help please

F

Flicker

New member
Hi I am a complete novice and really appreciate some help.
I record meditation cds and used a portable handheld recorder.
but wanted some thing that would give me a better clearer sound
last year I bought under guidance from a music shop a
mxlr141 ribbon mic and the alsis ios2 for my laptop. I have by
good luck rather than by knowledge managed to record some work
but I am disappointed as I have a loud hissing noise that goes with it.
I know I must have the sttings wrong but dont know where to start. Thanks.
 
My first thought would be gain staging.

What does your volumes look like? Start at your first input gain. Is it cranked? Any preamps in the chain that have the gain cranked?

What I'd look at is getting the right gain (volume) at each stage. Pre's can get noisy (hiss) if cranked too high.
 
Flicker said:
Hi I am a complete novice and really appreciate some help.
I record meditation cds and used a portable handheld recorder.
but wanted some thing that would give me a better clearer sound
last year I bought under guidance from a music shop a
mxlr141 ribbon mic and the alsis ios2 for my laptop. I have by
good luck rather than by knowledge managed to record some work
but I am disappointed as I have a loud hissing noise that goes with it.
I know I must have the sttings wrong but dont know where to start. Thanks.
Click to expand...

A quick but not exactly cheap solution is this...Cloudlifter CL-1 | Cloud Microphones | "Elevate Your Sound"

Yes, costs more than the interface! The problem is, no one here would have suggested a ribbon microphone for voice over work. Well, not at least with a budget AI such as the ios2. Now one of our very respected recording guys here is a great fan of the Alesis FOR THE PRICE. But I am sure even he would agree that you are not going to get pre amps good enough for most ribbon mics at anything like that money. Indeed I do not know of ANY AI really good enough for such a low output mic.

You could of course sell the MXLR and buy a Large Diaphragm Capacitor (aka condenser) microphone* which would be some 10, even 20times more sensitive than the ribbon and fix the noise issue good and proper. But, do you like the basic tonality of the ribbon? In other words, do you think it suits your voice? If so keep it and go for the Cloudlifter. If not swap it for a capacitor jobby.
BTW! I DO hope you are using a pop filter on that ribbon???

*Best mics for lowest noise. Rode NT-1a or the new (confusingly!) NT-1.

Dave.
 
Whow ... thanks for the reply now not sure if im on the same bit (did say novice )
on the alisis the gain knob iis turned all the way down on my laptop its about half way thanks again
 
Hemm thanks for the information I did tell the sbop exactly what I wanted it for and total lack
of knowledge so I am now not very pleased as I have wasted hours sat here fiddling with knobs.
so this rode nt does it just plug into my laptop without the alsis and run with a simple
programme ... as for tonality for my voice ne er had a decent enough recording to tell.
And yes have a pop filter and yards of green cabble.thanks again will check out this new mic
 
Flicker said:
Hemm thanks for the information I did tell the sbop exactly what I wanted it for and total lack
of knowledge so I am now not very pleased as I have wasted hours sat here fiddling with knobs.
so this rode nt does it just plug into my laptop without the alsis and run with a simple
programme ... as for tonality for my voice ne er had a decent enough recording to tell.
And yes have a pop filter and yards of green cabble.thanks again will check out this new mic
Click to expand...

No, you keep the interface but change the microphone. Condenser mics are vastly more sensitive than ribbon and dynamic types (you will have heard of the Shure SM58?) . This means that for a relatively quiet sound, your voice at say 150mm, the output signal is much bigger (cond' mics have their own amps built in) and so you do not have to turn the AI pre amp up so much and thus you get far less hiss. In fact, and in practice a good LDC such as the Rode would actually be quieter, even through the Alesis, than your room I betya, unless you happen to live in a cave?

Speaking of "noisy" rooms! This will be your next battle, keeping out extraneous noises. Well actually you won't be able to, not much. Best you can do is join the "midnight cowboys" and record very late/early morning. Even then you will have dog barks and door slams to edit out!

Dave.
 
Don't exa tlyOTE=ecc83;4259715]No, you keep the interface but change the microphone. Condenser mics are vastly more sensitive than ribbon and dynamic types (you will have heard of the Shure SM58?) . This means that for a relatively quiet sound, your voice at say 150mm, the output signal is much bigger (cond' mics have their own amps built in) and so you do not have to turn the AI pre amp up so much and thus you get far less hiss. In fact, and in practice a good LDC such as the Rode would actually be quieter, even through the Alesis, than your room I betya, unless you happen to live in a cave?

Speaking of "noisy" rooms! This will be your next battle, keeping out extraneous noises. Well actually you won't be able to, not much. Best you can do is join the "midnight cowboys" and record very late/early morning. Even then you will have dog barks and door slams to edit out!

Dave.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all the info, am looking at getting the rode will try and sell the other.
Don't exactly live in a cave but have my room quite well sound proofed
thanks again its a pity didnt think about this sort of site before I started.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top