Help!! Recording software troubles!! Mic problems!! I very new but very passionate!!

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DopestAlive

New member
Hello new friends! I finally got up and decided to go after my dreams making music!!! I've recently purchased the "BLUE YETI USB Microphone" and was hoping to make easy recordings with it. I've downloaded the recording software "AUDACITY", but i having trouble. My main trouble is when i record with my Blue Yeti the mic sound comes out horrid!:eek: But when im recording the sound in my headphones sound just about right.

I've been looking around the software and getting frustrated but i understand i will learn sooner or later and see this as a obstacle to my dreams!

MAIN QUESTIONS===============

-How do i make the sound quality in my mic come out sounding great?

-Whats the best recording software?/whats the easiest to use recording software for a noob myself to use?

-How do i delete sounds around my mic? I already have a pop filter will i need sound absorbing?

THANK YOU FROM A KID WITH DREAMS!!!:listeningmusic::listeningmusic::listeningmusic::listeningmusic::listeningmusic:
 
Welcome!

Well, it's hard to be specific about your mic problem without hearing your tracks. Once you get to ten posts you can put up links and that would be useful so we can listen to your "horrid" sound. However, there are a couple things to watch out for.

-Are you tracking with your levels set too high and causing clipping distortion? That could sound horrid.

-Are you too far from the mic or standing off axis? Either of those could give you a hollow, boxy effect.

For recording software, there's lots to choose from depending on your budget (and your needs). I'd suggest you try Reaper which is very popular around here. There's a one month free trial for you to see if you like it and, after that, it's only $60 which is way less than most of its competition.

Controlling sounds while recording is a major topic in it's own right. Doing some acoustic treatment for your room will improve things no end--check out the whole sub forum on HR discussing your options there. However, even before you get around the that, you can make a big difference just by the positioning and aiming of your mic.

Your mic will be fairly directional so make sure all the unpleasant stuff is behind the mic. You can help this more by having soft, non-reflective surfaces behind you when you record--soft, thick curtains help, as can bookshelves if they're filled with lots of uneven books. If worst comes to worst, find a way to hang a duvet or moving blanket right behind you (so it's in front of the mic). Experimenting with your room is the key--fairly small changes in how the mic is pointing can make big differences to your quality.
 
a usb mic will never sound that great, you want an audio interface, have a look at the top of this forum there's a good one.
It could be one of the solutions above, but if you want better quality then you'll need to spend a bit more cash, which I presume you wouldnt mind if you're that passionate?
 
Good looks! Thank you very much for you time! I do lean in quite close to my mic when recording. Not quite sure what you mean about standing off axis though. I've just googled Reaper and reading into it. And from my research $60 sounds wonderful. But i will definitely post up an audio of one of my tracks featuring my "horrid" sound lol. I've been shifting my room alot latley but i guess tomorrow i will need to make more adjustments!! THANKS AGAIN!!!
 
And yes ollie i am willing to spend more cash. What would be one of the best affordable mics? And how do i know if im setting the level too high??
 
I'm not a fan of USB mics either but, from what I understand, the Blue Yeti is capable of sounding very good. The drawback is that it's a dead end--with a "proper" interface, you can change or add other specialist mics to suit what you're recording, add mic pre amps, etc. etc. I'd recommend a move to a decent interface and one or more conventional mics before you buy another USB mic--but you should be able to make your existing set up sound fine.

To answer your question about on/off axis, I believe your mic has switchable pick up patterns. For most of your needs in an untreated room, you probably want to use the cardioid setting which means the mic is only sensitive to sounds from one direction. Clearly, this means you have to be the sound source in that direction--and anything else is "off axis". The omni, stereo and two sided settings all have drawbacks, especially in a "normal" room and, except for the omni, also have areas around the mic where the pickup is less than perfect.

And, to answer the question about levels, your software (whatever you choose) will have both metres and a graphic display of the waveform you're recording. You want to have your recording averaging around -18 on these scales with peaks up around -12. A frequent mistake for beginners is adjusting the overall level to make things sound right in their headphones--you need to set the recording level first then adjust the output to the headphones separately.
 
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