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Madbones
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17 Jul 2011, 6:21 pm

Hey, I was wondering....
Is it possibile to get a microphone that I can plug into my macbook for tutorials that would cost under 50 pounds?
It needs to be good quality and nice and clear.
Please help.
Thanks.



StuartN
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19 Jul 2011, 4:21 am

Madbones wrote:
Is it possibile to get a microphone that I can plug into my macbook for tutorials that would cost under 50 pounds?


A good condensor USB microphone will be over 100 pounds, but Samson do a Q1u for about 50. If you already have a quality sound interface with gain controls, then most dynamic microphones will be fine on voice. You need a decent environment far more than a decent microphone, like a Reflexion filter in a damped room, or duvets and other soft furnishings on the walls. For voice-work you should aim for minimal reverberation in the room.



Madbones
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19 Jul 2011, 4:56 am

StuartN wrote:
Madbones wrote:
Is it possibile to get a microphone that I can plug into my macbook for tutorials that would cost under 50 pounds?


A good condensor USB microphone will be over 100 pounds, but Samson do a Q1u for about 50. If you already have a quality sound interface with gain controls, then most dynamic microphones will be fine on voice. You need a decent environment far more than a decent microphone, like a Reflexion filter in a damped room, or duvets and other soft furnishings on the walls. For voice-work you should aim for minimal reverberation in the room.

Just when I thought I would get no advise.
Thanks.
I think the Samson sounds good.
I will need about 5 mattresses then :lol: I think some duvets should do fine like you said.
My room is very small so it should be easy enough.



sliqua-jcooter
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19 Jul 2011, 7:06 am

Sound deadening isn't necessarily about "soft" surfaces, it's about density and surface area. Skip spending money on the duvets and get those mattress foam topper things that have an eggshell pattern on one side. Or, if you really wanna be cheap, those 4-pack drink holders stapled to a wall make a big difference.

The biggest challenge is isolating the structural points elements around you from the outside, which insures that sound doesn't travel through the hard surfaces. You could go really crazy with this concept, and build a suspended room-in-a-room, or you could be as cheap as suspending thick drapes from the ceiling with piano wire.

For dry voice work, any dynamic microphone will work fine and be more-or-less equal. Just make sure whatever mic you buy has a pop filter (either internally in the mic, or externally), and make sure whatever recording software you're using has a plug-in for a de-ess filter (a compander would work too, although it would take quite a bit of tweaking to configure it correctly).



Oodain
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19 Jul 2011, 9:23 am

the really cheap "dog blankets" will do in a pinch if hanged around 10cm from the wall,(important not to hang them directly against the wall)
eggshells is a cheap classic with great results.


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