microphone help

hello watmm, i am looking for a bit of advice.

i have a multitrack tape recorder with only TRS inputs. if i wanted to use a microphone, would a simple XLR to TRS cable do the trick or do i need some sort of amplifier for the mic?

this may be a stupid question, but i have never worked with mics before.

Well, it would most likely work, but it would likely be incredibly quiet. You could find a way to amplify the signal up to a decent level but with the expense of simultaneously amplifying unwanted electrical noise. Imagine his or hum on an old recording and you'll be able to imagine this. There are two things you will need to overcome to have a decent signal:

First, you should probably buy a direct input box (DI box), This will convert your mic output to line level and therefore reduce the amount of unwanted noise you would otherwise experience by cranking your recorder's line input gain. Although there are pro-grade models out there that cost hundreds of dollars you would be fine simply buying a Behringer DI for $30. This is the proper way to convert your mic cable output (from the mic) to a line level input (into the mixer).

The second thing depends on what kind of mic you are using. If you are using a dynamic mic, don't worry. You're all set and ready to go. Ignore this. If you are using a condenser mic, however, you will need to supply it with phantom power, which is a 48v signal that usually originates from the mixer, travels down the mic cable into the microphone and supplies the energy it will need to operate. Your best bet is to buy a DI that will plug into the wall and has a phantom power switch. Take care, some DIs need to be powered by phantom power, meaning that the necessary electricity will need to originate from the mixer or an AC cable.

exactly what i needed to know.

thanks.

hay guise. I want to buy the cheapest possible usb microphone for recording vocals. What do you think i should get?

it's not the cheapest, but if you wanted a nice field recorder that also works as a usb mic, look at used zoom field recorders by samson. i'm not sure if they all function as an audio interface, but i use an h2n a lot in that way.

or plug some headphones into your mic jack

So I bought a microphone. Now I want to use it properly. I ended up getting this 'un. Damn thing didn't come with a manual, not to say it isn't simple to figure out how to use.

As you can see I have fashioned a makeshift pop filter from a nylon frisbee thing and some bent coathangers. I don't know if it works or not. I have it set on cardioid, which I assume is the best setting for recording vocals. So far I'm not fully satisfied with the sound I am getting. But at least my p's and s's sound okay.

anyone have any tips for getting a good sound out of a microphone like this? Do I need to get in a somewhat soundproofed room? Do you think my ghetto ass pop filter won't do the trick? What can I do production wise to make gold out of a consumer grade microphone? (in the past I always just used my computer mic or the tired old microphone from my mom's old portable tape player; the recordings of the latter needing to be normalized as fuck, seeing as it didn't have a pre-amp in it. I liked the texture of those recordings the best.)

I want to get shimmery clean sounds out of this baby.

Probably just needs a bit of post EQ/compressing/expanding. Not that I would ever suggest such illegal shenanigans but maybe try and get a hold of Voxengo's Voxformer for some vocal processing stuff.

What’s the pickup pattern in cardioid mode? I don’t recognize the mic, but frequently, condenser mics pick up from the “front”, not the top. In other words, you’d want to be speaking into it from where the blue word “USB” is in the promo photo (as if it’s a magnifying glass for your mouth), not from the “top” (as if it’s a delicious hot dog). For example.

  On 3/25/2013 at 1:02 PM, Ascdi said:

What’s the pickup pattern in cardioid mode? I don’t recognize the mic, but frequently, condenser mics pick up from the “front”, not the top. In other words, you’d want to be speaking into it from where the blue word “USB” is in the promo photo (as if it’s a magnifying glass for your mouth), not from the “top” (as if it’s a delicious hot dog). For example.

I think 'cardiod' is a pickup pattern.

  On 3/25/2013 at 12:08 PM, Salvatorin said:

So I bought a microphone. Now I want to use it properly. I ended up getting this 'un. Damn thing didn't come with a manual, not to say it isn't simple to figure out how to use.

 

As you can see I have fashioned a makeshift pop filter from a nylon frisbee thing and some bent coathangers. I don't know if it works or not. I have it set on cardioid, which I assume is the best setting for recording vocals. So far I'm not fully satisfied with the sound I am getting. But at least my p's and s's sound okay.

 

anyone have any tips for getting a good sound out of a microphone like this? Do I need to get in a somewhat soundproofed room? Do you think my ghetto ass pop filter won't do the trick? What can I do production wise to make gold out of a consumer grade microphone? (in the past I always just used my computer mic or the tired old microphone from my mom's old portable tape player; the recordings of the latter needing to be normalized as fuck, seeing as it didn't have a pre-amp in it. I liked the texture of those recordings the best.)

 

I want to get shimmery clean sounds out of this baby.

If you can post a clip I can probably tell you what's up.

(yeah, I think you're supposed to sing into the face of it, not the top of it...but I'm not sure without hearing it)

  On 3/25/2013 at 12:08 PM, Salvatorin said:

I want to get shimmery clean sounds out of this baby.

Two things: room and placement. Go for the deadest place possible, like a closet full of clothes, and sing into the clothes, not the door. Anyway try to minimize reflections.

Then move yourself around the mic while singing & wearing headphones. Try different angles & distances. Record this and see what you like best. All mics have sweet spots.

Once you get a decent recording it's a lot easier to sheen it up with doubling, EQing, and verb.

Yeah, flat surfaces are your enemy.

Don't have the mic next to a wall or on a table.

And throw up sheets on long stretches of wall to break up the symmetry.