equipment for recording offline radio?

[weetsie]

hi

i am buying and setting up some equipment for some people that want to do some recording, all they want to do is record conversation of anywhere from 2 to maybe 10 people.

i have no experience in recording but the first professional company they went to suggested buying a load of dictaphones to record on and a laptop to edit on despite them not needing portability.

we decided on buying 3 mics (behringer C-1) and an 8 track recorder (zoom R16) as they could add more mics as and when needed, along with a PC for editing, XLR cables, mic stands it fits well into their budget.

the problem i am facing now is it turns out the R16 only has two inputs with 48v power. i am not sure what this means, i know the behringer C-1 mics make use of this phantom power, i don't know if it is needed or not.

so i am lost as what to do, at first i thought it was just a case of buying power supplies for each mic apart from the 2 that have power from the recorder but they are very expensive.

so should i just use the mics without phantom power?
or should i buy power supplies for the mics? if so are there any cheap options? (i cant find any)
or should i buy a better recorder that has more inputs with phantom power?
is there a better mic than the behringer c-1 for similar money?

sorry for lots of questions, i have done a bit of research but i am a bit stuck.

any help would be very much appreciated, thanks.

 

[Shadow_7]

What type of quality are you going for?

If you're sticking with the R16, obviously 6 out of 8 mics will need to NOT be phantom powered, or be supplied that power by external means. Otherwise 8x SM58's shouldn't cost you that much. If quality doesn't matter, I think Nady has some $10 mics(SP1). But it depends on your needs. Talking while almost eating a mic, or something less in your face.

 

[Scrumper]

The Behringer C-1 is a condenser microphone and can't be used without the phantom power so you would be better off buying dynamic microphones for your remaining six inputs. These do not need phantom power and decent quality ones can be bought for around the same price as the C-1. I think this would be your least expensive option now.

 

[weetsie]

Otherwise 8x SM58's shouldn't cost you that much.

they definately dont need 8 mics, it depends how many people they can have around 1 mic really, i gathered that better mics can pick up from further away so its a case of lots of cheaper mics or a few more expensive mics.

SM58's seem very expensive though!

how would they compare to the behringer C-1's at nearly 1/4th of the price?

edit: just been reading up and it looks like condenser mics are the ideal tool for the job. really not sure what to do.

edit2:found this: cgi.ebay.co. uk/Dual-Phantom-Power-Supply-Box-Condenser-Microphone-Mic-/190513699048?pt=UK_AudioElectronicsVideo_Video_TelevisionSetTopBoxes&hash=item2c5b8058e8 (had to put a space in the URL or i couldnt post).

its only £25 for 2x phantom power which seems very cheap, is it likely to cause noise and reduce audio quality?

 

[Shadow_7]

It depends on "the job". Condensers can be good mics, hot output, lower perceived noise floor, don't have to be so close to the subject. But that can be just as problematic. Dynamics like the SM58, or SP1 can solve a lot of issues. I'm sure that you'll find that out quick enough. Handling noise, environmental distractions (crickets / noisy clothes / squeaky chairs), playing well with other tracks. (3 to 1 rule). And other things. If all you need is something like a Zoom H1, by all means get that. Just don't be slapping the table that it's sitting on while recording. Just how good is good enough?

Euro wise, yeah, shure mics are probably out of reach. But there's other options with semi-local brands. Senn. E-835 ?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

edit: just been reading up and it looks like condenser mics are the ideal tool for the job. really not sure what to do.

Dynamic mics are very common in broadcast. RE-20 and SM7 are standard for radio announcers, MD-421 was designed as an announcer mic, and RE-50 is a classic TV reporter mic. A bunch of SM58s would probably be fine, or e835s as Shadow-7 suggests.

 

[weetsie]

ok i think i will be going for a couple of C-1s and and 2 or 3 e835s to start off with which from what you are saying this should offer some versatility.

you have all been very helpful, thanks!

 

[ido1957]

Stand alone phantom power supplies.

 

[Bobbsy]

Hmmm...are these people having a conversation around a table? Or sitting in an audience? The physical layout affects the choice of microphone big time.

Frankly, despite the phantom power issue, I'd only recommend dynamic mics if people are going to relatively close miked. If you're counting on a small number of distant microphones for pickup, I'd say it really needs to be condensers and you'll have to solve the phantom issue. SM58s and the like are designed for live stage work with the mic grill right up against a singer's mouth and are not at their best used for distant pickup. They are EQ'd to make use of the proximity effect up close and don't sound right at all when several feet away.

If it IS people sitting round a table, I'd use two or three of THESE which do a good job of slightly distant pickup and minimise the "hollow sound" you can get in these situations. (If you haven't heard of Barlett microphones, it's the same guy who who designed the well known Crown PCC160 which is now discontinued.) I certainly use this sort of thing when doing corporate recordings of meetings.

If this technique isn't suitable due to room layout, then I think small diaphram condensers are the way to go even if you have to buy a small mixer to provide the phantom, then use direct outs or insert points to feed the recorders.

Bob