Hey there, hobbyist dj and professional LD here. I've got some things for you to consider:

• Sound activation relies on a(n almost universally) shitty built in microphone in your fixture. Additionally, the program is guaranteed to look cheesy, and won't match up with the music you're playing. So with that said, I would encourage linking your lights up to a software controller.
  
  
• You'll need a DMX interface. I believe Pioneer's interface is $399, and unlocks the DMX features in Rekordbox. There are a few others out there on the market, but you'll need a separate piece of software to transmit data over them.
  
  
• Since we're trying to get your lights to look good, you'll want to consider a hazer. Why? Because without it all you'll end up seeing is a circular disk on the back wall of your room. With haze, you'll actually be able to see the beams of light in the air. You don't need a nice one, and if you're running it in a small space really all you need is a cheapo $40 fog machine that you can fire off once or twice over the course of an hour. Bonus points if you vape, the haze generated by that is plenty for our purpose in a small-ish room.
  
  
• Lights come in a few basic varieties, as follows: Par Lights, which are typically RGB fixtures capable of creating a wide wash of color. Moving Heads, which are either a single beam or a par light, mounted to a set of motors able to alter the direction of the beam. Derbys, Moonflowers, Etc, are lights which have a number of openings in them and cast out a wide angle of scattered shapes. I'm not a huge fan of them, and don't ever use them in my work. That said, they work decent in small setups and are easy to use. Pixel Mapping Fixtures, which have a series of RGB lights that are each independently controllable. These can be linked together in an array to function as a low resolution video screen, but they have other benefits as well. Lasers, which project a single, narrow beam of light. Most of these require a license to operate, and vary in power. As a blanket rule though, you should never direct a laser towards someone's eyes. Lasers should always be aimed horizontally, over the heads of your audience. Strobes, which are dedicated fixtures for alternating light on and off rapidly. Most other fixtures have strobe capabilities, but I wanted to mention them for the sake of completion.
  
  So, what would I recommend? Consult this list provided by Pioneer before purchasing any fixture, because only the ones on this list will be supported by Rekordbox. I'd personally recommend a Chauvet Gigbar 2, which a few other commenters already mentioned. It comes with two derbies, two pars, a strobe, and a red/green laser. It's all controllable via dmx, and has a 3-pin dmx connector. Another option is two Chauvet Colorband Pixband pixel mapping bars, which come in a few variations. You can point them up a wall, or out into your "audience" depending on what seems most exciting to you. They can strobe, do color washes, and have individual colored pixels 'bounce' along the length of the bars. If you wanted some moving heads, I'd recommend either the ADJ Pocket Spots or the Chauvet Intimidator Spots. Note that you'll probably want at least two of these, and maybe two par lights to supplement them.
  
  Here's what my tentative 'shopping list' would be:
  
  
• 1 DMX Interface -- $399 -- DJ RB-DMX1
  
  
• 1 Fog Machine -- $28 -- 1byone Wired Halloween Fog machine with Remote
  
  -1 Ten Foot 3-pin Cable -- $8 -- Amazon Basics XLR Cable
  
  At this point it's up to your own preferences, but I've pieced together two potential setups you might choose.
  
  
• 1 All-in-one lighting bar -- $479 -- Chauvet DJ Gigbar 2
  
  or
  
  
• 2 Moving Heads -- $260 total -- Tomshine 80W Mini Gobo Moving Head
  
  
• 2 Derby Lights -- $170 total -- ADJ Mini Dekker
  
  
• 2 Par Lights -- $56 total -- LaluceNatz 18 LED RGB Par Lights
  
  
• Misc Short Cables -- $22 -- JLPOW 3 pin XLR
  
  If you're looking for ease of use, I'd go with the gigbar. If you want to be able to tailor your setup to your room better, I'd suggest mixing and matching with the end goal being something like what I laid out. The movers provide a strong beam source that can be interesting, and can be placed either on the floor or the ceiling. The derbies serve to cheaply (and easily!!) create some excitement; they're literally and figuratively very flashy. And the pars are there just to fill out the illumination-- you don't want to be left in the dark when your derbies are off and your movers are pointed away, do you? You could consider replacing the pars with a Pixband or two, or adding another two movers for a total of 4 if you have some extra funds. Note that you may want to mount a small pipe to your ceiling to hang the pars and derbies from when you set this up-- otherwise, $50 at home depot and you'll probably be able to build a stand of some sort that sits on the ground.
  
  This quickly turned into a much longer post that I intended, so I hope I managed to keep your attention! Let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help. Just know that I don't have any personal experience with Rekordbox, so I'm probably not the best person to ask for help on those matters.
  
  Best of Luck!

Hey man....I'll give you a breakdown of everything I own to make music. But you have to be aware, that there is a HUGE learning curve to home recording...and until you get proficient with your DAW and learning about all sorts of settings and how to set up your audio and workflow and what cable gets plugged into where and yadda yadda, you will find that there are days where it can get aggravating. And then once you finally get the hang of it, and you can record something with somewhat ease, you will find that it sounds like garbage, and then you realize you gotta learn all about mixing, and the struggles that comes with.

So first and foremost, just make sure you are aware that even if you had all the money in the world, it's going to take a good chunk of time before you feel comfortable and etc.

BUT,

here is a list of everything that should help you get started.



I assume you're a guitarist yeah?

First off, just buy the full version of Reaper. It's $60. It's worth it.
Also, for drums, I use Steven Slate Drums...The full kit is worth it..but if you want just the $40 version, that will work also.

For an audio interface, the best quality/bang for your buck would probably be something from Focusrite

And then you will need a set of monitors as well....again, the best quality/bang for your buck IMO is a set of these

And then of course you're going to need things like cables, etc.

XLR cables for mics,

balanced cables for connecting things like your interface to your monitors, etc,

get some instrument cables as well if you don't already have some,

A good surge protector as well, can't recommend this one enough, it has rotating sockets so you can fit everything on it.



From then, its just a matter of how much money you want to spend, and what all you want to do.

How do you plan to get your guitar tone. Are you going to mic a cab? If so, look into something like an SM57. If you wanna do it the cheap/free way, be warned you will be dealing with a latency issue. USB interfaces have latency, so monitoring your tone can cause some issues sometimes. You plug in your guitar raw straight into the interface, and throw on some plugins on the track that give you your tone. If you want to hear just a raw, clean guitar, there won't be any latency. But if you want to record while hearing your distortion, the computer has to take your clean signal, process it through the plugins, and then back out to the monitors, so there will be a split second of latency if you don't have things set up correctly and if your pc specs arent up to par..and even so, you never can truly get to 0 latency without spending some SERIOUS money.

If you have some extra money, I would highly recommending getting something like this eleven rack...I personally use this. You can bypass the latency issue by choosing what you monitor on the interface...do you want to monitor what is coming from the input (the eleven rack) or the playback (the computer) or a blend of both. So essentially i can just listen to my guitar live as I'm recording straight from the Eleven Rack, but i'm not acutally 'monitoring' it in Reaper. By doing so, my guitar doesn't have to travel through the computer and back out, thus no latency. You can really get some great tones out of this thing also...I like to call it the 'Poor Man's AxeFX'. Here's an example of something i'm working on...both using the eleven rack and the steven slate drums, so you can get a sense of the quality of the drums and guitar tone. I have done some slight eq'ing and stuff, but nothing dramatic.

Of course you don't need something like that for guitar, there are plenty of plug ins that are free that can help you with tone.

And lastly, as far as plug ins go, if you dont wanna mic a cab, or use something like an eleven rack, just search on youtube "free plugins for metal guitar" or "free metal guitar plugins" or whatever, and just watch. Youtube is your friend when wanting to learn about how to use reaper and finding plugins. I know for a fact there are full playlists out there to learn how to use reaper properly, from start to finish. So consider looking for those.

For other basic plug ins like EQ, Compression, Noise Gate, etc, I wouldn't worry about those. Reaper comes with like 13 or so of it's own plugins. They honestly are some great plug ins as well, and are all you really need.

Here's a picture of my set up, with all the stuff I suggested in this post.


Hope that helps.

Ok, so you need a mic as well. Alrighty. I'm going to suggest you go a different route than pretty much what everybody else is suggesting. I personally dislike the all in one headsets, especially if they're marketed as "gaming", double especially if they are 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.

If your priority is actually hearing things in game, and determining direction and such, you are better served with a stereo set that emphasizes the mid range and high end frequencies while de-emphasizing the low end. Low end boosting is an inexpensive way for manufacturers to make a cheap set of cans "sound" expensive, and while it can make movies and some music sound great it's not amazing for gaming.

Here we go with a 100 budget. I'm going to give you a buying list for a standalone set of headphones paired with a separate mic setup:

• Headphones: Superlux 668B - $38. https://www.amazon.com/Superlux-HD668B-Dynamic-Semi-Open-Headphones/dp/B003JOETX8/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=superlux&qid=1568577791&sr=8-1
  
  • Open headphones provide a larger soundstage compared to closed back cans. These particular headphones share the same large drivers as the excellent AudioTechnica AD700's, which means you are getting a frequency response targeting the high end and mid range. The directional ability of these headphones can't be beat for under $50, and will challenge $100 to $150 cans.
    
• Microphone: Pyle-Pro PDMIC58 - $14. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GEBGA0/ref=emc_b_5_t
  
  • I would rather suggest the Behringer xm8500, but that mic's availability hasn't been great recently. If you can find it for regular price (around $20), it's worth the extra few dollars. The Pyle-Pro mic is more than adequate for gaming voice chat though. It will be miles better than any headset mic regardless. And it's also a dynamic mic, which means it will refuse sounds from your room or keyboard or mouse.
    
• Microphone boom arm: InnoGear boom scissor arm - $14. https://www.amazon.com/InnoGear-Microphone-Suspension-Adjustable-Snowball/dp/B01L3LL95O/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2ZTQGVRG0AY74&keywords=mic+boom+arm&qid=1568578206&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=mic+boom%2Cmi%2C174&sr=1-7
  
  • It's a desk mic boom. It stays out of your way while holding the mic in your face. What else do I need to say?
    
• USB XLR audio interface: Two options...
  
  • Inexpensive USB to XLR cable: https://www.amazon.com/Microphone-Tanbin-Converter-Microphones-Instruments/dp/B079DQ9ZPT/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=usb+to+xlr&qid=1568578338&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-4
    
    • This will work just fine and keeps you well under your 100 budget. Which leaves you room for a better mic or different boom arm if you rather. Or maybe even a step up to the AudioTechnica AD500x headphones if wish.
      
  • Behringer UM2: https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-Audio-Interface-1-Channel-UM2/dp/B00EK1OTZC/ref=sr_1_21?keywords=usb+to+xlr&qid=1568578338&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-21
    
    • This is not necessary, and puts you just over your 100 budget. You do get a bunch more flexibility with it. For instance... you can plug your headphones straight into it. These interfaces tend to have great stereo separation and low noise floor compared to on board motherboard audio. You also get an extra input and nicer mic pre amp. Again not necessary, but well worth the extra $$$ in my opinion.
      
      There you are sir. A flexible solution that can come quite a bit under your budget. You get way better headphones than the gamer marketed ones and a way better and more flexible mic solution as well. Have fun!

So, to a certain degree you've got a combination that doesn't play well with eachother. The NTG2 has fairly low sensitivity, and a noticeable bit of self noise, which means it needs a lot of gain. The H4n also doesn't have good quality pre-amps so it adds a lot of noise any time you have to jack the gain up. It looks like you've got the original silver body, which is infamous for being noticeably bad. The black body Pro model has upgraded pre-amps which are less bad. So, you can see how this combo isn't ideal, and more or less setting you up for a noticeable hiss even under ideal conditions.

Unfortunately a lot of people review the H4n highly because they're musicians and they've got it taped to the front of a guitar amp or something. It's relatively speaking easy to get good sound from an inch away from an amp, compared to a speaking voice from 2+ feet away. A few inches can make a lot of difference. Such as going from 20 inches to 6 inches overhead, that can often immediately make things sound a lot better.

If for stylistic reasons you need a lot of headroom, I recommend getting a lav instead. I have a Countryman B3 wired for xlr that I just plug straight into my recorder for shots like this. It'll almost certainly sound better by sheer virtue of being that much closer.

Make sure you're not on 4CH mode, as that will be recording from the built in capsules at the same time as your shotgun mic.

Make sure Stamina Mode is turned off.

Also, where you point the mic plays a large part. For example if there is a fan behind the person and you've got the mic pointed over the person's shoulder. Or pointed out a window, etc.


That all said though, if you're having to max the gain, something is wrong. Even with a low sensitivity mic like that unless the person is whispering you shouldn't have to crank it up that high. It is theoretically possible you've got an attenuated cable. Unlikely, since you usually have to look around for them, but some cables have a "pad" built in, so every so often if someone just grabs the first thing that comes up they can end up with a cable that has a -10, or -20, or even more pad on it, and you'll need to crank that gain way up to compensate.

Audiogadgets -10 dB Mic Pad / True Balanced In Line XLR Attenuator Cable https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00A9JWJ1A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6NJCCbDSDT9WM

Just to check, because I have literally seen it happen multiple times, are you SURE you're turning up the gain(Rec Level) on the righthand side, or the headphone volume(Vol) on the lefthand side? They're both the same kind of buttons, so I've seen people get them confused. What levels was it showing when you were recording? Does the gain need to be that high while recording with the built in mics?

Try some experiments, move the mic around the area, and check if the noise is constant. Lots of people have mentally tuned out the sound of their houses and workspaces, so you can have loud fans, humming electronics, buzzing lights, etc and hearing it through a mic makes them notice it again and suddenly it sounds loud and foreign.

Or, another super common thing is that people are unused to the sound of their own voice. It will never sound as rich and deep as it does in your own head. Everyone sounds higher pitched and often more nasal than they think they do. So while we might think we've got a prime Movie Trailer Guy Voice that is rich and deep, we actually don't.

If you know anyone who has some equipment, or you've got a friendly local store with demo units, take your kit over and try your mic with their recorder, try their cable, try their recorder, try their mic with your recorder.

If you don't have any audio software, a DAW, I strongly recommend Reaper. Unlimited trial period, or a license is $60. If you're going to be working with audio it will be a much better option than what comes packaged with NLE video editors.

If you plan to do this more often, upgrading away from the H4n is strongly recommended if you can. The F4 is several generations newer, better in every way, and has been as low as $350 new.

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).

> I will be using this for filming only

If so, you might want to look at a real camcorder instead of a compromise still/video camera. The GH4 is a great camera on limited budgets, but with a £3000 camera and sound budget, you might want to consider a purpose-built video camera.

For a solo shooter, I recommend the 4K JVC GY-LS300 Super 35mm camcorder. You can [get one from Germany via eBay UK for about £2525 (postage paid)] (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=181849553804&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229508&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg).

This camera has built-in XLR inputs and decent preamps (features missing from cameras such as the GH4 and 5D), allowing you to plug pro mics directly into the camera.

It also has the built-in ND filters, dual card slots, power zoom rocker, SDI out and unlimited recording time that still/video cameras lack.

With a [£169 Rode NTG-2 shotgun mic] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/RODE-NTG2-SHORT-SHOTGUN-MICROPHONE/dp/B00093ESSI//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), an [£8.19 shock mount] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eggsnow-Microphone-Shockmount-Senheisser-Audio-Technica/dp/B00KXQIWTW//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), a [£19.99 LyxPro TMS-1 Tripod Boom Floor Microphone Stand] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/LyxPro-Microphone-Adjustable-Foldable-Rotating/dp/B01BPBKQ9C//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21) and a [£5.57 Stagg SMC6 6 metre XLR microphone cable] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stagg-SMC6-metre-standard-microphone/dp/B002PZXVRM//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=hybrcamerevo-21), you should be able to set your mic up out of frame, run the cable back to the camera, and capture clean sound.

Like the GH4, the LS300 records at true DCI 4096x2160p 4K resolution. It also records to a highly gradeable 8-bit 4:2:2 .mov codec (as opposed to the GH4's 8-bit 4:2:0 internal codec), as seen here:

• [Luca De Gregorio & Beàs - Ripresa 4K con JVC GY-LS300 by KenwoodCommunity] (https://youtu.be/ouGvWcCQ2iA)
  
  This camera also has a maximum slow motion frame rate of 1080/120p (seen [here] (https://youtu.be/cYjOXIBVGrU)) and a factory LOG profile.
  
  I've rented the LS300, it was great to shoot with and produced some really nice looking video, as seen here (I didn't shoot these):
  
  J-LOG on Vimeo (please watch at 4K and your monitor's highest resolution)
  
  
• [Japanese garden with the JVC gy ls300 by NOA NOA] (https://vimeo.com/162712903)
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 4K J-Log Vision] (https://vimeo.com/138523082)
  
  
• [Palm Springs Photo Festival 2016 - JVC LS300 footage by Zachary Andrews] (https://vimeo.com/164723392) (4K J-LOG)
  
  1080p on Vimeo
  
  
• [Breathing in New Life] (http://vimeo.com/120445118)
  
  
• [“Honmonji Temple” in GY-LS300 by moribun] (https://vimeo.com/139214323) (downscaled from UHD to 1080p, downloadable if you're a Vimeo Plus or Pro member [if you're not, you can sign up [here] (http://vimeo.com/pro/new?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=prosubscribe-cj-vimeo-bizlander-300x250-20130424&utm_campaign=7696)])
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 Camera Test] (http://vimeo.com/122736335)
  
  
• [A Snowy Day in Ann Arbor, Shot with the JVC GY-LS300 by Chase Stanton] (https://vimeo.com/158042771)
  
  J-LOG on YouTube (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution)
  
  
• [GY-LS300 4K J-Log1 "KYOTO New Year's Day" by GAIPROMOTION] (https://youtu.be/efJrfawjVw0)
  
  Non-LOG Gammas on YouTube (2160p)
  
  
• [GY-LS300 UHD 4K w/ Canon 70-200 and 85mm lenses by JVCProfessional] (https://youtu.be/QYCdxMrvAoA)
  
  
• [JVC LS300 Clips by Hamilton Video & Sound Limited] (https://youtu.be/OzgGwCUdZV0)
  
  
• [EVS’s test footage for the JVC GY-LS300 4K super 35 Cinema camera] (https://youtu.be/S47dceBcuJI)
  
  
• [TOKYO“I”land KOWA PROMINAR w/JVC KENWOOD GY-LS300 by Satoshi Watanabe] (https://youtu.be/WO8DW5d0isE)
  
  
• [JVC GY-LS300 4K Footage by elton chong] (https://youtu.be/0pYEFhE3xLE)
  
  But the camera isn't perfect. The viewfinder is tiny - and, although 4:2:2 chroma subsampling is nice, I wish it had 10-bit color space.
  
  That said, a 4K Super 35 interchangeable lens camcorder with a LOG profile and 1080/120p slow motion below £3000 is a steal.
  
  Hope this is helpful and good luck with your upgrade!

Check out Reverb.com for buying some used pedals. That will help make things fit into your budget. You can find a DS-1 for around $30 on there. A used crybaby for roughly $40. The MXR is actually a phaser and not a chorus so I'll address that in the phaser section.

As for the other stuff, I highly recommend the TC Electronic Sub 'n' Up as an octave ($100 used or for the mini on reverb.com).

The Vox Delaylab is a ton of delay for not a lot of money if you want tap tempo and all that fancy stuff ($125 used on reverb.com). Plus, if you don't use delay and tremolo at the same time then you can set up the delaylab to do a trem type thing.

The Trelicopter is a really great trem (the guys on That Pedal Show have demoed it before). It gets rebranded by various companies so just find the cheapest one. If you want some more features then check out the TC Electronic Tremolo that just came out.

As for phasers, you can pick up an old Boss PH-3 for $50 used a lot of places. I don't have a lot of experience with other ones, but I'm sure you could get a phase 95 pretty cheap ($90).

After all of that you should have spent roughly $375-420. So you still have a good amount of money for a solid power supply and cables. Get yourself a Truetone CS7 which is fully isolated, has great power ratings if you want to add more pedals, and is fairly inexpensive ($120). Now you still have about $60 for patch cables. Go cheap or get good quality ones. You're definitely gonna be under $60 for 6-8 patch cables.

It's gonna be hard to get it in under $75, but in your position here's what I'd do:

Get one of these Audio Technica cardioid lavalier mics. While it's designed to be a lavalier mic, it is directional and can be used on a boom when needed. This mic requires "plug-in" power and will work with most DSLRs. (Check your camera first). You can record on a smart phone with this adapter.

You'll also need an extension cable. While a headphone extension cable will work, one made for a microphone will be shielded and less likely to pick up noise. Since this is an unbalanced microphone, you should be careful to keep the cable away from any kind of power cord.

Because this mic is so lightweight you can use almost anything for a boom. I have used an old fishing pole, but a broom handle or even a straightened coat hanger will work. Let the mic hang straight down from the boom, leaving about 6-10 inches of cable. Hold it just above the people's heads, just in front of them, as close as possible without being in the shot.

I have used this mic on quite a few films and commercials (including a film that's now on Amazon Video) and the quality is remarkably good. Working on several films in Europe where it was essential to travel very light, this mic was a lifesaver.

That's about as close as I can come to $75!

Hope this helps.

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

Hello Podcasters!

I have a very basic gear question, hopefully this is a suitable thread to post it:

I have a condenser mic I used previously for music recording. It has an XLR connection type, and was part of a kit (from PreSonus) with a box and software.

I'm wondering if buying something like this (see link below) will allow me to use this mic to do podcasts, Skype, gaming, etc. I'm hoping to not have to buy a new mic, and just use this as a do it all solution. I'm not sure if this would give it the "phantom power" Condensers need, or if there are any other issues I'm unaware of and would be just wasting money on the cable.

Also, is a condenser mic a good idea to use for podcasts, Skype, gaming.... or would a dynamic mic be better suited? I don't really know how the descriptions translate to real world use. If one will be more harsh or pick up more unwanted noise?

Any insight on if this simple solution would work or alternative recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks all!

https://www.amazon.com/VAlinks-Microphone-Converter-Microphones-Instruments/dp/B019GYKGRC/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1509973939&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=XLR+to+USB+converter

"dirt" pedals are overdrive, fuzz, or distortion pedals because they 'dirty' up your signal

if you're okay with waiting, used is always the best to go in terms of cost. if not, here's a small list of cheap, simple pedals that work

delay:

tc electronic the prophet


joyo d-seed


boss dd-3

joyo delay

donner yellow fall analog delay

reverb:

mosky spring reverb

tc electronic drip

caline snake bite

behringer dr-600

chorus:

mxr analog chorus

joyo classic chorus

biyang chorus

danelectro fab chorus

volume pedal:

ernie ball

boss fv-50h

power supply:

cs7

mxr iso brick

here's a cheap/basic place to start. since you're going simple, most pedals you come across will honestly work with what you want you want to accomplish, it's mostly down to your budget. if you're looking used, you can't go wrong with MXR, boss, and EHX pedals, they're usually everywhere on the used market

as for headphones I'm not really sure what to recommend, as there are so many options and I'm not sure what your preferences are, but maybe take a look at the Sony MDR7506 (these are ~$75 USD, but can be had for less in the used market as they have been in production for like 20 years) and the Phillips shp9500 ($70-80, open back, great all-arounder)

for the mic this is a very good and inexpensive setup, as long as your PC has decent built in sound card (I use this exact setup and often get compliments on my mic quality, you can't beat it for ~$40 total)

Mic: Behringer Ultravoice XM8500

Mic Stand: Innogear Mic Stand

Mic Cable: 3.5mm to XLR cable

sorry my prices are in USD, not sure about the price difference in CAN

Hey I heard someone say dynamic microphones are better for noisy enviroments because you have to have them closer to you, right? I have no experience with xlr, but would this setup work?

Mic: Shure SM 58
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AQRSU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Mic Holder:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EEHM8U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A311BEHFUHRLQM

Mic Stand: Rode PSA1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D7UYBO/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER (I think since the mic is dynamic, I don't need it right?)

Phantom Power ?:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XUUXB8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

XLR Cable ?:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RYE5Y6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AD6O342M484G6

XLR to USB cable ?:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6WZGHS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1155GBV4DPEXU (If I don't need phantom power, I just need this cable right?)

Generic wind screen:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002GXF8Q/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I know this isn't ideal because I need like a mixer or something, but would it work decently? I would prefer if the price stayed the same, this is pushing my budget a bit.

Oh, and do I need an adapter for my microphone to go into the stand, stuff like that.

Since that's an XLR mic, so you need an XLR to USB ADC. This one is cheap and fairly well rated. You can go even cheaper, though the quality will likely be quite poor. Then again, your good mic with even a $10 ADC will likely be at least as good (probably better) than the sort of cheap-ass headsets that most people use for such purposes.

Which kind of forces the question of why you want to use a nice mic just to communicate in chatrooms. You can get a cheap-but-decent wired gaming headset for under $20 and save your nice mic for whatever you normally use it for.

You could do something like this:

• $99 Behringer USB Mixer
  
  
• $54 x 4 Audio Technica ATR2100 USB
  
  
• $13 5-Pack Foam Pop
  
  
• $26 5-Pack MF XLR Cables - 10'
  
  
  Then you just need mic stands. You could probably even find cheaper Pop filters and/or XLR cables, I just did a quick search. Those mics are both USB and XLR and they are actually pretty decent for the price, so not a bad investment. You might want to look at different mixers, but that Behringer is one of the most affordable USB ones. I prefer using a Focusrite, but those are 3x the price usually.
  
  Edit, those mics actually come with XLR cables! I forgot. Not sure if they are long enough, but they should work fine too. Although some pack in XLR cables are super cheap.

Okay, so I've changed my mind a little bit. Try this Alto 15" powered speaker instead. Its cheap, and should be able to get low and loud enough. Do you usually get a monitor feed from the board? If not, you'll need to buy a little xlr splitter cable and split the signal from the kick mic to your speaker. Also, a polarity switcher will be handy. Depending on where you put the monitor, you may need to reverse the polarity of the kick mic since you are behind the kick drum and the mic is in front of it. Try it both with and without the polarity switch and see which one sounds beefier to you. This awesome Dave Rat video on the subject is helpful.

Hmm.

Does your monitors have an adjustable volume level in the back? I have a pair of monitors that have different dials in the back for EQ and volume levels. (HS80M)

If your levels are adjusted correctly check your connection to your audio interface. Make sure it's not a cable connection. What kind XLR cables do you have? Are they balanced, high quality?

It may be audio interface perhaps with an unbalanced XLR connection? From what your telling me, if you reverse it the opposite side of the monitors have an issue. It would make sense to me that the cables might be defective or the scarlett is defective.

I have a scarlett myself and I notice no problems at all. Make sure you update the driver on the scarlett. It was one of the first things that I did because I had problems with the driver originally that came from the package. I hope that helped a bit. Keep me updated I might be forgetting something.


Edit:
I have these cables btw, if you do find that it is a cable problem. They are awesome and extremely great quality cables. Play around with the cables and routing. It might help you narrow the causes of the issue.

http://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-12feet-Cable-Patch/dp/B000RYE5Y6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395031499&sr=8-4&keywords=xlr+cable

Something like this (?): https://www.amazon.com/CESS-Female-Balanced-Microphone-Adapter/dp/B01KBYZDWY

Although most mixers have dedicated headphone 1/4” outs for monitoring. What mixer are you using?

I was in the same predicament and decided to splurge and get an isolated because I knew I wouldnt regret it. I got the Truetone CS12 but they make a CS7 that super affordable and has lots of power options https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012F2AWMQ

Thanks, I really appreciate that. The speakers should arrive tomorrow and the sub on Thursday. So far, I've got two sets of these Male XLR to Female XLR and one of these 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 1/4.

I use a standing desk thats about 5 ft wide, so I figured just put a speaker on each side of the desk and the sub on the floor. I'm sure this is a naive question, but what more is there to consider acoustically without going nuts and spending a bunch of money?

XLR cables are all three pin DIN connectors for our purposes. One side is male and the other female. You can see the XLR sockets on the mixer. Something like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Female-Microphone-Audio-Cable/dp/B00O5ELFU6/

Better made cables cost more, sometimes much more.

!

You might have issues if it's a headset with mic (with a 4-pole TRRS connector). I have some Turtle Beach XO One's and I noticed that while it seemed to work, the sound was a bit weird - the vocals sounded slightly weird (like they were under water!).

I think it was because of the 4-pole connector on the headset. When I plugged the headset into an adapter like this and then the green plug into the Nitro kit (nothing is plugged into the pink end), everything is perfect!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcingmap%C2%AE-Female-Splitter-Microphone-Speaker-Black/dp/B00LGKG97G/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_23_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QK1BK6J1M19GCNMG2TFX

Help me make a decision? Which XLR cable should I get? GLS or LyxPro? Any other you recommend? For my Audio Technica at2035 into a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface. I heard good things about mogami but that's too expensive

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B077VQ28J2/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A 10ft CableCreations cable with a male 3.5mm jack and also a male xlr connection.

Will be plugging into a phone/computer to play music, then send back into the interface to record it.

Hoping it works

Absolutely! These are the first two I would recommend, just to get started auditioning different pairings. The main "rules" are, as you may know, don't cross digital pedals with analog pedals, and keep Strymon(or other high current draw digital) pedals separate and isolated. Feel free to deviate, as long as you are providing enough total mA and keeping the polarity the same.

If you are only looking to also record the sermon, etc, you can set up an aux out with a mix and send it to a laptop via usb with one of these. I use one as a backup to record the sermons in case the USB recording fails on the M32. (that happens about twice a year.) This, like love, never faileth.

You need a female 3.5mm to Stereo Dual Male Y Splitter Microphone speaker cable. You can find them for $3 on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Female-Splitter-Microphone-Speaker/dp/B00LGKG97G

Hope this helps.

I don't know for sure that your original idea is a no-go, but I would be surprised if it works -- I've never heard of being able to just split a USB device onto two computers/hosts (the closest thing I can think of is to use a KVM switch to share a keyboard/mouse between two computers.)

For the XLR solution, you'd need:

• XLR mic (like a switched SM58 for example, but really there are tons of options)
  
• XLR splitter (you can just get a cable assembly splitter, but if you're willing to spend a bit more you can get an isolated splitter which has the advantage of reducing the chance of hum from a ground loop and also eliminates any problems that could be caused from phantom power which I'll mention below.
  
• XLR cables -- lengths as needed. You'd probably want three, one to go from the mic to the splitter, and then one from each output of the splitter to each USB interface.
  
• 2 x USB interface -- you don't need to be fancy. I see this one recommended, but there are probably cheaper options. The interface I linked comes with the necessary USB cable.
  
  Caveats:
  
  
• I don't know anything about the PS4, so I'm just assuming that this USB interface will work with it. (I see a few comments in the Q&A on Amazon that it does work.)
  
• Having two devices send phantom power down the same line can sometimes be problematic for those devices and/or for the microphones. I don't know enough to know exactly how those problems would manifest themselves, if at all, but if I were trying this setup for myself I'd use the isolated splitter to be on the safe side, because the splitter won't allow phantom power to pass out the isolated output.

Would something like this work in the output rather than the one with the 3.5?

https://www.amazon.com/VAlinks-Microphone-Converter-Microphones-Instruments/dp/B019GYKGRC/ref=pd_sim_267_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B019GYKGRC&pd_rd_r=4FQQ0S2HSD6E9RDJ7TJC&pd_rd_w=qk22M&pd_rd_wg=6KV6W&psc=1&refRID=4FQQ0S2HSD6E9RDJ7TJC

I don't use blankets or anything. I just use a Pyle PDMIC58 with an XLR to USB cable to connect the mic to my computer where I record with Audacity.

If you want to hear what that sounds like you can check out my podcast, Wedding Photo Hangover.

Also, I picked that mic based on Marco Arment's mic review. He reviewed a ton of mics and has sample audio files from those mics. You can check that out on his website marco.org.

So as an example, would this be an acceptable item to be used from speaker to phono pre amp?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B077L3PG45&pd_rd_wg=MW9i0&pd_rd_r=4TC159932F75PTN5ST2D&pd_rd_w=SywHN

You need something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/ammoon-6-35mm-Stereo-Audio-Amplifier/dp/B01DSVSC5M

or this:
https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Cable-Stereo-Connection-Microphone/dp/B077L3PG45

In thinking about it one way around this could be to get a USB > XLR adapter. I am not sure how well they work or any specific design to recommend but I would check Monoprice for them and test one out. This way you could retain the USB mic you currently have and maybe for the second mic buy an XLR with the idea of maybe replacing the other later or if it works well keep this configuration. An XLR AT2020 may actually be less expensive than the USB version (if my memory is correct) but they are nearly identical in performance.


*Edit: Not an endorsement just an example of the cable Iam talking about XLR to USB Cable

You could probably chain any of the Timmy, BB Preamp, and TU2, and Fuzz together without any noise problems using one of these.

Don't worry about isolation until you have to, i.e. when something does make noise. There's a fair number of combinations of pedals that you can chain together without any power supply noise problems.

This is unnecessary complication. If you have a 3.5mm to XLR connector, then you can attach any BT receiver and make K361/371/7XX bluetooth enabled. :-)

just get a 3.5mm stereo >> XLR splitter cable.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-HMX-010Y-XLR3M-Stereo-Breakout/dp/B00YSAVUZ2/

done with one cable. get an equalizer app for your phone.

-

alternately, get a set of cables that are RCA >> XLR splitter

https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Cable-Stereo-Connection-Microphone/dp/B077L3PG45/

you'll take the RCA outs from whatever source you want such as

https://www.amazon.com/PROZOR-Digital-Converter-Bluetooth-Receiver/dp/B07L72S6PG/

-

XLR is meant to be daisy chained from speaker to speaker. so you need to plug your L/R XLR cables into your sub first, then use jumper cables to feed your monitors.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Male-Female-Microphone-Cable/dp/B01JNLTTKS/

Yah. Typical anything “analog” is far less than 10 mA. A big muff is maybe 4, a tube screamer somewhere in there. I believe under supplying mA does not damage stuff it just won’t work right. You can daisy up 8 or 9 on 100 mA, depending how much “noise” you add, and you probably won’t do that either.

Andoer Caline 3 Ways Daisy Chain Multi-interface Connecting 1 to 3 Cable Cord Copper Wire for Guitar Effects Power Supply Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014KR7F6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TpX6AbGX2QRJ9

This one will split an existing cable you have rather than plug direct into the power supply. Same difference. I believe this was the one I use unless I did find one a little cheaper.

Thanks very much. So the cable I have at the moment is useless?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stagg-SMC6-metre-standard-microphone/dp/B002PZXVRM/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1481912501&sr=1-2&keywords=xlr+cable

Would that do the job?

Just to confirm:

ps4 connected to Optical to RCA analog converter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDLCHY7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_2Sx1DbEX2GJC1


Then: RCA to XLR cable run from converter to speakers

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IVx1DbM7QG40N

You just need these: TISINO Dual RCA to XLR Male Cable, 2 XLR to 2 RCA/Phono Plug HiFi Stereo Audio Connection Microphone Cable Wire Cord - 5 Feet / 1.5m https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_is48BbS7VPWKA

Your supply should still be able to handle it. Figure out how many millaamps each of your pedals draw. Get some splitter cables. 6 of the outputs put out 100mA. 2 of them put out 250mA. So you’ve got 1100 total available. With a few splitters you should have plenty of juice. Just keep any noisier pedals on their own.

3 way daisy chain. pick up a couple of these.

You will need this cable to connect whatever is your source (ipod, phone, chromecast) to the sub.

And a pair of this to connect the sub to the speakers.

Get a converter

https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Cable-Stereo-Connection-Microphone/dp/B077L3PG45/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=rca+xlr+converter&qid=1550564973&s=gateway&sr=8-16

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RYE5Y6/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_1_w

Would this work? To connect a Scarllet Solo to a at2020 Mic

Have you tried this one?

Here's another, not sure if they ship to Europe though.

You could go with a Voodoo Labs Iso-5 for what you have now. Or a Truetone CS7 if you think you'll be adding more pedals.

Also, your patch cables are fine. I have those and have no noise with an isolated supply.

Quality Test. Have to break a rule here, SORRY!!

Items, Old Setup:

Blue Snowball

Shockmount

ProLine Stand

Items, New Setup:

Audio Technica AT2035

Rode PSA1 Stand

Line 6 POD Studio UX2

Required XLR Cable

I also plan on picking up Noctua NH-D14 and an H440 soon to replace my 650D and H100i.

No worries at all. On that power supply, there's only an XLR in, and an XLR out. There's no way to plug an XLR connection into a computer without some sort of ADC (analog to digital converter). Usually, that's your audio interface. It takes your analog XLR signal, and converts it into a digital signal that your computer can understand.

I was in your situation once, before I knew much about audio. I had an XLR mic (Shure SM57) that I used to use for my band's shows and stuff, but I wanted to use it for gaming later on. I bought this stupid thing assuming it would let me do that. Well, technically it worked, but I was so quiet that my friends couldn't hear me at all. After I returned that, I bought this Behringer interface hoping it would fix my problems. It was better, but I had to crank the volume up to full for anybody to hear me still. Plus, the headphone output on it was TERRIBLE. It sounded bad, and it behaved weird with video playback. No bueno.

Learn from my mistakes. Go this way before you spend dumb money on it haha