Clueless... >_<

[newba]

Um, hi. I know nothing about recording at home other than the basic, basic stuff. I hope that I can find some good advice and help here. I would like to make some extra side money from doing some voice over work.

1. I have a microphone already, the Shure SM58. Someone in the fam bought it 10 years ago, and it's still in fine working condition. Is this good enough to record good quality stuff? By good quality, I mean enough for voices.com so I could make some extra money to get better equipment that would lead to better profit.

2. For shock mounts, if the Shure SM58 is alright, is the A55M or A55HM better? I'm leaning towards the A55M since it is cheaper and has more reviews on Amazon. Though, I haven't seen many comparisons of them on the web.

3. For a desk mic stand, what is best? I would like it to be affordable and work with the shock mounts. I've seen On Stage DS7200 Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand and it seems pretty affordable. I don't know what a solid threaded end is though, and I don't know if it would work with the shock mounts listed above? I also looked at Desk / Drum Adjustable MIC BOOM MINI STAND - Microphone Stand MC-11 but I don't know if it'd work with the shock mounts either.

4. Pop filter wise, I will be making a DIY filter.

5. What is a good audio software? What are plug ins? I only know of Audacity, but I read that because it is free, isn't that great but is okay for getting your feet wet... Is Audacity a plug in?

Does this sound like a good beginner setup? I am going to upgrade in the future, but I want to be economical and practical right now before investing into anything serious. I hope that I make some sense and don't seem too hopeless in terms of educating.

 

[miroslav]

Above your post...in this same Newbie forum...there are several sticky threads FULL of newbie info.

Start there, and we'll see you in a couple of weeks.
I mean...no point in having people type repeat info that is already there.

 

[Chili]

Forget Audacity. When you shop around for an interface, be sure to look at the supplied software. Most, If not all, interfaces will have some form of a Lite version of a popular DAW program like Cubase or Sonar.

For voice-overs, which I personally do not do, you will need a good recording space. Recording music can be more tolerant of a poor recording space because there is more than vocals going on. But with voice-overs, all you have is a vocal track and nothing to hide behind. It has to sound clean and quiet. Most noise will come from your environment. The outdoors, the HVAC unit, your computer fans, your movement. All that can get picked up on the voice over. So you need a really nice sounding, quiet room to record in. Most likely your spare bedroom, basement, office, whatevers, won't cut it.

Your mic an be good, it doesn't have to be expensive. Your interface can be any one of the popular USB models on the market. Your computer doesn't need to be high-end. If you can watch youtube with no problem, then your computer is probably adequate for voice-over. But you will have to spend money on making a good recording space.

Tip: Your closet won't work.

 

[newba]

There's a gap between the SM58 and recording software. How are you going to get the mic signal into the computer and into the recording software ? The 1/8" MIC jacks on your computer/laptop are not an option .

I have an extra adapter thing that goes into the computer. Works like a charm!

 

[Bobbsy]

Okay, various thoughts...

The SM58 is an okay mic but designed for loud singing on stage rather than subtle voice overs. Whether it's acceptable is going to depend on what you client's expectations are. A large radio network or multi-million dollar ad agency is going to expect more than your local pizza take away. One good thing about an SM58 is that it won't pick up much background noise so room treatment is less of an issue.

With a 58 you probably don't need a shock mount. However, instead of a desk stand, get a floor stand so bumping the desk or whatever isn't transmitted to the mic.

The 58 has a fairly effective built in pop filter. You might not need to build one.

What's the 'adaptor thing" that you have. If it's a proper external USB audio interface, great. If it's a cable adaptor to plug the 58 into your computer's on board sound chip, forget it. The onboard sound on any modern computer is a 39 cent chip designed from watching Youtube and making Skype calls. As soon as you start trying for quality voice overs you'll find that the recording is noisy (hissy) and will lack headroom so the space between a "good" level and clipping is minimal. This is especially true of the SM58....because it's designed for use on a loud stage, the output level is very low and it needs a decent mic pre amp to turn it up without getting extra hiss.

And, yes, read the FAQs!

 

[newba]

Forget Audacity. When you shop around for an interface, be sure to look at the supplied software. Most, If not all, interfaces will have some form of a Lite version of a popular DAW program like Cubase or Sonar.

For voice-overs, which I personally do not do, you will need a good recording space. Recording music can be more tolerant of a poor recording space because there is more than vocals going on. But with voice-overs, all you have is a vocal track and nothing to hide behind. It has to sound clean and quiet. Most noise will come from your environment. The outdoors, the HVAC unit, your computer fans, your movement. All that can get picked up on the voice over. So you need a really nice sounding, quiet room to record in. Most likely your spare bedroom, basement, office, whatevers, won't cut it.

Your mic an be good, it doesn't have to be expensive. Your interface can be any one of the popular USB models on the market. Your computer doesn't need to be high-end. If you can watch youtube with no problem, then your computer is probably adequate for voice-over. But you will have to spend money on making a good recording space.

Tip: Your closet won't work.

Is Adobe Audacity good for voice over? I looked at Reaper and a couple others, but they seem to be more for music.

Space wise, I've been reading up on that. However, when I listen to voice recordings of others as they explain how they changed certain variables of their environment, I can barely tell the difference. The differences are there, but it's very subtle. It is also more confusing when they say something is "echoey" but to me, it doesn't sound that way. I don't hear a pronounced echo repeating itself... Is the home recording echo different from what I am thinking? I was thinking of furniture pads as my walls to help treat the room. Instead of a fourth pad, I would have two thin curtains to let me enter and exit without much difficulty since I already have the isolation filter behind the mic. Would that be good enough?

EDIT: Wait, just saw that Adobe Audition is a DAW. Sorry!

 

[newba]

Okay, various thoughts...

The SM58 is an okay mic but designed for loud singing on stage rather than subtle voice overs. Whether it's acceptable is going to depend on what you client's expectations are. A large radio network or multi-million dollar ad agency is going to expect more than your local pizza take away. One good thing about an SM58 is that it won't pick up much background noise so room treatment is less of an issue.

With a 58 you probably don't need a shock mount. However, instead of a desk stand, get a floor stand so bumping the desk or whatever isn't transmitted to the mic.

The 58 has a fairly effective built in pop filter. You might not need to build one.

What's the 'adaptor thing" that you have. If it's a proper external USB audio interface, great. If it's a cable adaptor to plug the 58 into your computer's on board sound chip, forget it. The onboard sound on any modern computer is a 39 cent chip designed from watching Youtube and making Skype calls. As soon as you start trying for quality voice overs you'll find that the recording is noisy (hissy) and will lack headroom so the space between a "good" level and clipping is minimal. This is especially true of the SM58....because it's designed for use on a loud stage, the output level is very low and it needs a decent mic pre amp to turn it up without getting extra hiss.

And, yes, read the FAQs!

Hmph. Should I be looking for a better mic then? I've seen the Blue Yeti (& the Pro version), but I do not want to drop that money! But it seems that it would be cheaper and easier than buying extra things and having to deal with the fact that it wasn't made for what I want it to be. Would just purchasing Blue Yeti be better?

FAQ wise, I have no idea what I should be looking for. I skimmed but I see information concerning music or complex mixers. I don't think I'll need something so complex like what a band would need. I only think that I would need to add in some music if required by my client, edit out anything harsh or long pauses.

EDIT: Okay, I think I understand what an external USB audio interface is. I have a mic with a wire that has an end USB adapter that goes inside an audio interface that translates the audio into digital information, correct? So would the Lexicon Alpha work? But I also read that the Lexicon has relatively low pre-amp, and might be a little low so it should have a pre-amp. Should I get an extra pre-amp line to fix this?

 

[Armistice]

You should totally follow the first bit of advice you got and read up in the stickies about how it all fits together. Then you'll understand what questions to ask.

 

[Chili]

What you hear and what the mic hears are two different things. Most likely, you would get a "boxy" sound. It might be subtle, it might not. Moving blankets can reduce reverb, flutter, slapback, and all that, in the mid to higher freqs. Lower freqs will pass through.... bounce off the walls and pass back in again. There are a lot of variables to contend with, so no simple answer. For voice over, that might be okay. You should definitely try it. The real test is what your clients think of your audio. Will you get repeat business?

Adobe Audition and Audacity are two completely different programs from different developers and target different markets. I would suggest Adobe Audition over Audacity. Yes it's a DAW program. That's what you want. Audacity is good for simple recordings and file conversion.

 

[newba]

What you hear and what the mic hears are two different things. Most likely, you would get a "boxy" sound. It might be subtle, it might not. Moving blankets can reduce reverb, flutter, slapback, and all that, in the mid to higher freqs. Lower freqs will pass through.... bounce off the walls and pass back in again. There are a lot of variables to contend with, so no simple answer. For voice over, that might be okay. You should definitely try it. The real test is what your clients think of your audio. Will you get repeat business?

Adobe Audition and Audacity are two completely different programs from different developers and target different markets. I would suggest Adobe Audition over Audacity. Yes it's a DAW program. That's what you want. Audacity is good for simple recordings and file conversion.

Right now the end adapter that would go into my chip board is broken, so I'll have to either fix that or go with the external audio interface? I'm doing my research, even though I thought I already did enough previously!

 

[mjbphotos]

To the OP - the reason you can't 'hear' the 'echo' others mention is that your monitoring is not good enough. You haven't told us what you are using to listen to things (headphones, earbuds, laptop speakers...) - but the audio is being converted from digital to analog by that $0.39 POS chip in your computer. It's not designed for subtlety.
Don't 'skim' the stickies - read through them, learn, before buying anything, find out all the 'behind the scenes' stuff that will help you in the long run.

 

[newba]

To the OP - the reason you can't 'hear' the 'echo' other s mention is that your monitoring is not good enough. You haven't told us what you are using to listen to things (headphones, earbuds, laptop speakers...) - but the audio is being converted form digital to analog by that $0.39 POS chip in your computer. It's not designed for subtlety.
Don't 'skim' the stickies - read through them, learn, before buying anything, find out all the 'behind the scenes' stuff that will help you in the long run.

The echo in other recordings, like here: Voice Recording in the Home Studio | Transom

In some of the recordings, she says there is an echo-ey sound or even an actual echo in it. I can't hear it. I'm using earbuds, admittedly, so I guess that wouldn't detect what I should be listening to?

And thanks for that tip. XD

 

[Bobbsy]

If you want to get into this professionally then yes, you should be looking for a better mic.

I wouldn't go for the Blue Yeti or any USB mic though. With one or two exceptions, a USB mic will force you to use the onboard sound chip for monitoring...and see the other posts about the need for quality--and detailed--monitoring.

For voice over work (as opposed to a hobby) I'd be looking at something like an EV-RE20 or Shure SM7B. Yes, they're more expensive than the Yeti but they're the sort of thing your competition will be using. Lest you think $350-$500 is a silly price, lot of the super duper VOs you hear are recorded on Neumann mics costing $2-3,000! You WILL need a decent external audio interface though. These start at around $100 for one that would be suitable for your needs.

On your other query, there's no such thing as "Adobe Audacity". Audacity is a freeware audio editor. It's good for the money but it's, er, free. What you're thinking of is Adobe Audition which is a very commonly used audio editor in the radio and voice over world--it's what I use and I'm very happy with it. However, be prepared for a steep learning curve. It's a fully professional piece of kit with a lot of functions, features and adjustments. On the plus side, you can get a 28 day free trial and, after that, Adobe doesn't sell their software--they rent it by the month, so you could rent it for a few months and see if you're getting enough work to be worthwhile.. Your other option would be something like Reaper--free to try and cheap to buy but it's more of a compromise between voice work and music creation.