need help. questions about mixer and interface.

space bandit

New member
Hi,

I am completely new to recording and everything. For my needs and concerns I am mainly attempting to do voice overs with my set up.

My main concern is whether I should have my mic running through my interface or my mixer? And if I should be using my mic with my mixer, then how can I connect my mixer to my interface so that I can record through the mixer onto my computer?

For my interface I have a presonus audiobox usb, and for my mixer I have a phonic powerpod 820. As for my mic I interchange between two mics that I got in a bundle which are the sterling audio sp50/30 (which is not the mic that is shown in the picture).

View attachment 102039

The only way I know how to record is to hook my mic through the interface and the only things I have running through my mixer is my speakers/monitors via guitar cables.
 
Hi,

I am completely new to recording and everything. For my needs and concerns I am mainly attempting to do voice overs with my set up.

My main concern is whether I should have my mic running through my interface or my mixer? And if I should be using my mic with my mixer, then how can I connect my mixer to my interface so that I can record through the mixer onto my computer?

For my interface I have a presonus audiobox usb, and for my mixer I have a phonic powerpod 820. As for my mic I interchange between two mics that I got in a bundle which are the sterling audio sp50/30 (which is not the mic that is shown in the picture).

View attachment 102039

The only way I know how to record is to hook my mic through the interface and the only things I have running through my mixer is my speakers/monitors via guitar cables.

I would stay as you are. You could run the mic through the mixer and then feed the Audio box from the RCA phono 'REC OUTs' on that* but there is the problem that the Presonus does not have proper line inputs, just mic and 'Instrument'. Probably would work but not ideal and in any case, why have the hassles and cables?

Presonus have a good name for their preamps, I doubt the Phonics are better or even as good? Do you have any reason why you would like to run the mics via the mixer?

Your biggest problem for Voice Overs is going to be room 'sound' (crap, echo'ey mess) and 'noises off'. Dogs, people, cars, pigeons! The mollification, can't cure it in a home 'studio', is to get close <2" 50mm to the mic and hang up some absorbent material such as blankets/duvets, CLOSE to YOU. Not on the walls!

The duvets will not stop Ns Off but that problem will likely need to be addressed by recording in the wee small hours plus a LOT of editing and re-takes. Have a good read through the NOOB posts, this is ground covered many,many times at HR.

*Has output trim control, never seen that before. Bloody good idea!

Dave.
 
No reason. i just wanted to make sure i'm using the most of the equipment I have since I can't afford to upgrade.

Thank you so much for the quick reply, and making it easy to understand.

I def need to sound treat my space. My biggest problem there is whether to leave my mic set up in the walk in closet or take it out into the room. From what I read. Treating the closet could turn it into a dead space which would make the quality suffer. But I see videos of people doing this in their showers?!?!?! and they are still able to pick up jobs and make money?? So I'm just trying to find the sweet spot so I can feel comfortable about the quality of the recording before i go to editing.

again thank you for the quick reply!!
 
The problem with the small 'vocal booth' aka closet(!) is the word 'small'. Say the closet has a smallest dimension of 4 feet? This gives a first 'honk' at 275Hz i.e. the lower reaches of the human voice, you would have to stuff the ***t out of the closet to kill that.

Coming out into almost any room puts the highest resonance at say 130Hz (for an 8.5' ceiling which is rarely a very strong standing wave) and a HP filter will deal with that. Yes, you must 'duvet' the room. Absorbent behind the mic and especially behind YOU. A frame can be made with plastic waste pipe or timber if you are handy that way.

You can always ADD a bit of reverb if the voice sounds a bit flat and dead but you can't remove room effect post tracking. (well, the BBC can but you don't have their kit/software!)

Dave.
 
The problem with the small 'vocal booth' aka closet(!) is the word 'small'. Say the closet has a smallest dimension of 4 feet? This gives a first 'honk' at 275Hz i.e. the lower reaches of the human voice, you would have to stuff the ***t out of the closet to kill that.

Coming out into almost any room puts the highest resonance at say 130Hz (for an 8.5' ceiling which is rarely a very strong standing wave) and a HP filter will deal with that. Yes, you must 'duvet' the room. Absorbent behind the mic and especially behind YOU. A frame can be made with plastic waste pipe or timber if you are handy that way.

You can always ADD a bit of reverb if the voice sounds a bit flat and dead but you can't remove room effect post tracking. (well, the BBC can but you don't have their kit/software!)

Dave.

ah! understood. well my plan right now is to make some panels out of 4" owens fiberglass insulation foam and another few our of their 1" ones and stuff the closet and see how that turns about. And then, if not it doesn't work out i'll just take it out into the room and repurpose the foam for the accommodating space and then at which point i was actually also looking into what you had mentioned, making the makeshift frames.

my closet being: width 54" x length 60' X height 96"

When i stand inside, the door is behind me on the width side.
 
Treating a room without measurements is something I can't do. I have a friend who's able to do rough adjustments by ear, but he's been doing room treatment and analysing speakers professionally for many years

Get REW (Room Equalization Wizard), it's free. learn how to use it. Get a Superlux 999 or a Behringer ECM8000. They're like 50 €. Spend time measuring, asking questions and understanding what you're seeing.

REW - Room EQ Wizard Room Acoustics Software

Then buy the necessary amount of mineral wool and get going. Disguise your panels as paintings, make 'em removable, or put them on wheels.

In an average living room, usually only a few spots need some treatment.

While measuring, you can experiment with duvets, moving blankets, or whatever. That'll teach you a lot. You'll spend weeks doing this, but you can do the next room in two or three days... :D
 
awesome! thanks for the info. i'll def take my time to do the measurements so in the end if i'm not satisfied at least i tried my best and i can move on to the next best thing.
 
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