Sxerks on 10/1/2009 at 01:24
I'm not an 'expert' but I've done enough to get a clean file from recording.
I use a generic headset with the mic sticking straight out and off to the side of my mouth. Using the one your looking at you will still get 'pu' and 'bu' sounds even with a screen between you and it. Having the mic off to the side gets rid of that problem.
A headset mic will also pick up less noise compared to the one you currently have.
With a good noise baseline you can remove the background noise easily in audacity.
If you have a low level on the mic you might need an amped input. I have a Creative Audigy with a front panel and a amped 'MIC in 2'. There may be other software that amps things for recording(soundforge I think?).
Hope that helps
bikerdude on 10/1/2009 at 01:33
Quote Posted by Sxerks
If you have a low level on the mic you might need an amped input. I have a Creative Audigy with a front panel and a amped 'MIC in 2'. There may be other software that amps things for recording(soundforge I think?).
thats what ive been currently doing with the maplin mic, and while the sound is ok, its not loud enough or free from picking up mild echo and reverb from the room.. And boostiung the sound in soundforge and the like isnt the best option as it boosts the noise aswell.
Sxerks on 10/1/2009 at 01:51
My headphone mic is small and directional with a piece of foam over it, kinda like (
http://www.jhs.co.uk/scanner%20web%20images/SU16-HEADSET.jpg) this. From the picture, the maplin mic looks larger, more omni and doesn't have foam. Those things separately or together would pick up a lot more noise.
That's all I can really think of.
Beleg Cúthalion on 10/1/2009 at 08:38
Quote Posted by dude
the problem with this mic is it picks up noises in the room (my voice sounds a little boxy)
Have you first tried to make your room sound-absorbing? Even curtains, rugs or (
http://i20.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/e8/96/815e_1.JPG) egg boards (don't know how they're called in English) serve as the typical materials. As soon as you don't get any reflection from the room, you can focus on the mic. Well, I'll fetch the CoK, he's studying this stuff after all.
bikerdude on 10/1/2009 at 10:28
Quote Posted by Sxerks
My headphone mic is small and directional with a piece of foam over it,
Bought one with the maplins mic, and it helps a little, but the mic output isnt loud enough etc.
Quote Posted by Beleg Cúthalion
Have you first tried to make your room sound-absorbing? Even curtains, rugs
I thought of this also, but at the end of the day its a cheap £20 mic. I said to myself that if i had the spare cash i would look at gettiong a better mic - which is what I like to get opinions on to be honest.
Muzman on 10/1/2009 at 10:59
A better mic will make your problems worse rather than better I suspect. As mentioned, you cant get rid of the room at the mic end so the best thing to do is block things up. (The boxiness on the old one is probably how close you are to it as well)
Both those mics are fairly directional. If you have good thick draw curtains that don't hang flat when closed you can try recording with yourself backed up against them. That will help a bit. The one you currently have picks up past 90 degrees, from what I can gather, so it may not make much difference. I once built a "booth" for a mic out of old couch cushions to help get around this. I've heard of people building small surrounds out of old curtains to get some lateral diffusion. If your window with the curtains happens to be a corner window you might be in luck.
The shock mount is for removing/reducing vibrations caused by air conditioning, computers and you whacking the table. Good to have, particularly if you live in a flat or something, but won't necessarily help with the reverb problem.
bikerdude on 10/1/2009 at 17:10
Quote Posted by Muzman
conditioning, computers and you whacking the table. Good to have, particularly if you live in a flat or something, but won't necessarily help with the reverb problem.
i did consider making a small booth that I could plonk on the table for recording thief stuff etc..
My logic is that a £80 mic is going to have better quality audio than a £20 mic, that and the samson has a built in prem-amp I am hoping with alleviate the low output issue -
Muzman on 11/1/2009 at 00:11
Yeah, I remember that chat. Hopefully it does. The new mic's pick up will probably still require some baffling somewhere however. You can try it with the current one and get a rough idea of how well it works, even if it's not what the new one would sound like.
My 'booth' was just five old couch cushion insides sewn together into a cube with the sixth side open. Sit it on a chair or table and put the mic inside and away you go (just cut bits out of it so cords and stands can fit through). It worked really well for what it was and was a lot easier than egg cartoning the room for instance. If it's big enough you can lean in and be the 'sixth wall' yourself, provided you're not so close as to get into the mics (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximity_effect_(audio)) proximity effect. Cutting out the side pick up like that is often enough for most purposes anyway though.
Some couch cushions have quite firm and shiny surfaced foam on the inside. It works better if that surface is roughed up a bit (I just sliced grooves into it, for instance)
bikerdude on 11/1/2009 at 00:42
well Ive bought the mic, so will get it next week sometime...
In the mean time, where would i get some cheap sound proofing foam to line the inside of my mini recording booth...
