condensor mic

[Gemnoc]

LOL, thanks for the advice Doug.

Though this is not my thread, I want to extend my thanks to everyone who posted their advice so far. Searching for and reading reviews, articles is fine but there's nothing like straight and direct info from actual people who use the stuff.

Keep them coming. -_-

[dberch]

Here's another USB Digital interface that should work fine for you. I've heard good things about it.

Tascam US-122
http://www.zzounds.com/item--TASUS122

It has the mic pre-amps and phantom power to drive your condensor mic, and line out to drive your powered monitors when you decide to get them.

Requires USB 2.0.  Check your computer documentation to make sure you have 2.0.

David.

[Randy_R]

Why are the powered monitors so much better than headphones?

I would think less feedback worries with headphones.

btw, I see the Tascam US122 on ebay for around $140 new/warranty. thanks

[jeremy3220]

If you are mixing and you have feedback, you got some big problems with your setup. Headphones are for tracking. Use monitors for everything else(mixing). Headphones distort the stereo image, when ever you listen to something on speakers, both ears hear each channel. You want to hear the mix in more real life setting and headphones don't offer that.

Wacko, if you think the equipment setup is complicated wait till you start recording and have to deal with untreated room reflections.

[Crunchy Wacko]

If you are mixing and you have feedback, you got some big problems with your setup. Headphones are for tracking. Use monitors for everything else(mixing). Headphones distort the stereo image, when ever you listen to something on speakers, both ears hear each channel. You want to hear the mix in more real life setting and headphones don't offer that.

Wacko, if you think the equipment setup is complicated wait till you start recording and have to deal with untreated room reflections.

Great..as if things are bad enough already.  But thanks to all i think my headache is subsiding and i am close to making a decison on the limited budget i have.

[Randy_R]

Great..as if things are bad enough already.  But thanks to all i think my headache is subsiding and i am close to making a decison on the limited budget i have.

I sing to my dogs. It always sounds good to them (if I give them a biscuit first).

Its also less complicated... -_-

[Gemnoc]

LOL Randy. ^_^

drathbun, I decided to follow your route and went to Wall-Mart and bought a cheap Philips mic. It was almost $17, talk about inflation in 7 years. :WNK>

I tried it tonight. Well some editing is needed to get a passable result. The "center" of the waveform was at -25dB instead of zero, and talk about noise. I somehow got to reduce it with the settings (I'm very much a novice at this) but the track sounds tin and metallic (and very weak). It looks like I may upgrade sooner than I expected.

[Crunchy Wacko]

LOL Randy. ^_^

drathbun, I decided to follow your route and went to Wall-Mart and bought a cheap Philips mic. It was almost $17, talk about inflation in 7 years. :WNK>

I tried it tonight. Well some editing is needed to get a passable result. The "center" of the waveform was at -25dB instead of zero, and talk about noise. I somehow got to reduce it with the settings (I'm very much a novice at this) but the track sounds tin and metallic (and very weak). It looks like I may upgrade sooner than I expected.

Hey Gemnoc

I believe the next level (cheapest) upgrade is to get one of these all-in-1 boxes.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB-main.html

It is a preamp (for your mic) and AD adatper all in one..  So rather than buying separate devices (mic pre..AD convertor) ..which costs more but will give better results, you get all in one...cheaper but results not as good.  It's really a trade off.

Let me know what road you take...cheers

[drathbun]

The one thing you don't EVER want to do is to record with a microphone in the MIC IN of a standard PC sound card. Even when I was recording directly into my laptop, I ran the mic into an old 4 track reel-to-reel (to use its preamps) and then into the sound card LINE IN input. The MIC IN of any PC card is really unacceptable.

[Gemnoc]

I plugged it into the line in.

Wacko, I'm about as confused as you. Now I'm looking at those preamps with audio/MIDI interfaces. I wonder what's the MIDI for, apart from plugging a keyboard?

[Randy_R]

This talk about microphones & the comment about noise in the couple of recordings I've done got me investigating. There appears to be a low level hum everywhere in my house, and even outside, that is there all the time. There is a small manufacturing facility about 2 blocks away, and I think that may be the source of at least some of it, maybe all. bummer... I suppose that doing a 'silent' recording and looking at the audio waveform might tell me something.

[ronmac]

That's a great way to see where some of the problems may lie. Most modern audio editors will allow you to analyze the waveform.

If you want to post a couple of samples here I will have a look at them and give you some feedback.

[Randy_R]

That's a great way to see where some of the problems may lie. Most modern audio editors will allow you to analyze the waveform.

If you want to post a couple of samples here I will have a look at them and give you some feedback.

Ron Thanks. will do

[Crunchy Wacko]

I plugged it into the line in.

Wacko, I'm about as confused as you. Now I'm looking at those preamps with audio/MIDI interfaces. I wonder what's the MIDI for, apart from plugging a keyboard?

Hi

I think the MIDI interface is exactly that...for a keyboard.  Go to that m-audio page where is shows the  M-audio Mobile pre..if you look at that device  there are some simple diagrams under the DETAILS TAB that show all the types of connections.

Just remember...these all-in-one devices do the function of a pre-amp  (boosting signal of mic or guitar)  ..and Analog to digital converter....so you can send it do your computer. There are lots of other functions (condensors..special affects..etc)..but I would not worry about those on a limited budget.

If you are looking at a device that is specifically a PREAMP..then you most likely  have to get something that is a AD convertor also.

Cheers

[sdelsolray]

Hi

I think the MIDI interface is exactly that...for a keyboard.  Go to that m-audio page where is shows the  M-audio Mobile pre..if you look at that device  there are some simple diagrams under the DETAILS TAB that show all the types of connections.

Just remember...these all-in-one devices do the function of a pre-amp  (boosting signal of mic or guitar)  ..and Analog to digital converter....so you can send it do your computer. There are lots of other functions (condensors..special affects..etc)..but I would not worry about those on a limited budget.

If you are looking at a device that is specifically a PREAMP..then you most likely  have to get something that is a AD convertor also.

Cheers

Vrunchy,

That's right.  And the "all-in-one" products also have DA converters, to convert the digital siganl on the computer back toa nalog and send it to your monitoring chain.  These products hook up to the computer in one of three common ways: (i) USB, (ii) Firewire or (iii) PCI (as a card mounted in a slot in your computer.  Also, these products usually come with a particular brand of recording/editing software, although many of them will run with several different software products.

I know it's confusing, but once you get the info in your head, it all makes some sense.  After you have used the gear for a while, the hardware part is very clear.  It's the software that takes time to learn how to use, which hould be expected.  Then there's the recording engineering skills....

[drathbun]

The Doug Jones video from APM is a great primer on computer recording. I found this book extremely helpful in understanding the techniques of mixing and processing:

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0872887235/qid=1144000296/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/701-8664495-7626740

Especially helpful was the section on stereo imaging... balancing the instruments, voices etc. within the stereo field.

Another great source of help and information is the Homerecording BBS:

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/

[Gemnoc]

Well I went ahead and made the purchase this afternoon.

- M-Audio FastTrack Pro
- Audio-Technica AT2020 condenser mic
- cable
- microphone stand with boom

The MobilePre was not in stock at the 2 stores I visited. My other option was the FastTrack USB, which had no phantom power. Then it was either the Edirol UA25 or the FastTrack Pro, in the same price bracket (sensibly cheaper than the MSRP on M-Audio's website).

As for the AT2020, I know a couple of forumites have said they possess one, and I didn't remember them being unhappy with their mic.

I wanted to install all of this and do some test recording tonight, but I just realized the thread on the mic stand mount is smaller than on the stand. There should have been a thread adapter supplied with the mic according to the doc but it's not there. Damn.

[ronmac]

That's a great starter setup. The Fastrack Pro has a pretty decent feature list, especially considering the price.

A little bit of money buys a lot these days.

Of course we are patiently awaiting some clips...

[drathbun]

Nicely done!

[Gemnoc]

Nicely done!

Well, I received a nice bonus on Friday (actually, overtime pay that was long overdue) and after the quick try with the el-cheapo mic from Wal-Mart, didn't want to wait any longer. :GRN>

Of course we are patiently awaiting some clips...

Uh, not sure I'd do that. It may be considered torture in some countries. :TON>