I want to record voice only

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sanvin1

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I am going to be recording a seminar/talk on tape, voice only, no music, very basic. But I need to make it as professional sounding as possible and I can't afford a studio. Plus I need to know that the information will sell before I invest tons of money.

I don't know squat about recording. Previously someone from this site suggested a Tascam Porta 02, but I'm curious as to whether I should try recording on my computer. I have a standard HP 233 mhz, 4 gb hard drive ect.

Also, could someone explain the process here. My final product is going to be a cassette tape, I guess my question is what is the best, cheapest way to get a voice only recording onto a cassette tape and have it ready for mass duplication?

Thanks a million in advance!!
 
book a studio...

If you have a single project, and have your script all worked out, it would be much cheaper to go into a studio and record it there. Since you don't know anything about recording, and don't have any money invested in equipment, it would certainly be cheaper.

There are small studios all over the country that can do this sort of work, you will be able to take a CD with you when you're done. Then just duplicate however you like.
 
If your PC has a soundcard it might be worth trying to record onto it... you might be surprised how good it might sound. You really should get a decent mic and mic preamp and record into the line in; perhaps you can rent those from a local music store?
 
A mic and pre add up quickly...

I'd still go to a studio for a project like this. By going to a studio, you get the expertise of an engineer, which will add a great deal to the efficency of the project, as there are a lot of things one has to know. This sort of thing is common for working studios, so you will benefit from working with someone who has done this sort of thing before.

For the price of a decent mic and pre (I'll say $300), you could get a whole day in a studio in Boston.
 
Schwa's right... but if you want to be able to do this over and over again, then it becomes more attractive to get the basic equipment yourself.
 
MD

a MiniDisc Walkman is the way to go for you. if you're only gonna record talk/speech at a lesson or seminar you can't beat the new MD's. i've been using md's for interviews for a couple of years now and nothing comes even close when you take everything into account: price, portability, soundquality, recording length, etc etc. for about $300 you get a Sony MZR900. it fits in your shirt pocket, weighs 3.7oz, records 300minutes of stereo sound on a 80min disc through something called MDLP. power is good for 25-30 hours in rec mode (it gets slightly heavier when you add the 1.5v battery...). you can hook up to your soundcard via the optical out (digital out) or the analog line plug (or anything that will record for that matter, as long as you have the right cord). it's even easier to record on an md than on a regular tape deck. check it out, you'll be surprised.

if you go shopping for an md, ask the dealer to hook up a small mic and do a test recording.

micmac
 
Sanvin
I would do as AlChuck suggested first. Try getting a decent mike and record to your computer first to see if you like the sound. It doesnt mean you have to buy an sm57, just dont use a real cheap computer microphone. You just need to record as clean a signal as you can so you dont have noise or hiss. This may not be possible with your present sound card, though its possible to remove noise with software.
I would also burn a cd as a master. Also you might want to use CDs as another media as well as tape.
If you plan on doing this on a regular basis you might want to get a good basic digital card and software.
As Scwa said there are a lot of small studios who will only charge $25 to $50 and hour (An Estimate) If you need to do it asap this would be the way to go. Also if you check this board you may find someone here in your area that has a home studio (or other) and may be able to help you.
Heres a few links That might be of interest to you.

http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/
http://www.digibid.com/
http://www.recordingwebsite.com/

Duck
 
..correction...

i said in my earlier post that the md i described had a digital out. it does NOT. it's an digital IN for recording from CD players and other machines with a digital OUT. if you wanna go out from the md, you have to use the line out. Sorry about the mix up.

micmac
 
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