please help

[Jaqura]

Hi...I am building a small recording studio in my basement. It will be used mainly for voice recording: voiceover work, voicemail prompts, and podcasts. I'm in the radio business so I'll also want to grab soundbites off of DVDs or VHS and make "drops".

I purchased some equipment several years ago, but never hooked anything up (moved, etc...). Here's what I already have:

Roland VS-880
Bellari MP105 RoundSound (pre-amp??)
Shure KSM32
10 ft of mic cable & mic pop filter
DAT, cassette, and even a 4-track R-R

Computer: 2002 Dell desktop...windows XP, Pentium 4 CPU 1.80 GHz, 1.79 GHz, 512 MB of RAM

I also have Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio, though I haven't put it on my computer yet

Here's my questions:
1) Any sound barrier suggestions? I'm investigating auralex. I have a window I'm concerned about and some HVAC that runs through the future studio.

2) Will soundforge work on my old computer?

3) Is it a good idea to use the roland as a backup incase my computer crashes? Or should it be my mixing board?

4) I'm going to need a gentner or some thing similar, because I need to send audio through my phone. I currently record my voicemail prompts directly into the phone, but I would like to use the mic & mix in other audio components before I send it down the line (I access voicemail systems through the phone).

5) I'll want to save all of my audio files. Soundforge is good for that? I assume I can just save onto CD.

6) Podcasts...that's a whole new ballgame...any suggestions? I'll want to record many interviews over the phone. And maybe I could use the roland if I go on location...do you have any thoughts?

Thanks SO much for your help!

 

[ryanr]

only an opinion-what's in the room and what borders the room aren't near as important as what mic and what SIZE the room is. but, totally ridding the room of the window is not a bad idea. and i'm assuming that the hvac could rattle, and also assuming that you can't rid yourself of it, so pad it, proof it.

 

[Jaqura]

thanks

Thanks. I found some stuff from auralex that can be wrapped around the HVAC. I don't know about getting rid of the window completely, but I would consider replacing it with a glass block window it it'll help. It's a really small room and I hate to take the window out unless absolutely necessary.

Do you think the shure KSM32 is a good mic? I sure hope so (pun not intended).

 

[Nicole_Rose]

Thanks. I found some stuff from auralex that can be wrapped around the HVAC. I don't know about getting rid of the window completely, but I would consider replacing it with a glass block window it it'll help. It's a really small room and I hate to take the window out unless absolutely necessary.

Do you think the shure KSM32 is a good mic? I sure hope so (pun not intended).

for microphone info see this thread.
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=105367

then ask around the mic forum if you still have questions.