Basic interface

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Cajuncowboy

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I am looking for suggestions for a basic interface to record speeches.

I am just looking for something with good sound to plug in a mic and record. What would you suggest? The cheaper the better.
 
Cajuncowboy said:
I am looking for suggestions for a basic interface to record speeches.

I am just looking for something with good sound to plug in a mic and record. What would you suggest? The cheaper the better.
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Oh! If it were only that easy!
Actually naming an interface IS easy. Lexicon Alpha at about £50 ($80?) but you don't get phantom power for that money so that negates the use of a great deal of microphones.

Or do you have a mic? If so what?
But then, "recording speeches". Where? Live on the fly or at home, practicing ? If the former you will surely not want the hassle of a mic, stand, AI, and computer? No bother at home of course except the acoustics of your room are going to be awful (trust me, domestic dwellings always are!). So, in addition to a recording rig you will need some sort of acoustic treatment but this can be the old standby, duvets!

If live recording is the game I would suggest a small portable machine like the Zooms but you will still need a mic, probably best a "tie tack" plugged into it.

Dave.
 
Thanks for the reply. What I am looking for is I record farewell speeches for a beauty pageant here once a year. Now they don't have to have perfect audio but we are trying to keep them uniform and everyone recording to their cellphone means everyone has a different sound.

As far as mic it would be a shure mic I would have to look into more specifics tho.

I can get the room that would be used pretty decent acoustically but again we aren't looking for perfection just a pretty good sound.
 
Cajuncowboy said:
Thanks for the reply. What I am looking for is I record farewell speeches for a beauty pageant here once a year. Now they don't have to have perfect audio but we are trying to keep them uniform and everyone recording to their cellphone means everyone has a different sound.

As far as mic it would be a shure mic I would have to look into more specifics tho.

I can get the room that would be used pretty decent acoustically but again we aren't looking for perfection just a pretty good sound.
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Ok, so you will have various people coming up to a mic, one at a time to speak?

'king nightmare mate! I was in PA for some years. Not your pop groups, AGMs, Cricket club dinners, AMDRAM. Getting even a passing good, consistent sound takes some skill and learning.

Will the speeches be relayed over a PA/sound reinforcement system? If so your best bet is to take a feed from that (there are various ways) That way YOU are not responsible for the quality of the sound! WYHIWYG (what. you. hear. is....) but then maybe you have been lumbered with the PA as well?!!

My advice would be a modest interface, no point in going "Prism". and either a tie tack mic or a lavalier type. You don't see the latter very often these days but they are invaluable for untrained speakers who will never keep still and "PROJECT"! Just slip the mic over each speaker's head as they step up.

On a technical point. To cope with vast level shifts you want to be recording 24bits 44.1kHz and WAY down at -25 even -30dBFS. That will be fine post event and you will be able to pull the levels back and smooth them out.

Hope I have the scenario right?

Dave.
 
No it won't be recorded as they are in front of everyone. I will record them before the pageant and then I take the recordig and set it to music. It will be controlled and can be done over again. It will then be played over the PA system after I have added music to the track.
 
Cajuncowboy said:
No it won't be recorded as they are in front of everyone. I will record them before the pageant and then I take the recordig and set it to music. It will be controlled and can be done over again. It will then be played over the PA system after I have added music to the track.
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Ah! That will be easier and I suggest a better AI than bog s! Can you run to about £120 for the Steinberg UR22 or about the same for the Focusrite 2i2?
Both of these have excellent mic pre amps and could be used with a Shure SM58 dynamic mic tho' I would rather go for a small diaphragm capacitor (aka condenser) mic such as the AKG Perception 170 but there are many other good ones at less than £100.

You will be doing what is known as "Voice Overs" and if you are new to this a few caveats?

DO NOT let them touch the mic.
DO NOT let them hold a script.
BE Prepared for multiple takes (and even tears!) You will do well to get a minutes finished work for every 10 recording!
BE Prepared for a lot of editing.

Without spending a lot of time and money you will only get an adequate acoustic and even that will almost certainly be a temporary "lash up" but try to keep it consistent day to day.

Dave.
 
Thank you. Those 2 are the ones I was eyeing but wanted to get a more experienced point of view.
 
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