Background noise, or interference?

Interference can only be fixed with quality gear and cables.

Background noise will be picked up MORE by a condenser.

Background noise will be picked up MORE by a condenser.

That's what I thought, 200 for a decent mic and I would still have to spend hours in post-production to get a clean signal v_v

Any tips?

Continue with the dynamic for a start.

Check your gain structure - do you really need so much gain?

Check your gain structure - do you really need so much gain?

Yes lol, I don't have any preamps, so it's a bare signal going into logic Pro, and I need to put about 30 dB of gain just to get a strong enough signal to mix. Seriously, I mean it's meant for cranked cabs and I don't have the strongest of voices.

"I don't have any preamps"

Are you plugging this into an onboard soundcard?
(Then into Logic)

If no: what the hell are you doing?
If yes: get a preamp. There's a reason you need these things and if I'm beginning to think you're still unclear on the difference between interference (static, buzzing, hissing) and background noise (AC, passing traffic, loud TVs next door).

Well of course there is a soundcard, in my computer, but nothing between the mic and my iMac I mean.

I can't really afford a nice tube preamp, and why would I buy a cheap digital one when Logic can do the same thing?

And yes I may be thinking of interference, sounds like an airplane engine under my vocals.

OK...

Analog:
(Mic) -> (Preamp) -> (ADC)
It's now digital (after the Analog to Digital Converter) and the signal is now stuck that way.

The soundcard in the mac adds noise, specifically a massive amount of it. The preamp is a low-noise device that boosts the signal by (in some cases) up to 70dB without adding (too much) static etc.
Then when the signal gets to the ADC, it's a lot higher in voltage (effectively) and while your ADC still adds noise, the signal is stronger allowing you to use less gain and thus having less static.

People will tell you to get an external USB soundcard that lets you plug in mics etc. and that's fine and well.
Tube preamps are in fact shit quality until you spend a stupid amount on them, far more than I bet you're prepared to. Same goes with condensers. A $200 condenser is not a great investment, and 90% (if not more) of the people here would rather have an SM58 than a cheap condenser. SM58s cost $100, btw.

So, stop amplifying your noise in Logic, stop wasting hours on edits (btw - get a noise gate, tweak the paramters a little - it probably does what you do but will do the entire signal in ohh, 15 minutes including time spent adjusting it), stop being below me on the gear ladder (and I'm on the 2nd bottom rung) and get a preamp.

about the SM58, I heard it today in comparison to the previously mentioned condenser and wow, I'm not going to get the 58 lol. A cheap condenser is better than any dynamic for studio vocals.

Ok, your argument is good, what preamp would you recommend?

Audix i5 Applications

Live stage, studio
Snare, toms, percussion
Guitar cabs, electric instruments
Brass, flute, woodwinds
Acoustic instruments
Vocals, speech

Please note the manufacturer suggests this mic can be used as a vocal mic. Just because it can handle high SPL levels like guitar cabs, so can the SM57, does not mean that it will not transmit vocal level input well. I am not commenting on the sonic signature, whether you like the "sound" of this mic or not simply that this mic should function well enough with a preamp for your intended use.

Your usage requires a preamp, certainly a low cost digital one will vastly improve your sound, VASTLY.

The Sterling mic you are thinking about requires phantom power I believe and your computer can not supply that. Nearly any preamp you might buy should.

The $200.00 would be much better spent on a preamp/inteface for example Presonus Firebox for $50.00 more than the Sterling. Nearly all these come with bundled software that might be a plus.

Guitarfreak wrote: A cheap condenser is better than any dynamic for studio vocals.

haha. lol. omgzz

AB your new Nady Condenser with a BCM705
lol. I bet that nady sounds almost as good.

Use your freakin' ears, don't worry about the gear.
Stop polluting my internet.

haha. lol. omgzz

Use your freakin' ears, don't worry about the gear.
Stop polluting my internet.

...what?

your whole post doesn't make sense. BTW I meant cheap like decent, not cheap like plastic.

Don't make broad sweeping statements, it's tomfoolery.

Bound to get a foolish answer.

Don't make broad sweeping statements, it's tomfoolery.

Fair enough, I still think 250 is too much for a basic preamp.

I'm afraid you probably dont have enough experience at this to make a statement like that and have anyone take you seriously.

An SM58 eats up and seriously pukes the guts out of most $200 condensers. That Sterling is an okay mic, but this isnt your problem. You put that into your card without an interface or a preamp and if you thought the i5 made a lot of noise!

Like has been said....you'll need phantom power for a condenser.

You need a preamp. Or an interface with preamps built in.

Don't make broad sweeping statements, it's tomfoolery.

Fair enough, I still think 250 is too much for a basic preamp.

If that is too much, I would recommend a different hobby.

The gear addiction will hit you worse than any other drug buddy.

For a cheap preamp/converter, get a firebox.

sorry for double post.

Oh but I read where condenser mics are BETTER.

Certainly when recording through a computers sound card the rich tonal quality of a condenser mic is going to make ALL the difference.

BTW A/B is testing micA against micB in side by side recording of the same input.

Which by the way most of the people responding have done numerous times.

It could have been my fault my first post was misunderstood, I forgot the proper placement of the forward slash, producing the more appropriate looking A/B. We do all kinds of crazy things with words in Western New York.

Guitarfreak wrote: Don't make broad sweeping statements, it's tomfoolery.

Fair enough, I still think 250 is too much for a basic preamp.

There is a price of admission to the club that allows you to record accurate and clea sound into the device youre recording with.

Do you have any idea what a 'basic preamp' sounds like?

If thts too much and you dont need the software bundles that come with most of the interfaces these days, then find a used preamp. A Symetrix SX201 goes for around $50 to $75 on the ebay.

They're better than any cheap little 'tube pre'.

I can't even tell who is being serious and who is being sarcastic.

Thanks for ALL the help.

Mr. Dog is definitely serious. No doubt, he is a better man than I.

I was serious about the firebox.
Joking about the A/B thing.

Thank you Dave, I can tell you are being helpful. I actually do have studio experience, a good amount of recording experience and a lifetime of music experience. And I know the difference between a good tube preamp and a cheap knockoff preamp (basic preamp as you referred), because I have recorded with both. The tube pre breathes life into whatever you plug in, and the other one's just don't really do much of anything as far as quality goes.

Like most completely inexperienced folks who get all their information from their local GitarMart, you fail to believe folks telling you the truth on a RECORDING SITE.

Everyone responding owns some sort of recording gear, has used it, and has the correct answer to your original post. You just dont want to believe it.

Go ahead and spend your $200 on that condenser mic. Plug it into your soundcard.....and then.....uhhhh...wha??? theres no sound....it must be broken.

It really is a decent mic. Its a rebadged GrooveTubes made in China.

But it still requires 48volts to it to work AT ALL.

OR.....

You could buy an interface with a pre or two in it....hook it to your soundcard....plug in the mic you already have and.....Hey! that doesnt sound half bad.....And NO NOISE. Then save your dinero for a bigger and better mic of your choice.

But the quality of what you are recording and the way you are recording is at what level now?

But the quality of what you are recording and the way you are recording is at what level now?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=272302070

the Imagine cover is my newest project, the singing sucks, but I spent a lot of time mixing. Let me know what you think.

You should have spent some of that studio time you're talking about hanging with the engineer and learning that plugging a mic into a soundcard without a preamp isnt gonna sound very good.

And once again, a TUBE PREAMP doesnt necessarily bring those particular aspects to a sound. Its how the thing is wired that has EVERYTHING to do with the sound.....tube or not.

I'll take a Neve solid-state non-tube preamp any day over just about anything else on the planet.

Sorry no audio right now, at the airport waiting to get home from San Diego, will check it though.

I'm also gonna move this to the budget section so my friend AudioGaff desnt have to......and he will.

Actually I think the vox were the best part. Very decent when compared to others I've had the pleasure of hearing
Too much 'verb though.

And it might be the booze, or the cheapie speakers, but my ears were freaking out from the kick for the whole song.

I can't explain how weird it felt.

lolol, yeah I'm aware of the kick, and after I uploaded it I realized I put 3 seconds of reverb instead of the 1 second that I intended :

Trust me man, just bite the bullet and learn this stuff the right way. A minimum investment is required, but recording a demo properly, or as proper as it can possibly be, is a big plus for a musician.

Agreed.

I've spent money on exactly the type of mic/pre you're looking at.
I've had a few nice surprises, but upon buying some more quality pieces (around 3-4X the cost of "basic"), most are disappointments.

I've got 4 mics that I never use, 2 tube pre channels that lie dormant, and couple of cheaper tube pres that I do use b/c I like their sound on a few things. I also replaced the tubes.

Still, like Dave says, $250 vs $2500 for a tube pre DOES make a difference.
I happen to like a tube guitar amp > SM57 > BlueTube Pre > Interface.
That's a $800-$900 signal chain, assuming the guitarist provides the amp.
I don't happen to own a GOOD tube pre. That's a $3500+ signal chain.

Bottom line, take the advice you're given here.
I have, to my benefit, and swore when I found advice, but had already committed the error.
You can get a decent firewire interface, a good preamp, and the necessary mics for less than $2000.
Others may have suggestions for half that or even less.
Expect to spend around $1000 (assuming you have a mic or two), or perpetually deal w/ the issues you face now.
If you search and ask the right questions, you'll find a "proper" setup for a good deal.

Mistakes make learning experiences.
Learning from others' mistakes makes for a fatter wallet and a saner existence.

I was expecting a good laugh when I clicked the myface link... It's not too bad though.
God damn those drums make me sick though, there is a slight silence in between the hits which makes me feel ill, like time is getting paused and reset every hit.

Seriously though, get some coin together, get a nice chain happening and get on with making the noise. :)

I just re-uploaded it with less reverb and a little less kick...but it's still a drum loop so...not much to do there. Glad you guys seem to be liking it :D

You are a clueless fool. SM58 IS THE MICROPHONE TO USE. You're a beginner and don't even have a clue to the mega-stars that use that $100 microphone, in the studio, recording their albums that go platinum.

So you're trying to educate the professionals with your lack of education? You'll go far that way. Cheap condenser microphones are a much less worthy investment than any SM57/58. I personally have worked in radio/TV networks like NBC and in the studio business for over 38 years. You don't like the SM58 because you are clueless as to how to utilize it. I bet you even have to send your guitar back to the factory just to have it tuned regularly since it keeps going out of tune and you don't know what those six funny knobs are for.

What do you plug your guitar into? A Fisher-Price guitar amplifier? You Ask a Question, Receive an Intelligent Answer by highly skilled professionals sharing their knowledge with you for free but You Know Better. Not to be mean, since you are still a young teenager but do you always correct your teachers at school because you read something in your comic books that contradict your textbooks? One thing you should know is "you can't fix stupid". You're there man.

You flunk
Ms. Remy Ann David

There is no reason to be rude, I simply stated that the condenser in my opinion sounded better. Your lack of respect and thought in choosing a response however does say something about you.

Yeah, Remy what does she know?

I think her summation was pretty accurate, but you probably won't get her point.

To everyone who has posted this thread: I don't want you to just say "this is good" I want you to tell me exactly why it is good and why I should get it. I do not intend to educate you at your own game and I do not intend to reject your advice either. But giving me a kindergarten response like you are stupid for thinking that, really, doesn't help either of us.

I just think what she said was rude and uncalled for.