Problems with mic recording

[rtl4500]

Hey guys, this thread has been really helpful thus far and yet my very limited knowledge of anything other than the guitar has held me back from really understanding. I posted something over in the other instruments section because I saw a thread similar to this, but have since figured out it probably wasn't the place to put it. Anywho, I want to buy a mic that won't break the bank and that I could mess around with at home and record on my computer with audacity. From what I've seen there are the mics that plug straight into USB ports and then the others which require additional parts...would a mic straight into the USB do a decent enough job? If so, what about something like this http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=271009

As always, you guys are tremendous with the help you provide and I really do appreciate it.

[SimsUK]

At $100, that's probably the best you're going to do. There's not much cheap about this recording thing. I do question the, uh, convenience, of having no gain controls without using the computer itself. Starting out, this will be fine, but you're not looking at a lot of upgrade potential if you want to keep this mic in your locker.

To answer your direct question, yes, this is a mic you'd be able to use to go straight into the computer with no other pieces in the signal chain. The bus powers the mic and will provide all the electricity for the mic's internal analog-to-digital conversion--upshot being that this A/D conversion in the mic will almost certainly sound better than trying to run line-in on a SoundBlaster Live! or similar OEM soundcard.

We'd be happy to offer other ideas if you can give a budget.

[RunsWithBuffalo]

I have had good luck with that mic (non USB version) and it really is a good deal. I think I got that and the pencil condenser and the little audio buddy preamp for 99, but then you would still need a way to get it into your computer. I am willing to bet that USB will probably sound better than using the little audio in jack.

One thing about that mic is it doesn't like loud sounds. I have found that controlling dynamics can be quite difficult when the track is quiet and then loud, especially on vocals which tend to distort on a powerful parts. I use mine to record acoustic guitar only these days and use my SM-57 (My favorite Mic EVER) with a pop screen for vocals.

If I had this to do all over again i would get a really decent preamp and a couple of SM-57's which you can usually find on ebay or craigslist for around 50 bucks used. They are work horses and will last you forever. With proper preamp settings you can record just about anything with them and get great results.

[rtl4500]

Hey guys, thanks alot....as you said man who runs with buffalo, if i was able to pick up a SM57 for around 50....what would be a decent preamp and a price for it? Bare with my limited technical knowledge, but would the mic go into the preamp and then the preamp just straight into the computer? One last thing, would the SM57 be suitable for both guitar and vocals, meaning I'd only need one? Thanks!

[RunsWithBuffalo]

Hey guys, thanks alot....as you said man who runs with buffalo, if i was able to pick up a SM57 for around 50....what would be a decent preamp and a price for it? Bare with my limited technical knowledge, but would the mic go into the preamp and then the preamp just straight into the computer? One last thing, would the SM57 be suitable for both guitar and vocals, meaning I'd only need one? Thanks!

A pre amp alone is not enough to get your signal into your computer unless you use the 1/8" input jack, but that is going to sap your quality. You need an audio interface which connects via USB or Firewire. At this point I would go firewire, the prices have fallen and USB is prone to "latency" issues which can lead to sync problems.

However, like Sims said, the 57 requires a LOT of gain (power) to get a good signal and a lot of audio interfaces don't adequately power it. I'll do some looking and see if I find one that does.

If anyone knows of an auido interface with great preamps let me know!

Edit: Forget the firebox, it claims 45 db of gain but a lot of people say its actually less.

[rtl4500]

Hey, what do you all think about this? If i'm reading correctly, this includes two mic's and a preamp: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=703626

Would this be all that I would need to get on with it?

[RunsWithBuffalo]

Not quite,

That is a good little package but it doesn't convert analog to digital. Let's do it this way, what is your budget?

[rtl4500]

I'd like to keep it under 150 for sure. Like I said, I just want something that will sound relatively decent so I can fool around at home. I'm sure most anything that costs money will sound better than my default computer mic straight into the mic jack...I'm not all that picky I suppose.

[RunsWithBuffalo]

Okay in your price range, I would do one of two things:

1.) Do the USB mic that you originally posted recognizing that such a system leaves very little room to upgrade.

2.) Keep using your soundcard on your computer for the A/D analog to digital conversion. Buy an inexpensive mixer like a behringer
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=631238 and connect it to your computer with one of these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=333053

That will leave you with around 100 to play with for mics which would be one new SM-57 or that MXL condenser package, Your choice!

I would go with option 2 because it gives you room to upgrade, specifically to a new soundcard or firewire audio interface. You will already have the mics and your mixer will always come in handy a headphones amp or if you want to bring other players in to record.

In your budget, really the only audio interface you could afford is the audiobuddy from m-audio which can be terrible with latency (in other words, because of the limitations of usb, it takes a certain amount of time for the signal to go from your microphone to the computer and then back to your headphones which causes syncing issues)

Good Luck!

[rtl4500]

2.) Keep using your soundcard on your computer for the A/D analog to digital conversion. Buy an inexpensive mixer like a behringer
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=631238 and connect it to your computer with one of these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=333053

I really appreciate your help getting me started here and if you don't mind being patient with me for just a minute more. If I go ahead and grab that mixer and the cable to insert in the mic jack(?) I would need some sort of way to stand the 57 up. And the connection would go, mic --> mixer --> mic jack? And forgive my barrage of questions, but what the hell do I do with all of the buttons on the mixer?

I will repay you one day, good sir.

[RunsWithBuffalo]

2.) Keep using your soundcard on your computer for the A/D analog to digital conversion. Buy an inexpensive mixer like a behringer
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=631238 and connect it to your computer with one of these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=333053

I really appreciate your help getting me started here and if you don't mind being patient with me for just a minute more. If I go ahead and grab that mixer and the cable to insert in the mic jack(?) I would need some sort of way to stand the 57 up. And the connection would go, mic --> mixer --> mic jack? And forgive my barrage of questions, but what the hell do I do with all of the buttons on the mixer?

I will repay you one day, good sir.

Yeah you will need a mic stand too. The connection would go mic to mixer to mic jack(on the computer). As far as the mixer goes, the buttons correspond to inputs. So at the top of the mixer you will see the big two black holes on the left. Those are the XLR inputs for microphones. Then the little 1/4 inch holes to the right are all instrument inputs (like from your guitar if it has a pickup). Underneath each input is a vertical row of buttons: the first three blue buttons are essentially a basic EQ. One knob for treble, mids, and bass. Next is a red FX knob. This mixer allows you to patch effects into it via 1/4 inch cable. By turning the FX knob all the way down, you cut the effect (like reverb for example) completely or increase it to your liking. The next knob down is black and controls your panning which is which headphone speaker the sound it coming out of. When its turned to the middle, the sound is equal in both cans. When you turn it all the way to the right, all the sound from that input strip (aka channel strip) goes to the right ear etc... The last white knob controls the overall volume of the channel strip. There is also a little black button to the right labeled "phantom." That button when depressed, provides the extra voltage needed to run condenser mics. If you end up getting the 57 you won't need phantom power, but if you get those MXL's you will.

Go to a music shop and test some of this stuff out if you can. Guitar center should have all of this and they will let you test out microphones. You may decide you like something which no one here recommended.

Hope that helps, keep the questions coming if you have them, it really doesn't get any easier unfortunately.

[thejoe]

2.) Keep using your soundcard on your computer for the A/D analog to digital conversion. Buy an inexpensive mixer like a behringer
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=631238 and connect it to your computer with one of these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=333053

That will leave you with around 100 to play with for mics which would be one new SM-57 or that MXL condenser package, Your choice!

i second this... the links don't work for me, but i use a behringer 12 channel mixer with an sm57 and a beta 57 along with my acoustic pickup. it works very well and the mixer will probably prove to be useful for other things later on

[rtl4500]

Thanks a lot, I've since gotten the equipment and set it up...it sounds so much better than the computer mic I had before. Just a couple quick tweaking questions. i know the obvious choice is to select "microphone" from the recording device menu, but there also are auxiliary, s/pdif-in, line in, and, what u hear? Also, are there any tweaks that I should make to either audacity or the mixer that would further increase the quality? Thanks so much!

[SimsUK]

OK hold up. There are very distinct differences between line-in, mic-in, and s/pdif (which I doubt you have, so it's moot). You have to select in Audacity which jack into which you have plugged your preamp.

Line-in and mic in have very different sensitivities. I would unequivocally recommend line-in. Mic in will overload very easily. You do not want this. The jack on the back of the computer with the little mic picture is not the one to use. There should be one next to it in a different color (pink? can't remember off the top). That's line-in, use that, select it in Audacity.