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Hello! I'm want to build a home studio and not sure where to start. My main purpose is to do voice over work and to voice track a few radio stations. With that said, I have a computer with Adobe Audition and High Speed Internet access...I know I need a board, microphone, etc...but really am clueless where to start. Can some please help me here! Also, what product would be the best bang for the buck? Thanks for your time!
Hello! I'm want to build a home studio and not sure where to start. My main purpose is to do voice over work and to voice track a few radio stations. With that said, I have a computer with Adobe Audition and High Speed Internet access...I know I need a board, microphone, etc...but really am clueless where to start. Can some please help me here! Also, what product would be the best bang for the buck? Thanks for your time!
1. A good quality microphone
2. A preamp (preferably a mic processor)
3. A good quality sound card (the on-board sound cards in desktops and laptops do NOT qualify here).
As for the best bang for your buck? Check out the "podcaster kits" sold by the major broadcast supply vendors. I've set up quite a few basic home studios for voice talents using that and a DBX 286 mic processor - and came in under $400.
At this point, he/she who originated this thread is at this point, "entry-level" as far as equipment and studio opertion are concerned. Compared to other entry-level equipment, how does the 286a rank?
(AugC may well be a seasoned pro at doing voice.... so long as someone else has set up the studio situation.)
The 286 is fine, especially for someone starting out.
Voiceover artist Don Capone has put up a nice comparison of popular VO mics: http://www.nurple.com/voice-talent/voice-talent-microphones.html The low priced Rode he tests sounds rather nice. Capone normally records through a high-end preamp with no processing, BTW.
The RE20 beats just about any sub $500 condenser. The pre and processing in
the 286 is very good. The E-MU is a good, clean sound card/interface.
Get some decent powered monitors, and use Mogami cables for all wiring.
Total price - under $1000.
This combo will sound good on voice-over and your radio voice-tracking. It is also
forgiving of less than great acoustics. IMHO...of course.
I never had any luck with the 286a units (perhaps it couldn't give me the sound I thought I was looking for). I ended up giving away the two I had and I replaced them with Rane VP-12 processors which does an awesome job. You can pick them up for a song on ebay.
I don't think I paid any more than $160 for the more expensive of the two I purchased.
The particular vendor selling the unit you saw never seems to sell anything below list price (which makes me wonder how much he spends on ebay fees to sell nothing). It's like anything else. Check online often and you'll probably find one from a non-business seller at a realistic street price. I think a friend bought one a few months ago sans power supply for $100, so even after he purchased the supply direct from Rane he was under $150.
Huh? The RE20 is like any EV RE series mic, it takes a licking but that is about it. I have a $59 Nady SCM-950 through a Valley 401 that blows the socks off an RE20 through the same set up, and that is with minimal EQ. The RE20 is wonderful on a drum kit or for abusive jocks but that is about it.
In reality, a Samson USB mic or similar mic is all you need. If you know your way around the wav editor's processing panel you can emulate a sound close or maybe better to outboard equipment.
"Huh? The RE20 is like any EV RE series mic, it takes a licking but that is about it. I have a $59 Nady SCM-950 through a Valley 401 that blows the socks off an RE20 through the same set up, and that is with minimal EQ. The RE20 is wonderful on a drum kit or for abusive jocks but that is about it."
The guy said he was going to do some radio voice tracking. The RE20 is probably going to match up with what the station is using.
Sorry. You lost mic cred with the use of a $59 Nady mic. Overly bright, sibilant, and jangley is not a sound I find pleasing. Props to you if you have the "in the box" skills to make it sound good.
I own and have owned mics from MXL, Samson, Rode, AT, KEL, AKG, and SP. All the cheap ones...and they all sound cheap through a variety of preamps. Two that sound decent: AT2020 and Samson C03.
Now I use a Neumann TLM103 and an RE20, depending on the style of VO.
"Huh? The RE20 is like any EV RE series mic, it takes a licking but that is about it. I have a $59 Nady SCM-950 through a Valley 401 that blows the socks off an RE20 through the same set up, and that is with minimal EQ. The RE20 is wonderful on a drum kit or for abusive jocks but that is about it."
The guy said he was going to do some radio voice tracking. The RE20 is probably going to match up with what the station is using.
Sorry. You lost mic cred with the use of a $59 Nady mic. Overly bright, sibilant, and jangley is not a sound I find pleasing. Props to you if you have the "in the box" skills to make it sound good.
I own and have owned mics from MXL, Samson, Rode, AT, KEL, AKG, and SP. All the cheap ones...and they all sound cheap through a variety of preamps. Two that sound decent: AT2020 and Samson C03.
Now I use a Neumann TLM103 and an RE20, depending on the style of VO.
I was making a point. The RE 20 just isn't my favorite mic for voice work. It has a purpose but to say it out classes a $500 condenser is a little much.
And another vote in favor of the dbx-286a...when I first got started, I had terrible room-noise issues..(something a lot of folks don't plan on) and the expander on the 286 is a huge help with this..
As far as mics go, you'll find that EVERYONE has an opinion.. I love my Neumann TLM-103, but there are some that don't,..there's a lot of folks in the the VO biz that swear by the Sennheiser 416 shotgun..go with the mic that works best for you..
To get my computer in the room with my CCTV (blind reader) running I put a Samson mic in, cringe.
Using Adobe and it's built in compressor and CAREFUL mic placement to avoid it's issues I record temps,weather and every now and then a sponsor 60 or 30.
Exclusively use them on remotes as they clip into the computer. Nice to walk into a swanky place 40 miles from home and record breaks one right after the other, transfer them to the on air computer via filezilla. (then add them into the schedule...) We have a Marti we can use but pre recording breaks and then enjoying meeting folks at the remote is much better.
If I had a lazy way to use the USB port I would use the SM7. What are folks using for this purpose?
Still would use the Samson for remotes and "live" things as a laptop from Fry's and a cheap mic like the Samson taht sound reasonable always win for simplicity.
And VT isn't VT in all situations. Adobe won't work if you are VTing using remote software as it is in real time and you can't file transfer. For this purpose you need an outboard device. For simplicity the USB adapter and mic processor would be the best choice. It all depends on the automation system in use and if you are doing real time vt.
If I had a lazy way to use the USB port I would use the SM7. What are folks using for this purpose?
For simplicity the USB adapter and mic processor would be the best choice. It all depends on the automation system in use and if you are doing real time vt.
Chief, you might want to check out this discussion on the Production Board. Bottom line is that there's a quick-and-dirty mic-to-USB device from MXL called the Mic Mate, and a better mic-to-USB device from CEntrance called the MicPort Pro. Not discussed is an upgrade from MXL called the Mic Mate Pro.
The Mic Mate goes for around $50.00, The MicPort Pro is in the $125-150 range, and the Mic Mate Pro for $75-100. All supply phantom power, and will allow you to plug almost any mic into your USB port seamlessly. The MicPort Pro and Mic Mate Pro both offer zero latency monitoring through a 1/8" stereo headphone jack.
VT isn't VT in all situations. Adobe won't work if you are VTing using remote software as it is in real time and you can't file transfer. For this purpose you need an outboard device. For simplicity the USB adapter and mic processor would be the best choice. It all depends on the automation system in use and if you are doing real time vt.
And that's precisely why I avoided USB microphones in studios I set up for other voiceover pros. You can pick the mic you want and the preamp/processor you want and get the sound dialed in BEFORE it goes to the computer. Plus this works both with Audition and with other proprietary voice tracking software.
By going USB only your mic and preamp choices are severely limited and the only way to process is via plugins. For some that's acceptable.
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