ist is me?

[Karel Lootens]

Hello,

I'm trying to do some singing because it seems to release my nerves even better than doing sports, but i've got a problem...
I bought a microphone (sennheiser 815, it's cheap, i know, but it's better than the philips thingy I had before I guess...) to try it out a bit on my laptop, no extra gear involved, just recording over the mic-in on the laptop.

I never seem to get that 'in your face' voice you hear on a record... is it me that has the dull voice or are there many other factors involved? I don't care too much about noise/signal ratios for now, I just want to get as crisp a voice on the recording as possible... (i'm assuming it's not me )
i've tried the mic without the screw-on cap but that does not seem to improve a lot... can the pre-amp (built-in) be the culprit? or would that just introduce noise rather than reduce the high-end frequency range? if so... have I just spent 60 euros on a crap mic? or are there possibilities to improve my recording without selling my car and buying a decent mic/preamp

cheers,
Karel

 

[scrubs]

I think you've already answered your own question. That "in your face" vocal sound that you hear on records was not recorded with a cheap mic running into a stock laptop soundcard mic-input. Those vocals were more than likely recorded with top of the line equipment.

Now, do not despair. You don't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a better sound. In fact, I would guess that you could dramatically improve your sound by spending only a few hundred dollars in equipment. Here's what you need:

1. Soundcard/Interface with integrated microphone preamp - Since you are recording to a laptop, I would suggest a FireWire or USB external soundcard. There are inexpensive ones made by Presonus (FireBox), Tascam (US-122), M-Audio (Fast Track Pro), and a few others. These will plug into your USB or FireWire port and bypass your stock soundcard. Most of them also include dedicated microphone preamps which will sound far superior to the mic-in on your soundcard. Expect to spend at least $200 US on a decent quality interface. Most of them also come with some form of multitrack recording software. Cubase LE, which comes with the Tascam and Presonus units, is a great program.

2 - Microphone - Your sennheiser mic will likely sound much better through one of the soundcard preamps mentioned above. However, it is still a very inexpensive mic and may not give you quite what you are looking for. If you find that is the case, you may want to look into getting an budget-priced condenser microphone. Condenser mics, which require phantom power (should be provided by your interface/preamp above), tend to give a much more detailed sound, compared to dynamic mics, such as the one you have. For the "crisp" sound that you mention, I would recommend the Studio Projects C-1 or the Rode NT-1. Both cost about $200 US. There are condenser mics in the $100 US range, as well, but they are more hit-or-miss in terms of quality and sound. The Studio Projects B-1 is recommended a lot, but I don't think it is as "crisp" sounding as the C-1.

3 - Recording Software and effects - This will likely come with your interface/soundcard above, so you may not need to purchase it separately. Also, there is a free program called Krystal Audio Engine that you may want to try out. For processing vocals, you may need some compression and reverb. There are free effect plugins that will work with your software, as well. Look for the Kjaerhus Classic Series VST plugins (will work with most multitrack recording software).

Good luck.