There seems to be quite a number of people who have problems with Razer Seiren’s recording quality, despite its noise cancellation capabilities.
In this article, you will learn:
- “How to” tips that help to improve Razer Seiren’s recording quality
- What shock mounts are available to replace the official ones that are discontinued
5 practical tips for Razer Seiren noise cancellation
- Change the settings on your PC: Most folks forgot about this important step. If you are using Windows, go to its sound center and change recording quality to 2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz. DVD Quality.
- Adjust the sampling rate in your PC: Related to the above, you will also need to adjust the sampling rate in Windows from things like AM Radio to 44.1 KHz or 48KHz.
- Adjust the gain knob: A bad thing about the Razer Seiren is that it doesn’t teach you how to adjust the settings correctly. The important knob here is the gain knob (Ignore the monitor one). Have about 8 inches of space between your mouth and the mic. Then adjust the gain knob as you speak to find the least hissing noise.
- Get a desktop mic stand to remove noise from keyword clicks. A recent one will be Rode PSA1 Swiveling Mic Stand. It is heavy duty, has a high quality build and allows you to easily adjust your mic position. It is not the cheapest but you pay for quality. Do note that you will need an adapter (like the On Stage MA 200 5/8″ to 3/8″ adapter) to fit the mic nicely into the Stand.
- Get a shock mount: It is more difficult than it sounds due to Razer discontinuing its own model. Read on to find more info about possible alternatives.
Shock mount alternatives for Razer Seiren
Due to Razer not continuing its support for its official shock mount, Razer fans now need to look for third party sellers for support.
Unfortunately, due to the Razer Seiren’s bigger size, there isn’t much choice out there. In fact, I only found 2 possible replacement shock mount.
The Blue Radius II is the only shock mount that can hold a Razer Seiren, although not without some adjustments. There is no problem with plugging the mic into the usb but adding a pop filter will be challenging. (Click here to see prices on Amazon)
Blue Radius II review
If you don’t mind getting the Blue Radius II for your Razer Seiren, here is its full review.
Overall, it does it job extremely well. With your mic mounted, it will prevent it from picking up unnecessary vibrations from the desk.
Pros
- Very study grip: Even for this shock mount is meant for blue yeti mics, it grips the Razer Seiren very well
- Absorbs shocks well: The elastic bands do a good job of absorbing the vibrations. The sound quality is pretty obvious when you do a before and after comparison.
- Versatile: The Blue Radius II is able to do a 180 degree rotation so you can set it at whatever angle that suits your recording needs.
Cons
- Heavy: This shock mount is about 8 lbs so the weight is not insignificant. Coupled with the weight of the mic, you will need a stronger booth arm to move the mic around. Cheap booth arm like the innogear couldn’t cut it.
- Pricey: The Blue radius II has a higher price than your usual shock mount but the quality is higher as well. It is more sturdy than brands like Auphonix with a higher class finish as well.
Tips on using the Blue Radius II shock mount for Razer Seiren
- Mount the mic at 45 degrees if you need to access the connections. If not, you can mount it normally
- At the 45 degrees mount, adding a pop filter is almost impossible
- If you want to avoid the 45 degree mount, you will need to modify the mic.
Btoop Shock Mount Review
The Btoop shock mount is an unknown brand that most might feel comfortable in buying. However, I went through so many Amazon reviews just to find one that seems to be able to do the job.
According to the buyers, the Btoop shock mount can handle the Razer Seiren with no problems. Below are the actual images from the 2 buyers, showing the fit.
Pros
- Good fit with Razer: As you can see, the fit is good and there seems to be no issue with accessing the connections
- Comes with pop filter
- Very affordable pricing: This thing costs about 25% of what a Blue Radius II will cost
Cons
- Unknown brand: Some might feel uncomfortable in getting a product that is unknown.
- Suspected quality: In terms of being able to reduce the vibration related noise, it is a mixed bag in terms of reviews. Since I have not personally, I can’t tell if it works or not.
Other Alternative Shock Mount Ideas
If you don’t prefer the Blue Radius II, here are some alternative ideas
- 3D printing: You can look for a 3d Printing shop and show them an example of the old Razer shock mount model. They should be able to duplicate but expect to pay a higher premium. Prices will also vary according to the materials you used for the 3D printing.
- Ebay: Even though Razer has discontinued its shock mount, you can still buy them via Ebay. However, expect to buy a premium. I look a random look today and this is the price I found. Shocking!
Conclusion
Razer Seiren is a solid microphone if there is zero background noise. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. Hence the need for a good quality mount.
Finding one, however is easier said than done. I have made some recommendations here, although none are perfect. Still they do help with cancelling out some of the background noise.
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