Page 3 - Recording Performance Tests
For most users, the microphone part of their computer setup may be an afterthought. Most webcams and laptops come with a microphone that works well enough. However, with the growth of work at home, media creators, and streamers, simply being able to pick up a voice may not be enough. In many professional settings, certain sound signatures, clarity, and specific audio features may be desired. Whether it is recording music, vocals, or podcasts, a single microphone may be designed for a different specific purpose and may not be the best option in all settings. At APH Networks, we put our microphones through a series of recording tests to help best demonstrate their capabilities. For the FIFINE K688, I have tested it via the USB connection directly into my computer, with the adjustable gain set to maximum.
The FIFINE K688 is a podcast specialized microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. This means the noise captured is most direct and loudest in the front where the dynamic capsule is facing. The cardioid polar pattern helps to reject and reduce sound coming in from all other directions such as from the side and to the back, as you can hear from the test. The K688 is a directional microphone and captures vocals with good clarity and volume when directly in front. It is still able to capture sounds off-axis, but with a large drop in volume and clarity.
I am unable to test the XLR connectivity of the K688, however, with the USB audio interface, you can increase the recording resolution and fine tune the equalizer settings to suit your demands.
Next, we have more technical tests. We tested the FIFINE K688 to see how it handled plosives and background noises. Plosives refer to consonants where the vocal tract is blocked, and airflow stops right before the pronunciation of these sounds. This is common in sounds like b, p, k, t, d, and g. The airflow stops right before pronouncing these letters, followed by a quick expulsion of air. The rapid increase in air pressure acting on a microphone capsule can cause a harsh and unpleasant sound, or a "pop". For background noises, this is affected by the pickup pattern of the microphone as well as the off axis capturing behavior.
The FIFINE K688 performed well with plosive sounds. It was able to manage “k” and “t” sounds at a distance of three inches with no problems with or without the pop filter. For the “p” sound, there is some noticeable harshness. With the pop filter on, it appeared to help slow down the air and dampen the popping sound.
Even with the cardioid polar pattern, the FIFINE K688 picks up some background noise. It did well to reject most of the unwanted noise. The higher frequency mouse clicks sounded distant and quiet. The lower and slightly closer keyboard typing sounds were a little bit louder, but still very quiet compared to a voice directed at the mic.
To test for vibrations, I tapped on various surfaces to see how the microphone reacts. The K688 is mounted on my personal boom arm via the included shock mount. The K688 was able to well reduce the sounds that it was not directly connected to. Bumping into the table it is mounted on and touching the boom arm was quite muffled. Tapping on the shock mount, which tends to resonate, was more apparent. Perhaps the most intrusive sounds were captured when I directly handled the microphone body and the USB cable. These sounds would likely be heard in a recording. Overall, the FIFINE K688 performed admirably in the vibration tests.
Next, I tested how the FIFINE K688 sounds for regular speech. I recorded myself reading an excerpt from the K688 manual. It captured my speech clearly and naturally. There were no obvious distortions and sounded quite clinical. The room where I recorded in had no sound treatment, yet it sounded clean.
The keyboard I played on was about a foot away from the microphone. It indirectly picked up the sounds and reproduced them decently, but it was quite quiet and distant sounding. Perhaps if the microphone was directly pointed at an instrument, it would sound better, but the K688 is clearly made more for voices than instruments. I would not recommend using it for instrumental recordings in this case.
Discounting my singing ability, the FIFINE K688 picked up my singing quite clearly. It sounded mostly natural and reflective of my voice. If I had to nitpick, it did not sound as full or airy as I would like it to be. The frequency response of the K688 appeared to extend further than the 70Hz in the specifications, but with a high pass filter that rolled off the lower frequencies. Low bassists will not do well with this microphone. There is a low pass filter for the upper air frequency region. This makes the vocals sound a little flat with limited sparkle. The resulting overall effect is a very forward and centered presence.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Recording Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
