Thanks a lot for all the info! It all makes perfect sense. I am learning so much so fast.
I actually really love editing despite my disabilities (for the curious: sensory processing disorder including auditory processing disorder and severe hyperacusis, all from birth and worsening as I get older, plus reactive tinnitus in both ears for 6 years now and chronic tendinitis in both wrists from an injury about 15 years ago so I get inflammation and pain if I use the mouse too much). I get frustrated with the process at work sometimes (the people who write the scripts and check the drafts and final versions of the CDs tend to make a lot of mistakes that cause me extra work, or have requests that are too complex for the time limitations I'm working under) but when I have the time to sit back and really play with it, I really do enjoy it, and learning even just what I've learned from this thread so far gives me some serious inspiration.
SO, I will certainly switch to 24 bits, that makes perfect sense. Having a greater range of volumes to play with will help a lot. And having a mixer is also a great idea. I used to borrow a friend's to use for VJing back in the days before my ears were too sensitive for concerts, so I'm quite comfortable with the sliders and dials even though I've only used them for video in the past. The Behringer you suggest is easily within my price range.
When you say USB interface, what does that mean exactly? That it needs USB power (I see a power adapter plug on there) or that it outputs via USB? We have plenty of USB slots available so that's not a problem, and as I've said, the quality really doesn't need to be phenomenal, just clear. I see an output split to L and R channels, and we generally do everything in mono, but presumably I can condense it to mono either in the Lambda or in Reaper itself without a problem. I will just need a cable to go between the mixer and the audio interface, and there's room in the budget for that.
I also see another Behringer, the BEHRINGER 1202, for a bit cheaper, and that doesn't have a USB interface and does have 2 mic inputs. Would this be good enough, do you think?
So, once a mixer is chosen, my shopping list would be 2x Shure SM58 microphones, a mixer (to be determined), and I guess a cable to connect the mixer to the lambda?
Once I know what I'm buying and make the final decision, I should probably make a new thread to ask my other questions about the recording and editing itself. I'm loving the idea that I might be able to make it easier on myself (and my poor ears and wrists). If it were less stressful overall, I'd have time and energy left over to have more fun with the recordings! (The ones I can have the most fun with are "literature" tracks, where we have a custom-drawn comic version of some famous work of literature in our magazines, and do a recorded version for them to listen to while they read. These have evolved over the years from simple readings to full-blown radio plays with music and sound effects - the only tracks that are more than basic dialogue. When I'm stressed, they are a huge hassle, and I dread them, but when I'm not stressed, I can have so much fun with them! If anyone is interested in hearing an example, I'd be happy to send one.)
I actually really love editing despite my disabilities (for the curious: sensory processing disorder including auditory processing disorder and severe hyperacusis, all from birth and worsening as I get older, plus reactive tinnitus in both ears for 6 years now and chronic tendinitis in both wrists from an injury about 15 years ago so I get inflammation and pain if I use the mouse too much). I get frustrated with the process at work sometimes (the people who write the scripts and check the drafts and final versions of the CDs tend to make a lot of mistakes that cause me extra work, or have requests that are too complex for the time limitations I'm working under) but when I have the time to sit back and really play with it, I really do enjoy it, and learning even just what I've learned from this thread so far gives me some serious inspiration.
SO, I will certainly switch to 24 bits, that makes perfect sense. Having a greater range of volumes to play with will help a lot. And having a mixer is also a great idea. I used to borrow a friend's to use for VJing back in the days before my ears were too sensitive for concerts, so I'm quite comfortable with the sliders and dials even though I've only used them for video in the past. The Behringer you suggest is easily within my price range.
When you say USB interface, what does that mean exactly? That it needs USB power (I see a power adapter plug on there) or that it outputs via USB? We have plenty of USB slots available so that's not a problem, and as I've said, the quality really doesn't need to be phenomenal, just clear. I see an output split to L and R channels, and we generally do everything in mono, but presumably I can condense it to mono either in the Lambda or in Reaper itself without a problem. I will just need a cable to go between the mixer and the audio interface, and there's room in the budget for that.
I also see another Behringer, the BEHRINGER 1202, for a bit cheaper, and that doesn't have a USB interface and does have 2 mic inputs. Would this be good enough, do you think?
So, once a mixer is chosen, my shopping list would be 2x Shure SM58 microphones, a mixer (to be determined), and I guess a cable to connect the mixer to the lambda?
Once I know what I'm buying and make the final decision, I should probably make a new thread to ask my other questions about the recording and editing itself. I'm loving the idea that I might be able to make it easier on myself (and my poor ears and wrists). If it were less stressful overall, I'd have time and energy left over to have more fun with the recordings! (The ones I can have the most fun with are "literature" tracks, where we have a custom-drawn comic version of some famous work of literature in our magazines, and do a recorded version for them to listen to while they read. These have evolved over the years from simple readings to full-blown radio plays with music and sound effects - the only tracks that are more than basic dialogue. When I'm stressed, they are a huge hassle, and I dread them, but when I'm not stressed, I can have so much fun with them! If anyone is interested in hearing an example, I'd be happy to send one.)