Looking to record audio for educational videos

  • Thread starter Thread starter kennye
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kennye

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Hi, I'm just starting up a not for profit which educates kids in academics through interactive videos, and need a microphone.

So my question is: which microphone is the best for recording me speaking? Now I have a USB mic, but my voice sounds pretty faint and it has slight white noise in the background. I'm trying to eliminate that white noise but at the same time stay within budget. Currently my budget is around $120 and this includes all the materials that I would need to connect the microphone to a computer. So, what's the best microphone out there for these kinds of things? Now remember, I'm not singing, just trying to have my voice overlay educational text.

Really appreciate all responses. Thank you.
 
Sorry, I don't record on my computer but I have experimented using my 57 pluged into my sound card and have had no problems.
 
dodgeaspen said:
Sorry, I don't record on my computer but I have experimented using my 57 pluged into my sound card and have had no problems.
Click to expand...

um, what? lol...

OP, you need a preamp/interface for the SM57.
 
Normally I would tell you not to use an USB microphone.... but being that your doing a not for profit to educate children the USB may just be fine for spoken word recordings for your videos.

Proper microphone techniques are going to help you as well (get closer to the microphone) and the faintness and pink noise should go away.

Now if you insist on not continuing to use your USB microphone, a $120. budget will be slim for all materials needed.

To help you to educate children....If you PM me, I'll work with you on your quest and donate to the project a microphone that should work out just fine. You'll just need to get an interface with a pre amp and you should be able to fine those all day long used on craigs list or ebay for way inside of your budget.:)







:cool:
 
Are you just sitting? Voice-over? Up and demonstrating? Moving around?

White noise: Fluorescent lighting? Computer fan? CRT monitor?

Paj
8^?
 
Paj said:
Are you just sitting? Voice-over? Up and demonstrating? Moving around?

White noise: Fluorescent lighting? Computer fan? CRT monitor?

Paj
8^?
Click to expand...
I'll be sitting, so a voice-over. The white noise is a slight buzzing sound which I assume comes from the computer fan, ventilation, or any electronics that may be turned on (mostly computer equipment). Though I haven't pinpointed the source of the white noise, I do know one thing: when I record a slight buzzing sound persists. I thought that getting some sort of $100 mic would fix that, but with what I'm hearing I don't really know if that price is reasonable enough for the job.
 
moresound said:
To help you to educate children....If you PM me, I'll work with you on your quest and donate to the project a microphone that should work out just fine. You'll just need to get an interface with a pre amp and you should be able to fine those all day long used on craigs list or ebay for way inside of your budget.:)
:cool:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, but I really can't accept any money at the moment. I'm currently in the process of having my not-for-profit papers filed, so until everything's on paper it'd be unethical for me to take donations. For those of you wondering what I'm trying to do, my main objective is to create a learning platform similar to khanacademy.org, except with better quality and geared more toward History and English.
 
austinm08 said:
um, what? lol...

OP, you need a preamp/interface for the SM57.
Click to expand...

Not trying to be a smart guy but do you mean you need a pre and interface, or would it just be a good idea. Like I mentioned I don't record on my computer, but I have tried it with my 57 and it works.
 
If you only record on your computer and with the soundcard that came inside it, a lot of your white/pink noise is probably originating from that point. External soundcards / interfaces will probably get rid of at least 50% of that noise. The rest is how much gain you need to apply.

If you have proximity, i.e. mic resting on chin, you can lower the gain needed and the white/pink noise / noise floor that would have otherwise have been present. Or you could go with a hotter condenser mic versus dynamic and it will need less proximity for the same gain to noise ratio. Pluses and minuses as hotter signal equals more likely to feedback and stuff.

You probably mean that it's not tax deductible as opposed to unethical. It's only unethical to take someones money if they obtained it illegally, or you do it forcefully, or based on untruths. Otherwise it's just a matter of paperwork, depending on how / when the transaction takes place.
 
kennye said:
Thanks for the offer, but I really can't accept any money at the moment. I'm currently in the process of having my not-for-profit papers filed, so until everything's on paper it'd be unethical for me to take donations. For those of you wondering what I'm trying to do, my main objective is to create a learning platform similar to khanacademy.org, except with better quality and geared more toward History and English.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean that I would donate money. I meant that I would donate a microphone.;)







:cool:
 
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