Quote:
Originally Posted by DareRing
Reality check: You have a cheap convertor with low budget built in preamps and (I'm assuming) an untreated recording space. Combine that with any cheap condenser mic and you've completed the Axis Of Crap.
I'm not suggesting you need to spend thousands of dollars to get a professional sound either. A Neumann won't solve your problems. A condenser can only sound as good as your room and your preamp and your converters. You don't just want to record all the hiss and computer noise and bad reflections more accurately.
The best purchase you could make given the current level of your equipment would be to pick up a Shure SM7b. The SM7b is a top quality dynamic marketed towards the radio crowd, but it's also been used as the main vocal mic on many hit albums, if that helps sell it to you. It's a "secret weapon" in the recording world and shouldn't be confused with cheaper but better known Shure offerings like the SM57/58 which IMO are over-rated. Your M-Audio box has 66db of gain, which should be just enough.
Don't let the affordable price fool you. When I was demoing gear, I picked the SM7b over 3 different Neumann models (and other equally expensive brands). It was much better at hiding what you don't want to hear and improving what you do. Though I recommend NOT using the foam cover. (no need to tear it, it comes off from the ring at the base with a bit of force)
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This is good advice.
You can also get away with not treating a room acoustically if you know what you are doing.
Most software suites for audio come with "gating" programs. These can be your saviour and remove all unwanted noise and artifacts, if you spend a little time to get to know them.
The "pre amps" on your firewire interface are not your friend, though, and never believe they are. They serve one purpose-to get audio into the computer. The audio must be decent to begin with.
Shit in=shit out.
I own a stack of Neumanns, Shures, Senheuser, Rode and a bunch of other microphones, so I tend to be an arrogant prick about some of them.
Apologies if I came off that way.
I also have a Shure SM7, the original, and it has a sparkly clean sound.
Check for phantom power requirements, and check for gain settings. Some mics will work only if their impedance matches the gear it is being sent to.
It sounds complicated but really isn't. Hit a couple pro audio forums and you should lick the problem fast. It might be as simple as flipping one button.