Shure VP88 Thoughts

On our recent road trip I wanted to bring a recorder, and the focus was going to be the family and audio journal entries. A handheld recorder would be the obvious choice, but there are some reasons to avoid them:

1. Handling noise. While I can handhold a recorder quietly with some effort, my kids can’t.
2. RF interference. The DR40x in particular, but also the Zooms can be susceptible to RF noise from a phone. I don’t have any problems with real microphones and the Sound Devices recorders.
3. Wind resistance. Handheld recorders are harder to protect from wind.
4. Sound. The MixPre just sounds better. No, it’s not enough to keep anyone from listening to the results of other recorders and I doubt even I could tell the difference in the finished product except maybe with headphones, but still I like the sound better.

I like using a reporter’s stick mic, but that isn’t stereo and often I like having stereo. The ideal travel mic would be a the size of an Audio Technical AT8004 with similar resistance to handling noise, but in stereo. Mid/Side would be great so I could just grab the mid channel when I want mono. Such a mic doesn’t exist. The closest thing that I’ve found is the Shure VP88.

The Shure VP88 is a monster – almost 12″ long, heavy and fat. Seen from a distance it could easily be mistaken for a billy club. The size is an advantage when using it interview style because it is easier to get close to someone’s mouth.

It has high self-noise on paper – mid-20’s db, and it’s audible too in very quiet environments, but it’s actually comparable to many handheld recorders.

I’ve been eyeing this mic for a long time because a handheld mic is nice for a lot of the stuff I like to do. At $800 new it’s an expensive experiment so I kept looking for a used mic and finally bought one on eBay to try it out and see once and for all if it was a fit for me.

I brought the VP88 and MixPre6ii, a Gutmann wind sock, and a short stereo cable. I recorded daily journal entries along with the kids, a storm that flattened our tent along with the aftermath, and a very little bit of national park ambience. Here are my thoughts:

1. The VP88 works well as an interview mic. Not much if any noticeable handling noise, although like most handheld mics holding a loop of cable keeps cable noise down. It’s long so it’s easy to get close to someone’s mouth. That
2. The Gutmann sock was not as effective as hoped. It let more wind through than was acceptable in many cases. Next time I will bring the foam with the Rycote sock over it. I should note here that when I’m recording this kind of stuff I generally don’t monitor. It’s poor practice, but because I usually wear a hat I use in-ear monitors, and they rarely help me catch wind noise anyway.
3. The self noise was not an issue, but I wasn’t trying to nature sounds or anything very quiet.
4. It was big and heavy enough that I didn’t record sometimes when I wish I had.
5. The stereo field is a bit odd at times. This is mainly because it’s easy to set the mic down in a way where the side mic is pointed up/down instead of horizontal.

The purpose of the trip was not audio, and although my family does appreciate the recordings later they’re not always enthusiastic about it when they’re being recorded. In fact, usually it’s a great stimulus for giving Dad a rash of shit about his nerdy audio hobby. That means I don’t get recordings of everything and that’s ok. It’s hard to record well and be present at the same time, although it’s much, much easier than trying to record video and be present.

Ok, on to the samples. None of these were recorded with the intent of demonstrating the mic – they are simply bits from the trip to represent what the mic sounded like. The first two bits are just using it reporter style, then a few where the mic was laying on top of the recorder in our tent during a storm, and lastly one that is just campsite chatter.

Will this be the mic I’d take in the future? Maybe, but to be honest a mono reporter’s mic like the RE50 or M58 or AT8010 is so much easier to carry and use, and I’m not sure the stereo field is worth it most of the time. For ambiances, sure. For most other things I’m on the fence.