results when angling the wings in at a gentle angle and covering the foam with the metal plates.

Conclusion

It's hard to give these two clever recording tools a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down. My final advice is "It depends." In my case, as a narrator, I would say yes to the Mic Thing because I like what it does for the sound. But it is not very portable. I would say no to the Snowflake because I didn't care for the sound it produced on my voice. On the other hand, I like its physical design a lot, and it's a definite improvement over my computer's built-in mic for applications like online chat. So depending on your needs, one or both of these tools may make a good upgrade for your sound.