Question

[illest1029]

Just a quick question. I got my mic running right into the jack on the computer. Is that bad. Also when I do that, what you say on the mic aint at the right level in the headphones (headphones run right into the computer too.) Would a mixer help? What should I do/buy? Thanks in advance and I apologize for the bad grammer.

[scrubs]

What kind of mic? What soundcard do you have for your computer? What input are you using? What are you recording?

Basically, if you're plugging into the 1/8" mic input of a stock soundcard, you could definitely be getting better results with an equipment upgrade (namely, a better soundcard and a mic preamp).

[Thunder33]

Originally Posted by illest1029

Just a quick question. I got my mic running right into the jack on the computer. Is that bad. Also when I do that, what you say on the mic aint at the right level in the headphones (headphones run right into the computer too.) Would a mixer help? What should I do/buy? Thanks in advance and I apologize for the bad grammer.

Take some time to search this site and you will find tons of info in this.

[illest1029]

I record hiphop. I have a q7 mic (should I get a condenser mic?). An I have a stock soundcard. An I've tried to adjust the levels thru the computer, but that doesn't work.

[scrubs]

Basically, the microphone preamplifier that is built into your soundcard is meant for those little $10 mics used for gaming. It will totally suck for recording. The first step, in my opinion, is to get a preamp of some sort and use the line-in on the soundcard rather than the mic-in. In the budget category, I would recommend the Studio Projects VTB1 preamp ($99). If you need more than one channel, the M-Audio DMP3 is nice, or you could get a small mixer (Yamaha, Soundcraft).

Personally, I have little direct experience with Samson mics, but I have a pretty poor opinion of their product line in general. That mic might be just fine. A condenser mic would provide you with greater detail, but will also pick up more ambient noise (like your computer fan, etc.).

Other things, like room acoustics, soundcard quality, and monitors may also need to be addressed.