Audio Voice Recording

  • Thread starter Thread starter j4kk
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j4kk

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Hey I need to record some audio for the background of a documentary onto my PC. Is there anyway I can get good quality audio without buying one of those nice things that automatically burns your audio onto a CD? I have a stock sound card, and a really bad mic. What should I buy?
 
How much you got?

Entry level recording sound cards start at $99. (see m-audio 2496)

Then you would need a pre-amp, entry ones are again $99. (see studio projects VTB-1)

Then you would need a mic, a good dynamic like the EV RE-20 or Shure SM-7 are about $300-$400 (used you can get them cheaper), they will give you that nice larger then life tone, but that might not be what you are looking for. But you could certainly get away with a SM-58 for $99, or even a $99~ mic like the Studio Projects B-1 or MXL V67G.

Good monitors will help you balance the mix out and you will be able to hear things good enough to add in a little EQ if need be. Figure $250 and up. But having said that, you could get away with headphones if really had to for just mixing VO work.

Speaking of headphones ($99 for 280 pros), your voice over talent will need a pair, it will help them work the mic better, and it will help them focus better. And with the headphones you will need a headphone amp, $50-$100. But you could get by with your home stereo receiver and use it as a headphone amp assuming you don't need more then one headphone at a time.

You will also need software to record onto, but maybe you already have that??

And if those costs haven't scared you away, we can work up from there, maybe down a little if you cut corners here or there.
 
Thanks for the quick reply.

Dang, that is really expensive. Let me rephrase what I want: basically all I need is some basic, ok quality audio of me talking that I can put in the background of a documentary using premiere pro. Basically, the audio file I need is the dialogue. I already have a small, crappy mic that works and stuff and I can record dialogue onto my computer from it with soundforge, no problem. However, I was just wondering if
1) Buying a better mic would increase the quality (because that's pretty much my only option)
2) What's the deal with a 'better sound card?" i have the stock one ...

Thanks,

-j4kk
 
Hi,

1. Yes, buying a better quality mic would be good, because from what you describe the one you currently have is 'really bad'.

Ok, if you're serious about recording dialog/voiceover, then you should invest in a proper mic like an AKG C414, or a Neumann TLM103, which would cost around £500, plus a decent mixer or preamp. Too expensive unless you're doing it for a living.

Probably ideal for you would be something like the Samson mic that plugs direct into USB - bypassing the soundcard. Costs around $99 I think:

http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1810&brandID=2

Pretty basic but a good starting point.

Avoid crappy mics that come with computers or internet telephony ones - they will sound awful.

2. 'Better' soundcard is purely subjective. A soundcard with a lower noise-floor on the analog input would be 'better' than one that is noisy. Also, a soundcard with 8 ins/outs would be 'better' than one with just 2 ins/outs. It all depends on what you need for your work. People on this board shoot off about their 16 i/o cards, because a lot of people here record mutliple musicians, whereas I get by with just 2 ins/outs, as I'm synth-based. Decide how many ins/outs you really need and go for that. If your current soundcard does the job, then stick with it - I used the onboard sound for about 6 months before I upgraded.

Look for the hardware you need. Do your research. And don't ever, EVER listen to anyone in a shop.
 
Thanks!

Wow you guys are really amazing on this forum. This is one of the nicest communitites I have ever asked for help for anything on. I truly appreciate it. I just wish I knew more about the subject!

Anyway, my dad's gonna buy me a better mic today at Best Buy, and I'm gonna tell him if he can to get a USB one. I'm not looking to go into 'professional' recording or anything. All I need is something half-decent to record a dialogue onto, and hopefully this USB mic/nicer mic if he can't find a USB one, will do the job. If there are no further objections, case closed ;)
 
I don't think you're going to find a good enough mic at any Best Buy location. I doubt they'd carry any USB mics either. They'll probably only have your average shitty stick PC mics.
I think you'd have more than sufficient results using a generic dynamic vocal mic with some kind of preamping (through a mixer or pre) with your existing sound card.
 
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