Behri***USB C1 & AUDACITY = ?

[enya]

Wanting to record some simple demos for my daughter -
Had a look at better options than a $10 headset with AUDACITY - That's as cheap as it gets ha ha - Bought a USB CONDENSER (Behringer C-1 U) after emailing store and being told "she'll be right mate" ..... latency

In actual fact the latest help files in AUDACITY's BETA version say ...

Note that using a USB microphone is not the best way to record overdubs. These microphones are great for podcasters who just want to record their voice and are not worried about syncing to music. The problem with these microphones is that the only way you can hear yourself in your headphones is by turning Software Playthrough On. Software playthrough introduces its own delay (different from latency) which you will hear in your headphones. Tests on the same system used for the latency test below revealed that the Software Playthrough delay was 65 milliseconds. This doesn't sound like much, but it's like hearing your voice coming out of speakers 70 feet away. If you are serious about overdubbing, get an inexpensive mixer and a good microphone to go with it.

What we want is an affordable interface with an average sound card on a PC or DESKTOP depending where we are at the time. Where we can have realtime foldback thru cans and be able to overdub vocals on backing tracks in Audacity (MP3 import to first track) ...shit spellcheck is having a spak attack here *chuckle

Alto AMX80 may be a solution ? (that means utilising a wired version of the C-1 Behringer (we're very poor and can't afford lots -)
Maybe someone will stop laughing and give us some sensible advice
Cheers
Darryl SpOoK Hetherington (Enya's dad)

 

[Seidy]

that Alto is not a solution. you need a interface, that has a phantom to power supply the C-1 (condenser mic's need phantom power to work). Focusrite Saffire 6 usb should be a good choice.
instead of Audacity you can try out Reaper

also... do you have popshield to protect mic from "popping" sounds?

 

[gecko zzed]

Wanting to record some simple demos for my daughter -
Had a look at better options than a $10 headset with AUDACITY - That's as cheap as it gets ha ha - Bought a USB CONDENSER (Behringer C-1 U) after emailing store and being told "she'll be right mate" ..... latency

In actual fact the latest help files in AUDACITY's BETA version say ...

Note that using a USB microphone is not the best way to record overdubs. These microphones are great for podcasters who just want to record their voice and are not worried about syncing to music. The problem with these microphones is that the only way you can hear yourself in your headphones is by turning Software Playthrough On. Software playthrough introduces its own delay (different from latency) which you will hear in your headphones. Tests on the same system used for the latency test below revealed that the Software Playthrough delay was 65 milliseconds. This doesn't sound like much, but it's like hearing your voice coming out of speakers 70 feet away. If you are serious about overdubbing, get an inexpensive mixer and a good microphone to go with it.

What we want is an affordable interface with an average sound card on a PC or DESKTOP depending where we are at the time. Where we can have realtime foldback thru cans and be able to overdub vocals on backing tracks in Audacity (MP3 import to first track) ...shit spellcheck is having a spak attack here *chuckle

Alto AMX80 may be a solution ? (that means utilising a wired version of the C-1 Behringer (we're very poor and can't afford lots -)
Maybe someone will stop laughing and give us some sensible advice
Cheers
Darryl SpOoK Hetherington (Enya's dad)

Do a search for USB audio interfaces that have phantom power. There are plenty around these days: Tascam, Edirol, and so on, as well as a number of small mixers that have built-in USB interfaces.

The audio interface replaces your onboard soundcard, you do your monitoring from the interface itself (i.e. hardware, not software monitoring) and that removes the latency problems that you would otherwise experience. The C1 will get you started.

Once you've got some recording happening, you will discover that to get better sounds you will need more stuff . . . be prepared for that.

P.S. Seidy offers good advice about Reaper. It is a powerful application, but not too hard to come to terms with.