【我與可惡麥克風的故事】(English writing below)
我的 Blue Yeti 麥克風只用來錄一年的有聲書就掛了，而且是死在錄音要開始時。
我先生到百勝樓的Swee Lee詢問時，也既是我們買那麥克風的店，店員說類似這樣的話：「哦，你用了差不多兩年了，也是時候了。」
這是什麼話啊？不會吧？？？
把麥克風送回美國維修不划算。我也不確定是否要再花$210買回同一個可能比我還早死的麥克風。
於是，我花了很多個晚上來讀網路評價和觀看Youtube影片。坦白說，做後製時，我是聽得出Blue Yeti 錄音很多不足的地方。唯有搭配Voicemeeter Banana這音響軟件一起錄音，音質才會好很多。但這軟件只能使用在Windows. 我也花了很多個夜晚才搜索到這方法。
這些陌生的科技對我這門外漢而言真的很累人。我不是只是個風水師嗎？怎麼在看這些器材的資料呢？
但為了能把師尊的有聲書做的更好，我還是一頭栽進去這令人匪夷所思的音響器材世界裡。堂堂一個資訊科技的碩士生，我先生卻完全無法幫上忙。都說了嘛，現在做女人不容易呀！
長話短說，後來我向 Sennheiser 買了個Neumann TLM102 的麥克風。今天，我購買了一台 Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo Core。這些器材其實應該在四月時就買，但當時太忙而且舉棋不定，而最近器材的價錢都掉了幾百塊。
當初考慮了很多不同價格的麥格風和音頻接口。你知道的，只要一開始閱讀亞馬遜的網路評價和觀看Youtube影片時，就如同走進一間超大的糖果店，而裡頭的一塊巧克力可能就是自己一個星期的薪資，甚至一整個月的血......汗錢，
Sinamex員工的產品知識非常的好，人也很主動熱心。他示範了各品牌的音頻接口如 Apogee DUO, Audient and of course, Universal Audio。其實還沒踏進店裡時，我就已想買Universal Audio這品牌了。聽過店員的解說後，更慶幸沒有在網路上買Focusrite or Apogee。
據員工說，這 Universal Audio Apollo Twin 也是新加坡音樂創作者們 Dick Lee、 林俊傑、Jonathan Koh 許偉強和 Sydney Tan (2019年國慶慶典的音樂總監)。#六度分隔理論 #又與俊傑拉近一度
希望回到家後能夠學會如何操作這非同凡響的器材。我還需要到蘋果買個Thunderbolt電纜。這器材也適合用在Windows的電腦。
感謝師父做這次器材更新的大財主。
我有多次差一點又買回Blue Yeti，因為覺得這些科技太難懂，太麻煩了。但老娘怎麼說也是個新加坡人，怕輸怕死的血液在我身體流著，怎可能笨到同樣的錯誤犯兩次。😁
改變有時真的滿痛苦的，尤其是要花錢、花時間和花精神時，而偏偏這些資糧都不夠。說自己害怕改變，比說自己太驕傲太懶惰不要改變，來得好聽，因為前者能贏來同情，而後者則是輸給了命運。我們新加坡能夠有今天，絕對不是因為我們的建國一代一成不變，而是我們都願意去進步、去爭取、去拼搏、去吃苦。
這個國慶日，讓我們都不要忘記這股勇於嘗試和承擔的精神。新加坡，生日快樂，我以您為榮！謝謝您給予我和我家人的一切！🎉
......................
My Blue Yeti died after one year of weekly usage for audiobook recording, and it died just when our recording session was about to begin.
The Husband asked Swee Lee @ Bras Basah about it. That was where we bought the USB mic. The store staff said something like: “Oh you used for about two years. It’s about there already.”
I was like “what the duck”...
Sending the mic back to USA for repair doesn’t make financial sense. And I’m not sure I want to burn another $210 on a metal mic that is going to die before me.
So I spent nights reading online reviews and watching YouTube videos. To be honest, I hear a lot of inadequacies in the Blue Yeti recording. It only sounds better when I use it with Voicemeeter Banana, an audio application software that can only be used for Windows. Even that took me nights of Googling to find this solution.
It was exhausting. Thought I’m just a Feng Shui practitioner...why am I looking at mics and audio interfaces?
But for the sake of my Grandmaster’s audiobooks, I threw myself head first into this whole alien world of audio tech. The Husband, with a MASTERS in Information Technology, was of ZERO help. #toughbeingawomannowadays
Long story short, I bought a Neumann TLM102 from Sennheniser SG and today I purchased an Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo Core. I was lucky because I should have bought all these in April, when my mic died but I was so busy with work and couldn’t decide what was most suitable. Then the prices went down by a couple of hundreds.
There were many mics and audio interfaces I was considering. You know how it’s like when you start reading Amazon reviews and watching YouTube videos. Macham like walking into a candy store where one piece of chocolate can cost you one week of salary, and some, your entire month of blood supply.
The Sinamex staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. He demonstrated the various audio interfaces like Apogee DUO, Audient and of course, Universal Audio. I had my eyes on UA even before I entered the store. After his explanation, I was glad I didn’t buy the Focusrite or Apogee.
According to the gentleman, the Universal Audio Apollo Twin is also used by Dick Lee, Lin Junjie, Jonathan Koh and Sydney Tan (NDP 2019 music director). #sixdegreelaw #onedegreeclosertoJJLin
I hope I can figure out how to operate this impressive machine back home. I still have to buy a Thunderbolt cable from Apple. This also works with Windows by the way.
All credit goes to Shifu, for being the generous man that lays out the moolah for both the mic and audio interface. He lets me decides what to buy because in his words, a high-level Master doesn't bother himself with all these. Only a low-level one will. Okay, fine, that's me. 😀
There were many times I almost went back to buy a Blue Yeti. It was too difficult and troublesome to figure out all these tech stuff. But hey, I’m a true blue Singaporean. The kiasu and kiasi blood run deep in my veins. How can I be so dumb to make the same mistake twice? 😁
Change can be really painful and uncomfortable, especially when it involves money, time and effort and all these 3 resources are scarce. It’s easier and socially more acceptable to say we are afraid of change, instead of saying we are too proud or too lazy to change. Because the former will win you sympathy while the latter will make you a loser to your own Destiny.
Singapore is where she is today not because of our resistance to change, but for our ready willingness to strive relentlessly, to fight, to endure the pains, etc.
As we celebrate our 54th National Day, let us not forget this spirit of bravado and the quest for new frontiers.
Happy birthday, Singapore! I am so proud to be a Singaporean and thank you for all that you have given me and my family!
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