How Anyone Can Create Professional Sounding Audio Ken Theriot Home Brew Audio

What does it take to get professional sounding audio? You’re not alone. Most folks do.

If you know what you're doing, you can get decent audio from the cheapest gear. But lack of knowledge causes lots of folks to produce crappy audio even with expensive gear! Disclaimer: Better quality gear can and does sound better than a plastic PC mic

If you know what you're doing….

How do I know that? vs

1.A microphone captures the sound 2.The sound is converted to ones and zeros (digital audio) by a soundcard/interface. 3.A recording program reads the digital audio, allowing you to edit, save, etc. In a world…

1. A microphone plugged directly into a computer, either via the sound card or a USB port 2. A microphone plugged into an interface 3-pin (XLR) cable  computer Plus there’s mobile

 Fight the noise first ◦ Prevent as much getting recorded as possible  Use a cardioid microphone (tip #1)  Get close to the microphone (tip #2)  Then fight it again ◦ Record as loud as possible without clipping (tip #3)  “Crowds out” a lot of system noise  And again ◦ Use noise reduction tools to reduce the noise that got recorded (inevitable) (tip #4)

 In a perfect world, you would have a great recording space where the room sound actually compliments the signal. ◦ These types of spaces are rare.  The second best option is to have a vocal isolation booth treated with materials designed to prevent absorb echoes, allowing you to record only the signal. ◦ Difficult to do right ◦ Expensive

Vocal Booths and Other Acoustic Treatment Clearsonic IsoPac - $1,100 Auralex MaxWall- $999 Primacoustic Flexibooth $450 Primacoustic Voxguard $90 sE Electronics Reflexion Filter $299 Harlan Hogan PortaBooth $349

 We’re recording in bedrooms with lots of parallel surfaces echo-y sound.  Very common in even the best looking videos  Problem is worse in “talking-head” videos signal noise

 Use a mic with a cardioid pickup pattern  Mouth close to the mic ◦ ~4 inches or so Note: Talk into the correct side of a side-address mic!

 Record as loud as possible without clipping This is not good If you try to turn this up, you’ll be turning up the noise along with it! Aim for this Won’t have to turn this up much, if at all. MUCH better quality. Do this with gain control on interface and/or input level in software mixer Do this with gain control on interface and/or input level in software mixer

 Some noise will always be recorded, especially with cheaper mics and converters  Use Noise Reduction in audio software

1.Using a cardioid mic 2.Getting close to the mic 3.Reducing/removing noise after it is recorded

 Now we can address step #2 of recording basics, "sound is converted to ones and zeros (digital audio) by a soundcard/interface.“  Why is the $5 mic into a sound card not ideal? ◦ Small cheap mic is inaccurate ◦ Integrated sound card is cheap and noisy  So the best 1 st step is…

The fastest and least expensive way to do this is: Built-In converters are better Avoid noisy motherboard

 Small USB mics still subject to accuracy limitations ◦ Must work very hard to get “pro” audio, though it is still possible  I highly recommend the large USB Mics ◦ Much easier to reach “pro” level audio Samson Q1 Samson C01 Large diaphragm condenser $49 $80 Blue Yeti $100

2 main types of (non-USB) microphone Dynamic Condenser Shure SM-58 dynamic microphone Rode NT2-A Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone $399

Audio Technica AT2035 $149 Audio Technica AT2020 $65 Blue Yeti Pro $229 Neumann TLM 102 $700 Neumann U87 ai $3,600

M-Audio Fast Track C600 M-Audio Fast Track Pro These attach to a computer via USB Phantom power for condenser mics Centrance MicPort Pro $150 $342 $150

Reaper

Pros Free Can do basic editing Can do (sort of) multi-track Cons Not intuitive/hard to use Noise Reduction is poor Pros Free Can do basic editing Can do (sort of) multi-track Cons Not intuitive/hard to use Noise Reduction is poor Pros Professional software Can do just about anything “Fair Pricing” Scheme!! Cons Almost too awesome! Might be “too much car” Pros Professional software Can do just about anything “Fair Pricing” Scheme!! Cons Almost too awesome! Might be “too much car” $60 or $225

Desk Boom Stand Swivels and articulates Basic Desktop Stand Basic Boom Stand $70-$100 $15 $25 Shock Mount $25

Standard Mic Cable 3-pin “XLR” USB Cable $25

Sennheiser HD 280 Closed-back Encircle the ears Could get by with mp3“earbuds” if you had to Monitor headphones when ready Computer speakers OK to start Monitor speakers when ready Alesis M1Actives $99 $199

~$159 ~$315

iRig PRE $40 iRig Mic $45 Zoom H2 $110 Apogee MiC $199

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