Subject:Recording voice

Posted by: Peyison

Date:3/29/2002 9:53:19 PM

Hi,
I need to make different types of voice recordings (speach, not music) - both high quality for multimedia presentations and small file size (quality not as important) to be included in a software application that my company is developing. I have a Shure SM58 mic and a fairly new SoundBlaster PCI card. When I try to record with what I've got, the volume is very low. From reading various posts in this forum it sounds like I need to get a preamp or a mixer - and/or a better sound card. Given that sound quality is important - will getting a better sound card be enough, or do I need a preamp or a mixer and if so, will I still need a new sound card? I'd like to keep this under $500. Also - any tips on making the file size of the lower quaility recordings as small as possible would be appreciated.

TIA - Mike

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:3/29/2002 10:42:53 PM

I've got a SoundBlaster PCI-128 and i've connected a Shure SM58 directly to the mic input. The recordings i got were full volume with the input level set at about half. Are you sure you have the proper input turned up enouth in the sound card's mixer control panel?

For voice only, the SoundBlaster should be absolutely fine. I even use it for live music recordings at church with very good results. The mixer of choice among most of the forum participants is the Mackie 1402vlz at about $450 or so. If you want to go cheaper, the 1202 has most of the important features of the 1402, just fewer inputs & outputs. (4 mic in instead of 6 with the 1402, etc).

Do you have any limitations on the type of file for the final output? I've encoded mono voice only as RealMedia or WindowsMedia or even MP3 with bitrates as low as 12Kbps and still had a perfectly understandable voice. At 20Kbps it sounds quite natural as long as you're not comparing it to the original. Files at these rates take up about 92K and 154K bytes per minute respectively. That's pretty tiny. If you have to stick with .wav files, then 8 bit 8KHz mono is probably about the lowest you can go. This will take about 480K per minute. 5KHz will still be understandable, but it will sound like your ears are stuffed with cotton.

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Peyison

Date:3/29/2002 11:01:11 PM

Chienworks - thanks for the reply. I've checked the input control for the mic, but I'll go through everything again to see if I missed something. What will the mixer give me that going directly through SoundBlaster won't? (sorry, I'm a programmer, not a sound engineer - although sound is more fun...)

I was thinking wav for the final output, but I might be able to use another format. Thanks a bunch for all the tips. The only requirement is that it is understandable - these files will be played back on handheld, wireless devices with speakers that aren't very good, so 5KHz wavs may work as well.

Thanks again,

Mike

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Peyison

Date:3/29/2002 11:20:07 PM

I have a mono to stereo jack on my mic for use with my DV camera. When I took that off the volume was much better. Chienworks - thanks again for your post, otherwise I would have just assumed that this setup wouldn't work.

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:3/30/2002 8:04:05 AM

Ah-ha! That could explain it. The mic input on the sound card is mono. Depending on how it's constructed, using the mono to stereo adapter may have been mostly shorting out the signal.

The mixer would just give you much more input flexibility. It would allow you to do such things as record from multiple mics or other inputs simultaneously, add some EQ before going into the sound card, etc. For what you're doing it would be much overkill.

Glad to hear you got it working!

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Peyison

Date:3/30/2002 9:57:10 PM

What if MIDI was added into the fold? I'm looking at a wind MIDI controller - that I guess has to go through a tone generator - can that then go to the line in of my sound card, or would a mixer be better? I probably won't be recording with the mic and MIDI controller at the same time.

By the way - for my original issue - Mars suggested I get a Tascam US428 DAW controller. This has a USB interface so I guess it by-passes my SB card? Does this provide similiar functionality as a mixer or amp - or is this just replacing the input from my sound card?

Thanks

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:3/31/2002 7:38:41 AM

Sound Forge does absolutely nothing with MIDI in any way, shape, or form. To record MIDI it would have to be converted to audio, either digital or analog, first, and then input through the Line connector on the sound card.

I'm unfamiliar with that TASCAM unit, but it would appear that it would combine the functions of a mixer and a replacement sound card into one unit.

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Peyison

Date:4/1/2002 8:28:39 PM

Does ACID or Vegas allow you to record MIDI? If not - what would I use to record it to audio first?

Thanks again!

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: Buckskin

Date:4/1/2002 9:58:16 PM

The US-428 is a seperate sound card. But it uses usb instead of pci or other ways.
I have one and love it. Works great, has great converters, works as a terrific control system for most any program/softsynth out there.

Subject:RE: Recording voice

Reply by: doctorfish

Date:4/1/2002 11:31:51 PM

Except, unfortunately, any Sonic Foundry products.