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Home recording voice on a budget

  • 11-12-2008 8:40pm
    #1
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,557 ✭✭✭


    The niece of a friend of mine is doing a video project as part of a college course and as asked me to do some voice over work for it.

    I would like to oblige, but equipment wise she's on a budget.

    The last time I looked into recording was way-back-when in the days when I had a Tascam 4-track portastudio and I was playing in bands, so my knowledge is some-what limited. I've also DJ'ed years ago in various pirate stations in the 80's so I really wouldn't know where to begin.

    I've done some VO-work for a similar project a number of years back, but I was personally fairly unhappy with the results as there was an audible hum from the PC the person was recording my voice.

    Although it's her project, I'm looking at getting some basic home recording equipment for another sideline project of mine, but the question is what to get.

    I've already got a Shure SM58 and a Mackie 8-track analogue desk. I was thinking of investing in a Zoom H2 and cutting the PC right out of the recording process (will be using it for post-production editing).

    I like the Zoom as it seems to be very versitle for field-recording, but I can go a little higher in terms of budget.

    To cut a long story short, will the Zoom H2 suffice, or should I go a little more up-market? Should I use the SM58 or maybe look at getting a better quality near-field mic?

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    Dublin_Gunner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,692 ✭✭✭Dublin_Gunner


    Once you have a good mic (condenser), and obviously a silk screen, the rest is really up to what you prefer.

    Being that everything is edited digitally these days, why not record the voice over directly into your PC? Into CuBase or Logic or whatever you're using for sequencing?

    You can add effects and clean it up straight from there - hell, even audiowave (free) would be able to do what you're asking, and you can clean the sound up a little too.

    Recording sound is very easy these days - mic is No.1 in my opinion.


  • #3
    DublinWriter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,557 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    Dublin_Gunner wrote: »
    Being that everything is edited digitally these days, why not record the voice over directly into your PC? Into CuBase or Logic or whatever you're using for sequencing?
    I agree, while I'm fairly adept with the likes of Adobe Audition and know the basics of sound recording from my Tascam 4-Track band days, my PC is very noisy.

    I have a fairly good old M-Audio outboard box with PCI card that I'd love to use. The missus' PC is virtually silent, but she hates me fiddling with her stuff!

    I was originally thinking of getting the Sony DRM 50 or Zoom H2 for recording (H4 looks a bit over-complicated) and editing down on the PC.

    I totally agree re the mic. I hope my old Shure SM58 will be up to the job.

    Any idea where I could get a pop-shield cheaply?....I know there's a credit crunch on, but I don't relish the thought of making one with a coat-hanger and some old tights.


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