Home recording / voice-over / equipment help !!
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Posted on Mar 12, 2008 11:47 pm
KidAtHeart
Member Since: Mar 12, 2008
Hi to all !
I am trying to get a voice-over studio set-up in my home and need some experienced persons to point me in the right direction.
I am looking to do narration, documentary, hard-sell, soft-sell, cartoons, commercials, video games...
basically as broad a range as I can get in the biz.
As most people starting out I don;t have alotta cash on hand for best gear, but would like to know your thoughts on good equipment with regard to computer audio interfaces / mics....and whatever else you would suggest for what i need.
Many thanks to all those who respond!
---Robert M.
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CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Mar 13, 2008 11:31 am Sounds cool!
So when you say "not alot of cash" what do you mean.
Just from the sounds of it I would probably spend a little money on a UX2 ($199) as it provides phantom power and then spend some money on a decent mic. The UX2 would cover the recording interface and your pre-amp all in one.
Or... you could get the UX1 for less (99$ no phantom power) and buy one of those tube condensor mic's that have their own power supply. I believe the Studio Projects tube mic is fairly priced and used by some folks on here.
But really, it all depends on your cash flow, what you looking to spend?
Mar 13, 2008 12:16 pm I do exactly what you're wanting to do.
I get professional results with a Behringer UB802 mixer ($40, phantom power), an M-Audio 2496 card ($100), an Audio Technica 3035 mic ($200), and Adobe Audition 1.5 (discontinued). Not really MIDI capable, but I've never used or needed MIDI.
I suggest getting a recording program that has a good MP3 converter, as this will be important if you want to email your work to your clients, as I do.
Voice work takes relatively little cash.
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Mar 13, 2008 04:02 pm Huh, that is indeed a simple setup and I must say, your voiceover work sounds fantastic Herb.
Mar 13, 2008 09:17 pm
thanks Herb,
I was thinking.... if I didnt want to go through the trouble of installing a card like you wrote about earlier, is there any external source I could use that would work just as well???
Also...can you recommend a good MP3 converter ??
Mar 13, 2008 09:18 pm
OOPs... almost forgot... what do you recommend as a good editing software program ?
( possibly with a MP3 converter included )
Mar 14, 2008 10:28 am For voice work, you could probably keep the sound card you have for a while, if its noise level is low. I used the stock card in my machine for quite a while with good results. You'll probably want to upgrade eventually though. Don't be too nervous about it. Sound cards are a snap to install. Just follow the included directions, or get a computer-savvy buddy to install it for you. Once again, for your needs, I recommend the M-Audio 2496.
www.zzounds.com...item--MDOAP2496
You can also go the USB route, as CptTripps suggested. As I am unfamiliar with these products, I can't say much about them.
The Audacity program that dB listed is a good one, though the MP3 encoder will only produce files at 128 kbps, which is not the best quality. Lately the standard has been 192 kbps or better for files sent over the internet.
Sourceforge also offers MediaCoder, which I use at work sometimes. It's free and it works well.
mediacoder.sourceforge.net/
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Mar 14, 2008 11:32 am If you provide your own MP3 encoding DLL, Audacity can encode all the way up to 320 kbps. I installed the LAME encoder (which I use for all of my MP3 encoding) and I can encode whatever bitrate I want in Audacity.
Mar 14, 2008 11:35 am Ha. I was unawares. Thanks Tad. Where would you get that .dll? The LAME encoder installed from the Sourceforge page seems to only work at 128.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Mar 14, 2008 12:30 pm That .dll is kind of hard to wrangle up since sourceforge won't actually distribute it themselves. I ended up googling "LAME mp3 encoder" and downloading it from one of the download warehouses.
You can just get the .dll, drop it into the base directory of Audacity, and you may have to register it somehow, like through the menus. But after that you should be free to select whatever bitrate you want once it recognizes that .dll.
Mar 14, 2008 01:30 pm
Previously you staed that adobe audition was a really good edit program.
Was wondering if you ever knew anyone who tried to use a pirated version and if so was that worth it ?
*If I am right in understanding..a behringer mixer, regular soundcard and a good mic and that should do me just fine ??
Will that set-up work ok on a windows MEDIA EDITION PC ????
Thanks again...and sorry to bug you to death.
Just starting out and wanting to make right choices.
Mar 14, 2008 01:43 pm 1. We DO NOT advocate or condone piracy here.
2. Yes
3. Maybe, maybe not. I addressed that in my reply to your email.
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Mar 14, 2008 01:45 pm Adobe Audition is a great program, but the pirating talk is heavily frowned upon here (not allowed) and I would say no it's not worth it.
If you need a free program they are available and would do well for what you plan on doing. Also, many interfaces will come with some kind of tracking program (usually a light edition) in the package.
On media center 2005, I have been using Audition 1.5 and now 2.0 on it for years, all my hardware has worked well also.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 14, 2008 10:10 pm And no, Piracy is not worth it. In the end it cost's us all more money to buy the legal product because of people pirating the software.
It is a cheap product compared to some, so save your penny's and just go buy it.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Mar 14, 2008 10:11 pm I'm not sure but I think once you drop the .dll into the correct directory you can simply double click it and XP should recognize it and register it.
Mar 15, 2008 12:54 am Ill say that the most important piece of gear in the type of studio you want is your microphone, and also the pre-amp, but i'll say that the microphone will be more relevant.
Try spending on the best vocal mic you can afford, save money on anything else if you have to but not the mic, and of course a good pre-amp would be nice if you can afford it.
Mar 15, 2008 12:55 am by the way, nice to see you againg Herb, long time no see.
Mar 15, 2008 02:55 am I've been againg for quite awhile now, Dualflip..
Mar 15, 2008 03:37 am Yeah, i think i was the one "away"
Mar 15, 2008 09:45 pm thanks for all the tips guys!!
I'm definitely a newbie at this.
I have been talking to people locally at local audio equipment stores, but it seems I have gotten a far greater wealth of insight by just scrapping the surface here!!
