Entry level recording setup for gaming commentary/podcast.

M

Mr.Pixel

New member
Hello,

While I am proficient with PC hardware/software and build high-end gaming PCs as a side job, when it comes to audio I am a newbie.

Myself and a few others will be starting up a gaming channel which will include commentary and podcasts. However, with my current setup I have some audio recording issues. My current motherboard, while great for gaming and overclocking, is known to have issues with electrical interference causing a lot of static. To make matter worse, my headset microphone can produce a lot of pop when too close to my mouth.

Current products:

Motherboard with on-board sound card - Asus Crosshair V Formula (SupremeFX X-Fi 2) [Asus.com]
Haedset - Corsair Vengeance 1300 Analog Gaming Headset [Corsair.com]

I need to upgrade my audio recording equipment, however I am on a tight budget as I have a lot of stuff generally I need to purchase over the coming weeks and months. The following products have been suggested, and I wanted to hear the opinions of other people before committing to them.

Sound Card - Tascam US-122 MKII USB Audio Interface [dv247.com]

Microphone - AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Microphone [Amazon.co.uk]

Boom Stand - Microphone Stand Boom with free Mic Clip [Amazon.co.uk]

Pop Filter - Power Dynamics PDS-M16 Microphone Pop Shield Recording Filter [Amazon.co.uk]

I cannot post links to these products I'm hoping to get advice on. But you can search for them on the sites listed in the square brackets.

While I know that these products are not the most high-end products I could purchase, I am reluctant to invest a lot of money until we know that the channel we're creating will take off or not.

My questions...

Are these products good enough to start off with?

Are there any cheaper alternatives that would do a good enough job for what I need?

Thank you in advance for your help.
 
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We had another guy in wanting to do gaming commentaries and he tried pretty much the list you have--and wasn't too happy with the AT2020.

There's nothing wrong with the AT2020 and it's a very popular mic--but the two issues were that the sheer physical size was getting in the way of keyboard and monitor...and, in an untreated room he was suddenly getting a lot more "room noise". Some will say that a change to a dynamic mic would be the way to cure the room noise--but it'll be at the expense of clarity and detail (even though tons on this site love the SM7B or RE20, I find them both flat and muddy compared to a condenser.

So...lets try to think out of the box here. As I type this, I'm watching the end of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix of the year--and all the commentators are wearing headset mics, just better ones than you have now.

How about looking at something like THIS. In addition, you'd need to find an adaptor so it can run off phantom power--it's wired for a radio mic TX pack just now.
 
Thank you both for your replies.

The Shure SM7B was a microphone advised to me by a friend, however if this channel doesn't work out, I would be left with a very pricey piece of equipment that I wouldn't ever use again. The the AT2020 being more appealing in that regard. However I will keep it book marked for a next upgrade.

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 looks like a nice piece of equipment, I'll keep that for consideration.

My room is a big one, I have my office (for work) in my attic, its where I game too, mainly because I game late into the night, and I don't want to wake the family. Room echos and noise have never been a big issue for me, the slanted ceiling and a lot of room fabrics cut that down, and the 2 walls on the stairs down are sound proofed. Also my gaming PC is liquid cooled, so is very quiet. As for the mic getting in my way, I'm hoping that with the boom stand I can have it come in from beside where I sit, and when not in use, simply moved away.

Sennheiser for headphones has been suggested to me a few times by people. The HD558 and HD215 are actually items on my current shopping list, not sure which I'll go with just yet. I do like the ME3, however I'm not sure how well that would work with a pair of headphones, though looking at the picture, it seems like it sit on the back of the head and not the top. In an effort to reduce room noise (for the mic and family), headphones are a must for me.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, I appreciate the help.
 
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