Hi dear All,
I want to record some of my grandfather stories and looking for an advice how to better organize it.
Last year I were able to get Tascam DR100mkII and do couple of records. It was quite tricky as inbuilt mics are rather noisy and to achieve reasonable volume, gain knob was almost at "max" setting. Also, I were not very happy with it picking all ambient noises one can imagine.
Here is the link to slightly processed recording: [MEDIA=soundcloud]user-884693282/voice-recording-processed[/MEDIA]
My main concerns so far:
- Going to a studio is out of question, so the best possible environment would be a living room.
- From past experience - constant lack of microphone gain.
- Environment noise.
- Whole setup should look not very "scary" and massive. E.g bringing large condenser and portable shield/box is undesirable as it makes all this idea look too official and formal.
As for today I see two main options:
- Decent handheld recorder (PCM-D100?). +1 to inconspicuous look.
- Laptop + USB interface + dynamic mic. I like RODE Procaster sound, not sure about interface though. Should provide way better sound/control, but not very convenient.
I'd be glad to hear suggestions about techniques/approach/equipment/etc. Thanks :)
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FYI, in the process of searching for comparisons between various
FYI, in the process of searching for comparisons between various interfaces, found this test of UR12: http://prosound.ixbt.com/interfaces/steinberg/ur12/2444.shtml
What do you think?
Again you're trying to validate your choice ;) I've been quite h
Again you're trying to validate your choice ;)
I've been quite honnest in this thread, Presonus would be my choice because everyone that bought their audio interfaces said they sound good and the samples I heard confirmed that for me. I never heard the UR12. If for any reason, you've been seduced by the UR12 or convinced by reading another forum... Buy it and be done with it!
There will always be better gear available and they will always be 1000 online FOR and AGAINST reasons to buy, that piece of gear or another.
If you can't decide who you can trust, go in a store and try them for yourself.. then BUY what you ever need to start recording.
You ain't never gonna learn if you're not actually recording something. We're talking about 100$, you ain't gonna loose much after all.
I waisted more then more than 3k in trials and errors and on bad gear choices over the years.. What do I know after all ? :LOL:
I agree with Marco on this.. I think you are over-thinking thing
I agree with Marco on this.. I think you are over-thinking things. We're talking about preamps in a price range of $100 - $200 or so, there's not gonna be a gigantic difference between any of them at this level.
If it were me, based on personal experience, I'd go with Presonus. Good sound, transparent, good conversion, a very good preamp/interface for the price. The company has an excellent support structure, it is a very popular choice for those who cannot afford boutique level preamps, ( actually, there are a fair number of professionals who do use Presonus gear because they like the way it sounds) and for what you are doing and using this for, you'd have to spend a significant amount of money in order to hear a substantial and audible difference in quality... and for what you are wanting to do, I don't see the point in dropping $1000 on a pre/i-o.
In this situation, your mic choice will probably make more of a difference than your pre will. You've mentioned that you don't like the 58; personally, I can't see why this would be, the 58 is a tried and true dynamic microphone that has been used for all kinds of application and has delivered quality sound for over four decades. Major acts, such as U2 and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, have used the SM58 as their main mic for vocal recording... I like it because it can be used on virtually anything. It's rugged, solid, sounds good, and in your case, would be a good choice, because it will be less sensitive to the sound of the environment/space around it than a condenser mic would.
But, I'm not going to argue the 58 with you. If you don't like it, then that's your perception, and it's your project, so that's really all that matters. Go to a music store and find a mic that pleases you, and that you think sounds good to you for this project.
In the end it all comes down to the money you want to spend. Of course, if you would drop 4 large on a rig/kit for this project, on gear like a $1800 dollar pre with pristine conversion and precise clocking, and which would also include remote acoustic baffles for a better-sounding space, then yes, it will likely have a better quality than the $300 rig.
But you have to ask yourself two questions: Do you think the majority of those who will be listening will be able to tell the difference? And, at what point do those returns become diminishing? Will that level of quality really be that crucial for what you are doing here?
I won't comment any further on this thread... I think you've been given enough info to go ahead and pull the trigger on whatever you feel is best for you, and for this project. All we can do is to make suggestions, and to give you our reasons as to why we suggest that which we do. In the end, you're the one that needs to be happy. :)
Interesting, I know remy used to always say the difference betwe
Interesting, I know remy used to always say the difference between 57/58 was the windscreen. I'm not doubting Kurt. I wonder of its one of those QC based things where it's the same assembly line and it's a matter of if this variance happens it's a 57, If the ther happens it a 58.
j_doe, post: 434548, member: 49569 wrote: FYI, in the process of
j_doe, post: 434548, member: 49569 wrote: FYI, in the process of searching for comparisons between various interfaces, found this test of UR12: http://prosound.ixbt.com/interfaces/steinberg/ur12/2444.shtml
What do you think?
I don't think graphs and charts speak anything about the subjective quality of sound. How good or bad it sounds. Sometimes it's the technical flaws that create the majic in a piece.
If your computer has digital ins, a presonus eureka will do better than any other pre amp in the price range.
Other than that it's the isa.
Beyond that all the basic interfaces are about the same. I concur with D that presonus is the best company to go with in that category. They have solid drivers, and sound fine. It also comes wtb studio one which is a decent DAW in my minimal (few hours) experience with it.
pcrecord, post: 434546, member: 46460 wrote: Even if the SM7 and
pcrecord, post: 434546, member: 46460 wrote: Even if the SM7 and 57 don't have the same capsule, I heard some tests that place them to be very similar sounding.
I'd like to test them for myself one day..
no, they do not sound the same. similar but not exactly the same. if they sounded the same , why wouldn't guys like Don Was or Bruce Swedien just throw up a 58 instead of what they did use, a SM7a? i have a SM7a and 58's and i can tell you it's a much different sound.
on the o/t .... everyone's suggesting a sledge hammer to kill a gnat. imo even a 58 with an interface is overkill. i would get one of those little Alesis Video Track's or Zoom video camera / audio recorder things and be done with it.
Kurt Foster, post: 434574, member: 7836 wrote: no, they do not s
Kurt Foster, post: 434574, member: 7836 wrote: no, they do not sound the same. similar but not exactly the same. if they sounded the same , why wouldn't guys like Don Was or Bruce Swedien just throw up a 58 instead of what they did use, a SM7a? i have a SM7a and 58's and i can tell you it's a much different sound.
I never compared the 58... Just the 57 and 7!
All the serious tests I see online between the 57 and sm7 are faulty because they do not take into acount that the popfilter of the sm7 creates a distance between the instrument and capsule. The sm57 do not have that distance and it's hard to figure what distance to place it... The proximity effect of the sm57 is very obvious, 1/2 inch and the sound change a lot...
Anyway, by saying I'd like to test it myself, I was saying that I don't believe everything I hear online and like to decide by myself what to believe ;)
I've always hated the sound of a 58 on distorted electric guitar
I've always hated the sound of a 58 on distorted electric guitars. 57s I love. I think the major difference is where the presence peak is. An sm-7b has always sounded like a 57 on steroids to me, more beefy, with more air. I'm all for a 57 on vocals.
Interesting you suggest a standalone video recorder I didn't think of that. I was going to suggest something that plugs into a smart phone and rcords to garage band or something similar. I was concerned about storage space, since phones and tablets are easy to fill up. Your suggestion solves that.
Really imo overkill or not depends on how much use the op wants to get after this project. But some of the standalone recorders have xlr inputs for mic expansion. It's easy enough to import files as any other usb stick.
If this is supposed to be a long term investment I still stick by a basic 58/isa - or eureka, under the provision the computer already has the digital ins, which negates the need for 'interface proper'
j_doe, post: 434548, member: 49569 wrote: FYI, in the process of
j_doe, post: 434548, member: 49569 wrote: FYI, in the process of searching for comparisons between various interfaces, found this test of UR12: http://prosound.ixbt.com/interfaces/steinberg/ur12/2444.shtml
What do you think?
I don't know the technicalities. Does this speak well for the UR12?
One thing I've noticed with the UR12 though It might benefit from using a another power source as opposed to using USB as powering the device.
Even if the SM7 and 57 don't have the same capsule, I heard some
Even if the SM7 and 57 don't have the same capsule, I heard some tests that place them to be very similar sounding.
I'd like to test them for myself one day..