(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best music recording equipment

Ok, strap in because there is a lot to cover here! And before I get started, remember that there is rarely one correct way to go about any of this, and everyone will have their own experiences and thoughts, and although different (sometimes very different) that doesn't mean that they aren't both valid.

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I'm going to get started with the gear, as it's actually one of the easier parts to cover.

You will want your own gear. Studio fees get pretty expensive when you are doing a lot of work, and buying your own gear will pay for itself in the long run. For those starting out (with a low budget) I recommend the MXL V67G, Behringer UM2, XLR cable, pop filter, mic stand, and shock mount. This isn't the only setup,and if you can find used gear you may be able to get even better quality stuff cheaper (or the same price). You will also want to spend some money on sound treatment if you can, but it's easy enough to use a closet or make a blanket-fort if you need to. Just remember, the thicker the material the more effective it will be, and layering works wonders when improvising a booth. I have a furnace on the other side of one wall by my booth, but with a layer of insulation, and three layers of heavy blankets, almost none of that sound reaches the booth (and what does can be cut out with a bass roll-off). Just remember to factor the treatment into your budget when you look for gear. You may be able to use materials you already have, but try to figure it out beforehand.

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Now, the harder part: Where to actually get started?

The first place to look is voice coaching and acting classes, if you can afford them. Having someone dedicated to helping you grow as a voice actor can make a world of difference. As far as going out and getting jobs though, I do have a bit of advice.

Personally, I would avoid radio. While it can help get you used to he mic, radio announcing typically use their own style of voice that currently is avoided with voice over. Many agents are hesitant about hiring former radio hosts. But, in the end it's the quality of your voice that matters, so going into radio isn't going to kill your career before it can even get started.

There are various ways you can get in, but typically you will start out doing unpaid fan projects and stuff to get practice and experience (not necessarily resume experience, but personal experience with your setup and gear to work out any kinks). This is usually animation/character voice over, and can be pretty fun, especially if that's where you want to end up. Audiobooks are another entryway, as there isn't a huge barrier to cross before getting started. There are also far more books out there to be read that there are narrators reading them. On the other hand, there is a reason for that; it's usually low paying, long hours of recording and editing, and there is rarely much feedback to help you improve your voice.

You can also try and find small, local businesses that are just getting large enough to start advertising, and strike up a conversation with the owners. Get to know them, and their business, and let it be known that you do voice acting. If you do this enough, you will find yourself in the right place at the right time as they need a VO for a radio commercial, and start landing jobs that way. Unfortunately, for this you will need a demo.

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The Demo:

For finding local work, it's perfectly fine to use homemade demo (so long as it's good). There is a lot that goes into one though, so I'm going to try and break it down.

*SCRIPTS***: You will want to find, at a minimum, five or six commercial scripts, preferably actual commercials and not "stock" practice scripts. Those are fine for getting feedback from other VO talent, but actual scripts work better for a demo. Preferably, find ten or more so that you have options. You will want them to have different tones, different pacing, basically ones that will allow you to show off a wide range in what you can do. The next step is to practice. A lot. And then some more. You want these to be perfect, as they are what people will be listening to when they are deciding to hire you or not. Sub-perfection won't cut it. Record them, and get feedback. Practice some more. Get more feedback. Keep doing this until you think you are ready, and get feedback on your final recording as well. If the overall impressions are good, then use those recordings. If there is still quite a bit of critiquing being done, especially on major stuff (background noise, hiss, or the read itself) keep practicing.

MUSIC: There are a lot of sites out there that provide royalty free music to download, and these will be your friend. Find tracks that mach up with your reads, that fit naturally with what you already have recorded. If need be you can always re-take a script, but it's easier if you already have something that fits to work with. You may already eliminate some of your takes at this time just from lack of a good music track, but that's why you have extra!

Mixing:* Here is where you find your best takes, and the best sections of those takes. Go ahead and trim them down (keep the original file too, just in case) and start putting the best pieces together. You will want them set up so that no two takes that are back to back use the same style if at all possible. Keep it varied, and let them be distinct. You will want the takes trimmed to about 10 seconds, 15 at the most, before moving to the next take. You may also want the audio to overlap some. Put the music tracks with their respective takes, and work to set the volume. Too loud with the music and it drowns out your voice, too quiet and it doesn't do any good. This part is mostly played by ear, but get feedback before showing it off to prospective clients.

There are other things you can add, like sound effects and stereo mixes, but keep it simple to start. If you try to do too much, it's easy to get things messed up without knowing what is causing the issue. For local clients, just music will be fine, and not even all pro demos go overboard here. The goal is to highlight you voice, not mixing skills.

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Professionally produced demo:

When you think you are ready for an agent, you will need a pro demo. Most agencies won't even consider you if you don't have one. They cost a lot, but the return is well worth it. You will* want to ensure that you go with a reputable studio; there are a lot of scams out there that will take your money and don't care if you have the skill for a good demo yet. Ask around and do your research to find the right studio. Listen to work they have done, and get other voice actors' opinions of them.

They will provide you with scripts and do all the mixing for you; all you do is read the lines to the absolute best of your abilities. Again, the point of a demo is to showcase your voice and talent, not the mixing. That's just a part of it so that the client knows how you sound in a full mix. The audio engineers making your demo know this, and it's their job to make you stand out. The quality of a demo is only limited by your own abilities.

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I know I covered a lot, but hopefully you can find at least something useful in there. It's not a full guide to getting into voice over, but it should work as a starting place. If you want to listen to my demos to get a feel for what I am talking about, you can find them here. Feel free to ask any follow-up question!

Okay this is going to be a long post, so here goes.

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If you really want to get into sound design, youre going to need a few essentials. A DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), an audio interface, a handheld recorder, and a microphone.




DAWs

As far as a DAW goes, there's a few alternatives you can go with. I personally use Avid Pro Tools for near everything I do, but also mess around with Reaper. I've found that most studios will use one of these two. Most DAWs will have a pretty steep learning curve, so be ready for that.

Pro Tools First is the free version of Pro Tools. It has a lot of limitations, but for starting out it should be fine. If you want less limitations it costs big money, but I'm sure you can find a crack or two as long as you don't use it commercially.

Reaper is starting to grow on me lately. You can customize it to your needs, and the full version is only $60. You can also just deal with a popup everytime you open the program for ten seconds and use it for free. I mainly prefer Pro Tools over this because the video engine in Pro Tools is much better. But for batch editing multiple sound files, Reaper is muuuuuch better.

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Audio Interface

This basically takes over as an intermediary between high quality audio and your computer. You can plug a microphone right into it to record sound straight to your computer. You can do this with a USB microphone as well, but the quality is a million times better with one of these.
I would recommend either the Behringer UMC22 or the more advanced Focusrite Scarlett Solo. Both will do the trick, I just prefer the mic pres on the Focusrite a bit more.


Handheld Recorder
Handheld recorders allow you to record anything you want to without having to deal with any cables. They should be compact but durable.

The Tascam DR-40 is a great intro recorder. It was the first recorder I got 5 years ago, and it still holds up. I've dropped this thing so many times and it still powers through.
Another favorite is the Zoom H4N. This was a favorite among most of my classmates as it was the one my school supplied, but I didn't feel like going through the checkout process all the time so I saved up and got the Tascam. It has a newer version, the Zoom H6, which is pretty slick, but comes at a higher price point. It also comes with some interchangeable microphone capsules so you can get different types of recordings. I'll cover more of this later.
I'll leave off with the recorder I have now, the Sony PCM-M10. This thing is a godsend. It's discontinued due to a newer version coming out, but you can find this guy on eBay for around $300-400. It's smaller than a phone, and the sound quality is amazing. If you have the money to shell out for this guy, definitely go for it. Every sound designer inn the industry I know swears by it.


Microphone

So the first thing you need to know is that there's a load of different microphone types. Its a lot to cover, so I'm just going to link you to this article that will cover the basics of what you need to know. Basically I would recommend different microphones for different things, all depending on what you're trying to capture.
A good all-around microphone is the Shure SM57/Shure SM58. They're essentially both the same microphone. But these things will LAST. Like,people have run over them with trucks and they sound fine. Definitely a good starting point

For vocal recordings, I would recommend the Rode NT1A. This mic is a great starting point for capturing voice, and is durable to boot.

For capturing foley/field recording, I would go with the Rode NTG2. Its a shotgun mic with great quality for the price, and never let me down in all the years Ive been using it. I won its successor, the NTG3, in the Riot Creative Contest a few years back, but still use the NTG2 from time to time when I need to.


Some Extra Stuff


Theres a lot of cool, free plugins out there. I've used both Blue Cat's and Melda's plugins, and they all get the job done with a bit of tweaking.

As far as building up a sound library goes, I would recommend recording literally everything you can around you and playing with those sounds with plugins as a good starting point for building up a library. There's a few resources out there that give out free SFX every once in a while, GDC has had a bundle go up for 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. You can also check out the BBC Sound Effects Library. Be careful about getting libraries and bundles though, as they add up quick. I have to go through my sound library soon, and I probably have around 500,00+ files but only really need a few thousand.

For all your sounds, you're going to want a file manager. A great and free one is Mutant. You just add the directory where you downloaded your sounds to, let it load them in, and voila. You can search easily for what you need.


Hopefully, all this was somewhat helpful to you, or to anyone else reading this who's interested in sound design!

Hi, I'm the co-editor for podcast production and I think I may be able to help with your questions.

Mics: Depending on your current recording space you have 2 options, Condenser or Dynamic Microphones. Condenser mics are very good at picking up detailed sound but they are most of the time to sensitive to be used without some sort of sound proofing or acoustic treatment to the room as they are really good at picking up even the quietest of sounds. but if you have a treated room or a acoustic shield then that might be an option to look into. Dynamic mics however are really good at capturing loud sounds and because of that, they are mostly used for singing and instruments. however they are also often used for narration because you don't have to go all out with the sound proofing as they are less sensitive. now since my talents are in post production, I don't need an expensive microphone to get a good sounding recording, so I just use a $20 Dynamic microphone from amazon, they're great in fact I bought 4 of them for a podcast I was doing, I can give samples if you would like. As for price, Condenser are on average going to cost more because of everything that goes into it. Dynamic mics are older tech, so they aren't as expensive. my friend who does the vocal recordings has the Rode NT1a, a rather expensive condenser microphone $229, and I record using the Behringer Xm8500 Dynamic mic $20 on amazon. so it's really up to your budget and editing know how.

Rode NT1a

Xm8500

You will also need a audio interface if you're going to be using XLR mics, which I highly recommend you do. Here's the one I use, although you may not need that many channels

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Software: I use Adobe Audition around $20 a month subscription. However I have in the past used Audacity and if you know how to use it, you can get some really good results. If you are looking to get into industry standard software I would recommend Pro Tools also I think $20 a month.

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Yes, people who don't use a studio generally record to their preferred Audio editor and mix/edit then upload to a hosting website for their podcast, the production I work for uses Blogtalk which I think has a free option. However there are many options for hosting websites (E.g. Acast, Podbean, Libsyn, Ect.) I recommend reading this website for hosting options.

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People typically find voice actors through Casting Calls which they themselves set up or by going through a casting call website, and yes voice actors are typically paid although some may offer volunteer if they're just getting out there or for charity. For the sake of professionalism always assume you are paying for their services, that way if they decline payment then that's their choice as an actor.

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If your podcast gains enough listeners then yes, you can definaty make money through podcasting, but you should never go only for making money. because one, it takes a while ti gain listeners and two it's just no fun if your only in it for the money.

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I remember being exactly where you are now asking these questions, so If you need any help don't hesitate to ask. I hope this helps :)

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TL,DR

Mics: I use a $20 Dynamic mic which gives me great recordings, although there are more expensive and higher quality options out there.

Software: I use Adobe Audition to edit everything but there are a myriad of other audio editing options out there including the free software Audacity.

Yes it can be as simple as Record/Edit/Post depending on what your doing and the type of podcast your going for.

You find actors through casting calls, and typically you always pay actors for their services. Always expect to pay.

Yes you can make money through podcasting depending on your listenership and Ads and things like that.

Not OP but I can help you out here. Let's break this down by component:

1. Speakers - There are two types: active and passive. Active = amplifier built into each speaker (i.e. most dedicated "computer" speakers from the likes of Logitech, Creative, etc.). Passive = 90% of speakers out there, must be connected to an amplifier to work. Typically passive speakers will get you a better speaker for a given price for an active but you have to figure in the cost of an amplifier. For a passive speaker set up, the cheapest system recommended over at /r/audiophile is a SMSL SA-60 amp and Micca MB42X Bookshelf Speakers. If your budget is higher, ask in the daily purchase advice sticky there (read the rules/suggestions thoroughly). I don't mess around with active speakers so I can't recommend any.
   
   
2. Microphone - For simplicity's sake, I will recommend you look into USB connecting condenser microphones as they are affordable and have good sensitivity. Something like the Audio-Technica AT-2020 or Blue Yeti are popular mics for under $100. I have the Yeti and can attest that it is a very good and sensitive multi pattern mic. They can be hooked directly up to your PC or if you want to get really fancy, check out an audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo or Scarlett 2i2. The nice thing about an interface is it allows you get a nice mic with an XLR connector (generally better than a USB connection) and it will work with your PC.
   
   
3. Headphones - Don't waste your money on "gaming" headphones. A nice 2 channel pair of cans with a standalone mic like I listed above will hands down outperform the likes of Turtle Beach and Razr headsets. /r/headphones has a really good wiki with more info than I can provide here and headphones broken down by price range and characteristics. Plus, then you can use them both for gaming and general music listening and have a good experience, something you don't get with dedicated "gaming" headsets. The amp I listed in the speakers section is fine for headphones but Schiit makes absolutely fantastic headphone amps and DAC (digital to analog converters, check out both /r/audiophile and /r/headphones for more info on them and why they are good for your set up) with very respectable price tags.
   
   Hope this helps. Higher quality audio equipment can be confusing and daunting, what with all the technical details, wide price ranges, parsing through all the marketing bullshit and the sometimes snobby attitudes of some "audiophiles". I wish you luck and feel free to ask me if you have any questions.

Yes, there are recorders that can record multiple tracks. Like the Tascam DR-40 has XLR inputs. I'm not necessarily endorsing the Tascam. I have the DR-05 and find it acceptable quality. Something like the Zoom H4N has XLR connectors built in, so you could record a mic into those and use the built in condenser mics to record your guitar.

You left out some relevant information: Budget, can your guitar be plugged in or will you mic it? Do you have a pretty sound free workspace?

I think budget is the most important part here. I interpret 'nothing flashy' as being a cheap as it can get without being poor quality.

I'm gonna link to listings on Amazon because it's easiest, but B&H or if you live near a Guitar Center might be a better place to buy.

A possible setup:

• ART Dual USB Preamp - $80 - This will allow you to plug in one mic and your guitar and output the track to your computer via USB. Depending on the software, I believe you can have the tracks separate for editing, but they would separate into left and right channels that you'd then combine into a stereo track after editing.
  
  
  
• Shure SM58 - $100 - A dynamic vocal mic that will play well in a not so perfect recording space. Check out Regina Spektor using one during a concert. This mic is so popular I would make sure to only get it from a reputable dealer i.e. not used on ebay, because there are fakes floating around.
  
  If you need/want to mic your guitar then consider the SM-57. It is nearly identical to the SM58. Here is a guy demonstrating using one to record his guitar.
  
  
• If $100 is insanely out of your budget, then consider the Behringer XM8500 - $20 - Not as high quality as the SM58, but still a decent sound. Here is a guy comparing the SM57 to the XM8500 and is using just one mic for voice and guitar, without using a preamp, so keep that in mind when comparing the audio (I hear some noise in the audio, probably noise from the line to the camera, which I presume has some sort of automatic gain happening).
  
  This guy's video makes me wonder if just an SM57 with a decent preamp (i.e. one with clean gain) might be all you'd need... but that isn't ideal. You could go with two XM8500s, one for guitar and one for vocals ($40). Or one SM58 for vocals and one XM8500 for guitar($120). That all comes down to budget and preferences.
  
  
• You'll need a mic stand, or two. The On-Stage MS7701B is a best seller on Amazon. I own one of these and it isn't going to impress anyone. I've never had it tip over or seem unsteady. If you extend the boom arm too far it can sometimes slowly droop over time (I may be guilty of not tightening it enough due to not wanting to strip the threads) It does the job of holding a mic in place. If you go with two mics, you could get two of them. You could also get a desk stand for the mic that is recording your guitar and find a suitable place to set it, but I think the boom arm of the MS7701B will be useful for keeping the stand out of your way.
  
  
• And you will need cables. I recommend the cables from Monoprice, their Pro Audio series. It is not as user friendly to find the exact cables you'll need as a site like B&H, but I have had several of their cables and only had one die on me. All their cables have a lifetime warranty and the prices are shockingly low.
  
  
• And a windscreen or pop filter for the mics is nice. There is a decent windscreen on Amazon for 3 bucks, sometimes 2 bucks.
  
  Potential Changes & other thoughts -
  
  A more expensive preamp - ART Tube Dual Mic Preamp With USB - $190- this has some compression and a limiter. It's debatable whether in this range it would be better to get a decent mixer, a preamp for your vocals, and let the preamp on the mixer handle the guitar, or if something like this would be better. Like a Behringer mixer - Q802USB ($80) + ART single channel Preamp for vocals ($40/$50) would be less money than the Dual USB preamp.
  
  Or maybe just the Q802USB would suffice for your needs. It has preamps already built in. They are not the best preamps in the world. I mean... after all I wrote above, the more I think about it the more I think you should try a Q802USB and see if the sound is what you're wanting.
  
  Headphones - Add in some headphones to monitor your audio. ATH-M40x ($100) would be my recommendation, but this is where a lot of personal preference comes into the mix, no pun intended.
  
  Different mics - Rode has some mics that compare the the Shure SM57/58 that might be better. And the options for mic are virtually limitless, when you consider not just the mics can vary, but the audio interfaces and processing options. I really think a dynamic mic will be most user friendly for a one off home recording.
  
  I hope I haven't confused more than I helped. I think the essentials are this: good mics, clean gain, easy to use. Whether you get the dual channel ART preamp or the Q802USB, either will be easy to use. I would bet the gain on the ART preamp is cleaner, meaning less background hiss at higher levels, than the Q802USB, but perhaps that is just an unreasonable bias. In either case, the mic is going to be important and where your budget plays a big role. The SM58 and SM57 are superb for vocals and recording guitar. A condenser might be better if the acoustics of your recording space allow for it, but I hope you saw from the video I linked of the guy recording his guitar with the SM57 that a great sound can be achieved with a $100 mic. If that is out of your budget, keep in mind the XM8500, but the sound is not as clear as the Shure mics it tries to emulate.

I have a buddy who runs a music studio, but if you needed the space, he'd definitely set it up for a podcast interview.

I do tend to agree that you should be able to get pretty close to studio sound on a budget assuming you have a computer already. I understand that sometimes owning stuff is a huge hassle itself, but if it's something you want to do a few times, the cost savings would start to be there.

Since no one has given you any real advice on how to do this, I can give it a shot.

I'd start by installing Audacity on your computer. It's super basic, but what you're doing is super basic. And it's super free. That's a huge plus.

Next, decide how you want to do microphones. First, you'll want stands. If it's an interview/two person thing, you'll need a couple of these (or more if you want more mics). We're at $25 for two now.

Next, decide what quality you want to be at. The Blue Snowball is a pretty great entry level microphone. I've honestly never run two into a computer before, but I imagine it'd be easy enough to record two different microphones on two different tracks in Audacity. That would bring our total to around $150. To upgrade in this way, you would go to something like the Blue Yeti. At over $100/unit, that adds another $100 to your cost.

The other way to do microphones is using a USB Interface for your computer and buying standard microphones. I'm keen on that option because it's a little more flexible if and when you look to upgrade your setup. You can use $15 microphones to get by or if you're locked and loaded, you can upgrade to really nice condensers.

As far as soundproofing goes, you can decide if that's possible wherever you're at. The last voice over project I worked on, I hung blankets in my bedroom and that was perfectly fine. Obviously that's not the most professional look, but there wasn't a pile of ambient noise to deal with and the directional mics do a good job focusing on your voice. You can build sound dampening walls with plywood, insulation, and fabric if you really want. It takes a staple gun, some screws, and about an hour per panel.

Assuming you have the time, an okay computer, and about $300, you could really build yourself a nice studio. If this is a one off kind of thing, it's definitely not worth it. My buddy's place is called, The Petting Zoo and I'd be more than willing to ask him details if you want.

Either way, good luck!

Hey!
A bit about me before I go on a rant: I'm a professional podcaster. Spoken audio is how I make my living. I've used and tried just about every popular microphone/preamp (XLR & USB) up to about $500 (and quite a few over $500). So to start, what routes CAN you take (you kind of highlighted your options a bit, but I'd like to expand on them).

1. A new headset microphone. Simple. Look HyperX Cloud II or a nice Sennheiser set. They've got really good gaming headset microphones (but very few if any headset microphones are going to sound better than a "real" microphone), and you wont need any extra equipment. The downside is your audio quality will only ever be adequate and the quality of your headphones is tied to the audio quality of your microphone.
   
2. A USB microphone. This is the compromise most streamers make. With a USB-only microphone, the DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) is built into the microphone. DACs typically do two things 1. Convert the signal and 2. Add/reduce/maintain quality. For example, a USB > XLR converter box is $5 on Amazon, but the sound degradation is night and day worse than what you would get from a more serious DAC like a Scarlett Solo or something similar. With a USB microphone, the DAC is built into the microphone itself. Generally speaking, a separate DAC is going to have superior sound quality to an integrated one (in the same way an integrated GPU is almost always worse than a dedicated one) - but there are exceptions, and at the lower price ranges the differences are generally minimal. If you go with a USB microphone, I personally would suggest you skip over the Yeti. The Yeti is a FINE sounding microphone, but it has a LOUD noise floor meaning that computer fans, A/C units, and just about anything else that makes noise will be picked up by that microphone without laying on effects. In the Yeti's favor, it's a REALLY cool looking microphone - but it definitely doesn't punch at or above its weight in sound quality. Again, you can make a Yeti sound good if you have the right room or the technical ability to add a noise gate, EQ, compressor, etc, but it's a lot of extra work. I'll talk about recommendations in a second.
   
3. An XLR microphone. This is the "long-term" play. However, MOST XLR microphones are going to have minimal superior sound quality until you get to microphones at about $250+. With an XLR microphone you'll also need a DAC. A decent DAC (that outperforms the built in DAC of a USB microphone) is generally going to run near the $100 range. Meaning that for your microphone, boom stand, pop filter, and shockmount, you're tied to $150 to stay in your price range. The upside is, it's unlikely you'll need to replace your DAC anytime soon unless you grow into really expensive microphones.
   
    
   
   Types of Microphones:
   

• Condenser: Condenser microphones are generally the most popular on the Twitch streaming community but, in my opinion, they shouldn't be used in most cases. Condenser microphones tend to have loud noise floors and require a room to be treated. They also generally have worse angle rejection (ideally, your microphone isn't catch noise to the side and behind the microphone).
  

2. Broadcast microphone. This is my recommendation. You can lose some of the "shiny-ness" of a condenser microphone, but in most cases it's not noticeably relevant. Comparing ~$250 budget microphones aren't going to have incredibly different frequency responses (again, exceptions apply).
   Recommendations:
   
3. An XLR/USB hybrid microphone - Broadcast: The Audio-Technica AT2005USB is a microphone that has both XLR and USB. Meaning you can start out with USB, get the right equipment with a boom arm/shock mount/pop filter and down the road get an audio interface (DAC) to add some quality to the microphone. The only downside? The microphone isn't especially cool to look at.
   
4. A USB-only microphone. The Audio Technica ATR2100-USB is essentially the same as the 2005, but doesn't have XLR. You save $15. This article is a great source on some dynamic microphones to take a look at.
   
5. An XLR-only microphone. This is the long-term play, but not a bad one. If you see yourself wanting to upgrade microphones and change out gear down the road, this may be the most viable option. You picked a good microphone in the AT2035, but a mediocre DAC (for reasons I discussed earlier).
   
6. Headset: Sennheiser or HyperX Cloud II. Do some research and watch some reviews.
   
    
   
   Sorry for the INCREDIBLY long-winded response. Microphones, for me, make or break streams and just because it's "analog" or "looks cool" doesn't mean that it'll perform well. I also want to add an additional shout out to using a Podfarm or OBS's VST plugins to highlight your voice. Using a microphone "dry" is rarely (if ever) the best way to get the best out of that microphone. Adding simple effects can be the difference maker between making a $50 microphone sound like a $500 one and a $500 one sound like a $50 microphone. Cheers and good luck!

1. He needs to be entertaining to keep viewers. If he's not at the 99.9999th percentile of skill, it's highly unlikely he'll build a following without being highly entertaining. So manage your expectations and help him manage his.
   
   
2. For someone to be entertaining a big part of it is to have a varied life. Conversation about a wide variety of subjects, being happy, healthy, clean, accomplished, etc... As a couple you should be helping each other achieve those things regardless, so maybe take a step back and look at that big picture.
   
   
3. AFK his stream, invite friends to watch it, etc...
   
   
4. Make him his chicken tendies, mountain dew, and open his doritos. Just kidding...
   
   
5. As for equipment and setup... This all depends. The next things I would usually advise would be the best quality camera you can get in your budget, like an actual HD camcorder and figure out how to hook that up. Maybe an IRL streaming backpack setup? Sound treatment for the room can be good, but majority of products you buy for this are snake oil, so do your research. I'll just list off some things that I recommend people as ideas:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MWNYGUS/ - Adjustable clamp-jaw mount for cameras like the Logitech C920/922 (the most recommended cameras). Get a better or more unique angle.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ACFAULC/ - Pop filters help a lot with audio quality.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017WNJS3M/ - Green screen it up and you can do all sorts of wacky or cool stuff, or it just cleans up the presentation of the stream in general.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Stream-Deck-Mini-Customizable/dp/B07DYRS1WH - The streamdeck mini just came out, pretty useful for doing goofy on-demand stuff with programmable buttons. Some people swear by these.
   
   For higher end stuff for audio, put this stuff in a wish list if he does start to take off:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002E4Z8M - Probably my most recommended mic for people wanting to get into the more serious stuff.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/dbx-286s-Microphone-Preamp-Processor/dp/B004LWH79A - Probably the best entry level audiophile grade mic preamp. This is endgame for streamers personally, it's way beyond what most people have and it will give him an edge.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Microphones-CL-1-Cloudlifter-1-channel/dp/B004MQSV04 - Cloudlifter CL-1. This is a must if you ahve a Shure SM7B, excellent high end filter that will absolutely remove all noise.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Furman-M-8X2-Outlet-Conditioner-Protector/dp/B003BQ91Y6/ - Further eliminates noise from dirty power. Everyone who wants a decent XLR high-end setup wants something like this.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Heath-ZEDi-10FX-Compact-Interface/dp/B01ATAK5MS - This is an excellent mixer+audio interface combo, if you are going XLR you'll want a mixer. It's 4x4 USB, which for the price is a great value, and it's preamps and lines are notoriously silent. I bought the last version of this which was a 4x2 interface on a great sale, and couldn't be more pleased.
   
   There's a lot more you can get of course. A simple small table rack to rack mount these things... But it all depends, the sky is the limit with this stuff. Just giving you ideas of how you can go nuts with it.
   
   But at the core of it, if he's not organically growing by being consistent and working hard at it and trying to improve... Maybe he's just not entertaining enough? It is what it is. Don't think that buying this stuff really makes any difference, it only does if you are already able to gain viewers in the first place.

So, I don't know the most technical differences, but I can tell you the major difference between Condenser and Dynamic.

Condenser mics are going to pick up a lot of ambient noise. You'll probably see these in a recording studio, and they work well in that setting because studios are designed to incorporate them. Some condenser mics require phantom power to power them, the Blue lineup does not as they are powered by the computer.

Dynamic mics are going to be more focused, picking up the sound directly in front of them. I prefer the Dynamic, as I think you can get a better, more isolated sound. Especially if your recording space isn't ideal or acoustically treated.

The Blue Microphones (Snowball and Yeti) are condenser mics. So, if you're using a Yeti, you're going to be picking up a lot of the noise in the room, and outside the room (and even the building, depending on your recording space). So, if you have animals, roomates, Air Conditioning, fans, any little thing that makes noise, it will be picked up.

We used to record with a Blue Snowball, and while it's nice for capturing the sound of multiple hosts, the cons outweigh the pros.

Now, if you're able to treat the space with either acoustic foam, or even something as simple as hanging blankets up, and putting some on the floor if you don't have carpet, this will help your acoustics.

Or, if you're a one-person show, you can record in a closet, as well Just be mindful of any ambient noises you might not think of.

However, depending on how many people you're planning on having, here's the setup I recommend, for your price range:

1. Behringer Xenyx 1202 with 4 XLR inputs. - This $80 mixer gives you some room to grow.
   
   
2. Behringer Ultravoice 3-Pack - This affordable $40 dynamic microphone bundle will let you and any additional hosts get started with a decent sound. You could always upgrade to more expensive mics later, but even the affordable Behringer XM8500 is a great mic that comes in at $20.
   
   
3. Pick up the cables, which should run you between $20–$30: 3 XLR cables, plus the line out from the mixer to your laptop/computer.
   
   
4. Audacity. Free, easy-to-use editing software that I've been using for 6 years and is perfect for my show's needs. There are a lot of online resources to support Audacity and all of its functions.
   
   
5. A hosting site: Podbean, Shout Engine, Libsyn, Archive.org, etc. This is where you'd upload your show and use your RSS feed to get into iTunes. I personally use Podbean, but to have a decent go of it, you'll have to pay. We pay around $100 a year. Shout Engine and Archive.org are free alternatives, and I've personally used Shout Engine without issue.
   
   
6. Some people like to use headsets to monitor their sound, but it's not super necessary to start. You can gauge your volumes by watching the recording track in Audacity and see if anyone needs to be turned up or down. Using dynamic mics and a mixer will give you a lot of volume control pre-recording. Down the road, you could look into an Audio Interface which would allow for multitrack recording, giving more control over everyones levels post-recording.
   
   And there you go. For about $150, you'll have a decent starter setup which will capture a good sound right away.
   

If you enjoy acoustic style playing, I feel it can be beneficial to developing a better playing style as you branch out to electric. Acoustic guitars require a little more attention to finger placement and fretting technique. Mistakes are more noticeable and you can fix those problems early before they become bad habits. Electric guitars tend to "cover" those mistakes more easily with all the effects and distortion (once playing at a high level they become more noticeable again). Things like hitting extra strings, fretting a note that is dead, etc.

I definitely regret not learning more on an acoustic first. I jumped straight into electric and never really looked back.

As for gear and making the transition to electric, it depends on what you want to do with your guitar playing.

If you are going to just play and practice by yourself at home, I recommend at least researching amp simulator software for use on a PC and getting an affordable audio interface.

I recently bought a brand new Jackson 7-string guitar for $180 (it's actually not bad either was on sale), an audio interface for ~$75 (included free DAW software, was on sale as well), and purchased a large amp/cab/effects bundle on Revalver 4 for $100. I already had headphones and a PC. I also bought studio monitors but that's neither here nor there.

I know that's over your budget but you can try most amp sim software packages for free and you can buy the amps, cabs, and effects a la carte for pretty cheap prices (a few $ each). It unlocks a huge range of sounds and possibilities and you can learn the types of amps and sounds you like. If you ever want to buy a real amp/cab, then you have a direction you would like to go.

Just for comparison, by the time you buy a guitar, some floor pedals (can range from $50-100 each), and a practice amp (which may or may not sound good at this price level), you are probably over your $300 anyway. With the software/interface option, you can have like 15 amps, probably like 25 cabs, lots of microphone sims, and tons of effect pedals inside the software for like $350.

I'm into metal as well and I've found the high gain amps and sounds in Revalver to be pretty good. Different amp sims do certain things better than others.

Good luck on your journey

> I have 2000 dollars maximum for my computer build. I don't have any play over that. That being said if I need an amplifier for my interface I am cool with buying that in the future when I can get the money for it. If you can fit it in that's great!

Hm. Well, not entirely sure you'll need it - sadly, interfaces provide almost no specs for their headphone outs, so it could be 5Vrms into 100 ohm or it could be .5Vrms. Guess the thing to do would be to listen, then determine if it's working properly for you and getting loud enough without distortion - if so, you're good. If not, amp time.

>The room is dedicated to this computer. And I'm getting the micke from ikea for a desk. I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable moding it to mount the mic. Perhaps a stand would better better for my needs?

Looks to me like the Micke would support a mic arm just fine without modding. Of course, you could also put it on your desk, but I've found that tends toward very loud keyboard noise.

So, with all the information you've given me, I think I've got a pitch for you:

For an interface: a [Focusrite Scarlett Solo] (http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-Compact-Interface/dp/B00MTXU2DG) which will run you around $100 new (a bit harsh - I got a 2i2, which is the same or better in all regards for around the same), or $80 or less used (though I sadly don't see many used ones from respectable retailers at the moment, so you'd need to go eBay spelunking). It will accept an instrument line in for recording, allow live monitoring via the headphone out of all inputs, and has a mic input with phantom as a bonus.

For a headphone: [AKG K7XX] (https://www.massdrop.com/buy/akg-x-massdrop-k7xx-limited-edition-ruby-red), which is one of my favourite recommendations in moderately-priced headphones. The K7XX is a comfortable, detailed headphone with excellent positional audio, and an easy-to-like sound signature which slightly boosts the bass but without the ludicrous bass boosts of some "lifestyle" headphones. At $200, it's already compelling value, and you can find it used on Head-Fi, eBay, or /r/AVExchange for $170 or less typically. The wrinkle here is that the K7XX takes a fair bit of juice to drive, and I'm legitimately not sure the Solo has enough. It might, some interfaces surely do, but Focusrite publishes no specs here, so all you'd be able to do is listen and see for yourself.

For a mic: [Audio-Technica's AT2020] (http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK) is a very clear, detailed mic for its price (which is around $80 new, less used) if you have the 48v phantom it craves (which, as a Solo owner, you would). It will pick up keyboard and room noise pretty easily, though, so you'll want to use push-to-talk with it for VOIP IMO, though a shock mount and positioning it well could also work, I suppose.

There's probably enough slack in the budget to fit additional gear if needed - particularly if you buy used - so if you need an arm to mount the mic (since you're a musician, you might see if you can get one from a friend for cheap/free first, though) or an amp for the K7XX, it can be provisioned for.

The best way to get some great recordings without breaking the bank is to grab a recording interface like this. There are a ton of options on the market, but this is known to be a good quality interface.

Next you'll need a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). This is basically a digital recording studio and they range from simple (like Garage Band) to professional quality like Logic Pro X or ProTools. At the core they all basically do the same thing. You record tracks to create a mix and you make adjustments to these tracks so they sound good together. For example, you don't want everything going 'up the middle', some sounds you want panned toward the left, some toward the right, some in the center, etc. You'll also adjust the volume of each track individually so everything sounds cohesive.

Higher-end DAWs allow you much more power and flexibility. They will allow you to do things like compress audio signals, apply complex EQing techniques, perform automation (real-time knob turning, basically), route signals between tracks, apply various effects, many are bundled with a bunch of software instruments, and MUCH more, but don't let it all daunt you right now. Some of my favorite mixes I've done are very simple where I did nothing more than adjust the tracks' volume/panning and did some simple EQing.

Most recording interfaces come with a basic DAW. The interface linked above comes with Ableton Live, but you can use any DAW you want. Reaper is a popular choice for Windows users on a budget. It has a free trial that never cripples the software (you just get the occasional nag screen), but if you like it you should support the devs and pay the $60, it's a very powerful DAW for the price.

*One awesome resource is the recording revolution YouTube channel. I'm not affiliated in any way, I just find this channel to be tremendously helpful. There are a ton of videos for all skill levels.

I have an AT2020USB sitting on the floor (next to a Rode Podcaster). Good mic. Sounds good. Still a condenser and still sensitive. Still better choices to be found that'll work for most and sound better.

I generally avoid everything Alesis and Behringer because they're cheap. Not just in price, but in components, quality, reliability, and sound... generally speaking. That said, I have no experience with that particular audio interface. The Focusrite Scarlett Solo comes well reviewed at around the same price (I think?). Steinberg also has an interface around the same price. If you're looking more for a mixer (that's what the Alesis is), then I'd suggest looking at a Mackie or Yamaha mixer. Chances are, you're going to be looking a lot more money than the Alesis, but you're getting superior preamps and overall better hardware and reliability. Just be careful to get one that's USB unless you want to go analog everything (if you're not an audio engineer with a high end sound card, don't).

Whether you need a mixer or an audio interface comes down to what you're going to be doing. The mixer can be helpful for effects, additional EQ, monitoring, multiple inputs, etc., but it's not necessary in most instances. For most, an audio interface with one or two inputs is sufficient--you can always upgrade later and sell the interface on Ebay (or some such) because they're always in demand.

Regarding stands, I use a Rode PSA1 and have no qualms recommending it, but it's somewhat pricey. If you need cheaper, the Neewer arm has good reviews, but I have no feedback regarding it. Pretty sure several people here use and like the Neewer arm.

For a pop filter, anything, really, is fine. Don't worry about metal ones or filters made of exotic materials--any cheap nylon screen works as well as anything else. You likely won't need a windsock, but you can find plenty of those on the cheap as well. (I suppose you could go with just windsock or just filter, but either should be fine--I just prefer a pop filter to a sock.) For the XLR cable, meh... not Monster? I use these--they're nothing special, just cables. Work/sound fine.

It's easy to spend a lot of money on this stuff, but if you have patience and time, you can save a lot by buying used. Most of my mics are used and they work perfectly well--generally speaking, people take care of those (and it's obvious when they don't).

Note: That Samsung Go Mic is $33.44 on Amazon, rather than $39.99 on ebay. And from everything I've heard it's an AWESOME microphone for the money.

A few other budget options (because options are always good):

Desktop Microphone: ~$10 Not exactly studio-quality sound, but capable of recording better quality than you might think. Just expect to spend a lot of time trying to get it positioned correctly. Also, you will pretty much HAVE to use Audacity or a similar program to get rid of background noise and improve the quality. Despite the downsides, for $10 it might be worth a shot.

CAD U1 USB Dynamic Recording Microphone: $24.22 This is a great microphone for the money. Although it can't hold a finger to some of its higher-end counterparts, the price is tough to beat, and it will give you pretty good sound quality. A great first microphone if you're on a budget of less than $25.

CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Microphone: $46.94 A very solid microphone for less than $50. Comes with a pretty sturdy stand, compared with other microphones in its price range.

So there you have it. Anyone reading this thread has a total of 4 microphone options, all for less than $50. =)

So as another 29yo musician figuring out reaper over the past few weeks. Definitely watch tutorials, how to's, and basic use videos from youtube and stuff posted here. You'll learn way more from doing that faster than you will from poking around. Most of the time i just google something like "Reddit Render Midi track in reaper" and i'll get a link to this sub with a video.

Definitely get an audio interface, i'll help tremendously with overall sound and latency. I think something with two channels will work well for you. You'll most likely only be recording one instrument at a time if you're doing this solo but the option of the second channel will let you record an acoustic performance if you ever want to. I have no brand loyalty so here's a few options, you can do research on them as you see fit or search some out yourself:

UMC202HD , Scarlett 2i2 , AudioBox USB 2x2

Or if you need to be more budget friendly, this guy is a great bang for you buck, however it is only one channel:

Behringer UM2

If you dont have any 1/4" headphones, pick up a 1/4" male to 3.5mm female adapter as well so you can monitor your sound and for playback through the interface. You can find these at bestbuy or somewhere local pretty easily.

You'll want to look at some 3rd party VSTs for effects instead of your phone. I'm currently in the process of trying different free things out, so i don't have too many suggestions unfortunately, but maybe some other people can chime in with their favorites. I'd watch youtube tutorials to learn how to setup and use these. two I could recommend so far are:

MT Power Drumkit 2 - Simple drum VST that allows you to pick from a select of beats in different styles, then once you import them into reaper you can change the beat with the MIDI editor as you see fit. Watch some youtube tutorials on it to get going using it.

AmpliTube Custom Shop - Comes with a few amp, cab, and effect options that should get you going with some guitar sounds. You can also get the demo version of AmpliTube Full and it will run for 30 min, then you have to close and reopen it for it to work again (seems to be a common setup for demo versions of VSTs), but you can get a good bit in 30min if you know what you want going in.

+1 for being in the same boat as you! 31/F/originally from NY. Professional singer of 10+ years; have always been told I have a very unique and soothing voice. I've honestly been stewing on this for over a year and hadn't pulled the trigger until last week. I sat down and figured out what it would ACTUALLY take me (financially and space-wise) to give it a real try.

I have a closet in my current "studio" with all of my guitars and what not; I figured I could commit to turning this space into a booth. I did the math and realized I could treat the space acoustically for $179. eBay had 2" foam panels for way cheaper than anywhere else. Is it the BEST product out there? Probably not - but it will definitely get the job done.

Equipment wise, I figured out that I'd need an updated USB interface and a dedicated VO microphone. I ordered both of those things for $130. Here's what I ordered:

Mic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007NQH98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

USB interface: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QHURUBE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Again, not top-of-the-line products, but I did my research and these both seem to be solid choices for beginners. I've cleared out the closet and I'm currently waiting for the panels to arrive. They get here tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to install them on Thursday or Friday morning. They need to "sit" for a bit to uncompress. Haha.

Anyway, I hope my story has helped you! As soon as I get my booth set up, I plan to take webinars and learn, learn, learn. I'll also spent a significant amount of time just recording practice scripts. I learn by doing, so there will be a LOT of doing going on. Haha. I feel as though I could be a tiny bit ahead of the game since I have experience recording and I'm comfortable with recording software and gear. I've also been using my voice as a tool for over 10 years..but in a different way.

Good luck and feel free to hit me up if you need some motivation! I know I've doubted myself multiple times since committing, but I've gotta go for it.

Here's a short lists of what you need to start recording:

• Computer
  
• DAW
  
• Audio interface
  
• Microphone/instrument
  
  Computer: I'm assuming you already have this, it allows you to do work.
  
  DAW: stands for Digital Audio Workstation, and this is where you'll be doing most (if not all) of your work. A popular and cheap option is Reaper, but you can also use a less powerful (and free) program like Audacity. I would recommend starting off with a "full featured" one like Reaper (which I believe has a 30 day trial period?) because if you do end up getting really into it you'll be glad that you have a bit of background knowledge. Some might argue that certain DAWs are better than other, but it really boils down to personal preference. All DAWs can allow you to have multiple tracks going on at once, for instance, overlaying lyrics over an instrumental track.
  
  Audio interface: this is the hardware that sits between your computer and your instrument/microphone. It allows the signal from the microphone to be converted from analog to digital which the computer can interpret. If you're just starting out, go with whatever you can find on eBay or Craigslist, but make sure it has what you need (correct number of input/output, USB or firewire connectivity, phantom power if you're using condenser mics).
  
  Microphone/instrument: without this, you won't get far. The microphone you linked above I think is generally used for vocals, as most condenser microphones are. A solid recommendation that a lot of people give is the SM57 dynamic microphone for micing cabinets or instruments; some people even use it for vocals (myself included, 'cause honestly, it gets the job done).
  
  The link that you gave looks like has a microphone and a DAW, but no audio interface. I think this might be because the microphone itself has some kind of hardware on the inside to be a plug-and-play, using your computer's motherboard as an interface. So for now if you wanted to use that package for recording instruments and vocals with that specific mic, you're good.
  
  My personal recommendation to start writing music without breaking the bank that will leave you a lot of flexibility going forward:
  
  Interface: some random 2-input audio interface with decent reviews Keep in mind that you would only be able to use dynamic microphones on this, as condenser require 48v phantom power.
  
  Microphone: simple dynamic mic
  
  DAW: I highly recommend trying out the 30-day trial of Reaper, but like I said, this is all your preference.
  
  
  Bottom line: the Blue Yeti All-In-One can get you started, but it has limitations (no audio interface) if you want to start getting deeper into it.
  
  Sorry if this is a bit rambly, I'm at work and kept getting distracted while writing this, let me know if you need any more info or clarification.

I'm going to assume you're talking about electric guitar, and you want to record on to your computer.

We'll go with the simplest/cheapest way (Note, you won't want to run an electric guitar directly into a computer, it'll generally sound like crap)

First off, you'll need a microphone. The Shure SM57 is an industry standard for recording many things, from guitar cabs to snare drums, and more. It's only $100, too! There's a knockoff of that mic, for half the price, that's supposed to be just as good (some people even prefer the sound), the GLS-57. Both of these mics are "dynamic" mics, and either of these mics will work.

You'll need to get a mic stand to place the mic in the proper position on the amp, which is a separate lesson in and of itself.

Next, you need a way to get the mic signal into your computer. The quickest, cheapest, but least featured way to do so would be something like the Blue Icicle. You would plug it into your computer, plug an XLR cable into it, and plug the mic into that cable.

For software, the most basic, and free software is Audacity. It really is pretty basic, but you can plug your stuff in, hit record, and it'll record. If you want something more powerful, check out Reaper. It's really good, and pretty cheap (and has a more or less unlimited trial period if you're that kind of person). It is somewhat complex though, and it'll take a decent amount of time to get comfortable with. If you have a Mac, Garage Band is just peachy.

inally, the last important part is hearing what you're recording. At the low-end, you're probably better off with headphones. I recommend either the Sennheiser HD280s or the less expensive Sony MDR-V6s (mostly identical to their professional MDR-7506s). If you want to get some actual monitors, check out the Behringer MS16s.

Unsurprisingly, you can spend a hell of a lot more money on any of these things. Feel free to ask any questions!

Bonus advice! If you want to record an acoustic guitar, instead of the SM57, you'd want to get a small diaphragm condenser (SDC) mic, like the MXL 603S.

I personally recommend the Klipsch ProMedia as the best sub-$200 option. Sound is really solid and it's definitely got the bass. Plugging your computer in is straightforward and I believe the newest version has bluetooth as well. Best Buy used to have it as a demo with their computer speakers, not sure if they do anymore.

A better option might be studio monitors like the JBL LSR305/LSR30X which are also an insane deal. You'd need to get a bluetooth adapter and you'd need to worry about inputs (many studio monitors take 1/4" or XLR, which would require janky adapters (probably won't sound great out of a headphhone out without something like this) or a dac/audio interface like this or this. The JBL approach will get you a better sound (more accurate to the music, more balanced sound, magical amazing beautiful and perfect imaging) but will probably be a bit above what you'd like to spend. Most of that stuff can also be bought used if you are okay with that.

I would try and stretch or save up a bit for the monitors. They're a pretty solid step up from most all "computer speakers," and the JBLs in particular are one of the best bang-for-buck deals in audio that I've seen.

Best of luck, and feel free to shoot me a PM with more questions or what you decide to do!

I hear you, I wish I had a better stand for my mic so that I didn;t have to hunch over my desk as much xD If you are that far from your desk, a floor mounted boom arm type mic stand would work for you.

I'd be happy to listen to one of your videos and give you feedback. I'll just pick your most recent video (Ghost Recon Phantoms - Ep.07 - Metro).

• You're intro seems a bit long. This is personal preference, but I've found 3-7 seconds is a good length.
  
  
• Your voice sounds a bit flat to me. I would suggest boosting your treble and bass slightly.
  
  
• The clarity of your voice is great though, can hear you very well.
  
  For headset recommendations I would suggest and Astro A40 or A30 which has the best frequency response I've seen for gaming headsets. They can be a bit pricey though. Sennheiser and SteelSeries Syberia are also good candidates (although the Steelseries is the same price as the Astro).
  
  The Astros have the best frequency response, which will capture some more of the lows and highs. This will help with the "flat" tones I mentioned. However for $200 you can get a pretty nice Audio Technica or Blue Snowball/Yeti setup with a stand and shock mount.

You can have a killer setup for under $500.

Mic: Audio Technica AT2005 - A great mic that a lot of let's players use (draax, zueljin, kingdaddydmac, etc.). It also accepts xlr or usb inputs (more on that at the end). I use the atr2100, which is the same mic, just different color and warranty. The at2005 is cheaper by about $25 right now, so buying today, that's the one I'd get. It's a dynamic mic, so it blocks out sound that's not in front of it. Much better for noisy environments. Condenser mics like the blue yeti will pick up a lot more background noise. Other mics I've used are the V-Moda Boompro, which works with most headphones that have detachable cables (in my case the M100s) and sounds good, but changing the cable for when I didn't want to use the mic became old pretty fast. You can leave it attached, but then the boom mic is there all the time. I've also used the antlion modmic 4.0 and can't recommend it. It has white noise unless you use a usb soundcard, the cable is stiff and it's kind of expensive compared to full fledged mics. $56

Stand: Pyle PMKSH01 Suspension Boom Scissor Microphone Stand - A decent cheap stand. Nothing special, but it comes with an integrated xlr cable. I use this one, but may upgrade to the Rode PSA1 ($100) later on. The shock mount will not fit the at2005 however. $21

Shock Mount: On-Stage MY420 - A great shock mount that fits the at2005/atr2100. Shock mounts reduce noises from bumping your desk or tapping on your keyboard; things that may reverberate to your mic. It might not even be necessary if you're not a heavy handed gamer or if your desk is made of a thick, dense material. $25

Wind Filter: On-Stage Foam Ball Windscreen - Reduces wind/breathing noises as well as minimizing plosives. Not a complete necessity, but extremely cheap and it does help, so why not? $3

Cable management: Velcro One-Wrap Cable Wraps - I use these for keeping the usb cable for the mic attached to the stand. Extremely useful and cheap. $6

Headphones: Very subjective to user preference. I prefer closed vs open for noise isolation. Here's what I've used:

Audio Technica ATH M50: Good (not great) headphones for ~$100. Considered the standard by many, but to me they're just good. $155

V-Moda M100: Excellent sound with very potent bass. They make the M50s sound muddy in comparison. HOWEVER, the M100s have a design flaw where the "wings" (the parts above where you adjust the headphones) will crack over time. It happened to two pairs of my M100s. Unacceptable for the price of these headphones, regardless of how good they sound. $222

Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro 80 Ohm: Amazing. Potent bass like the M100s, but even a bit clearer. Very wide soundstage for closed headphones. I paid $219 for mine and don't regret it a single bit. I might grab another pair at the price they're currently at. $150

All that adds up to around $261 + tax choosing the DT770s, and will be a killer setup for gaming. Far better than any "gaming" headset, and it even opens the option of streaming or let's play videos (the reason I got my setup). There is one more thing I'd add though, given the budget if you're serious about mic quality, and that's the $99 Focusrite Scarlett Solo 2nd Gen. It's a usb audio interface that accepts xlr mics. It gives you a bit more control over the audio coming out of your mic and cleans up the signal so you get less "noise" from the usb interface. Quality is good without it, but with it, it's noticeably better.

Hope this helps some! I spent quite a while researching things when I put my own setup together. :)

Just couple of suggestions on the audio. I don't know what you have access to for editing but a few things to try.

If you put a side chained compressor on the game audio when there is gaps in the speaking the game volume will increase in volume to level things out. To do this you would run your voice into the sidechain section of a compressor hooked up to the game volume. Set the attack as fast as possible and a medium - long length of the release. Keep a fairly low ratio maybe 4:1 or so and just reduce the threshold until you start hearing a good amount of gain reduction.

Another is to set up a compressor on your voice. Just a basic fast attack and medium - long release. The ratio depends but use from 2:1 up to 4:1. Basically what this will do is when you start speaking louder it will make gain reductions to help keep a consistent volume.

You can also set up a basic EQ to try to kill unnecessary frequencies and harsh ones. Anything above 17-20Khz is unneeded. Humans typically can't hear above 20k and sometimes it can produce high pitched noise that can be annoying/painful to hear. Anything below 20hz should absolutely be removed. You cannot hear below those frequencies but might cause your sub woofer to pump. Think of the feeling you get when there is an explosion in a movie. If you want to do some minor EQ to the voice try to stick to subtractive EQ instead of additive. Basically reduce 1 frequency to make another more prominent in the mix.

Finally if you are not already using it get something like a popper pad or a foam cover for the for the microphone. This will reduce the popping noise you hear when you say words that begin with "P" "B" etc.

If you can as well reduce input gain of the microphone or add a compressor before recording. When you record you should see a visual representation of the gain input/output like this. If you see this reaching red then you are clipping. Clipping causes distortion and can make the sound break apart. Sometimes it is best to have a relatively low input gain, which will make it sound quiet, and then raise the gain after and use a compressor to prevent clipping. Soft clip will help keep the dynamics intact which will allow the volume to fluctuate more. Hard clip will keep a more stable volume but eliminate a lot of the sounds dynamics.

Of course!!

It's a bit of an investment, but the equipment I used was the Zoom H4n Pro. Did some research and the Zoom H4n has been a standard for awhile- phenomenal device, and they recently put out an updated model (the Pro) which is identical save for some upgrades to the guts inside (the preamps and the onboard mics). I plan on using it for many years to come.

I took nigelewan's advice and set the h4n in my shirt pocket- it fits snug and perfectly. I kinda hated how it sticks out a bit- the mics are silver and shiny so I have to imagine JD notices it, but the fact that he's currently binging Grateful Dead tapes makes me feel a bit better. Still, I kinda want to paint them black or something. Not sure if that's possible though. The shininess is definitely gaudy, but oh well.

Try to position yourself as close to a speaker as possible. Your recording will end up being what the room at large hears mixed with the crowd audio from around you and also feintly capture JD if he goes off mic which is awesome.

The h4n has a bunch of quality options- I did some research and opted for 24bit/48khz . Apparently that's a sweet spot of making the bass sound really nice and juicy and being high quality but still allowing for a lot of recording time (depending on how big a card you get. I used this 32g card. I used a fresh pair of batteries for each show since I didn't want to take any risks.

You have to set the mic level- I was pretty freaking close to some speakers and it seemed like between 20-35 was the good spot. 20 for most songs, and I'd try to turn it up a few notches when a quieter one came on (and then I'd often forget to turn it back down for the subsequent songs so they'd be louder haha).

Wish you the best of luck! Let me know if you have any other questions.

I jsut made the switch from a Blue Yeti to a Dynamic mic and XLR set up. I'll post what i picked up. May be a little over kill for solo but gives plenty of room for expansion.

First up, the MIC

Audio-Technica AT2005USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone

This as it states is a DUEL USB and XLR Dynamic Mic. Since I got it i have loved using it for LEt's plays to just Team chat in games and at Lan Parties. It's got what you expect from a USB Mic. Has a Headphone jack and on board volume for the headphones, And an ON/OFF switch. But then it is also XLR compatible. So it's not something you will toss out the door when you move to XLR.

To go with it i got a desk mount Etubby Adjustable Desktop Microphone Suspension Boom Scissor Arm Stand Holder and some better Mounts for the stand. I have it set up so i just push it out of the way when i don't need it.

As for a mix board i have picked up this
Behringer Q1202USB 12-Channel Mixer.

As in the name as well this is a USB mixer. This does have phantom power if needed, has 4 XLR Inputs , and 12 Channels. And it's only 100 bucks or less depending on Amazon's Mood. And if you got any Music stores around you, This is also sold by GUITAR CENTER in the states, So you may be able to find it locally for same or cheeper.

Since i got it, I Had a little bit of a learning curb and the need to turn up the Compression on the mic channels. First recording with it was well a little blown out. I use this even when solo now cause I get more control over the MIC levels. It's easy to use in windows as it is very much plug and play. Shows up as USB AUDIO CODEC in windows. And if you want to, you CAN send you audio back out through it. Though that part i'm still learning on if it's usable in recordings or not.

I'm Not sure how much Cost wise that will Translate into £'s. But this over all Cost me $180 just for the mic and Mixer. The Mic did come with an XLR cable with it, so you do not need to buy one unless you need it to be longer.

Long post, I Know, But hopefully that gives a few useful suggestions for ya.

Since I saw other people wanting to do voice acting and you yourself might be unsure about what gear to buy, here is advice from a musician:

Try to practice with what you have, when you start to feel more secured about your skill, try to buy a better microphone, do NOT buy a condenser microphone, those are too sensitive if you are starting out, buy a dynamic microphone instead!

Recommended microphones, both made by the brand 'Shure':

SM58

SM7B (If you really can afford it)


To be able to use a microphone that is from an XLR cable to maintain quality you need an audio interface, there is a market solution that brings you to a prosumer level very cheaply and it is called a 'focusrite scarlett solo' it is one of the cheapest but also most durable and stable interfaces in the industry that is worth having! You can hook your electric guitar too if you want to.


The interfaces:


Focusrite scarlett Solo

Focusrite scarlett 2i4 (If you really can afford it, options like the Pad button make it amazing for general use outside of recording)


Now you need a DAW if you want to upgrade from audacity, a DAW (Digital audio workstation) is your workfield, it is what provides you what you want in terms of FX or samples (if it delivers them)


Good cheap DAWs:

Reaper by Cockos

Ableton live 10 intro (more expensive but you get more fx to it, it is less userfriendly for beginners from my experience though)


VSTs are what you will be using in your arsenal for FX and voice processing, you got tons of free VSTs that work like a charm and you got tons of paid ones that obviously work better but you can get them for cheap at plugin boutique! or sign in for emails of the sellers! PM me to request the list for free VSTs, if the demand is high, I'll make a list for it here and edit the post!

The plugin boutique website

Kyle's Setup

Microphone (Shure SM7B) - https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002E4Z8M/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=shure+sm7b&qid=1549674292&sr=8-2

That runs into a clean gain booster, Cloudlifter (I didn't know he wasn't running this since he got his Shure in 2014. Once I learned that, I had him get one and he's been running that for about a month and a half now) https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Microphones-CL-1-Cloudlifter-1-channel/dp/B004MQSV04/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=cloudlifter&qid=1549674274&sr=8-5

Which goes into his mixer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CTKI10A/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Now if someone wanted to run this setup, I would say don't get the Behringer, they have problems but most of the time they're fine. But you want to get a Focusrite Scarlett https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T50LY/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=cloudlifter&qid=1549674274&sr=8-12 or Mackie Onyx https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-Producer-Interface-Bundle-Polishing/dp/B07GJWQQM3/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=mackie+onyx&qid=1549674443&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 (I recommend the Onyx but they're both fucking great, used both, currently running the Mackie in my new studio setup)

Taylor's Setup

Same exact setup as Kyle, even though I told them to get him this Blue Micrphone TUBE arm: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Compass-Premium-Tube-Style-Broadcast/dp/B078MLBGRM/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=blue+microphone+arm&qid=1549674585&sr=8-5

It's a way better arm. Kyle is using the standard Rode arm & either that's what Taylor's got now or he's using a super cheap ass one. But no way that cheap ass one would work with the Shure's weight, so he probably got a rode. But I recommended they both get the Blue tube arm.

Woody's Setup

Microphone (Electro-Voice RE20):

His preamp/mixer is all in his rack that's mounted with his PC which is down by his knee. I forget what he's using cause it's been many, many years since he built that thing.

The microphone arm he is using is the cadillac of microphone studio boom arms the K&M 23860: https://www.amazon.com/23860-Microphone-Desk-Arm-Black/dp/B00AXMM0L2?tag=paidinsi-20

-----------------

The Shure SM7B and Electro-Voice RE20 are the gold standard for radio and podcast production in studios. You can't go wrong. But if you get the SM7B then you need a pre-amp or something that's going to give you an additional 20-40db of clean gain.

If you don't have that Cloudlifter and just use it with that mixer, then you have to crank the fuck out of the gain which greatly increases and raises your noies floor. So you'll be audible and sound good, but you'll still get lots of white noise/background noise.

In my setup it's the Shure SM7B, Mackie Onyx, Cloudlifter, Blue Mic arm and quality XLR cables. When I plan to expand and add more microphones to do several people in studio productions. I'll create a rack unit VERY similar to what Lefty is currently running. With an electricity conditioner and the same preamp he has that I researched on my own and it's perfect for getting the clean gain added that you need so you don't need the cloud.

The Amazon Basics Video tripod (make sure it's the video one with the pan handle) is a good starting point, $23.49. You'll need some sort of iphone to tripod adapter too - they're available at price points from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. No need to overspend if you're just starting out.

I'd recommend you keep that iphone on a tripod at all times - it's so small and light that hand-held footage will be shakey and offputting.

For lighting, assuming you're in a bedroom-sized space then a 3-point photography CFL lighting kit like this will be great. Nice, soft light which will make whatever you're reviewing look good. Cheap too - $46.99

Although I may be biased, I think sound is probably where most of those funds should go. People will happily watch 240p, grainy, blocky, blurry video on youtube but if they can't hear what you're saying then they're gonna switch off.

For piece-to-camera shooting I'd recommend getting a Rode Smartlav for $71.90. You can plug that straight into your iPhone for sync sound recording.

I'd also suggest getting a large-diaphragm microphone for voiceover work - i.e. whenever you're not filming yourself while talking at the same time. The Behringer C1-U is a great budget option that plugs directly into your computer's USB port for recording for $59.99. You'll need something to put it on such as a Suspension Boom ($17.99) and to make sure your audio is clean you'll need a pop filter. ($8.99)

So that's the very basics covered for $157.45 give or take though you can probably get that cheaper if you shop around. That leaves you $242.55 for some more specialist gear...

Depending on what you're reviewing, I'd recommend looking at lightboxes (5-walled cubes that you put the product in to give yourself a white background and even, soft lighting), and a motorized lazy susan (turntable) to give you some interesting options for b-roll.

If you're filming bigger stuff, then a white backdrop would work as well. You could go for something in optical green for chroma keying but keying is a pretty precise art and chances are if you're a total beginner it won't look that great until you really get the hang of it - so go for plain white first.

Chances are you'll still have some money left over after that too... iPhone footage is pretty damn good but you should start putting together a kitty for upgrading to a proper interchanagable lens camera.

Sorry for taking my time /u/AliceWolff as you.. can see I did spend a lot of time on this.

Okay, after all the information I managed to gather from you. I managed to get a pretty extreme PC without going "over the top".

I will provide you with a rationale for each part.

As well as my standard list of videos to help you understand why I suggest these products.

Then I also include some great guides to help you build the PC.

Lastly, I will drop a lot of software to help you with overclocking.

---

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i7-5960X 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor | $1040.00 @ B&H
CPU Cooler | Enermax Liqmax II 240 96.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler | $89.99 @ Newegg
Radiator Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-ELoop B12-2 51.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $22.95 @ Amazon
Radiator Fan | NoiseBlocker NB-ELoop B12-2 51.1 CFM 120mm Fan | $22.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-X99P-SLI ATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard | $249.99 @ Amazon
Memory | G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $58.99 @ Newegg
Memory | G.Skill NT Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory | $58.99 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 950 PRO 256GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive | $181.00 @ Newegg
Storage | Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $149.99 @ Amazon
Storage | Toshiba X300 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $124.99 @ Micro Center
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB CLASSIFIED GAMING ACX 2.0+ Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $629.99 @ Newegg
Video Card | EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB CLASSIFIED GAMING ACX 2.0+ Video Card (2-Way SLI) | $629.99 @ Newegg
Case | Fractal Design Define S ATX Mid Tower Case | $69.99 @ Newegg
Case Fan | Noctua NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan | $21.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply | EVGA 1050W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply | $139.99 @ Amazon
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM (64-bit) | $124.86 @ B&H
Monitor | Asus PG279Q ROG Swift 165Hz 27.0" Monitor | $799.00 @ Amazon
Keyboard | Corsair STRAFE RGB Wired Gaming Keyboard | $119.99 @ Best Buy
Mouse | Mionix Castor Wired Optical Mouse | $69.99 @ Amazon
Mouse Pad| Glorious XXL Extended | $24.00 @ Amazon
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 518 Headphones | $63.48 @ Amazon
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 518 Headphones | $63.48 @ Amazon
Headphones | Sennheiser HD 598 SE Headphones | $152.88 @ Amazon
Amplifier| Schiit Vali 2| $169.00 @ Schiit.com
DAC| Schiit Modi 2 Uber| $149.00 @ Schiit.com
Cable| Schiit RCA 6 inch| $27.00 @ Amazon
Audio| 4 way audio splitter| $31.00 @ Amazon
Microphone| Blue Yeti Pro| $199.00 @ Amazon
Microphone| Blue Radius II | $46.00 @ Amazon
Microphone| Blue Yeti Stand| $20.00 @ Amazon
Microphone| Double Layer Pop Filter| $7.00 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $5557.47
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-17 14:18 EDT-0400 | ♥

Respectfully, it's a complete waste of time and money. You're better off using your B speaker setup like I use mine as a way to run a different type of speaker for different content not in an AB configuration. That can create its own issues.

Bi wiring / bi amping

McGurk effect video

Better things to do than bi- wiring and bi-amping speakers to improve your audio experience:

1. Experiment with your speaker placements i.e. distance from boundaries, angle of speaker, distance from speaker and height of the tweeter lining up with your ear height at the MLP.
   
   
   
2. Get fully familiar with your receivers room correction type and setup procedures. If there are 6 or 8 different mic positions available at setup use them and rerun the room correction anytime you change what's in the room, your seating position , the speakers themselves or the speakers positions in the room and invest in a boom mic stand and camera mount adapter to keep the audio mic away from reflection points and try to reduce your rooms noise floor as much as possible before running the correction i.e. AC system, ceiling fans , screaming kids or wife.😏
   
   
3. Learn more about passive room treatments. You don't have to go crazy and there are several companies that offer free online modeling programs to determine the type and number of treatments your room might need at affordable prices. GIK Acoustics and ATS Acoustics are 2 good ones that spring to mind.
   
   ATS Acoustics online acoustic analyzer
   
   GIK Acoustics analyzer
   
   
4. Use good quality cables and connectors. Again you don't have to go crazy but getting good affordable cabling and connectors usually helps eliminate or reduce many minor troubleshooting issues to something other than the connectors and cables. Again Blue Jeans Cable and Mediabridge comes to mind but there are others.
   
   
5. Download the freeware program REW and just play with it a bit. You'll need a calibrated audio mic with an HDMI cable or stereo RCA connector to fulfill its full potential but there is a built in room modeling program that anyone with a sealed rectangular room can get some good benefits from using without a mic or cable and it gives you time to get more comfortable with what is a fully equipped acoustical software program and did I mention that it's free.?
   
   Room Equalization Wizard
   
   There's more. Like learn speaker specifications and what they mean with regards to efficiency and power requirements but these are the major things that came to my mind ahead of bi- anything.

for a build JUST for audio production, you could honestly probably get away with a pretty barebones motherboard. This is because the main question will be what outboard audio interface you will use with it. The audio interface will completely bypass the motherboards audio chipset, and if functioning properly, will provide far higher quality audio and much more routing options/customization than any motherboard chipset can claim. Fortunately you don't need to spend much to get something like that. This focusrite scarlett series is a particularly popular choice: https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-2i2-GENERATION-USB-Recording/dp/B005OZE9SA/ref=sr_1_12?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1491458677&sr=1-12&keywords=audio+interface I don't really recommend something like this though since it has no external power supply - if your friend intends to power and record a microphone that requires phantom power this interface will both transmit the data and 48 volt over usb 2.0. It works, but seems like people have mixed results with it. This Behringer Umc404hd is outrageous value for the $99 dollars its currently priced at. https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC404HD-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00QHURLHM/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1491459101&sr=1-1&keywords=umc404hd. Pretty sweet with those 4 inputs and all those output options on the back.

I would say as long as the mobo has enough usb and sata connections you'll be fine. Just depends on whether your friend is interested in overclocking or gaming which will definitely increase the cost. For an overclockable motherboard Id get something like this https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130993&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= If not overclocking, you could go as cheap as this $46.99 ASRock H110M-HDS LGA 1151 Intel H110 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard and not run into problems as long as it has enough I/O for your friends needs. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157685&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Definitely understand being new to the game, took me a while to figure out what I needed for live use.

Here's my 2 cents:

• Free/low cost synth samples: You could check out the free Proteus VST, which includes tons of 80s and 90s style synths, basses, horns, strings, etc. sampled from the 90s-era Proteus 2000 rompler. http://www.creative.com/emu/proteusvx/ Check out sample videos on YouTube to see if you like the sounds . . . it is FREE, so that's a selling point. I've heard good things about Arturia's Analog Lab software, I think it's relatively cheap . . . you can get the software bundled with a keyboard controller for $99 (or less if you shop around).
  
  
• I don't know about PCI, but if you're trying to use USB to go to a PA, there are lots of choices available. A standard USB audio interface with one set of L and R outs to a PA board would probably run you $50 at lowest on Amazon. You can also find some small mixers that have a USB interface built in, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-MultiMix-USB-Four-Channel-Mixer/dp/B001T9O5VG/ref=sr_1_11?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1421427469&sr=1-11&keywords=usb+interface
  
  I haven't used this mixer, but I've had good luck with Alesis mixers in the past. Using these interfaces would require you to run cables from the outs of the interface to the ins of the PA's mixing board.
  
  If you've got the money to spend, a better-than-lowest-rung USB interface might be a good investment. I bought the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 for home recording a year or so ago and LOVE it . . . you can find smaller/cheaper interfaces in that range and they're all great - it just depends on the number of ins/outs you need: http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-Compact-Interface/dp/B00MTXU2DG/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1421427916&sr=1-4&keywords=usb+interface&pebp=1421427921645&peasin=B00MTXU2DG
  
  
• Not sure about Chromebook . . . I don't have one. Does it allow you to install windows-based applications at all? Software apps on the Android platform are limited as compared to iOS because of the latency common in a lot of Android devices . . . but I'm not sure the line between Android and ChromeOS, having never owned a Chromebook.
  
  You could check out AudioTool: http://www.audiotool.com/
  It's a browser-based music studio with bass synths, key synths, samplers, sequencers, drum machines, etc. I believe it'll let you connect an outside MIDI controller keyboard and play the synth modules.
  
  Hope this helps!

Well, you have a massive leg up on a lot of people in terms of music theory and chops. I'm going to assume you can read a fake book, a chart and are probably a better player than me. Jazz especially will align with composition, voicing and other stuff. Even though classical gives chops, I think (without explicit work) it leads to something that synths or production might not use.

The good thing is, it's not as much practice. It's a lot of toying around, reading and learning. But it's not like playing. You see the opposite problem with people that make a lot of noise but then want to start on composition or music theory. They have all this gear but they don't finish stuff. That's fine for some, just fool around but then there's not much growth. That's pretty much the end game. So what you're going to discover is a universe of TIMBRE. New sounds that are very dynamic. Modulation, timber over time. The problem is, a lot of this stuff won't exercise your chops. Maybe that's ok with you.

Do you have a DAW or a computer to record with? The cheapest way for almost anything is software. U-he makes great plugins and they have Hive as an intro synth. It's no toy either. It just has "
"accessible" priorities. They are releasing a new version soon so maybe wait on that. You're going to need a VST host to go that route. Maybe you have something already. Reaper is free to try. And you'll need a sound card. Almost anything is fine. Behringer has a cheap USB thing for $130: https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC204HD-BEHRINGER/dp/B00QHURLCW/

That'd be fine for a while. You'll want to upgrade it if you want to improve recording sound and/or complexity in projects (latency).

Barebones for a software synth:

• midi keyboard for input, you'd probably want 61+ keys for two hands
  
• a computer
  
• a DAW program like Reaper (free to try forever), $60 to buy it
  
• a synth like Hive
  
• a soundcard
  
  Otherwise, you could go hardware. In which case, getting the Korg Minilogue is a great intro synth. It only has four voices which might be frustrating. It would teach you the basics of oscillators, filters and ADSR envelopes. Almost anything synth will (including software). If you want more voices, maybe an 8 voice Korg prologue.
  
  Flying Lotus and Jon Hopkins is more about production and layering in which case you probably want to learn a DAW pretty well. That's heavily produced and processed music which might not have a lot to do with "the synth". The sound you're after might be many layers of drums and effects. Hard to say. You'll need to learn plugins, mixing and how to work quickly.
  
  For playing with a live band, I'd only use a hardware synth.
  
  Another way to practice textures and having control over it is something like this.
  
  
• Make a laser sound. It would be used in a sci-fi movie.
  
• Make an ocean wave.
  
• Make a bass drum and a bad sounding snare drum. Now make a decent electronic hi-hat.
  
• Now find a gif (meaning silent) on the internet and layer many new sounds to create a sound effect track to go along with it. It might be footsteps with breathing and keys jingling.
  
  That's kind of the practice type material/goals you might take on. Then making "that bass sound you heard" is going to be way easier. There's also another synth subreddit /r/synthrecipes/ where people ask for tips on things they heard. I don't know much about that subreddit. Hope this helps ... ask questions ...

Be careful condenser mics like the Blue Yeti will pick up a dog farting 4 blocks away.

If you learn how to use a microphone and position it close to your mouth. I would go for a dynamic mic like the Audio-Technica AT2005 USB

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JX8O0Y

It is cheaper, higher quality, and won’t pick up as much noise.

Edit: I own both, because like most people I bought the Yeti based on the hype. But I did some research and learned about microphones and audio recording. It also depends on your use case. My Yeti (condenser mic) is great for when the kids want to talk to grandma, because they are never going to project their voice to the microphone.

But if you are podcasting or streaming and it is just your voice, dynamic microphones are the best. With my Yeti, I was picking too much background noise. I mean if you have a quiet studio, you could probably get by with a condenser mic, but it would pick up the fan noise from any computer case in the room. Noise suppression and noise gates can help, but you might as well buy a dynamic microphone.

Check out these resources for a good discussion:

• https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/condenser-vs-dynamic-mic-actually-need/
  
• https://homestudiobasics.com/condenser-mic-vs-dynamic-mic-differences/
  
  What I like about the Audio-Technica AT2005 USB, is that you can use it as a USB microphone, but if you want to get into higher end audio, it also has a XLR output. I personally just bought a used Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 to connect my AT2005 to. Next major purchase is a good mount and then I might splurge for a Heil PR40, Electro Voice RE20, or Shure SM7B. If you are rich with disposable income, I really like the setup they use on TWiT:
  
  
• http://wiki.twit.tv/wiki/TWiT_Brick_House_Equipment
  

Hardware/software wise it’s pretty simple. If you have a semi decent computer you can find free audio software. You’ll just need to purchase a microphone that connects to you computer via USB and download something like Audacity to get started.

If you want an easier solution you could go with a a multitrack recorder like the Zoom R8 or this zoom portable recorder The ZoomR8 is nice because you can do all your work directly on it, or do as I do and recordson it, pull out the SD card and import what you’ve recorded into your computer for mixing and adding any effects that you may want to do. It’s a great way to learn in my opinion and the one I recommend.

If your computer has a built in microphone, you can probably skip buying a mic and just download the software record like that.

If you try Audacity and don’t like it, just google free recording software there are a few options out there. Also, if you have a Mac if any sort, you can always use GarageBand since it comes with you Mac. You may or may not need a USB microphone for it. I’m not sure, I don’t use it

Oh and go to your local library. They should have some books on getting started with multi track recording at home.

Hope that helps!

Cheers

Apartment conditions make it tricky to go valve because you can't headphone into a valve amp as far as I know. And apartment living will really benefit from being able to use headphones to be able to play at any hour you if you feel inspired to play. I live in a house so it's no big deal to be able to plug into the tube at 2am, that shit would never fly in an apartment without some irate neighbors. So as long as you live in an apartment you basically need something that can let you play into headphones. You could still go valve like a nice used fender reverb deluxe 22 watt for bedroom playing then when it's late plug into something like this during quiet hours and have the best of both worlds. I'm a big fan of clean tube amps and using a pedal for distortion. If you buy a dirty amp, you'll never get as clean as a clean amp, and with a clean amp you can always add dirt with a pedal. For me personally, a strat into a Two rock is my personal heaven sound, but that's just my opinion, you gotta find what you love on your own. If you love gibsons / humbuckers, don't buy a fender-style amp, a marshal style suits it more, if you like single coils, fender style amps work great, actually single coils play well into about anything IMO, but humbuckers are more picky since they tend to have more of a mid-hump built into them.

I've recorded myself a bit with both budget and hi end mikes. I have used a Zoom H4n Pro ($219) portable recorder for a project I have with classical guitar improvisations. All the recordings are done either in living rooms or outdoors. There's no fx on the recordings, only a little bit of eq and compressor. Here's a link to these recordings on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5XAY5a4uUdTP4EYave3ND3?si=AraITj7DQ8yUnF-Uk0t8wA

I also record original classical guitar compositions using expensive Schoeps mics (Collette stereo set w/Mk5 capsules), here's a solo guitar tune recorded with these mikes in a parallel configuration with added reverb:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4Nju2e1clXsp0SW0nycdM4?si=CtAFUNuFR0y_UpRpFzok-A

I happen to like the sound of the Zoom because it feels more "real" or "natural" to me. Like sitting in the room with the player. The good thing with doing recordings is, you'll have to practise getting less scratching. I get scratching all the time, but recording myself has helped me being aware of this and try to improve it. Same thing with playing, recording can help you improve because you'll probably start hearing what you'll need to practise when listening to your recordings.

Personally I don't like the sound of line/piezo much, but I guess it can sound more controlled and you'll probably get less scratching sounds as well. But budget mikes today can be great, I would do some experimenting with mic placement and maybe recording in different rooms if that's an option. Especially where you place the mic does make a huge difference, so I would advice to start with that. I like the sound of stereo recordings much better than mono also, it sounds more natural to me, and less honky.

Link to Zoom:
https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H4N-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder/dp/B01DPOXS8I

​

Link to Schoeps:

https://schoeps.de/produkte/stereo/sets/stereo-set.html

The best microphone I know of for this type of use would be the Sennheiser MD-46. It is one of the best if not the best interview microphone around. It has low handling noise and is a dynamic microphone with a super Cardioid pattern. It was specifically design by Sennheiser at the request of NBC Sport for their Olympic coverage a few decade ago and is the favored microphone for many NFL sideline reporters.

However, the Sennheiser MD-46 is an XLR microphone and not a USB microphone. So you'd either have to pick up a portable recorder such as the Zoom H5 or a USB Audio Interface such as the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 to make it work.

If you are thinking of just a USB microphone one of these microphones I tested would be my recommendation. The Knox Podcast Microphone is currently running for $40. But you can also pick up a Audio Technica AT2005, a Audio Technica ATR-2100 or a Samson Q2U. These microphones have a higher handling noise but do record great sound in a stable environment. They are also dynamic cardioid microphones but will pick up a bit more background noise than the Sennheiser MD-46. The bonus with these microphones is that they have both USB and XLR capability and output with both simultaneously so are extremely useful for any podcaster.

Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

So when recording vocals and guitar at the same time, like you'd like to do, the debate on what to do is really about how much control you want over editing in the end process.

- If you don't care about control on the individual levels of guitar and vocals AND want to record in one take with both instruments, all you need is one mic, XLR, Mic stand, headphones, and an interface to get the signal into your computer.

In this situation, you need A. and Interface that is cheap but not a POS because it really affects the sound of your recording. Behringer makes a cheap interface for 1 Input (microphone) and actually has a decent Preamp in it. B, you need a microphone and cable (XLR, Balanced) to capture the sound and send it to the interface. This area people could talk forever about, but for just getting the job done and a decent sound, AT2020 Condenser (Currently On Sale) is a great option for capturing both your voice and guitar. any XLR will do $10 or something like that.

- If you wanted to track the guitar and vocals separately, one at a time, the only change I would make is the microphone. Shure SM57 would do great for vocals and guitar individually. There have been many singles and albums in the rock, acoustic, and folk category recorded on these mics alone with fantastic results.

​

- If recording the guitar and the vocals at the SAME TIME is the route you want, it's definitely possible. 2 Input interface, Two mics, Two XLR's, Two Mic stands, headphones.

- a change in interface is needed from the first behringer to this one because they have the same sound only difference is the amount of inputs for ~$50 more. Next would be buying two microphones, both options listed above are probably going to be the cheapest you'll find with a decent sound. You can find packages like this on guitar center and other audio retailers, but the mics come with a lot of bad frequencies in my opinion, but hard to argue $99 for two microphones. get the cables, plug everything up and record enable two live tracks in you preferred DAW.

​

As far as the computer goes, Ableton hands out free versions of its "lite" program, and I believe you can record in that version. That would be the best route in my opinion for DAW, Reaper is a good option, I'd stay away from fruity loops if you are mainly just going to be recording audio.

Most of these solutions will put you under or around $250 so I hope this helps, if you have more questions let me know.

Here’s my personal recommendations:

For an interface, this is the best bang for the buck on the market right now (again, in my opinion), especially if you’re just starting out :
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00QHURLHM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520813639&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=umc404hd&dpPl=1&dpID=41q-puettzL&ref=plSrch

For a mic(s), it really depends on how extensive (and what) you’re going to be recording, and specifically if you plan on recording real drums or not. I’d recommend just getting one or two mics to start with, and getting more slowly over time, because if you use sampled drums in the beginning (which is a reality for many small home studio owners), you can do quite a lot of work with 2 mics. I’d recommend the following:

Any large diaphragm condenser in this price range will get the job done, but here’s what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D6RMFG6/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1520814113&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=condenser+microphone

An SM57 is a standard in many studios, and is also versatile and good to have around:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000AQRST/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520814292&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=sm57&dpPl=1&dpID=31KR2%2BJ86GL&ref=plSrch

Now, for a monitoring situation (a.k.a. How you’re gonna actually listen to what you’re recording and mixing), it’s not the smartest idea to invest in monitors (which will eat up a substantial amount of your budget) without investing in treatment for the acoustics of your room. You could easily spend $500 on these two things alone, so I’d recommend just getting a pair of decent headphones for starting out. I know mixing on headphones is a whole can of worms on its own, but while you’re learning, it’s really not gonna make a difference, as long as you have something better than apple Earbuds (not that they aren’t useful). Just get something where you can really understand the sound of it, and reference on a lot of different systems, especially your car. (Disclaimer, I wouldn’t recommend spending more than $100 on headphones, and try to look for something with a relatively flat response, instead of something with cranked bass and hi end, so you can hear as accurately as possible)

As far as DAWs go, I know how appealing it is to buy the same program that people at the top of the industry might be using, but the truth is that most DAWs nowadays can essentially do the same thing. If you only take one of my recommendations, let it be REAPER. You can use a fully functionally demo for as long as you want, and chances, it’ll do everything you need, especially while you’re starting out. Hell, I know professionals that swear by it, and for good reason; it’s insanely flexible and useful, and for the price point (basically free, but if you end up sticking with it, you really should buy a license, it’s only like $60), you just can’t go wrong.
http://reaper.fm

Edit: Unless you’re gonna be mixing 50 track songs right out of the gate, your MacBook will probably be just fine for the time being

Hope all of this helps, good luck!

Drew uses a lot of stuff I've used or am currently using!

The headphones are the Sony MDR7506, or the Sony MDRV6 and they are ultimately the same thing. I have both, I haven't been able to tell the difference, and from what I've researched, they use the same parts internally, so the only thing different is the cosmetics. I know the Vergecast also uses these headphones in their studio.

While I don't have the Focusrite 2i2 like Drew was using, I do own the Focusrite 18i8 (Gen 1), and the Focusrite 18i20 (Gen 2) and both are phenomenal. They are more expensive than a standard USB Mixer, but the pre-amps make up for some of that cost, plus the ease of use.

I have never used the Shure SM7B, but it's the same microphone that Kinda Funny Games uses. I use the Electro Voice RE20, which is the same Microphone that Giant Bomb West and East uses, as well as, the Vergecast. I would love to hear Drew's opinions on both mics. Both mics are exceptional review-wise and very popular in audio recordings, but having Drew compare the two would have some value.

And just because I have listed all the equipment Drew has used. Here is the Anker 10-Port Hub he was using. Anker is a great brand for USB/Computer accessories. They have an outstanding warranty and customer service department.

Note none of these links are affiliate links, this post was simply to make it easy to find the gear Drew was using.

Hi /u/nerdress -

The Rode Videomic Pro is a pretty good mic but the t3i is really, really bad for audio no matter how good the microphone. I'd strongly suggest getting an external recorder like the H4N or, at the very minimum, a H1N. You may want to pair it with a XLR shotgun mic like this if you can find the $$$.

A tripod is something that can last for many years, but the one you linked to is really bottom of the barrel. This is something I'd suggest investing a little more money into, you are going to want a universal fluid head specifically if you plan on doing video work semi-regularly. I'd get a semi-compact Manfrotto tripod like that one, you won't regret it.

Lastly, do you plan on using the kit lens? I'd suggest grabbing the famous nifty fifty. It's a legend for many reasons (super sharp, great lowlight, durable as can be).

Also you are going to want to get this battery grip for the t3i if you don't have one already. I remember when I shot on a t3i I purchased that out of whim, and I'm pretty sure I never took it off for 3+ years. It not only extends your battery, but it makes the camera much more comfortable to hold.

Hope some of this helps, sounds like you'll be in good shape! Remember, audio is just as important as video, so it's smart to invest in that type of gear.

Well kind of the same deal, but my point still stands. I meant a boom mic with the adapter which is basically the same damn thing but a longer arm. The thing folds up and I haven't used mine in a while and I always think it's a tripod which it basically is.

I still think I'd win in court because it's logistics and tangible difference is putting it mildly, more like, after reading all the nuances of how to actually run audyssey, and no you don't pick up whatever shitty thing they give you and plop it in 8 different spots and think it'll be fine, you probably made it even worse actually because it's crazy precise and beyond amazing. The Judge would make you eat your hat unless you have a great lawyer.

Denon actually pays them to let them use it and it's the best in the world and you don't know how lucky you are to actually have the top of the line too. Take a pic or let me see your distance levels between the speakers and then just the Audyssey specs on the levels.

Here is what to get:

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Stands-MS7701B-Tripod-Microphone/dp/B000978D58 - Boom/Tripod

https://www.amazon.com/CM01-Camera-Digital-Recorder-Adapter/dp/B001GWCC4I/ -- mic mount

The adapter that goes in the end and you screw in the mic perfectly and then you are ready to rock and roll to set it at perfect ear level, swivel it in 3 different positions so you don't have to go crazy by making sure all the positions are equal. Plus if you have a couch or recliner or something you can kind of work around it as best you can. So when you read the forums that is what they'll tell you to get too, although they are crazy over on AVS so I bet they will tell you to get some $200 boom mic/Tripod but that is just fine and what we've (people on avs) have been using for years, although I haven't been keeping up with the latest info the past few years. There are a few vids on youtube that I saw a year or two a go using a boom mic, which is how you do it, but I can only imagine the finer points of your setting.

I have a 4k TV that my 7.1 Denon doesn't display a picture at all, but that's not a problem for me because I remember ever single little setting on the receiver by heart so it's not even an issue for me and running it just fine through HDMI from computer to receiver then back to TV while still keeping all the bitstreaming and lossless formats which makes me think I can hold off even though I'm starring at the $500 3400H in my cart right now and it's a hell of a deal but with the new models coming out I'm sure we'll see it again.

I'm currently using this microphone on this boom stand, clamped to the side of my desk. I originally invested in this setup because I was planning on streaming on Twitch and making youtube videos, so I wanted the good quality of the microphone and I liked the aesthetic that the boom arm provided. I was originally looking at the Blue Snowball and other mics and eventually settled on this one because the dynamic microphone was better than condensed ones for my purposes (doesn't pick up nearly as much environment noise).

It's now 2.5 years later and I've disliked this setup for a long time. I'm still using it because I just haven't gotten around to switching to something else (probably going to go with the Antlion ModMic). The microphone (even this cheaply priced, low end one) is completely overkill quality-wise. Sure, everybody on Teamspeak and Skype thinks I sound the best of anyone on there, but it's not like that matters, especially for me - I'm not the one hearing it. If you're going to be streaming or making videos, yeah, the quality is absolutely paramount, but just for general gaming it's very overkill. I've heard the ModMic's quality from multiple sources - youtube reviews, friends on skype/teamspeak, etc - and it sounds just fine. In fact, it's been a very long time since I've heard a modern microphone whose quality is insufficient for gaming and perhaps professional webinars.

Now, the thing that makes me dislike the setup is that the boom arm has become make-you-want-to-flip-your-desk levels of noisy as you move it, and I move it back and forth constantly. It takes up such a ridiculous amount of space that I'm moving it all the time because it's just uncomfortable and inconvenient and in the way when I'm not using it. When I am using it, it's permanently in my peripheral vision and that's just something I've had to get used to, but all for what? There are so many reasons NOT to go with a table mic or other kind of setup that really you should only be doing it if what you're doing requires, really, professional level sound. Other mics, like the Vmoda Boompro mic, the Antlion ModMic, hell even the cheap as dirt Zalman clip-on mic for like $8 will do the job just fine. Dealing with the extra cable that comes from the ModMic or a clip on mic is LEEEEEAGUES ahead of the solutions you'll need to employ to get rid of desk/keyboard sounds going through your table mic (you pretty much need a shock mount). On top of that, with the table mic you need to worry about placement, it takes up space on your desk which is dumb, or you end up with some dumb thing like a boom arm which is the absolute opposite of elegant, especially when it starts creaking and literally sounding like Santa Claus's workshop every time it moves a millimeter. Sorry, this turned into more of a rambling rant because honestly I've just been dealing with this shitty setup every single day for 2.5 years without benefiting at all from the quality of the microphone except for, I guess, just knowing that I sound better than everyone else on Teamspeak. I'm probably going to go on Amazon and order a ModMic or something directly after hitting save on this comment.

I guess the take-away here, my advice would be to drop the mindset that the quality that comes from a table mic like a Blue Snowball, Yeti, Sampson Meteor Mic, etcetcetc is needed and worth the hassle that is a table mic. Move forward with the mindset that other solutions - BETTER solutions - are just as good, especially when quality really isn't something that's make or break for you. Streaming and making youtube videos and such makes microphone quality pretty much the most important part of your setup because no one wants to listen to you unless you sound perfect, but gaming and the occasional webinar is a much different situation.

If you have any questions let me know.

Continue to practice until you feel that you can overcome your nervousness. Redo the lines where you feel you stuttered, or edit them out. I've recently been given advice on my speech and audio quality as well.

This is going to be long, but I hope it helps:

My problem with my speech during recording is that air gets recorded as well (if I make popping sounds when I say a certain word such as Piano, Karen, etc.)

So, I've told to keep away from recording too closely, and I tested it out recently, and it's working perfectly!

As for the audio quality/mic, here a few links I've been given as well to improve it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBQ8UGG/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ACFAULC/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HMR23G/

I also use audacity for audio editing (editing out stutter words or incorrect words, adding in the right words, increasing the audio volume, reducing background noise, etc)

You'll definitely get better the more you practice, and this is your first video, so it's not going to be perfect.

I didn't mean to make this long, but I hope this helps!

There are a ton of cheap ones, so I guess quality of the cable could cause problems. If you wanted to be 100% sure you could go with an xlr to 3.5mm cable (though that would move the quality to your motherboards sound card), or a cheap mixer like a Behringer q302USB which would guarantee pretty great audio quality.

To be safe with the usb cables, i'd stay away from the sub $10 ones, or definitely go with a mixer or interface. I think the best cheap, but kind of jankey setup, you could go with in your price range is to get a cheap usb sound card and use a 3.5mm to xlr adapter with that. Just keep in mind the setup would probably be better off with a $10 increase to the budget and a proper mixer.

edit: the q302 doesn't have the ability to turn of phantom power, but the q502 is also good. I have used the $13 usb cable that's on amazon before (from neewer i think?) and it worked for my original jankey at2020 setup, so you would probably be good using that too.

As a second mic I can reccomend check out the atr2100, its great and both usb and xlr, so when your budget increases or you want to upgrade your setup you can upgrade to an xlr setup without scrapping your mic.

There's no way you can be on a team without a mic.

Price an issue?

• This Clip On Mic is only 8 dollars and is pretty high quality too.
  
  
• If you can afford to go higher I can recommend a Blue Snowball for $60.
  
  
• Also, maybe a CAD U1 for $30.
  
  Even a headset will do. Make sure you enable push to talk and are using headphones.
  
  Are you afraid? Get over it. Sorry for the bluntness, but consider your team to be friends. People you'd play any game with and still have a good time. If they aren't people you can relate to, don't join their team. It's that simple. Find people you can relate to easily. Find people that won't yell at you. Find people that will crack the occasional joke and laugh at stupid/amazing plays. You will create incredible bonds with these people, and have lifelong friends. These people must be more important to you than a random lobby player, so talk to them!
  
  And to be honest... most teams don't take people who can't/won't talk. Even if you were Clockwork or Ruwin.
  
  So, get a mic.

If this is you... "but it doesn't look cool like those other streamers have with their racing chairs and Yeti mics!" this info isn't for you.

​

But if you want good quality and an enjoyable experience I got you covered. I'm not talking about spending tons of money up front, but instead getting good gear from the start that will solve problems you didn't realize until you were stuck with them and setting you up to save money in the long run to upgrade to an even better set up in the future.

​

I have spent a few thousand dollars on multiple set ups (AT2020 w/ Scarlet 2i2, Rode NT-USB, Shure SM7B w/ Cloud Lifter & Scarlet 2i2, Beyerdynamic MMX300 & What I use now Electro Voice RE320 w/ Art Voice Channel)

Here's my battlestation: http://imgs.fyi/img/7p6s.jpg

​

After spending hundreds of hours trouble shooting, sound proofing, gear swapping, re-watching vods etc. I have a passion for getting good gear and not just what "every one else has", it drives me nuts. So long post inc.

​

The problems with the Yeti...

- its massive, so it gets in your way/eye sight

- weights a lot, so boom arms have to be heavier duty and not as easy to move around

- no native pop filter, so you only have the small foam ones or the giant round ones with goose necks that take up even more room

- side directing mic (meaning you have to speak into the side and not the end) so you have to position it funny with its giant size

- Condenser style, so it is extremely sensitive, will pick up all background sounds, computer fans, keyboard etc (the other option is called a Dynamic Mic, which will pick up virtually no background noise)

- No future upgrade ability, want to add a good compressor, noise gate, eq, gain booster etc.. need all new gear. It sucks to spend money on something and then a year later want to upgrade and realize you wasted money.

​

So, a couple common mics that solve some of these problems are the

- Rode NT-USB, smaller profile, "built in" pop filter

- Audio-Technica AT2020, smaller profile, can get a small contoured pop filter

​

But both of these still have the problem of being condensers that pick up too much noise and no future upgrade paths.

​

If I was starting over from scratch I would start with a

- Audio Technica AT2005USB https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=usb+xlr+mic&qid=1554823050&s=gateway&sr=8-8

Can use USB into PC and nothing else required to start. End address so it doesn't get in the way, small and light, lots of good foam popfilters out there for mic shapes, and most importantly it's a DYNAMIC mic. So you wont have to spend hours and hours with noise proofing, buying keyboard dampners to silence it, hanging blankets on the walls to block out noise, telling your family/neighbors to be quiet because your condenser mic picked up the noise ETC

Then when you want to add more gear to really get top tier sound you can use the mics XLR connection because it has both!

​

Okay that was enough, but just in case you're interested, heres a list of my gear that I am 100% happy with and never expect to change (audio gear lasts decades)

- Electro Voice RE320 /w accompanying foam pop filter & small generic shock mount

- Art Voice Channel, has a all the features you'd ever need all in one. Gain, Impedence, Compressor, Expander/gate, Noise Gate, EQ, USB interface

- ProBoom ultima

To add on to this:

Xenyx 802 - $60

This will be good for a stereo application. It is cheap and will sound great. Plus it will give you the needed control for a stereo setup, of using one mic for left and the other for right.

Samson C02 pair - $75-$140

These microphones are relatively cheap, even at their price ceiling.
They use a Cardioid pick up pattern that is seems slightly Super Cardioid. They're sold in pairs, so you will only need one order.

Lyxpro SDPC-2 - $100

These microphones are packed with features at their price point. Plus they sound great, so they're extremely competitive. They come with 3 capsules for both microphones so you can choose between Omni, Cardioid & Super Cardioid. You'll likely want to use Cardioid or Super Cardioid, depending on your use case.

SDPC-2 or C02?

Mainly comes down to this: Price at time of purchase - are they the same? Which is more important to you - Omni & Super Cardioid pick up patterns or a good shock mount? The patterns means purchase the Lyxpro, the shock mount means purchase the Samson.


Are they different prices? Do the features justify the price gap?

Accessories

Stereo Microphone Bar - ~$10

You'll need one of these or something similar.

Scissor Arm - $20

You'll want one if you don't have one yet. Or if it is better suited go for a Boom Stand.

2 XLR Cables - $12

Cheap cables. They aren't OFC so you can look into slightly more expensive options. Maybe even make some yourself! :D

RCA to 3.5mm - $8

YOU NEED THIS. This is how you are going to connect from the mixer to the computer.


--EDIT-- You are looking at roughly $210 for the entire setup. Which isn't all that bad seeing as it will be 2 microphones.

> The Razer Seiren features a versatile multi-pattern USB digital connection capable of four different recording pattern configurations with three custom-tuned 14 mm condenser capsules. This makes the Razer Seiren digital microphone ideal for the needs of professional musicians

Yeah... no. Not without an XLR jack. Microphone preamps are as important (some say more important) than the mic itself.

These USB microphones are fine for streamers, but not at this price. Think about it, this is what you are getting:

• 1. Small microphone capsules (3)
     
• 2. Microphone preamp
     
• 3. Analog to digital converter
     
• 4. Microphone preamp
     
     Between say, $60 and $200, you really wont see "studio quality," for "professional musicians."
     
     Besides that, condenser mics would not be my first advice for streaming. They excel at picking up transients and room noise (clicky keyboards, anyone?) and will sound horrendous when they clip. If you want to step up your gear, buy a Focusrite Scarlett Solo and a Shure sm57 for a bit more money. Or if you really want a condenser, you can get an MXL 770. If you truly want broadcast quality, get a Shure sm7.
     
     My friend has a yeti, it's fine, i have heard streamers with the Blue snowball mic, yeah it sounds fine. But don't charge $180 and call it studio grade. It's like HP passing off a $300 prebuilt desktop as a gaming machine.
     
     EDIT: Or a great option is the Sennheiser broadcast mics. The HMD280 is an HD280 with a mic slapped on it, and this is stepping into the realm of actual broadcast-quality gear. It will sound awesome, will pick nothing up but your voice, will not clip, and hey you get a $100 pair of headphones to boot. You'll still need the preamp though.

I have this http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y
got it not too long ago and I absolutely love it. The sound quality is quite good however not as good as a nice condenser mic. The Blue Snowball and Blue Yeti are very popular mic's in your price range as well. I would suggest checking out some reviews.

I switched to the dynamic mic over my condenser mic because they tend to be less sensitive to background noise, vibration and environmental factors at the expense of a little bit of quality. I was using a very decent condenser mic I had from doing music stuff years ago but I was running it through a Blue Icicle XLR to USB adapter and that thing was less than amazing.

Also, ideally you want to isolate the mic from your desk to reduce keyboard noise, so if you're going to be recording voice over while you play you don't really want to be using the small stands most Podcaster style mics come with. Boom stands and broadcaster arms are what you want to take a look at, as well as shock mounts and you'll want a pop filter or windscreen too, you're probably looking at around $30 bucks for all that stuff at the low end. The essential bit is the pop filter/windscreen but those are very inexpensive (a wire hanger and some panty hoes will make a good pop filter in a pinch).

Will $100 buy a "great" mic? No, not really haha. But it will buy you a very good mic and on top of that you can tweak your recording a bit to bring out an even better sound if you're inclined to do that. Once you're past the $100 mark there's a bit of a diminishing return on the investment in my opinion and there are tons of things you can do to improve your audio before you drop $500 on an amazing pro mic. I wouldn't suggest going beyond your current budget for your first mic, you will learn a ton about your voice and audio recording once you get into it. From there you will be able to make a much more informed decision if you choose to upgrade down the line.

listen to me and tell me using audition to reduce background noise is bullshit. it's not, you just have to know what you're doing. http://www.twitch.tv/grandstaryoshi/v/27950653 (this link is used as an example of audio quality, not advertisement.)

what i do, for those curious/wanting to do the same:

• in your microphone's preferences, set its levels to 75, + set the default format to 2 channel, 16 bit, 48000Hz. http://prntscr.com/9bagtn
  
  
• using adobe audition, open a multitrack, then go into your audio hardware settings and set the default input device to your microphone, and set the default output device to your default audio device (for me, that would be my headphones.) http://prntscr.com/9bag9u
  
  
• do the same to track 1 of the multitrack (you can delete any other tracks, you only need this one.) http://prntscr.com/9bah80
  
  
• in the effect rack, add a single-band compressor and a parametric equalizer. http://prntscr.com/9bahkh
  
• single-band compressor settings: http://prntscr.com/9bahzp + parametric equalizer settings: http://prntscr.com/9bai9z
  
  
• click both the little R and I icons in track 1 of the multitrack. this will make the microphone output to the selected device, in this case, my headphones. http://prntscr.com/9bajgp
  
  you may see i also have two other effects, dynamics processing and an echo. dynamics processing basically evens out audio levels, bringing quiet sounds up and loud sounds down. i use this for various other things, but not for cutting out background noise. it actually brings that out more. and the echo is just for fun, really. :P
  
  a couple of things about this setup. one, i run my microphone audio, as well as any other stream audio, through my headphones and only use one channel in OBS, the desktop audio source, and then give that a 5db gain boost within OBS, that way i'm able to know and balance my own audio levels rather than having to constantly ask chat if audio levels are okay. hearing yourself during stream takes a bit of getting used to, but it's super useful in the long run. if you don't want to do this, you can run it through a virtual audio cable and set that as your output device in audition, then set that up as your microphone source in OBS.
  
  also, i HIGHLY recommend getting a mic arm. the one i use cost me $20 on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Suspension-Scissor-Built--Female/dp/B00AK7SKL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449483500&sr=8-1&keywords=neewer+broadcast+arm), and came with a shock mount. i also don't recommend pop filters unless they're attached to the shock mount out of personal preference, as i've found clamping shock mounts to be super clunky and in the way, especially for streaming. i prefer to use a windscreen (although get one bigger than the one i have. it doesn't cover the entire mic, and more importantly, the actual part you speak into. i just keep it there until i get a bigger one.).
  
  and the advice about keeping the microphone close to you is very sound. 6 inches, no more than a foot.
  
  any questions, feel free to ask.

What higher-end programs do you have access to? You'll have more options most likely than Audacity. Even Reaper is a better choice for editing/processing/mixing.

Getting something to dampen the wall now might help, but it's unlikely to be able to tell without doing a full room acoustic analysis.

USB microphones pale in comparison to regular XLR microphones and a good recording interface, because of the sheer difference in sound card quality. Basically, all the A/D conversion in a USB microphone is shafted for convenience. I have an Audio-Technica AT2020, and a Blue Yeti Pro, and the AT2020 through my Focusrite is much better.

I've done some listening to you and to Matt Shea. From what I can tell, he's got some audio issues as well, but he also uses compression, EQ, and other effects. You come across clearly, but the timbre (natural fundamentals) of your voice is cut through by noise reduction. Noise reduction is NOT a catch-all; it should be used sparingly. I usually go by this rule: Try to make your processed audio match the original sound as much as possible.

Those are a couple of suggestions. You're already ahead of the curve with the shock mount. Now you just need to use some more advanced software and upgrade your microphone. I think maybe switching to a dynamic microphone could work for your voice. Something like the Shure SM7B or similar (SM7B's are expensive).

I hope I gave you some insight on improving. If you have more questions, make sure to ask!

I suggest the Pro-ject pre amp

For speakers I don't know, I have a pair of Audio Pro addon t8's but they seem to be way pricier in US. Basically anything that fits your budget and has gotten favorable review usually is enough to get a nice sound out of your TT.

If you want to save a bit on the pre amp then you might wanna take a look at TCC TC-750, that would also do the trick, it is now for a pretty reasonable reduced price so be quick.

Speakers that I can recommend without a reservation would be these audio engine A2+. They are solid small powered speakers that would do your vinyls justice.

All together the TCC 750 with the A2+ now add up just shy of 300. This would be setup that with your TT will go a long way before a need to upgrade although I would add a sub when you get the chance.

If you want to save more, you could go for these Mackie CR4 but you can't add a powered sub to these, use them for your PC trough USB and don't have an option to add wireless support later. So it comes with a lack of features.

Here's one that I've been using for the last three years for a similar purpose, but it doesn't come with a power adapter so you need to also buy a universal power adapter to go with it.

It also has a few slight downsides that might bug you. First, you get independent volume knobs for each channel, so you have two volumes to change to adjust one stereo source, not one. Second, it uses 1/4" jacks, so you need adapters to plug in your electronics. Third, at least on mine the internal jacks didn't meet up perfectly with the 1/4" plugs when they were plugged all the way in. The weight of the wire would pull the tip of the plug away from the contact in the socket. I fixed that by putting the plug through a washer or piece of cardboard that stopped the plug from going in all the way. Has worked great ever since.

If I had a link to another similar mixer at similar price on hand I would recommend that instead. On the plus side, the Nady is built to be user-serviceable. There are probably better options that might be cheaper once you factor in the cost of power adapter. I spent a bunch of time shopping last time I needed one and found it surprisingly hard to get a simple, cheap, stereo, line-level mixer. Everything's either DJ equipment, made for microphones and not line level, or a huge crazy $400 mixer board with tons of channels like you would use for recording a band.

I'll look around a little bit longer, but here's what you're looking for in a mixer case I come up dry:

1. Has actual gain knobs, not just volume or level knobs. Note the bad Amazon reviews on this one, that it cuts the output volume too much. That's because the volume knobs only from zero to slightly-less-than-100%. Gain knobs go above 100%.
   
2. Is not a DJ-style "crossfade" mixer like this one. Note the slider on the panel... That means it's set up to crossfade between two different things, so when it's in the middle both things will be at half volume.
   
3. Is built for line level (keyboards, CD players etc.), not microphones or guitars. If it's 1/4" jacks or RCA jacks it's probably fine. If it has XLR jacks you probably won't be able to use those inputs. (But you can just turn them to zero volume and ignore them.)
   
4. (EDIT) Doesn't collapse channels to mono, like this asshole device does. (I thought it was a good alternative to the NADY, until I read the fine print.)

Ok well I won't explain everything in mine because it's a little over the top, but that's because I recorded music before I got into Twitch so I already had all my equipment. But what it essentially is a dynamic mic w/ XLR cable -> audio interface w/ USB cable -> computer. Here's the cheapest possible setup I could find on Amazon:

Shure PGA48 w/ 15' XLR cable: $40

Behringer Xenyx Q502USB: $60

Neewer Suspension Boom Stand: $14

total: $114

Do keep in mind that this mixer only has one pre-amp, meaning you'd only be able to plug one mic into it. If you wanted to plug in more than one mic (for instance if you have a friend coming over or something), you'd need a different mixer with more preamps. But yea my setup is essentially the above, just with more expensive stuff haha

If you wanna hear what my setup sounds like (getting a setup like the one above would get you a similar sound), here's a short highlight to see what it looks and sounds like (I chose this one to highlight the fact that you can move the mic around): https://www.twitch.tv/kvyngaming/v/106103644

Note how even when I grab the mic and move it, you barely hear anything. That'd never happen with a condenser mic.

Great broadcasting mic is the Shure SM7b; will run you approx. $450-500 (Canadian) (expensive but soooo worth it for broadcasting).
Great room conversion kit is the Primeacoustic London 12 room kit; will run you $200-300. If your using a larger room to broadcast then Primeacoustic makes larger kits for more money.

I took a radio/broadcasting trade in high school and now I'm on my way to be a sound engineer in a recording studio (not radio) so i feel confident enough to say despite the extra cost; they will definitely be worth it in achieving the best sound, good luck!

http://www.primacoustic.com/london.htm

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0002E4Z8M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1449720218&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=SM7b&dpPl=1&dpID=41rWaLTs%2BdL&ref=plSrch

Mod mics? You mean something like this? Those aren't going to be amazing, but honestly I've known people who record their show using their laptop's internal microphone and it sounded okay. It's more important to use what you have and produce something rather than sit on your hands and produce nothing.

That board you linked claims to have 8 inputs, but it actually has 4 stereo channels, two of which are mic-level and two are line-level. If you have more than 2 people, that's probably not a great option. I also wouldn't recommend that particular mixer because it has no USB-out. It's also going to be outputting stereo, which is to say two audio channels. You can record in stereo, but it will give you less control when editing. If you want to get a board like that, I'd recommend this one from Behringer. It's substantially the same, but has USB.

Incidentally, how many people are you going to have on your show? If it's more than two, what I'd actually recommend is something more like this 4-channel audio interface. To use those mod mics you'll need some adaptors for the 1/4" microphone plugs. But it will let you record up to 4 individual audio channels, and if you decide to upgrade to better microphones in the future you'll be able to use the same device.

You might be able to find it for less than $100, but that's the first one I came up with.

If you have more than 4 people, I think you'll have a hard time finding an effective solution for less than $100. But again, I think the quality of your show is more about the content than the fidelity of the audio.

> Yes, it is mad that there aren't more passive pre-amps on the market.

I'm not sure if you are pulling my leg - but I imagine there are plenty, no? :)

> Could look for one second hand or find an integrated amp (a.k.a. "stereo receiver") with pre-amp outputs?

That's a good idea, thanks! I imagine that if it has RCA out, that implies they are "pre-amp outputs", no?

> Yes but it doesn't have volume control and that is quite important (otherwise you will have to adjust the volume on both speakers when listening to vinyl.

Good point - thanks.

I've been digging around a bit more - and found some things that could work, but not sure about quality:

This would contain all that I need: bluetooth, 3.5 in, 2XRCA:
https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Audio-Selector-Bluetooth-Amplifier/dp/B07CGF5RZF/ref=pd_day0_hl_23_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07CGF5RZF&pd_rd_r=6b44f139-d088-11e8-bdc5-8929d75e6129&pd_rd_w=SaJwX&pd_rd_wg=p05CZ&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=F2WF9F4HMAP1EF7NCAMB&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=F2WF9F4HMAP1EF7NCAMB

Or this: https://www.amazon.com/Rolls-MX42-Stereo-Mini-Mixer/dp/B00102ZN40

I was also thinking of a Marantz R7 kit - fun to solder it together myself.

I think it's will be okay for those few months if you pick up a new stylus or cartridge and the tracking force is set properly. Because it does not have a counterweight that you can balance you need a scale to measure the tracking force (it's always good to have one anyways for future turntables). Any scale that can read hundredth of grams should be fine. You can pick them up on Amazon from $10-30.

Also, pick up a new stylus for your cartridge. If you do not know what cartridge is on it here are two options: (1) better option: Audio-Technica AT92ECD $25 on amazon, and (2) slightly cheaper but worse option: Audio Technica AT3482P $20 on amazon.

With the cartridge/stylus install the scale should read 1.25g (at little higher at 1.5g is also fine).

If you find that vinyl is your thing, upgrade it in the future. New decent starter tables are things like the U-Turn Orbit, Audio-Technica LP120 (don't get an LP60, the table that you have now is better if working properly). Check out the Entry Level Turntable Guide. There is always the option of going used as well, just make sure you research and test everything. Good luck. Hopefully, that helps you out.

Edit- Thanks for clearing that up! One is on the way! (3-6 months from now...) Yeah, they're 79.99 on amazon and a bunch of other sites, if you don't mind waiting this looks like a really freaking good audio interface if you're reading this and you don't have one. I have read that usb 3.0 and the drivers from behringer are required. Also apparently macs will handle this puppy without drivers I think. Yay!

Again, thanks for all the help you guys! I'll pin this sucker to my fridge lol ;P

Original post:


Yeah so I have plans to do a live show, triggering audio and midi clips from the launchpad and possibly soloing/talkboxing live when the midi to the synth isn't playing. I don't want to get a whole bunch more equipment, I'm looking to get just the behringer umc 204hd (currently on sale on amazon right now for less than the 202hd)

I've tried explaining this just via text before but really i'm more a visual kind of guy

I want the audio to go into the daw without also going out live through the back end, so that I can apply sidechaining and mixing eq effects to it and end up with a finished master channel that is more polished and much more controlled than just trying to mix in the synth outside of the daw.

Being able to put a master compressor on everything and know that it's gonna sound dope as hell as it comes out is basically what I want to do. Make a live experience that is super polished and took a lot of work to set up, but is also flexible enough to not feel "prerecorded", everything is just a little bit more planned out than a dj set may be.

Also if you could recommend a similar audio interface which can do all I ask of it, as stated above, that would also be great.

Cheers and thanks for trying to decipher my chart/diagram! I spent all of 30 minutes making it as neat as possible with just a mouse.

I took a course in college that surveyed types of music careers. You might be interested in the textbook we used https://www.amazon.com/Self-Promoting-Musician-Strategies-Independent-Success/dp/0876391390
If you're looking to start a career in music it's important to understand how to market your content to people and how to find your audience. A lot of musicians think the best thing to do is to just keep practicing and improving their musical knowledge. You obviously need to know how to use a DAW if you want to compete in the industry and learning theory would definitely help. But investing time in building your image on social media will help immensely. Also, if you're looking for a free DAW I know Pro Tools First is free. It allows you to create up to 16 tracks which should be enough for your early career. If you're looking for recording equipment here's a list of stuff I've been using:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5QDQOF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZCR6P4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CZ0R3S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WVFRW4H/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CLIPHO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you're looking for tutorials on Pro Tools and Sibelius my professor has some on his channel https://www.youtube.com/user/dtoddsorensen/videos
I hope this helps

/u/Koopa_Khan - the [$199.99 Zoom H4n Pro] (https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H4N-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder/dp/B01DPOXS8I//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) is a great external recorder, and syncing your audio in post is fairly straighforward, but it might make your life a little easier to get a [$199 Saramonic SR-AX107 preamp with AGC disable] (https://www.amazon.com/Saramonic-SR-AX107-Channel-Transformer-Adapter/dp/B00SSLCON4//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) [Referral Links] and record clean sound directly to your camera.

Nice review of the Saramonic [here] (https://youtu.be/NTCEBzxN0zI).

Hope this is helpful and good luck with improving your audio!

I've personally never used that interface, so you'll have to rely on the Amazon reviews (or hopefully someone here has had experience with it). The preamp (what you plug the mic into), and the mic you use, determines the sound you're going to get. Again, you're gonna have to read the reviews. You're just starting off, so I wouldn't stress it too much. You'll get a better sound than just plugging a USB mic into your computer.

If I were in your position, with a small budget, I'd save up a bit more and buy this:

http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-Compact-Interface/dp/B00MTXU2DG/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1452061607&sr=1-1&keywords=scarlett+solo

The Scarlett series, in my opinion, is the best in terms of budget audio interfaces. Their preamps, and the system, overall, is of great quality.


When you're ready for that mic - put enough together to buy sayyyy this:

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2020-Cardioid-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006H92QK/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1452061954&sr=1-1&keywords=Audio+Technica+AT2020

...and you got a good little startup.



The mic stand should fit pretty much any mic. It has both the clip, and a part to screw in the mic's shock mount (look up "shock mount").


I always recommend that you get warranty with your equipment, cause, you know...shit happens, so you should check if there're any music stores around that sell whatever you're interested in, and offer the warranty, as well.

Ok, while I don't have personal experience with the phantom power unit you are using, here's what I think is going on.

Every microphone needs a Preamp because the signal captured by the microphone is too weak to hear. Some microphones (like yours) need power as well. You're supplying the needed POWER for the microphone to work, but you still need a preamp to bring that weak signal up to the appropriate level, just like every microphone needs.

Now, here's my suggestion. since you would still need a preamp for your microphone (most preamps include 48v phantom power as a feature) and considering your needs, I'd say you have two decent options.

• Option 1: Return your phantom power unit and get an XLR --> USB adapter/converter such as the Blue Icicle which will not only convert your weak signal to a digital signal for easy use with Skype / gaming / etc... but will ALSO provide the necessary 48v of phantom power for your microphone.
  
  
• Option 2: Return both the microphone and phantom power unit for a simple USB microphone. There are many good options with budget friendly price tags. If your goal is computer audio and not pristine voice-over or music recording, then you'd be fine going with something even as simple as the Samson Go Mic or CAD U1
  
  If you want even better quality (honestly, these options will do you good) let me know and I can help you out with other options.
  
  --DISCLAIMER--
  
  I haven't personally used the BM800, but I have read reviews and listened to some demonstrations. It is a pretty 'bottom of the barrel' microphone which will be adding some unwanted hiss and noise to the audio it picks up because of the cheap components used. If you decide to keep it, it will most certainly be the bottleneck in your audio quality. Even those cheap usb microphones will likely be better.

One way to help is with a mic boom, you can get the mic closer to your face, further from the keyboard, and because of how mics like the AT2020 and the Samson Meteor (the mic I use) record, they record out like a cone, if the keyboard is below the mic it becomes more of a background noise.

Another option is getting a keyboard that is still mechanical but does not use MX Blue switches. MX Blue switches are the loudest switches for mechanic keyboards, there are ones like red that give a little less resistance but are quiet, I believe brown is the quietest, also the hardest to find. A custom keyboard like a Ducky has them, and also still has back light.

Another quick fix is to put the mic on something soft like a folded hand cloth, socks, etc. Sometimes the mic picks up a slight thud from typing, having it on something like that works. However, the best fix is to go with a mic stand / boom, and I know the AT2020 fits well into one of the shock mounts.
http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Broadcast-Microphone-Suspension-Scissor/dp/B00AK7SKL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417559941&sr=8-1&keywords=mic+stand+shock

Another option is setting up filters, there is one with the Reaper plug ins, and VB Audio Cable, that allow you to edit where your mic picks up sound all along the sound scale (hi to lo) However, it does add a delay and I found a slight mechanical ting added to it. I went with the mic stand and it fixed much of my problems, especially since you can lower your mic gain and that reduces the background noise even more.

I hope this helped a little.

That mic is great, but you can get something like an SM57 much cheaper, if she's recording acoustic guitar.

If you want a pretty good vocal mic, that will also be cheapish you can get something like this.

Or just buy an sm58 which is a cheaper version of the other one you just showed, and is good for doing live stuff if you want to do that.

You can also get a 4x4 input thing so that she can multitrack into a daw, or just a smaller one if she's only ever going to record like 2 tracks at once.

I got something like this.

The SM57 and SM58 are pretty much standards in the music world.

That being said, IIRC the SM7b (the mic you're looking at) is what Micheal Jackson recorded a lot of his stuff on ( the bad album at least), so it's def pro level.

Well, I like your list. I don't know that Rode mic in particular but Lefty had two different Rode mics during PKA and they both sounded great.

I'd personally point you toward the RE20. I love mine and you don't have to be right on top of it to sound great. I also love my Shure SM7B but more than one person has mentioned to me that they can hear me breathe so I'm either going to switch back to the giant foam pop filter or to the RE20.

This package is $500 but it comes with the mic, shock mount, cable, boom, etc. http://www.amazon.com/Electro-Voice-Microphone-Shockmount-Two-Section-Broadcast/dp/B00U1S4YY4/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1457378551&sr=1-2&keywords=re20

I don't like your audio interface. In particular it's analog and in my experience if you turn up the gain on an analog mixer you get a hiss. It's not a subtle hiss you think you hear either, it's a real problem. (Or maybe the one I had was just extra bad?)

Anything in the scarlet focusrite series will do, this one is $100: http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-Compact-Interface/dp/B00MTXU2DG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457378874&sr=8-3&keywords=focusrite

For $150 you can get two inputs: http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-2i2-USB-Recording-Interface/dp/B005OZE9SA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457378874&sr=8-1&keywords=focusrite

Let me know how to sound wedges do. I typically just count on curtains, shag carpet, oil painting and furniture to break up the sound.

I am looking at powered speakers. I will be using these mainly for listening to music in my office. Source will be my PC, and hopefully, eventually a vinyl setup. I have max $150 to spend. I am looking at a powered setup for simplicity. I could probably be swayed into an amp/non powered combo, but I think it's a stretch at $150. I need something good for all genres of music, good bass, I understand a 2.0 bookshelf setup won't be like have a separate subwoofer. I have been going back and forth among about 10 pair of speakers and I just can't make a decision.

Here's the list:

Thonet and Vander Kurbis BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers, Hi-Fi Wooden Bluetooth Stereo Speakers with Enhanced Bass, 300 Watt Peak Power, Integrated Amplifier and RCA Input, 1 Pair, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG1JOVC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DSHAzb60E38WB

Edifier R1280T Powered Bookshelf Speakers - 2.0 Active Near Field Monitors - Studio Monitor Speaker - Wooden Enclosure - 42 Watts RMS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016P9HJIA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kTHAzb4S1S3GF

PreSonus Eris E4.5 2-Way Powered Studio Monitors (Pair) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GP56OYA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YTHAzbJ09ARQC

Mackie CR4 (Pair) Creative Reference Multimedia Monitor - Set of 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVEIY4O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_iUHAzbAVD4RB0

Edifier R1010BT - 4" Bluetooth Wireless Creative Reference Multimedia Monitors - Studio Monitor Speaker (Pair) 24 Watts RMS - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071YV97LK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zUHAzbNHTFE9G

Plugable 4" Subwoofer Bluetooth 2-Channel Powered Bookshelf Studio Monitor Speakers - Optical & RCA Aux Inputs, 55W Output Power https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KGPEW70/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2UHAzb0R24FK0

Presonus Ceres C3.5BT 2-Way Powered Speakers with Bluetooth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N55NS4W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_uVHAzbATXGVCP


Pair Rockville APM5B 5.25" 2-Way 250W Powered USB Studio Monitor Speakers+Pads https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D3Z3FGY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MVHAzbKMSC2QP


Please help me stop going in circles. I know some of these are more than $150...just hoping to catch a sale.

For Christmas, my girlfriend got me a Vox AC30 amplug 2 headphone amp, which is a digital modeler of the classic Vox AC30 tube amp. Now she can watch Dancing With the Stars or whatever and I can still be on the couch practicing.

My initial impression is that this thing is bad ass. I really couldn't be much happier. I use a pair of Audio-Technica M50 headphones and the sound quality on this device is crystal clear. It can get loud too! When you crank the volume and gain to 10, it fucking roars in your headphones.

There are three knobs, volume, tone, and gain, which in and of themselves are incredibly versatile, offering a full range of tones from clean to incredibly overdriven.

It also has an effects button that cycles through clean, chorus, delay, and reverb. You can also put the whole device through three different modes by cycling the power button once it's on (mid boost, low and hi gain). Those boosts really give you new timbres and flavors to play with.

It's entirely possible to run this through a bunch of pedals too; it's an amp after all. It also has an aux in for jam tracks, metronome , etc. ALSO, you can definitely run this directly into a digital outboard recording system or your computer and record with it! The audio output is just a headphone jack, so there are a myriad of ways to record or listen to it. Even computer speakers!

Caveat to that: I've read that it the sound quality is directly related to the quality of your headphones/speakers though. Like I said, I have a decent set to play this thing through, but if you try to use some crappy earbuds your experience will much worse. Solid sounding, over the ear headphones are the way to go with this. Or again, speakers are totally an option.

I got the AC30 model, but there are also a classic rock, metal, and bass variants. It might sound like those are the way to go, but believe me, the AC30 can get just as filthy as the metal one. I've played an SSS strat, an epiphone sg tuned to C, and my Ibanez bass guitar through it, and even the bass sounded good through it. I like stoner rock and doom metal, really mid-heavy, low tuned stuff, and this can give me a lot of the sounds I'm looking for, while still retaining the sweetness and versatility required by famous Vox AC30 users like the Beatles, Kurt Cobain and Tom Petty.

And for $40, it's right there in your price range. Look up a couple demos on youtube and I think you'll be impressed. Just be careful not to buy the original model as it's the same price but without the effects and boosts.

If you have any questions let me know!

Wow, 25? Don't tell anybody in the music business :)

Seriously, I thought your video shows promise, the best thing you could do is pick up a cheap USB audio interface and a "large diaphragm condenser microphone" and some headphones. Set it all up, then practice without recording for a few ways to get used to the feel of singing with your audio feedback in the headphones. Once you a re comfortable, hit record..!

Here's some gear that would worthwhile to look into... adjust to your budget and taste.
https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC204HD-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00QHURLCW/ref=sr_1_14?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1496707506&sr=1-14&keywords=usb+audio+interface

and pair it with either a microphone like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Nady-SCM-800-Diaphragm-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000R4LQ4S/ref=sr_1_12?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1496707358&sr=1-12&keywords=condenser+microphone

or get a pair of large and regular condensers like this:
https://www.amazon.com/MXL-550-551R-Microphone-Ensemble/dp/B002LASBS0/ref=sr_1_11?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1496707358&sr=1-11&keywords=condenser+microphone

Those are just suggestions, check out this guy's channel, he's got some great tips!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZRnrA5GOx0

Hey, I am also using a set of the MK1 version of the LSR305 with a PC. I think everyone is spot-on about the ground loop isolator. If you are looking for a cheap fix, try that first.


Beyond that, like many have suggested - the on-board audio from a PC can be noisy. An external DAC is also a good suggestion, but also a more complicated one, in terms of what all you will need to buy. If you wish to go this route, I will make a recommendation that I can confirm works very well (noise-free, even at high volume) with the LSR305's:

1. Lexicon Alpha - Currently $59 (regularly $49, track price on camelcamelcamel.com if you want to wait.) Yes, technically is a DAC, but is considered a USB recording interface. Think of it as a USB sound card. It is designed to be used with powered studio monitors like the LSR305's - and will take advantage of their balanced audio input capability to cancel out noise. Bonus capability - a physical volume knob (no reaching behind the JBL's, or trying to get to PC soft mixer while in a game, etc), and adds an aux input - you could connect your phone and mix phone+PC audio at the same time.
   
   
   
2. 1/4" TRS balance audio cable - get 2, one for each speaker, in the length you prefer. See the 3 contacts (between the 2 black rings)? Each speaker will get a balanced signal from the Lexicon Alpha - a positive audio signal, negative audio signal, and ground. The negative+positive balanced signal cancels out noise.
   
   
   Either way don't stress over it - the LSR305's are a great choice.

Best and cheapest are two different things. IMHO, you want the best sound possible since audio makes your film look better.

You can get a lot of bang for your buck with a Zoom H4N audio recorder, a RODE mic and a boom pole. If you have a couple of bucks more, look at a pair of RODE wireless lavalier mics as well. These are wireless body mics. You can use those on actors, but also they can be hidden on set in places that are hard for the boom to reach. The key idea about recording audio is to get the mic as close as possible to the person speaking.

You probably also want a slate with a clapper on the top. You don't need a fancy one with timecode. Apps like Davinci Resolve can sync sound automatically, but it's always better to have a clap at the top of the shot in case you need to sync it by hand. Slating your shots laso make it easier to figure things out in the editing room.

Despite the fact that both speakers seem to be a similar price, the Inclines will considerably cheaper and closer to your budget once you account for cables and a subwoofer (provided you actually need one).

Regardless of what you buy, I suggest first trying the speakers without a subwoofer to hear whether you actually miss the last bit of low frequency sound. Both of my suggestions produce fairly low bass, JBL 305 rated at 43 Hz +/- 3 db and who knows about the Inclines as Def Tech doesn't report frequency response using the standard +/- 3 db (most likely they reach somewhere in the 50s?).

For the 305s, you are less likely to need a sub. Also, connecting a sub to the monitors can be complicated and will depend upon your overall setup. A related issue is whether you will be using an external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) - I recommend you do so for the improved sound quality and that you get one with a volume control. I think the best value approach is buy a pro audio interface - these have a DAC, volume control, and the types of cable connections that would facilitate mating your monitors and sub, plus other features that are used by recording musicians. I have the Steinberg UR22 (paid about $115 shipped new off ebay) but you can do fine with cheaper options: Lexicon Alpha has been recommended https://www.amazon.com/Lexicon-2-Channel-Desktop-Recording-Studio/dp/B000HVXMNE/ref=sr_1_6?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1472738288&sr=1-6&keywords=audio+interface or the Behringer UCA202 https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1472738288&sr=1-5&keywords=audio+interface

I went ahead and got the matching JBL LSR310S, but it is expensive ($400 usually but I got mine new on ebay for $279). It was worth it to me as I work from home and listen to some electronic music. Here are ebay listings now: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=jbl+lsr310s&_sop=15 Monoprice has a studio sub at $220 that would work (http://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=115&cp_id=11504&cs_id=1150401&p_id=605999&seq=1&format=2 For cable connections it will depend on what audio interface you get (suggest you buy cables from Monoprice for their support - don't bother with Guitar Center or similar places as their cable prices are very high), however, I think you need the following: for the Behringer you have to use unbalanced connections, qty 4 TRS male x RCA male cables, a) connect the interface to your computer with the supplied USB cable, b) then connect the interface input to the sub input using two (left & right) male TRS x RCA cables, and c) then two more male TRS x RCA (one each, L&R) from the sub output to the 305s input. For the Lexicon Alpha, you would connect in a similar manner but can use balanced connections, total of 4 male TRS x male TRS.

For the Inclines and in considering your initial budget goal, you could go with any of the budget subs. My son has the Dayton SUB-800 http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-800-8-80-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-627 ($99 - $5 Labor Day coupon + $6.95 shipping). I'd spend another $20 and get the Dayton SUB-1000 because it supposedly goes down to 30 Hz http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-sub-1000-10-100-watt-powered-subwoofer--300-628 You would need a subwoofer cable for the connection, such as https://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-ULTRA-Subwoofer-Cable-Feet/dp/B003FVYXY0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472740255&sr=8-3&keywords=subwoofer+cable

As I mentioned before, one the nice things about the Incline is that it has a built-in DAC; however, the "manual" isn't very helpful - this review does a good job of explaining the source input hierarchy and how to engage the DAC (there isn't an input selection switch so you have to unplug cables to make sure the DAC overrides your computer onboard sound card - in any case, use the USB input or optical for DAC): http://www.audioholics.com/computer-speaker-reviews/definitive-technology-incline-desktop-speakers-review

I'd buy my current setup...

Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 Audio Interface ($150)

(2) MXL 770 Cardoid Condenser Microphones - Amazing quality microphone for the price. ($144 for 2)

(2) XLR Cables ($20 for 2)

(2) Microphone stands. I use this Gator for my main mic stand and a cheap scissor arm stand for my second. ($100ish for 2)

(2-pack) Microphone pop filters. I like these replicas of the Popgard, but also have one real PopGard that I paid $40 for. Either is much better than those pop filters on a long extension arm that gets in the way. ($10 for 2)

Zoom H4n Pro or H5 portable recorder. I have a Zoom H4 Pro (and a regular H4) but either would work well for recording a podcast on the road or on location somewhere without a computer. ($200-275)

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Studio Monitor Headphones ($150)

Software - GarageBand or Audacity or other free DAW. Or, if you already have a Creative Cloud subscription like I do, Adobe Audition.

All of that is way less than $1k, and give you the ability to do a two-person interview podcast in the studio or on location. With the extra $100 or so, buy some sound proofing materials for your studio.

This is exactly what my setup looks like right now.

It would... work. But not well. Remember that you're working with a pure-audio medium, so sounding good is almost as important as having good content. If you have to use this setup, here are a few issues you'll run into-

• Ambient sound- imnidirectional mode will pick up a little of everything. Literally. Echo? Done. Noise from outside? Yup. Literally everything but what your listeners are there for? Possibly.
  
  
• Lack of depth- to get that rich vocal range, you gotta be at the right distance from the right mic. You will have neither with this rig.
  
  
• So much editing- considering that you're likely going to be using Audacity (nothing wrong with that at all), you'll have so much editing to do, and with no idea of what the mic is picking up (see below) to prepare you. Audacity is not the best for really mixing down audio, so you'll be putting a lot of responsibility on a program that isn't the best choice for it
  
  
• No zero-latency monitoring- this is actually huge. You'll either be plugged into the computer while your brain tries to be in the present while also listening on a lag (ugh) or you'll be flying blind (double ugh) since you can't just throw on some cans and monitor in real time. This doesn't seem important, but it super is. Being able to hear what the mic hears with no lag is a game changer.
  
  
  Here's what I'd recommend instead:
  
  Behringer XM1800s 3-pack - the products most often purchased together will run you about $55 (less than a Blue Snowball), and includes a 5-pack of windscreens, and 1 10-foot XLR cable. Personally I would replace that with 2 of the 6-foot versions- I use that exact cable with an AT2020 and for the price it's excellent. By shopping for a good deal you can spend less- buying used or on sale or even from a fellow podcaster who has moved up to more serious gear can help you out there.
  
  To get those sweet vocal tones from the mic to the computer, you'll need an interface. I use an Audio Technica AT2020 run through a Scarlet Solo, but it's just me, and their 2-mic version is excessive for what it brings to the table. Consider the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB interface. The mixer.controls will help you dial in your audio, reducing editing time/effort and reliance on Audacity.
  
  Now, I'm well aware that that is basically double the budget that you have in mind. I don't enjoy giving you that news, but- and this is important- spending ~$130 isn't that big a deal over the long term, and if you wind up taking this more seriously it will give you a massive advantage right out of the gate, and will make the process of recording so much easier, leaving you more time and energy to focus on content and enjoying the process. Because, let's be honest, that's what you start a podcast for; enjoyment. With the mics I recommended, a mic stand isn't crucial right out of the gate, but even if you really just want stands, getting a cheap boom or scissor is totally doable for $30 or less.

oh sorry I was thinking of the snowball, but it's the ICE version, cheaper and it's just the same mic, but without the different modes, Microphone Link and here are accessories, the boom stand is much better than the tiny stand they give you, and it's better for freedom, and it comes with extra bits for future proofing Suspension Stand Here's some medium quality padding if needed Padding and a nice pop filter to stop the P's and S's slipping through Pop Filter This is all the same stuff I use and it is a wonderful starter kit, I highly recommend this to you!

I'm not Brett, but I do host my own show that sounds pretty fantastic and I didn't have to break the bank for it.

For microphones, I'm using the Ultravoice 1800s dynamic mics.] (https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Ultravoice-Xm1800s-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B000NJ2TIE) They come in a 3-pack, which is $40 right now but I waited until they went on sale for $25. Really decent microphones that don't pick up a lot of background noise.

For a mixer, I'm using the [Behringer Q1202] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008O517IW/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1474221402&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=behringer+mixer+xenyx+1202&dpPl=1&dpID=5153d6epzTL&ref=plSrch). It's about $100 bucks, but again, it'll go on sale if you wait awhile.

I'm only using a mixer because I often have guests in person, though. If you're doing the show alone and don't want to bother with fine-tuning your sound, you can just use a pre-amp [like this one] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002KEAT78/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1474221560&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=xlr+preamp&dpPl=1&dpID=41fdibotlHL&ref=plSrch). I can't recommend any specific one, but just search amazon for "xlr pre-amp" and look for models with good reviews.

The other stuff you'll need is pretty cheap. Some xlr cables (5 for $20) foam mic covers (6 for $3 on ebay) and a mic stand (around $20).

You won't be able to get earwolf quality sound out of this stuff, but [I use it all on my show and it sounds great.] (http://www.futurehorsepod.com/ghostbusters/) I'm the only one using this setup in the episode though. Jackson is in Australia so he used his own stuff.

If you want to throw money at this thing and get the exact sound they have at Earwolf, they're using the Shure sm7b microphone, which usually runs $300-400 bucks and requires much more expensive equipment to run it through.

Hope this helps!

You could always try this Behringer ULTRAVOICE XM1800S Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphones, 3-Pack (at 30-40 bucks a pop you can buy two for SIX mics) and TASCAM DR-40, and as many of these splitters as you need. We've put our mics into these splitters and they work splendidly. You'll also need XLR cables for the mics as well. If you have two friends who are louder than everyone else I guess you could also buy a mixer for a little more control.

Anyways, I have the DR-40, Behringer mics, and the splitters. They work pretty damn well for how cheap you can get them. You get great portability, as well.

A lot of these guys are probably a lot more pro than me, so they're probably the ones to listen to if you want to be super legit. If you are on a budget, though, I can confirm that this setup works quite well! Minus the mixer you could probably get everything for six people having a their own mic for ~$300.

Edit: The DR-40 comes with a 2GB memory card but you might want to upgrade it a little bit just in case. SD cards are pretty cheap now, though!

Edit Edit: You'll also want some stands, too... and these windscreens.

It might end up around like $300-$400 bucks. But when some of those Blues cost $100 per mic for the cheapest ones, it's kinda a good deal for all of the stuff you'll get. Also, if podcasting doesn't work out you now have all the equipment to start a karaoke bar.

You'll need two things to get going.

1. A TS-Audio Cable
   
2. An audio interface
   
   (Above links are just examples)
   
   Now, I do see that your YDP-142 has only Headphone out ports. I can't find a general consensus on whether these also double as Line-Out plugs, but it doesn't hurt to try.
   
   The worst thing that can happen is that it is too soft. Headphone out can be too low to be well recorded sometimes. At that point, you may need to buy a Headphone Amplifier as well to boost the signal. BUT! The Audio Interface, more than likely, should be able to boost it up to a level that a computer can record.
   
   
   For iPad, get Garageband. It's simple and easy to use and does everything you could want for standard piano recordings.
   
   Hope this helps, if anyone else knows if a headphone -> AI works well, feel free to pitch in.
   
   EDIT: PS - please note that this solution will produce a Mono output (because of the TS cable). If you'd like a stereo recording, some experimentation will be needed with a TSR cable instead.
   

I'm pretty sure the problem you are having is trying to use multiple USB microphones on one computer. There are ways to do it, but even when you get it set up, it's a completely unreliable set up and you will findself regularly having technical troubles and losing recordings from crashing software.

Ideally you should record to a dedicated audio recorder like a Zoom or a Tascam, they are the most reliable.

If you want to record to a computer, you need a usb mixer and xlr microphones. Behringer can get you started for cheap, if your podcast becomes successful you can upgrade to better quality later.

The q1202 USB mixer is a great cheap place to start.

You can grab yourself a 3 pack of microphones as well. They aren't amazing but they will sound better then an expensive condenser microphone in a room where you can't control the sound (aka open plan living spaces).

The Podcaster is a decent mic. The XLR version, Røde Procaster is better and, along with the EV RE20, and the Shure SM7b, are genereally considered some of the best broadcast mics on the market, so any of those should be a safe bet if you want that round, warm, radio host sound.

The Focusrite 2i2 is a decent interface for the price, it will however need a preamp, as it alone lacks the gain to run these mics. You can save money by buying an inline preamp, like the Triton Fethead or the CL-1 Cloudlifter. They will up your gain something like 20db, giving you more than enough.

This will all be expensive though, so maybe space the purchases out over a few months and just keep using the Podcaster in the meantime?

Here's everything for equipment, so hopefully this answers any questions:

---

Wall:

• TV
  
  
• Lights/Nanoleaves
  
  
• Whiteboard
  
  ---
  
  Desk:
  
  
• Top (74x1 1/2")
  
  
• Drawers (can't see in picture) (2x, in brown-black)
  
  
• Top Legs (Supports top off of drawers)
  
  I also made modications to the desk, including installing a grommet with 2 USBs and 2 outlets, as well as a wireless charger.
  
  ---
  
  Audio Setup:
  
  
• Shure SM7B
  
  
• Rode Arm Stand
  
  
• Behringer Xenyx X1204USB
  
  
• Dbx 286s Microphone Preamp
  
  
• Sennheiser HD 660 S
  
  
• Headphone stand (Not sure if I can recommend. Headphones leave a lot of marks on the stand and can make the transparant plastic look foggy)
  
  ---
  
  Peripherals:
  
  
• Glorious Model O (White, might want to wait for the Model O- to drop if you have smaller hands)
  
  
• The Glorious GMMK (Full sized, white keycaps, Kailh Speed Silver switches)
  
  
• Mouse Bungee (White)
  
  
• Mouse Pad (XL)
  
  
• Monitors (2x)
  
  ---
  
  PC specs:
  
  
• 2080ti
  
  
• i9-9900k
  
  
• 64 GB Ram
  
  
• 4 TB SSD
  
  
• 3 TB HDD (Unsure what exactly, bought a long time ago. Pretty standard HDD though)
  
  
• 1000w Power Supply
  
  
• HZXT H500i Case
  
  
• Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 Motherboard
  
  
• Corsair Hydro Series H150i Water Cooling
  
  ---
  
  
  Any other questions, feel free to leave them and I'll try to respond :)
  
  ---
  
  Edit: Thank you for the gold random kind redditor!

Definitely that Shure SM7B is the best one for the $400 range, but it does require an extra hardware for the proper gain volume but its the best sounding for sure.

You can also go cheap which works really good as well: Audio-Technica ATR2100

It has both XLR and USB connection as in you can connect it with a mixer or go directly with USB to the PC.
Here is a combo for $90 with arm stand clamp, pop filter and the mic(it includes both xlr and usb cables, and a mini tripod mic stand)

Hopefully I did help. Sometimes a person can be put off by information overload. But you do have options from FREE to about $150.

It will depend on whether you want to record on a Stand-Alone Device like a Smart Phone or Digital Recorder, or whether you want to record directly to a computer using a separate USB Microphone.

There are also USB Interfaces that could be used. These are USB to the Computer, but use standard common XLR Microphones. If that interest you, I could explore that option. I would guess a simple USB Interface with a good XLR Microphone would in the neighborhood of about $100 to £150 for both.

Just to dgve you and overview, though there are many more options, here is a simple Single standard Microphone USB Inferface from Behringer -

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC22-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00FFIGZF6/

Here is a similar Behringer Model with TWO Standard Microphone Inputs -

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC202HD-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA-2-Channel/dp/B00QHURUBE/

A Standard XLR microphone would be cheaper than a USB Mic. Here are some examples -

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/vocal-microphones/765

Going direct into the USB of a Computer, I would expect this basic setup to be pretty good, though you would need a microphone stand to mount it all on -

https://www.parts-express.com/talent-all-in-one-usb-home-recording-studio-vocal-booth-usb-mic-shock-mount-pop-fil--233-090

Microphone Stand - (not that expensive) -

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/microphone-stands/747

As to the noise, as has been indicated, you just have to work on finding an environment that has low noise, and record close to the mic, and if possible use Uni-Directional Mics, one direction or cardioid. Though in a quiet room with somewhat close mic'ing, an Omni-Mic as found in most Cell Phones and Digital Records will still get the job done.

Part of the problem is that there are so many ways to accomplish the same task depending on how complex and expensive you want to make the task. Hopefully, it nothing else, you understand the range of options available.

Let's us know what you decide and how it works out. That could be very helpful to others who might come along with a similar problem and read this thread.

Do you have a smartphone with a voice recorder? That’s all I use and it’s remarkable how well these sound considering their general availability. I usually put the phone behind the body of my acoustic to balance the sound with my voice.

That’s about as good as you can get with a low budget. Most “budget equipment” out there that’s designed for this purpose is not going to be significantly better that it’s really worth shelling out money, unless you really want a step up, which obviously costs more.

If you want to overlay tracks, there’s apps for that too depending on what kind of phone you got, but usually I’m going for a natural real live sound, so I generally record my voice and guitar together on one take.

If you have a couple hundred dollars to spend, I’d recommend an “h4n pro”. It’s got amazing sound for the price, does multi-track recording, it’s a good room mic for a band practice and it has some onboard effects that are very cool to use if you do it right. I can’t really recommend it enough considering the bang you get for your buck. We’ve broken our a couple times over the years and I always seem to keep coming back to it.

Everyone else has mention audacity, but that’s what I’ve been using for years and still do. Find some cool plug-ins and you can really do a lot with very little or no money down.

Hi guys, I'm relatively new to playing records. I've had a turntable setup for a year or so, but don't get to use it that much.

My question is, how do you control static pops and clicks? Even on the records I buy brand new, I still get pops and clicks and my turntable sounds nowhere near as good as playing music from my iPod to my receiver. I have:

• Infinity Interlude Il60 speakers
  
• Harmon Kardon AVR325 Receiver
  
• An 80s Kenwood preamp (not the best, I know, but I don't think it should be that weak)
  
• A late 80s Technics home turntable, not one of the nicer professional type ones
  
  I replaced the cartridge with this Audio Technica cartridge, hoping it would help out, but it didn't help much at all. I realize it's a cheap cartridge, but so is my preamp and turntable.
  
  I have used this record washing contraption and this anti static brush, but niether seem to keep the dust off of my records, and pops and clicks develop way too quickly.
  
  I love spinning some vinyl, but when the sound quality doesn't compare to digital music, it really turns me off :(
  
  What do you use to keep your records fresh and clean, and what can I do to control dust and static on my records so I don't ruin them?

I put some more time into researching a solution for you:

• Speakers: [Mackie CR4 - $149.99](https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-CR4-* Pair-Reference-Multimedia/dp/B00KVEIY4O)
  
  
• Subwoofer: Polk Audio PSW505 - $179.99
  
  Explanation:
  
  There are a wide variety of quality active monitors for $149.99. I don't have experience with the Mackie's myself, but it is a trusted brand, and they are well reviewed.
  
  Finding a good subwoofer in this price bracket is very challenging. You already have a halfway decent sub with your Logitech system, so I needed to find something that would be worth the upgrade. Many subs in this price range have under powered amplifiers, or use misleading marketing to make them seem better than they are.
  
  Polk makes quality products, I used to own an entire Polk home theater system. The Polk sub offers a large 12" driver (important for hitting low bass, which is the whole point). It is capable of playing without distortion at lower frequencies than just about everything in it's class, and it has a more powerful amplifier than most other subs in it's class.

Auducity can be wonky but works well. Are y'all in the same room or remote?

Obviously a good mic is important. Can't go wrong with the snowball or yeti. I personally use this

Audio-Technica AT2005USB Cardioid... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JX8O0Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share (non affiliate link) and love it compared to the blue mics. When you can getting a sound board is really nice and really helps with your quality

Do you have any tips on mixing? I'm pretty tech savvy but it seems so complicated to do in FL Studio... Also do you recommend the AT2020 or the AT2020 PLUS? The plus is $50 more. Also, what is even the point of using an XLR mic with an audio interface? Is it just better sound quality or something? Is it like the mic plugs into the interface, and then the interface into your computer? How does the interface connect to the computer, is it USB? Someone recommended this interface to me, which seems like a great deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q502USB-5-Channel-Mixer/dp/B00CTKI10A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426532990&sr=8-3&keywords=behringer+xenyx+usb

Look into the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera. It's about $1000 without lenses. It shoots ProRes and RAW HD. Get a free copy of Resolve to edit and color grade the footage. It's a great little camera that takes beautiful footage, and Resolve takes it to the next level.

Here are some samples to give you an idea of the quality.

For £4000, you should be able to get a camera, batteries, memory cards, lenses, ND filters and an outboard audio recorder and mic.

I recommend these lenses:

Tokina 11-17mm

Voigtlander 25mm

Sigma 18-35

The Voigtlander is MFT, but the other two I recommend getting in Nikon, and buying an Nikon-to-MFT adapter. Part of the joy of MFT is that you can use nearly any kind of lens with the proper adapter.

I also recommend getting two kinds of adapter: a straight adapter, and a MetaBones Speed Booster, which widens the focal length of the lens and adds about a stop of light. It's like getting twice the number of lenses for the cost of an adapter. (For example, the 11-17mm lens goes to 8mm with the Speed Booster.)

Behringer UFO202 is only $40 but honestly it's a piece of junk.

302USB for $50 might be a little better. Never used it so I couldn't tell you.

This Lexicon Alpha unit for $60 looks decent for the price. Has balanced TRS outputs as well as a couple of inputs. Again, never used it so not sure how good it is.

Here's the thing, you bought a great pair of studio monitors, but any of these three options will likely output less than the potential quality of those Rokits. I really recommend spending the extra money on something comparable to the Audiobox I mentioned in my first comment to get the most out of your investment. If not, that third link would be my next choice. TRS will provide better quality than an RCA connection, hands down.

To find more options, just look up "audio interface." Add "usb", "firewire" etc to get more specific results based on your setup.

sure, if you don't mind.

My group and I have been talking about starting our own podcast for a while now (I swear, we've been talking about this since well before we knew that the Glass Cannon Podcast was a thing). For the past year or so we've been recording our sessions using a Blue Yeti in the middle of the table. Just listening to an episode of GCP told me that was not going to work anymore. Just the background noises that I couldn't edit out and the people talking over one another and the difference in natural speaking voices between us all adds up to a nightmare in editing.

Now, we realize this and are looking into equipment to get to address these issues. We already have this mixer. I was pointed towards these microphones as well as pretty good quality mics to start with. I am also of the understanding that this mixer will work with these mics because they are Dynamic mics and don't require phantom power, allowing us to use the 1/4" inputs on the mixer for some of them.

What are your opinions on what we have so far? I know we will need floor/table stands to go with the mics and cords to run to the mixer as well. Are the Amazon Basics cords ok to use, or do you have a better (fairly inexpensive) option?

I appreciate you taking the time.

I can help if you are using an iPhone. I believe garageband is free and records multitrack full quality with decent editing and mixing options. You can even use 3rd party plugin apps! You'll need an USB adaptor to connect an audio interface. you'd be best with this usb adaptor because it also get's power from your charger. This does two things for you, 1) your iPhone won't die on you 2) your iphone will have enough power for the interface. Then you can get something like this behringer. Then all that's left is grabbing a few SM-57 mics, or a shure drum mic kit](https://www.amazon.com/Shure-DMK57-52-Drum-Microphone-Kit/dp/B0002E51C6) to get a usable recording. Toss the big one on your kick, then one 57 on the mic, and then the other two over head pointing at your cymbals and toms. this set up will allow you to get pretty decent recordings, especially if your kit is in a good sounding space. Alternatively you can get an omni/stereo mic for iOS and mess around with placement to get a passable sound. This is cheaper, and still good enough for a more vintage vibe

The headset that broke was the G35 headset from Logitech which goes for about $90 these days. It's a great headset but this would be my 3rd set in 4 years. The mic quality is average and often requires fussing with in post but overall it's a great headset.

While rocking this backup setup I've been using ear buds and I quite like it compared to the closed ear noise cancelling headset so I don't think I want to go the headset route again.

I've always wanted to go the XLR/Mixer route. This would allow me to manipulate any volume/noise issues with the mic on the fly and not touch it at all in post. I never settled on a solution that was afforable and always went with what I knew the G35.

This is the goal. It's not much more expensive than the G35 headset but is the correct tool for the job :Þ

• Audio-Technica AT2020 XLR ^USB ^version ^exists ^too
  
• Behringer Q502USB 5-Channel Mixer
  
• XLR Microphone Cable
  
• Microphone Suspension Boom
  
  A few notes about these choices. The 5 channel mixer is total overkill but this one functions as a USB audio interface meaning when you plug it in to your PC it shows up like a USB mic would. Behringer makes a 3 port USB mixer but I don't like the way it looks lol.
  
  Not all mixers have the ability to function as a USB device. On NON USB mixers you would have to run the output of the mixer into the input on your soundcard on your PC.
  
  I prefer the audio device approach. You plug your XLR mic into the mixer which is acting as the USB audio device. This allows you to control on the mixer what the computer hears on the audio device interface.
  
  Totally a long and involved answer but some might find it useful if in the market for audio upgrades :Þ

I hope I'm posting this in the right place.

I'm looking for a low-end solution for recording vocals, connected to a PC.

I have absolutely no experience whatsoever with audio hardware. My wife loves to sing - and though I am of course biased, I think she's pretty good at it - and so I want to get her a gift of some recording equipment.

I'm not looking for anything high-end; I'd like for it to be "decent", but it doesn't have to be professional level hardware. I'd like to be able to get everything for somewhere between $300-400 if possible. So, specifically, I'm looking for...

1. A microphone for vocals (with a stand, or stand separate)
   
   
2. A way to hook everything up to the PC (for use with something like FL Studio or Audacity)
   
   I assume there might need to be an amp in there somewhere? I don't know, I don't know anything about this stuff.
   
   Would anyone please be willing to give me some recommendations on parts, and what specifically I will need? Thank you.
   
   Edit: Okay, what about this?
   
   AT-2020 Mic
   
   Scarlett Solo USB Interface
   
   Mic Stand
   
   Pop Filter
   
   XLR Cable
   
   Seinnheser HD280 Headphones

I'm interested in a signal mixer like this 4 line device (Rolls MX42 Stereo Mini Mixer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00102ZN40/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tZpJAb72CDFV9) but am horrified of the likely impact to the sound quality. This wouldn't be on my main setup, but still would prefer not to totally mess up the sound quality of the system just for convenience sake.

And that is the reason I'm considering it, the idea is to simplify the steps required to set up and begin listening to music, so the wife doesn't need to fiddle with setting the correct input to put some music on (it's not that she's incapable, it's more like if it's just a bit easier to "just play" she'll happily use it more often which is a win for both of us)

I know the device will affect gain, but how? I'm guessing it won't be a nice flat attenuation, but will it vary depending on whatever's connected?

TLDR; does a signal combiner like the one linked above a really bad idea and if so, is there a higher quality alternative?

Twitch Steaming audio help!

​

I was wondering what people would recommend for a semi-professional audio setup. I don't really have a budget other than under around $800-$900. By no means am I and "audiophile" but I do know the basics and then some. All I want is crisp sounding microphone, a mixer with a good DAC and compressor, and a good pair of headphones. Here is the hardware I am currently looking at, any advice will help a lot! Also the mixer I found is kinda ugly IMO, is there any mixer with good functionality that isn't as ugly? Thanks :D

Microphone: https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002E4Z8M/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1542937982&sr=1-3&keywords=Shure+Dynamic+Microphone%2C+XLR+%28SM7B%29

Mixer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JRGHEZ2/ref=psdc_11974871_t1_B00IBIVL42

Headphones: https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-650-Professional-Headphone/dp/B00018MSNI/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1542938032&sr=1-4&keywords=sennheiser+headphone

Again thank you for the help!

Condenser mics are good for picking up a lot of people, but they also create a lot of background noise too. I used a condenser for 2 years, we JUST made the switch. Now i use 4 dynamic mics, via an xlr to USB interface. We record in adobe audition. Even if you dont record in it, i recommend learning it and running your audio through it for post editing. ill link all my useful stuff and equipment. These will all be amazon links.

The Mics

Good Mic Stands for cheap

interface

if you go through the trouble of learning audition this is helpful. This is the algorithm the Game Grumps use, i cannot state enough what an amazingly drastic quality difference this makes. it raises the lows, lowers the highs, evens it all out.

Dynamic Audio Processing Chart

​

I should mention that to record multiple mic inputs, you need either an additional sound card, or the ASIO4ALL driver (which hogs your soundcard making it so you cant hear your game, booo.) The alternate solution i went for is recording the audio on another PC.

​

If you're recording with lots of people, to avoid audio spillover (one person being picked up on another's mic) you want to record with each track at the near lowest possible Gain/Volume/Db, and raise it all later. this will make the mics only pick up the voice right in front of them. I usually also angle all the mics in a way that they face only their speaker, but not others. I can elaborate on this further if you like. Then i run it all thru the Dynamic Processing. I think that about covers the gist of it, sorry for how detailed it was lol. If anyone is curious, i can give good tips on creating thumbnails, info about how i make my art and music, how i edit my videos and general technique too, when i have time

Looking at the responses you've gotten so far and your need for good recording equipment over and above the need for the PC itself, I've put together another build for you.

This uses a fanless Intel Bay Trail quad-core chip. It's not a barnstormer in terms of performance, but you can't get any quieter than fanless. It includes a fanless power supply and a 5400RPM laptop hard drive (I'm still not convinced that recording to an SSD is a good idea -- mine introduces an unacceptable amount of jitter into the recording, even with low bitrates) to keep it as quiet as possible.

Size is also reduced. This is about the smallest you can make a build-it-yourself PC. 8.5" on a side, 2.5" tall.

I've included a USB ADC (analog-to-digital converter) with XLR inputs, phantom power and hardware gain control alongside your previous selection of the Shure SM94 instrument mic. I have an SM94 and it should work well for your application (it tends to be a bit bright for guitar or winds, but strings should work nicely with it).

I also included a mic stand with boom arm, as proper mic position is essential to capturing the correct character of the instrument.

The only thing I didn't include was an optical drive, but you mentioned looking for an external USB drive. That'll be your best bet here as well.

Let me know if you have any questions.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Memory | *Team 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory | $56.98 @ OutletPC
Storage | Samsung Spinpoint M9T 2TB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive | $108.65 @ Amazon
Other| ASRock Q1900B-ITX Celeron J1900 quad-core CPU + Motherboard (Bay Trail) | $72.00
Other| Mini-Box M-350 Universal Mini-ITX Case w/ 80W PicoPSU | $70.00
Other| Shure SM94 Instrument Mic | $180.00
Other| ART USB Dual Pre XLR ADC | $80.00
Other| Samson Mic Stand w/ Boom | $20.00
| | Total
| Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available | $587.63
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-16 10:21 EST-0500 |

Do you have the xlr or usb version? if its xlr any old xlr cable should work, but the usb uses this cable . Personally I use this shockmount and this desk mount which isn't very bad for the price but you can definitely tell its a cheap mount. Most of the accessories are garbage and I ended up cutting out the XLR cable and wiring my usb cable through it, but if you have the xlr version I guess it'll work fine for you. I know for a fact that shock mount you just linked doesn't work, but it does come with the desk mount I linked (for $20 more) so you may as well try it for yourself, the best option would be the Audio Technica shock mount but its pretty pricey. I should also mention the better option for the desk mount would be the Rode desk mount and that the AT2020 on its own is comparable with either desk mount as long as you use the mount that comes with it for the desk stand, just remove the mount itself and screw it to the desk mount. hope my experience could help you out :)

Needing help with new set up for my wife’s Technics SL-BD20

17 years ago my wife and I got married and moved into a new house and my wife’s old Technics SL-BD20 turntable never got unpacked. We had small children at the time and not much room.

Now the kids are older and we still don’t have much room, but she’s always been a big fan of vinyl and as a Christmas present I’d like to get her up and running again!

I considered buying a new turntable (the LP120), but she’s always cherished her SL-BD20 turntable, so I am pretty set on keeping this turntable. If she really gets back into vinyl we can upgrade in a couple years.

And I want to keep the whole process as simple and straightforward as possible since I really have no clue what I am doing!

Today, I plugged in the turntable and everything appears to be functioning as it should.

She has a Sony LBT D108 stereo with direct phono hookup and some large-ish Sony SS-D110 speakers. I want to ditch these and figure out a smaller set up for the time being.

I’d like to keep the footprint as small as possible and as I am a woodworker I may even build her a cabinet and shelf unit to house everything.

So from my research it appears I need a pre amp and some powered speakers. And a new cartridge. And probably a new belt to have on hand.

I was wanting to spend about $50 on the pre amp. From doing a little research this seems to be a good one: ART Pro Audio DJPRE II https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJR482/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1MCQTNZBUHMQG&coliid=I3A0D31NILP92W

Another $25 on a cartridge: Audio-Technica AT92ECD

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006HO3L/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1MCQTNZBUHMQG&coliid=I3N3SNC9BX4PUV&psc=1

And then perhaps some smallish powered bookshelf speakers for around $100 or perhaps a bit more if it makes sense. I could really use some suggestions on speakers.

I’m looking to maybe spend a couple hundred bucks total to get her back to listening to vinyl.

Sorry, I am a total noob and have zero experience with stereos etc. Will I need any other adaptors or speaker wire or anything else?

This mic stand is pretty good, but I can't really recommend it for the Yeti. The Yeti is a bit heavy and if you extend the arm on the stand it won't be able to hold the mic up. I've solved this with a very inelegant counterweight.

The monitor stands are really great. They're strong and very versatile. Would recommend.

Thanks for this. I just ordered a whole pile of stuff on Amazon with Prime. Came out to be a good bit cheaper than your estimate. I traded down on a couple of things like the vocal mics (Behringers for 1/3 the price) and direct boxes (half the price). The big thing I skimped on to make my budget was the mixer - I got a Behringer 12-channel mixer with great reviews for about $90. Hopefully it will get the job done.

Definitely couldn't have figured out what to buy without you. Hopefully this is everything we need for a great summer and beyond!

Consider looking at the AT2100 dynamic mic. It's currently at $58 (with retail at $80).

This is a very nice starting mic for a few reasons:

• The sound is rather good for the price point, as indicated by reviews. Not as good as the blue snowball, BUT
  
  
• It has WAY better background noise rejection as a dynamic mic versus the snowball, which is a condenser mic.
  
  
• It has a USB connection, for easy and immediate use. You can use this for the time being with the on-board audio interface.
  
  
• Down the road, it has an XLR connection so you can upgrade your quality by buying a dedicated audio interface (like the scarlett solo, for example). XLR with a dedicated XLR-to-USB interface will give you a better sound than USB with an on-board interface.
  
  tl;dr: I don't know why more people don't recommend dynamic mics, and the AT2100 is a great starter.

Some techno geeks will tell you otherwise, but you always want to Mic a guitar cab if you are recording with a good dedicated instrument Mic. I have one of [these:] (https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Silver-Cardioid-Instrument-Microphone/dp/B0002GYSNC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499801289&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+609) and it does a hell of a job for 100 dollars in my opinion. Research "how" to mic a cab as well before you begin.

After that, the "interface" is just basically an input that goes from the microphone cable to the computer. A good pre-amp here helps a lot with quality, but I bought this guy recently, and again, for that price, it kicks so much ass in my opinion. I don't see how it could be made any cheaper.

I think the main thing if you get more expensive with the interface you can A: get better preamps (probably not important to you if you are just getting into it and B: Record more inputs simultaneously. I have an 8 port one as well as the one I linked, and that's nice when the boys come over to crack a few cold ones. If we get to jamming, I can just mic everything, start recording, and see what happens. But realistically, if you don't want to do the "whole live band" recording thing, and be able to go back and have everything separately tracked for editing, the two interface is fine for personal recording. (use one for most instruments, both at once for anything in stereo).

Then it's just telling your DAW to use the interface as the input and recording your tracks.

You can record multiple USB mics at once using a virtual audio cable of some sort but you really don't want to go down that route. Even if you do get a USB mic, you don't want to be stuck in that gheto.

I'm a fan of the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB or the nearly identical AT2005-USB. The most significant difference is the 2100 has a limited lifetime warranty and the 2005 has a one year warranty. Both are USB or XLR which means if you get a serious bug for this you will be able to take these with you when you get a mixer or audio interface. People often compare them to much more expensive mics and not unfavorably. You can usually find them for ~$60-$50. (Ye gads, the ATR2100 is up to $72! It was under $50 around christmas.)

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4/

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y/

Though I've never used one, I hear the Samson Q2U is also nearly identical to the Audio-Technica mics.

http://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Headphones-Accessories/dp/B001R747SG/

A cheap mixer like the Berlinger Q802USB (~$80) allows for two mics and other inputs to add in sound effects or Skype calls. It also has something called an Aux Send (labeled FX Send) that I won't explain but will allow you to do a Mix-Minus which you would need for Skype.

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q802USB-8-Channel-Mixer/dp/B008O517IC/

With the mixer you could get by with cheaper mics but the Audio-Technica are pretty good for not a lot of money. You could also hook one mic up (and I assume the mixer as well though I haven't tried with that brand) directly to your iPad or iPhone via the USB camera connection kit and use a recorder there or an app like BossJock to record your podcast. I know some people just use BossJock as a sound board as well.

http://bossjockstudio.com

!

I'm actually more of a fan of the 5 mic idea rather than one condenser, for the reasons that /u/carlmmii outlined below. I'm also going to second the idea that running the mixer via Line In, while it may work, isn't the best way to go about doing it. It will work, but the chances of having unintended audio issues (hum, etc) are increased. Instead, I would recommend pushing the mixer budget a little bit to get one with a dedicated USB audio out, or running the mixer L/R outputs into something like this.

​

As far as good mics in the $50 range, I'd go with Shure PG48s. They're cheap, sound decent, and Shure has a reputation of being incredibly tough. Regardless of which mic you pick, I'd recommend dynamic over condenser to cut down on the amount of vocal bleed (i.e. the voice of Player 1 getting picked up in Player 2's mic) and overall reduction in table noise/dice dropping/etc.

My current microphone is a Neewer NW-800 with a pop filter, stand, power supply, & shock mount. In total, around 100 dollars (excluding shipping and the wire/adapter)
Microphone,
Boom Arm,
Pop Filter,
Power Supply,
I got mine for around 65 because the mic was on sale, so I would wait until it goes on sale again to be a bit more affordable.

PS: If you want to connect this mic to the PS4, I recommend these two:
Wire, Adapter

Yes, your specs are good enough for an LP series. I agree with Pyroraptor (Audacity, OBS Studio/Standard OBS, Gimp, I use Lightworks, but you could use HitFilm. The webcam seems pretty nice. Just remember that the Neweer is a condenser mic, meaning it will pick up almost anything, so it would be a good idea to either remove any potential background noise in Audacity or use a noise removal program. I would focus on the mic and software first, webcam later. Hope this helps! -Alduin

Copy/paste of a budget setup I've been putting together lately:

• 1 x Pile Pro PDMIC78 for snare
  
• 1 x CAD KBM412 for kick
  
• 2 LDCM's for overheads, AT 2020 is a classic, but you can certainly go cheaper with some no-name condensers.
  
• Behringer UMC404HD for an interface. It has 4 mic preamps, which will work much better for drums than the 2-in AudioBox or the Scarlet 2i4 that always comes up on these threads.
  
• 4 x mic cables
  
• 1 x low profile boom stand for the kick mic
  
• 1 x mic clip for the snare mic
  
• 2 x Boom stands for overheads
  
• Download Reaper, use the free trial
  
  I think all told that runs you about $400, but you can use that to set up a solid Glyn Johns set up. If you want to multitrack the rest of a band, the Pyle will work well on guitar cabs, you can DI the bass and use the kick mic on the cab, and condenser mics will do pretty much anything else. I have a better setup for doing final takes, but this is more or less my current setup for demos.
  
  Also, if you're really strapped for cash, you can start with just the interface and one condenser mic, although it won't be great. From there, get the kick and snare mics, then a second OH when you have the money.

Scissor arm mic stands can make a huge difference if you have limited desk space. Great for cord-management too. Don't need a mic right now? Just shove the whole thing out of the way.

I'm sure the mic will be fine for most use. Without a digital audio interface, you'll be limited to microphones that are direct USB devices. While they do record sound, you're never really going to get that "radio voice" that you might be seeking. Next step up would be to get an interface and step up to an XLR vocal mic. Shure makes some damn good voiceover mics, but they'll set you back a couple hundred. The difference is night and day, though.

Those headphones are fantastic for listening, but maybe not the best for editing. I'd go for something with a much flatter response that isn't open-ear. I've been using a basic pair of SONY 7506s and I've not had too much of a problem with them. The ears could use a bit more padding, but the sound is good enough to do what I want out of them. Ideally, one should use a decent set of studio monitors for proper editing, but... yeah that's a major investment. For basic voiceover stuff it's not going to be super necessary.

Hey all,

I'm getting ready to go big on a microphone setup, but I want to get a few extra opinions on the hardware that I have selected to make sure it is both sufficient for each other as well as the best price to performance. I'm really looking for some GREAT quality but not needing something for full on production.

-----

Here is a list of the items and below is a screenshot of the cart if people don't want to click on the individual links.

Audient iD14

Shure SM7B

CL-1 Cloudlifter

RODE PSA1

LyxPro Balanced XLR Cable 6 ft

LyxPro Balanced XLR Cable 1.5 ft

-----

https://i.imgur.com/T08p76s.png

Welcome home! I have been using the Snowball for two years now and I think I have gotten the best quality that I could possibly get out of it. It is surprising how much the pop filter actually helps. Here are a few tips that can get you some good audio quality.

• If you can afford it/have the space for it, grab a Boom Stand for that mic so that you can get it just where you want it. I record from a couch and this is essential for my audio quality. It is cheaper than getting a shock mount and if you plan on putting the mic directly on the desk it could pick up some vibrations from your PC.
  
  
• On your PC settings turn your microphone levels on your Snowball down to 20-25 and position the mic about a foot away from your face. This will greatly cut down on background noise and even though you can use a noise remover they lower the quality of the overall recording sometimes.
  
  
• Make sure to record your audio separately from the game audio with a program like audacity (I use Soundbooth but Audacity is the best free option) so that you can play with the audio levels while editing.

It depends on what you want aim for in terms of quality. If you want a cheap but sufficient interface (what you plug instruments and mics into) then go for a line 6 ux1 or ux2.

http://www.amazon.com/Line-6-POD-Studio-UX1/dp/B001EKECAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449798017&sr=8-1&keywords=line6+ux1

http://www.amazon.com/Line-6-POD-Studio-UX2/dp/B001EKECC2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449798017&sr=8-2&keywords=line6+ux1

For a microphone, there's a bit more searching involved. I don't have experience with a huge variety of mics but the 2 that I know work really well are the Shure sm7b and the MXL 4000.

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002E4Z8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449798231&sr=8-1&keywords=shure+sm7b

http://www.amazon.com/MXL-4000-Multi-Pattern-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B001REGEF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449798319&sr=8-1&keywords=mxl+4000

The Shure SM57 is also pretty good but is usually used on instruments more so than vocals but that doesn't mean it can't get the job done well

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM57-LC-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B0000AQRST/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449798383&sr=8-1&keywords=sm57.

If you want to hear the interface and the Shure sm7b in action, check out some of the stuff I've recorded before. Used to be into recording my old band a lot. I assure you it doesn't sound like it was recorded in a tin can: https://soundcloud.com/herpyderpypuddingpie/worldacousticmaster (and yes, i already know you love my soundcloud channel name) (oh and ignore the horrible acoustic guitar tone. this was before I figured out that recording them DI wasn't all that great of a solution)

This build will be adequate for music production, although just barely. Like others have said, an outboard audio interface that connects by USB is one of the most important components for an audio production PC (definitely cut that asus xonar sound card). this focusrite Scarlett series is an immensely popular choice https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T56CM/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1491756709&sr=1-2&keywords=audio+interface I would also recommend the behringer umc hd series as being much better value at the $99 price point (this is what I just replaced my ancient audio interface with) https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UMC404HD-BEHRINGER-U-PHORIA/dp/B00QHURLHM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491757010&sr=8-1&keywords=umc404hd The audio interface will allow you to 100% bypass the motherboards audio chipset and will provide far higher quality and much more routing options than any onboard audio chipset can claim.

I wouldn't cut anything from this parts list. If you running even a few different VST's in ableton you may come to find the mechanical drive insufficient to allow you to smooth play back of instruments. An 250-500gb SSD would be a likely future upgrade for this build that would tangibly improve performance.

Also, if an audio interface is outside your budget, I would simply wait on buying one. Depending on what your doing in Ableton you might not find it essential right off the bat. Its not like its gonna affect your warping or timestretching ;)

Translation:

"Any half decent voiceover mic" with proper equalizer settings (controls how much of the bass, mid, and treble you hear) and compression (controls how dynamic the volume of a sound is, resulting in a louder overall apparent volume (technically, compression doesn't increase the decibel level, which is why TV commercials always sound louder than the shows despite there being laws in place about decibel levels needing to be the same)) will do the job.

He then drops some specific model names, SM7, C414 and C214

And finally, for the tidbits he adds about each model. "Cardioid" and "multi-pattern" refer to the pickup pattern of each mic. The pickup pattern is a description of where sound is best picked up around the mic. Cardioid refers to a roughly heart-shaped (in the '<3' sense) pattern, extending from the face of the mic. This means the mic will best pick up sound directly in front of it, and then extending out, with a wider pickup area further away. There are, of course, other patterns of pickup. The C414 noted above is capable of operating in 9 different patterns, giving you more flexibility for recording. "Brighter" just refers to sound quality, which here means... well, what it sounds like really. It's going to pick up less bass, which leads to the 'brightness'.

Just a heads up: The seiren bundle is almost like the Beats of microphones. Okay not that bad, but still. It looks good (if you like a big razer logo on your mic). The features don't come close to matching the price though.

50% off makes it a reasonable package, but at stock price its essentially a much more expensive Blue Yeti. The reviews for the essential hardware lead me to believe this one gets a little thin if you compare it to the audio technica USB mic at the $130 pricepoint..

As for the pop filter and shock mount, as I have mentioned elsewhere, Your biggest reduction in unwanted sound will come from getting a boom mic. It reduces vibrations and, more importantly, allows you to place the microphone at a proper distance from your mouth. With the proper placement, the mic signal is hot, so you're not turning up the gain to sound intelligible, which in turn increases the ambient noise. The pop filter can be useful, but the seiren filter is needlessly expensive, for something you can make at home. Shockmounts will be relevant only if you for some reason need to adjust and move the mic stand all the time. A boom stand eliminates the need.

What I'm saying is, although you're technically getting a deal, There are other choices you can find with more bang for your buck, if all you need is a mic to record your voice for gameplay streaming or VOIP for games. If your budget is $150 dollars I would say to get either the audiotechnica (a reputable and affordable audio company) or the Blue Yeti, and buy a heavy duty boom mic stand.

Now don't let me stop you from spending the money the way you want, but I just thought I would throw out my two cents on the matter since I had the time.

[EDIT] Just throwing this out there, I would buy this mic before any of the ones we talked about: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATR2100-USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B004QJOZS4

or this: http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y

The Audio-Technica ATR2100/AT2005/Samson Q2U are very good podcasting microphones, and are versatile by having both USB and XLR connections.

The Zoom H6 is a good recorder. If you want to save money, get a Behringer mixer (1-XLR, 2-XLR, 4-XLR) and a Zoom H1 to record with.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M30x or ATH-M40x are good headphones.

Get any pop filter that fits your price. A Neewer boom arm is OK for podcasting (that's what I use), but the next step up is a Blue Compass, Rode PSA-1, or Heil PL-2T.

The Neewer boom arm comes with a plastic shock mount.

Monoprice.com has pretty good quality cables for cheap, but price almost equals quality for audio cables.

Audacity is a good audio editor.

Check out Better Podcasting, The Audacity to Podcast, School of Podcasting, The Feed, and Podcasters' Roundtable for podcast advice. Pod Squad is a Discord server that I help moderate where you can also get more help from other podcasters.

You can get a number of headphone amps for guitar for like $30-$40. Vox makes a good one, IMO.

Using your 3.5mm adapter and microphone input on PC with an amp sim will sound like garbage. A proper interface will cost nearly as much as the amp, and free amp sim software is decent but sometimes difficult to get working properly...and leaves you tethered to your PC.

Find either a battery powered amp or headphone amp like the one I linked below. That way you can play on headphones anywhere you like.

Do not just get a regular old headphone amp, those are meant for hifi not guitar. They'll give you flat, lifeless sound. The natural harmonic distortion of even a "clean" amp is part of a guitars sound. The amplifier is part of the instrument, without it you aren't playing electric guitar. So whatever you get, make sure it's actually acting as a guitar amp.


VOX AP2AC amPlug AC30 G2 Guitar Headphone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAUHX1G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uHSRzbGQ9P2V9

Definitely go with something XLR based, since USB usually can't offer the same quality at the same price (even for a whole setup.)

Though I say that ATR2100 is something I keep recommending because it is both XLR and USB, and has very good quality (per quick youtube search) for the price. It's also a dynamic microphone, so it will pick up less background noise and other things dynamic mics do.

As for a stand I have been using this boom arm for almost two years, and have absolutely no issues with it except for a minor squeak when putting it away (not really an issue you're going to have if you're using it) and as much as people like them, pop filters are not really neccisary, just talk with the mic a bit to the side and you're fine (don't waste the $8 I did).

All in all both the atr2100 and the stand will run you about $100, and it is pretty damn good quality for that price.

I would reccomend an XLR interface in the future though, since they do live mixing, built in EQ, better gain control, better sound quality, and a built in DAC for your headphones, but that's around $50-$80 for either of my decent interface choices: the Q802USB Which I am currently using, or a Q502USB which If it's anything like the 802 is cheaper and just as good (albiet with less inputs, but you probably don't need 8 inputs).

The least resource intensive would be to play it from a different device, like a phone. Then the issue is that you have your PC and your phone playing through different speakers/headphones.

Some speaker sets have dual inputs, so you could actually connect both your phone and your PC to one set and listen to everything at the same time from two separate devices. But if you don't have that, then your options are a bit more limited.

There are devices that allow you to mix multiple sources with a single output. Something like this. You get knobs to individually control the volume for each channel. But it might be a bit overkill for this since you have a perfectly good computer.

I think there's one more solution if you want to play from a separate device. You should be able to connect your phone to the line in audio, and then pass that audio through to your sound output in Windows. Instructions here. That would make your computer play all the audio coming through your phone without any special software.

If you want a music program that won't use many resources (unlike Spotify), maybe give Foobar2000 a shot.

Roxio Game Cap I've used both the HD and SD versions. They get a little more hate than I say they deserve. They do an admirable job and are usually heavily discounted on Amazon. If he has his own video editor this is perfect. It comes with one but it's not very good.

USB Microphone Fairly cheap but good rated USB Microphone. He can use Audacity, which is a free recording and sound editing program, along with this for his commentary.

That's about $80 but I don't know how much cheaper you could get. If he has a microphone already and computer games he can record there's always OBS, a free computer recording software. As far as a PS3 capture device though with a mic this is about as cheap as I can see. Certain gaming headsets are compatible with the PC if he has some Turtle Beaches or something. I hope this helped!

The only thing to keep in mind is you could potentially pick up audio from the television on your microphone. You would have to keep the TV turned down low if you don't want to commit to a headset.

A lapel mic would work but may not be very good quality for commentary. I've never had a lapel mic that recorded all that great. You could just set up a USB microphone with a longer cord and mic stand next to you on the couch.

Here is what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-C01U-Studio-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00HXE4BYW/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CLIPHO/

If I'm recording at my PC, I just slide it over next to me. If I'm on the couch playing off a console, I just slide it over to where the mic is at appropriate recording distance from my mouth. I love being able to easily go back and forth between areas since I switch between PC gaming and old consoles.

When I'm jamming on the PC, I use a headset so the game audio doesn't get picked up by the microphone.

When I'm console recording over on the couch, I keep the TV turned down low and it's far enough away to where it doesn't get picked up by the mic although I've thought about getting a headset for the TV with a long cord so I can hear the game audio... I like to hear the music lol.

I have been using 2 PCs for a while, I can PM you a video I made a while back if that helps.

You're old PC is very capable of handling streaming. You don't have to use a capture card, but it is what I am using at the moment. You can setup a rtmp server, I have a little success using it but decided to go back to using a capture card.

The capture card you choose should depend on what settings you want to run your game and stream at. The AV.IO 4k is what I am using right now, it lets me game at 1440p and downscale to 720p for my stream. You said you want to get an ultrawide monitor and this card can let capture that screen size. Not sure about OBS, but Xsplit will allow you to capture a portion of the screen so the rest of it won't be shown.

For sound I am using a channel mixer, with an XLR mic. You don't have to use a channel mixer. Depending on the capture card that you use you can capture the sound via HDMI, a channel mixer just offers more control.

There is a neat program called synergy that will let you use one set of m&kb for both computers.

If you use an Avermedia capture card you will have to use an extra program for OBS, at least this was the case when I still had one. Not sure about other capture cards but the Avermedia LGP has a headphone jack that will allow you to listen to your gaming computer, but not you streaming PC.

This is all I can remember right now, let me know if you need any more help.

Samson go mic? I used to have one of those ages ago... Decent for the price, as I remember. So. Here's my advice for multiplayer commentary at a budget of $250.

Mixer = $100

Mic x4 = $120. This is my go to mic and I love the sound it gets. Not suitable for live performances through a PA, but for lets plays it's awesome. This particular link includes XLR cords too.

These mics are also dynamic, so they should pick up considerably little of the game audio. I'd recommend picking up some boom stands, like these for about 20 bucks each.

As for headphones and such, I've used my microphones without headphones and it's picked up little to no game audio.

If you're dirt poor (like I am) and you just need a bread-and-butter Audio Interface to get started, I'd check out the Lexicon Alpha. With that price you can't really go wrong... It has a balanced XLR (Microphone) Input, and a High-Impedance Guitar Input. (as well as a line input) The cons are that it is a USB 1.0 Device, which means it doesn't preform as well as some of the higher budget devices (slow data transfer speeds, possibly higher latency). It also doesn't have Phantom Power (which is used to power Condenser Microphones), and it is "bus" powered by the USB Port (which can be a cause of unwanted noise.)

The Lexicon Alpha is my first (and only) audio interface, and It gets the job done for what it's worth. There is a bit of 'bleed' when you record both Mic and Instrument at the same time (you can hear some Mic in the Guitar input), but if you track your vocals separately that's not a problem.

If you can afford it, I'd definitely go with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, which is one of the best interfaces at the price range. I think I would've been better off with the 2i2, but I'm satisfied with the Alpha for now.

I'm glad to assist as I'm a fanboy of this type of Technics turntable. I have an old hobby of restoring and collecting Japanese TTs and there's an SL-10 in my collection. I'd love to have an SL-7 too, however I'm falling behind in the "restore" area the last few years.

You will need a phono preamp since the SL-7 does not have one built in, and neither do your Miccas. The sky's the limit on phono preamp prices, however they're a rather simple beast so even the cheapest ones work pretty damned well. To keep things simple for now I'd recommend this one for sixteen bucks.

https://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PP999-Phono-Turntable-Pre-Amp/dp/B00025742A

Assuming the SL-7 is good to go and has a cartridge/stylus with some life left in it, that'll be all you need to make music. Your Miccas have amplification built in, so that's it.

If you do need a new P-mount cartridge, this one is very good for the $27 it costs. It's what I have on my SL-10 because I can't afford high-end carts on everything. Be aware there's a small screw that holds it in place on that little tonearm and it must be completely removed first. It's hard to see, so people have ripped off the entire arm trying to pull the cartridge free.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT92ECD-Universal-Replacement-Cartridge/dp/B00006HO3L

Last thing I should mention, there are two plastic ears on the SL-7 that are a failure point, since all examples of this turntable are very old now. They latch the lid to the lower portion, or plinth. Treat them very gently as there are no replacements for them.

I agree with /u/bluesmcgroove that the Blue Radius is a good one, but you can certainly go with non-Blue stands as well. I personally use this stand as it works well for me -> http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Stands-MS7701-Tripod-Microphone/dp/B000978D58/

Pretty inexpensive and you can clip whatever filter you use to it easily. Of course, this is if you have a spot to set it next to you to swivel the arm in front of you. There were some other people who recommended one that clamps onto your desk in the past, but I can't say I have experience with those ones.

Yes I see where you're going there, however I'm not sure that mixer is as versatile as it looks at first glance. Unless I'm reading them wrong, the first slider is for the mic only, and the 2nd slider is for either usb or line, not both. Now, there are a couple (and I do mean a couple!) of line mixers that would be appropriate for my particular purpose (apparently I'm pretty rare in the computer/desktop/tv demographic). I found this, which is an active mixer. And then there's this guy which is passive, Some say the voltage drop through the signal path on this one degrades the audio somewhat. I have to say the Behringer's active electronics along with the price make it the more desirable of the two. Samson makes a 5 channel line mixer as well, but they're fifty bucks too. I'm really trying to keep my total expense as low as possible without losing the potential to hear good audio. Thanks for helping me out Zeos. I really appreciate it!

Our set up with the audio interface and XLR mics has been so much easier to work with. We use the Tascam MiniStudio. It's a good little machine that works well for just the two of us. Also lets you plug your phone/tablet in to record music, but not as a separate track. Ultimately, will probably upgrade to something like this, this, or this. That Monoprice mixer however may not be great for recording more than 2 people on separate tracks. But the Behringer and other Monoprice audio interface look good.

We use the Samson Q2U microphones. I really like them, and think they have great sound quality. If you want to hear the difference between our USB episodes and our XLR mics, check our podcast out: https://fanlink.to/bzYq. Episodes 1 and 2 were recorded with a Blue Snowball and Yeti Nano, and the rest of our episodes are with the Samson Q2Us.

TL:DR Help me choose my first setup. Dynamic vs Condenser.

I’m looking for my first microphone, to start recording over free trap beats I find on the internet.

Both of these are in my price range. I’d like to point out that the Shure SM58 is a dynamic and the AT2020 is a condenser.

I’m struggling to decide because I’ve read that a condenser picks up more details which is good, however my bedroom isn’t sound treated. You can hear the very gentle buzzing of electrical appliances, the faint rumbling of the hot water pipes, and the wind against the side of the house.

I’ll be picking up the XLR versions, and will be buying either the Behringer UMC202HD or the Focusrite Scarlett Solo . If you have experience with either of these, feel free to comment.

Edit: I should mention that I’ll probably buy a sound shield as well. Are my sound treatment issues solvable without breaking the bank?

Im currently using the Podcaster, so this is a pretty bias'd opinion.

If your desk have space for it, a boom arm like the RØDE PSA1 (UK Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/RØDE-Swivel-Mount-Studio-Microphone/dp/B001D7UYBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474200451&sr=8-1&keywords=psa1) compliments the Podcaster really well.

If not, then a simple tripod mount (American Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Stands-MS7701B-Tripod-Microphone/dp/B000978D58) would prob. also do the trick.

TL;DR A boom arm is really great for the PODCASTER, because, since it is a dynamic mic, you need it to be about a fists length away from your mouth, (at least from my experience.) and a boom arm gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of positioning the mic.

Oh yeah, use this part of the offical RØDE website to check where you can buy their microphones, and microphone stands(If you didn't know already): http://www.rode.com/wheretobuy

I definitely won't claim to be an expert, but i recommend getting a cheap cartridge to start off with if you're new to vinyl. Something like like an Audio Technica AT 92ECD (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006HO3L/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details) it's super cheap, but still a really solid starter cartridge.

• Wallpaper - Rick and Morty
  
• Terminal Colors - Lolcat
  
• Song - "Come and get your love" - Redbone
  
• Playlist - Have a great day!
  
• Pinned tab - Rocket.Chat
  
  I have been surprised at how fast this is compared to some of my other favorite distros. Additionally, everything worked perfectly out of the box, including my audio interface.

I haven't used Audacity for anything other than recording, but overall I think it works really well!
Yes, VNC works, I forgot about it, thanks.
I'll look into that script, although my scripting/programming skills are virtually non-existent, so it looks a little confusing to me, haha.

edit: just in case, I'm using this mic AT2005USB and the pi's USB is powerful enough to drive it! (I just have the mic and a mouse plugged in, nothing else).

Sounds like you really need an inexpensive USB mixer, something like the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB, or even the Q502USB. This will allow you to use more than one XLR microphone and port it into your computer via USB.

It would also allow you to do mix-minus with Skype calls — but I think a Zencaster account might work just as well, or even better.

You should consider picking up a Zoom or Tascam digital audio recorder as well, if only to have a redundant recording system. Ray Ortega has a great walkthrough on setting up mix-minus with a mixer: How to Setup a Mix Minus for Recording Skype.

Are you talking about having a backing track on the computer, and then recording voice and mixing it to the backing track? Or just voice (like a podcast?)

Either way, I highly recommend a USB-mixer, like this one:

Behringer 502

I picked one up off Craigslist for $40 a few years ago. It's a great "swiss army mixer" that I use for little projects at home and on live-sound gigs.

Then start off with a solid vocal mic:

Shure SM48

or Behringer 8500

This will give you the option to easily upgrade the microphone in the future if you want to.

You'll also want a mic stand.

Audacity is awesome, and you can check out other options here:

http://www.homestudiocenter.com/best-free-audio-editor/

Hey, I`d totally recommend this https://www.amazon.ca/AP2AC-amPlug-AC30-Guitar-Headphone/dp/B00NAUHX1G/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=pocket+amp&qid=1563342201&s=gateway&sr=8-5

​

They make ones that play different styles like metal or hard rock etc. and they have 4 or 5 different effect types you can switch between. I`ve had amps, solid state, tube, even pocket amps and I think the value of this thing is pretty much unparalleled! Good luck in your search my brother

Well depends how crazy or simple you wanna get. You have a ton of options.

You can do decent practice amp with headphones out

Multi effects pedal with amp and cab sim

Audio interface but then you need software, mess with plug ins, drivers and output. Like you mentioned before PC speakers should be ok for practice.

And if you want super simple, they sell this little adapters that connect to your guitar that have built in effects and are for headphone use.
VOX AP2AC amPlug 2 AC30 Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAUHX1G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yvH5Cb2SHFAB0

My younger brother got one and it’s not amazing sounding but pretty decent for what it is. They have various models. But this would be more of something extra for quick and easy practice and not really for a main or serious practice. Unless someone has more experience with them. I only played with one briefly.

If you are talking about this Vizio model, then it will be adequate. Vizio also sells it with a wireless subwoofer and two wired surrounds for $230.

If you want true bookshelf speakers (much better quality sound), you can get these Micca's for $120 or these Mackie's for $150. Those are powered monitors, meaning they have an amp inside so you just plug and play (you need speaker wire to connect the two speakers together). It also allows future upgradability to a subwoofer if you use RCA splitters from the tv. These will sound much better than any soundbar in the price range and will give you better stereo seperarion. However, if you want sub-bass (bass you feel), you will need a subwoofer. So, you could always get one down the road.

To summarize:

A. $150 for better than tv speakers.

B. $230 for decent 5.1 .

C. ~$120-$150 for much better than tv speakers. Subwoofer addition also possible.

EDIT: If you normally have people sitting at a large angle from the tv (say 45° and lower, 90° being directly in front), the soundbar option is more suited for that, as it has a center channel speaker (stereo would have dialogue coming from both, obviously, so if you are at an angle, the closer speaker will hit you sooner and louder).

I don't know what mic you use but apart from postprocessing (or talking from further away...), if you want to limit the little pops, clicks and blowing noises, you can buy an anti-pop filter to put in front of/on your mic, super inexpensive and it'll really improve the quality of the speech. Since you have a great voice, it'll make it stand out even more!

for instance, quick search on amazon

I don't use that mic, but I do use a floor stand and I absolutely love it from reducing desk noises. Works like a charm. Amazon sells several kinds just make sure it can work with yours. The one I snagged was on sale for 19$ and has enough customization to place it in different angles and heights to match your needs.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000978D58?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

The Blue Snowball is awesome, but unless your room is sound awesome-ized, I would suggest a dynamic mic.

The Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB mic is pretty good, pair that with a desk arm and a pop filter and you'll be good to go.

I'm glad to see that you are researching it out and spending some time thinking about it. That's the right first step! I don't have experience with other mics to speak of, but I'm pretty happy with my purchases and what I'm able to do with them. So, some more food for thought:

• MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone $78
  
• Neewer 40037799 Scissor Arm Stand $32
  
• Behringer Q502USB 5-Channel Mixer $60
  
• MXL WS-002 Foam Windscreen $19
  
  I've since also added some additional toys for effects and fun:
  
  
• iRig PRE
  
• XLR Y-Splitter
  
  Here's a video I made showing what I'm doing with all of this: http://youtu.be/PDmhV3079RI
  
  
  And if you have a budget you're trying to work within, just stick to that and don't worry about the little differences between a slightly more expensive setup and what fits within your budget.

If you want good mic quality, I suggest an audio interface with a pro microphone. The internal DAC in any of those audio interfaces would work great, but none of the audio interfaces have headphone amplifiers so you would need to take that into consideration when picking a headphone. They have a headphone output, but not good enough for power hungry headphones. Here is what I suggest for a good setup I believe you would be happy with:

Speakers (based off of what size you seem to be looking for):

- Vanatoo Transparent Zeros (Expensive, but fantastic sounding speakers). $360 New or $320 for "B" Stock (Refurbished)

- Audioengine A2+ (The one you suggested) = $220

- Audioengine A2+ Wireless (If you want reduced wires) = $270

- Kanto YU2 (Similar in size to the A2+, but more color options and slightly less connectivity options) = $220

- Kanto YU4 (Larger than the YU2 and more connectivity options, but for this price, I would get the Vanatoo's by far for sound quality) = $350

​

Headphone:

Sennheiser HD58X (High impedence headphone, but most people who use these say they work well without a headphone amp) - $160

Can be found on www.drop.com

​

Mic, Interface, Boom Arm combos:

- Combo Audio Technica AT2020, Behringer UMC202HD Interface, boom arm and XLR cable - $215

- Combo Audio Technica AT2020, Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen Interface, boom arm and XLR cable - $230

- Combo Audio Technica AT2020, Presonus AudioBox USB 96 2x2 Interface, boom arm and XLR cable - $189

​

Mic:

Audio Techica AT2020 - $120

​

Audio Interface:

Steinberg UR22 Mk II - $150

Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen - $110

Mackie Onyx Artist - $130

Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD - $100

​

Boom Arm:

I have no suggestions for this.

I just purchased a pair of Mackie CR4 4-Inch studio monitors and a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M50s.

My goals in mind:

1. Listen to music
   
2. be able to play my USB midi keyboard monitors/headphone
   
3. play guitar through through the monitors/headphone
   
   I was wondering what a good DAC setup would be for this?
   
   Would something like the Desktop Konnekt 6 be a good recommendation as a 2in1 setup ? Because I have no clue where to begin if I were to have to seperate the two.
   
   Would I just need an external DAC for the monitors and a headphone amp for the headphones? How/Would I need to connect those two together to make them run smoother?
   
   So this is what I'm considering:
   
   Desktop Konnect 6
   
   And these are the two pieces of equipment I am trying to find the DAC setup for.
   
   Mackie CR4 monitors
   
   Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
   
   Thank you so much if anyone here is able to help!
   
   Would like to keep the budget in the Price range of the DAC I listed above

I most certainly can I recommend this stand and this pop filter.

I did a lot of research into finding a stand that could support the blue yeti and this one is great for the price. A lot of ones around the price range are too flimsy in my opinion.



As I said previously, you should probably order the blue yeti from america. £80 vs £120 was a no brainer and if you contact amazon support via their chat like I did you can say "I'm having second thoughts and want to cancel it" but it was already on the way for me so instead they emailed me a free returns slip within a month of purchase to put on a parcel. They also said I could open it if I wanted. In the end I decided to keep the yeti anyway, but I had heard bad things about background noise and it had made my nervous. Anyway it was an awesome deal! Make sure you gift wrap to avoid VAT ;)

This a fine stand? http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Stands-MS7701-Tripod-Microphone/dp/B000978D58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382179568&sr=8-1&keywords=mic+stand

or this? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002MJTZ8/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I found a bundle on amazon that comes with a pop filter and an XLR cable too. And I'm a pretty fair producer I'm sure I could get a good sound going. Thanks for the help man :D

If you want the premium arm get the Rode PSA1. It's the one pictured in the album above and it's amazing. I've had it for about 8 months and I love it. You could go for the cheaper options like this one or this one. Personally I went with the PSA1 because if I'm going to be putting a $150 mic on this I need to be sure the arm can sustain the weight. So far it's been great.

I'm actually happy with most of our set up now:

I own an iPad, so:

• Alesis iO Mix - $200
  
• x4 MXL V250 - $200, though they seem to often show up fro $50 apiece.
  
• x4 shockmounts - $40
  
• x4 XLR cables - $36
  
• x4 stands - $60-$80 for whatever stands worked
  
• x4 pop filters - $28
  
  $600, just to round up.
  
  I could invest in costlier mics, but the V250 I just bought worked great for the latest episode of the podcast.
  
  Maybe I'd buy better pop filters, nicer stands, and some headphones.
  

Sorry if this question is coming in a little late. I'm looking at two audio interfaces to use for 4 mics for a podcast and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with them.

The first is the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD.

The second is the Behringer Q1202USB 12-Channel Mixer.

I'm leaning towards the UMC404HD, it's got a smaller footprint and is lighter by 4 lbs (so it'll be easier to transport), but it seems to be on perpetual backorder pretty much everywhere. The Q1202USB is available and about the same price (and most importantly available), but I don't really need the mixing board aspects. I'm also seeing varying reports of whether or not it outputs via USB to a single or separate tracks. Help? Thanks!

I'm assuming by "box" you mean audio interface.

If you're looking to be cost-efficient, I personally would suggest starting with an H4N Pro (or the cheaper non-Pro variant) and a mic such as the MXL 770. You'll also need an XLR cable.

The H4N, if you take care of it, will last you a long time and will give you many a good recording. It has built in mics, as well, and they are good quality, but external mics are typically better to have, if possible. However, if you're on a budget, you can easily use just the H4N and its built in mics without any issue, so long as you also get a windscreen. Be sure to have an SD card (I can't remember if it comes with one on its own as I purchased mine as part of a kit that came with a few accessories) as well, to record your files to.

Easiest thing to do would be to get a cheap USB mic if you're not willing to invest in a proper microphone and USB interface.

The Blue Yeti and Blue Snowball are both fine USB mics, although be forewarned that they are not "studio quality."

If you are willing to get a proper microphone, I'd suggest getting either a Shure SM58 or SM7B, and a cheap but reliable interface would be a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

Next, you will want to get either Audacity or a DAW to record and monitor your vocals with. If you have a Mac, I would suggest starting out with GarageBand if you're really strapped for cash, or purchasing Logic Pro X if you can drop a few hundred dollars. Alternatively, you can go all-out and get Pro Tools if you want to be industry standard. I believe Pro Tools is also compatible with Windows.

For monitoring, I would suggest getting some studio monitor headphones, like the Sony MDR 7506, which will provide a pretty accurate sound for you. Alternatively, you can use any old headphones.

You won't want to be hearing yourself on studio monitors, because you will experience feedback. When you are recording vocals, monitor them on headphones.

Hope this helps.

P.S.: After a year of singing, you should be more than ready for an open-mic night, or even a full band.

Everything on your son's list looks pretty reasonably to me. Nothing is outrageously expensive for the use case, and I don't see any glaring errors.

I do have a couple points to bring up. They don't necessarily mean that your son is wrong, but they are just things I would do differently.

Headset - I don't have a good opinion of Razer at all. They tend to have terrible quality control and a high failure rate in their products after just 1-2 years of use. In this price range, you may be able to find the Kingston HyperX Cloud on sale. Better yet, if your son only needs headphones and not a headset (he is already getting a separate mic), there are much better options for $50.

https://www.amazon.com/HyperX-Cloud-Core-Gaming-Headset/dp/B0153XL4V2/

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M20x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/dp/B00HVLUR18

https://www.amazon.com/Edifier-H840-Audiophile-Over-Headphones/dp/B01J7K0OYU


Mic - I get that the Blue Snowball is a super popular mic, but I think it's overrated. Especially if you plan to mostly use it for talking. In general, I try to avoid condenser mics because I don't like how much background noise they pick up. If you're primarily doing instrument recordings, then the extra sensitivity of a condenser mic is good. But if you mostly want to record yourself talking then a dynamic mic will be much cleaner.

Check out the Samson Q2U or Audio Technica AT2005USB

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Handheld-Microphone-Recording-Podcasting/dp/B001R747SG/

https://www.amazon.com/Technica-AT2005USB-Handheld-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B007JX8O0Y/

Mic Stand - I own this exact same mic stand. It is pretty decent for the price. Just be aware that it mounts to your desk. In the google doc, you wrote that it is a "wall mount", it is not.

Dynamics mics can be good with that kinda stuff because they don't pick up a lot of the other noise that's going on. The flip side is they're quiet, if you use a mic like the 58 you may find yourself wanting a hotter signal, you can remedy that with something like the Cloudlifter which is used frequently in conjecture with the Shure SM7B (probably the most popular mic for voiceover stuff).

If you're going for a top tier professional setup the Cloudlifter+SM7B is probably where you'll end up anyway so it might be worth it to just go there now. The AT2035 you linked is another Condenser mic and will be pretty much as sensitive as your Yeti, that's kinda their mo.