Voice-Over Equipment for commentary help

[Harry Turner]

So basically because Windows likes to muffle my Turtle Beach headset mic I don't want to go down the path of plain USB microphones...

Now according to this guide..
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/audio/buying-guides/voice-over-equipment
It seems like I want a "Dynamic Broadcast Mic".. Bare with me I'm completely new to this.. And the guide then says I'm going to need a " audio interface" ok simple, all I need to do is find out what one would be the best for price yada yada yada.. But it then goes on to talk about "outboard gear" with "microphone preamps, dynamics processors and channel strips"..

Ok so hold on a second.. what do I need exactly? xD

I would really appreciate a helping hand in deciding what to get in terms of mics and other devices.. This will be mainly for commentary purposes on lets plays, vlogs (yes I know it's becoming so mainstream.. I play a lot of games so why not broadcast it xD) And hopefully for other devices to be inputted if I want to have a few friends over streaming..

Money won't really be an issue.. If things are too expensive then I'll stagger what I buy each month.

I also have a little problem with audio too, because I'm using my Mobo's on-board sound I get a lot of electronic interference coming through my headset.. is there something I can get to fix this externally with the hope of expanding?

 

[TStahler]

I own my own recording studio, so let's get down to business.

I would recommend a Steinber UR22 for a digital interface as it can record at 24 Bit and 192,000khz sampling rate which means excellent quality. You can record from two microphones at once and it connects to your computer and is powered by USB. They sell for $129 at Guitar Center. They have two inputs for XLR microphone cables or 1/4 inputs.

I would suggest a Shure SM7B for a great voiceover microphone as it is dynamic rather than being a condenser, so it won't pick up feedback in a non treated room. They are used by announcers worldwide for voiceovers and run $350 at Guitar Center.

Next, You will need a good tripod microphone stand or any good microphone stand really but it should be sturdy at the Shure microphone I suggested is a decently hefty microphone and you don't want it to tip the microphone stand over and break. You could though just buy a cheap stand and use bags of sand to hold the base down of it steady.

You will need a microphone cable to run from the microphone to the interface. I would suggest a Mogami gold series cable as they don't overly compress the audio and have great frequency response and clarity. They also carry a lifetime warranty. A 15ft cable is plenty and should run around $50 at Guitar Center.

You would plug your headphones into the digital interface that I described and that would eliminate you electronic interference issue.

If you have any questions at all, I will be more than happy to help. Feel free to send me a private message anytime.

Have a great day!

 

[Harry Turner]

I own my own recording studio, so let's get down to business.

I would recommend a Steinber UR22 for a digital interface as it can record at 24 Bit and 192,000khz sampling rate which means excellent quality. You can record from two microphones at once and it connects to your computer and is powered by USB. They sell for $129 at Guitar Center. They have two inputs for XLR microphone cables or 1/4 inputs.

I would suggest a Shure SM7B for a great voiceover microphone as it is dynamic rather than being a condenser, so it won't pick up feedback in a non treated room. They are used by announcers worldwide for voiceovers and run $350 at Guitar Center.

Next, You will need a good tripod microphone stand or any good microphone stand really but it should be sturdy at the Shure microphone I suggested is a decently hefty microphone and you don't want it to tip the microphone stand over and break. You could though just buy a cheap stand and use bags of sand to hold the base down of it steady.

You will need a microphone cable to run from the microphone to the interface. I would suggest a Mogami gold series cable as they don't overly compress the audio and have great frequency response and clarity. They also carry a lifetime warranty. A 15ft cable is plenty and should run around $50 at Guitar Center.

You would plug your headphones into the digital interface that I described and that would eliminate you electronic interference issue.

If you have any questions at all, I will be more than happy to help. Feel free to send me a private message anytime.

Have a great day!

Heyy ! Thanks for the awesome quick reply man I wont pm just in case anyone else wants to do the same or find out some decent information :3

I looked at a youtube comparison of that SM7B and oh wow it gives such a pure sound ! The other thing I was interested in about it would be if it would pick up keyboard sounds etc? I know i can edit them out but still, hard to be 100%

Would it be quite good for use about 1 foot away, maybe more? And maybe not in the direct line of my speech??

The Steinberg UR22 looks fantastic too, will the headphone port pick up my computers sound and not just input?

 

[TStahler]

The Shure SM7B works best when the sound source is six to eight inches away. It has a cardioid pickup pattern, so it should only pick up sound directly in front of it and since it is a dynamic mic, it is not likely that it will pick up any typing or keyboard sounds.

To connect your stereo computer speakers directly to it there are 1/4 inch outs on the back. You will need an adapter cable. One that runs two male mono 1/4 to a female 3.5mm. That will be all that you need.

Glad to hear that my previous answer helped.

I own my own recording studio, so let's get down to business.

I would recommend a Steinber UR22 for a digital interface as it can record at 24 Bit and 192,000khz sampling rate which means excellent quality. You can record from two microphones at once and it connects to your computer and is powered by USB. They sell for $129 at Guitar Center. They have two inputs for XLR microphone cables or 1/4 inputs.

I would suggest a Shure SM7B for a great voiceover microphone as it is dynamic rather than being a condenser, so it won't pick up feedback in a non treated room. They are used by announcers worldwide for voiceovers and run $350 at Guitar Center.

Next, You will need a good tripod microphone stand or any good microphone stand really but it should be sturdy at the Shure microphone I suggested is a decently hefty microphone and you don't want it to tip the microphone stand over and break. You could though just buy a cheap stand and use bags of sand to hold the base down of it steady.

You will need a microphone cable to run from the microphone to the interface. I would suggest a Mogami gold series cable as they don't overly compress the audio and have great frequency response and clarity. They also carry a lifetime warranty. A 15ft cable is plenty and should run around $50 at Guitar Center.

You would plug your headphones into the digital interface that I described and that would eliminate you electronic interference issue.

If you have any questions at all, I will be more than happy to help. Feel free to send me a private message anytime.

Have a great day!

Heyy ! Thanks for the awesome quick reply man I wont pm just in case anyone else wants to do the same or find out some decent information :3

I looked at a youtube comparison of that SM7B and oh wow it gives such a pure sound ! The other thing I was interested in about it would be if it would pick up keyboard sounds etc? I know i can edit them out but still, hard to be 100%

Would it be quite good for use about 1 foot away, maybe more? And maybe not in the direct line of my speech??

The Steinberg UR22 looks fantastic too, will the headphone port pick up my computers sound and not just input?

 

[Harry Turner]

The Shure SM7B works best when the sound source is six to eight inches away. It has a cardioid pickup pattern, so it should only pick up sound directly in front of it and since it is a dynamic mic, it is not likely that it will pick up any typing or keyboard sounds.

To connect your stereo computer speakers directly to it there are 1/4 inch outs on the back. You will need an adapter cable. One that runs two male mono 1/4 to a female 3.5mm. That will be all that you need.

Glad to hear that my previous answer helped.

Oh no sorry what I meant by computers sound was game audio and other things as I use a headset and not speakers, would it still be the same to get the cable??

6-8 inches may be okay.. I haven't got my desk properly set out so it's hard for me to know what limitations I'm going to have. Do have any other recommendations for a microphone? I'll probably get the rest of the equipment first just to be safe haha.

Thanks

 

[TStahler]

The thing about dynamic microphones is that they are less sensitive to pickup unwanted sounds. condenser microphones are very detailed and sensitive but in untreated rooms often pick up computer fan noise, typing on keyboards, trains, motorcycles, and trucks from outside, television three rooms over, someone flushing a toilet in the house, all sorts of sounds that are otherwise unwanted, unless you want to pay lots of money to treat your room to reduce the impact. If you turn the volume up on your input, you can pickup sound from twelve inches away. Me recommending another microphone instead will not fix this problem as the above listed scenario is specific to condenser and synamic microphones in general. A condenser will pick up too much room noise.

Another reason that you don't want to be more than 6-8 inches away from the Shure SM7B is because that distance is the microphone's sweet spot. If you get too close to a microphone, It can enhance proximity effect and make the sound muddy with too much booming bass. When a person is too far away from the microphone, The sound can be thin and have too much treble. An even balance is the best scenario. The louder you turn your input up on your interface, The more sound your microphone will pick up from further away, But the recording volume might be tooo high and it could pick up wat too much room noise. It is all about the balancing act.

The interface has a headphone input right on the front, so the only thing your headphones would need is a 3.5mm female to 1/4 inch male adapter, which usually comes stock with most headphones nowadays. It will have it's own volume dial on the interface for your headphones. You can hook up your computer speakers on the back if you desire as well.

Cheers.