Simple/Cheap voiceover setup needed

[woodgeek]

I've been reading as much as possible over the last few days and have generated a few questions that I was hoping to get answered by you guru's.

I'm looking to narrate instructional DVD's on my desktop. I generate the video via Adobe Premiere and was hoping to voiceover via Soundforge. All on a PC with a generic soundcard with SPDIF ( http://www.cmedia.com.tw/product/CMI8738.htm )

I was hoping to do better than the little "Computer Microphone" stick from Walmart, although that is what I'm currently messing with; all the while keeping the whole package voiceover package under $250.

I have no intentions of doing any home audio recording other than single voiceover tracks over video so my needs are quite specific and few.

It appears that I could go one of three routes:

1 - Mic, Preamp, soundcard

2 - Mic, Digital Recording Interface, firewire card

3 - MXL's computer desktop recording kit ( http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/273102/ )

Regardless of audio path, it seems a good mic is foundational. I was initially very interested in the Oktava 319 and MKL2500 due to their cheap prices, but ran into knockoff and QC problems when attempting to acquire one. The mic FAQ was a great place to start my reading but seemed a bit dated in terms of new mics on the market. So, my search for an inexpensive mic which can "enhance" male spoken word still continues.

One newer mic that definitely caught my eye was the AKG Perception 200 ( http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/271243/ ) and was wondering if anybody had any voiceover experience with this mic - the 10db cut and low roll-off switches seemed like a nice addition.

Sounds like a DMP3 is the best option for a preamp. But I was confused as to which firewire/usb route to go.

I realize that a pop screen may be necessary, and possibly a compressor/limiter as well; I'm hoping to get into this for the biggest bang for the buck, but it sounds as though the RNC is the way to go here.

In a nutshell, is there any single box that I can get to plug a mic into and warm-up my voice with a tube and compress/limit it as necessary, then get it onto my computer? Then what mike do I connect to it - I live in the sticks in south Texas - trying before I buy unfortunately ain't an option - so, what's a good inexpensive standby for voiceover that has worked for you?

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

BTW - any good FAQ on the whats & hows of SPDIF - I've got it but have no idea how I could use it or for what - thanks again.

 

[dwillis45]

If your budget was slightly higher, I would look at the EV RE20 mic or the Shure SM7. They are two of most basic (and perhaps the best) voiceover mics available. They are also relatively inexpensive by most professional mic standards.

If you are putting togther a voiceover setup for video, you should also focus some attention on your room. A full-fledged vocal booth would be great. But short of that, I would figure out a way to treat your recording/editing area to limit sound reflections. You may also want to find a way tos hield you mic from computer noise and find a room that's protected from environmental noises such as street traffic. All of these things can hurt your sound, especially if your video has a limited soundtrack or few soundeffects.

I do alot of video editing work using Final Cut and After Effects. Most of my projects are weird art/music videos with some emphasis on very short documentaries. For the voiceover stuff, I've been using a Shure KSM 27 through a M-Audio USB Mobile Pre using the plugin compressor in Final Cut. It's not the greatest but until I take my own advice and get one of the aforementioned mics, It will have to do.

 

[guido #2]

Previous post mentions two industry standard mics for that sort of work. Very nice. Keep i mind that both of them are <i>dynamic</i> mics.
The MXL mic your are looking at is a <i>condenser</i>.
Also, you can help to eliminate problems caused by room acoustics by close micing... staying very close to the mic.
Also, if you are sitting at your desk, right in front of your computer, put your mic on a stand on the floor! Computer noise, fan noise, mousing noise will travel right through a desktop stand and right into you mic!
Also, get a pop filter...