Microphone recommendation (not really for video)

ecoleman

ecoleman

Suspended / Banned
Messages
6,992
Name
Elliott
Edit My Images
No
I'm looking for a recommendation for a good but inexpensive microphone for voice recording.

I'm busy changing the phone system for my business and need to record some IVR voice messages. On our previous system I got them done professionally and they cost a fortune. This time I'm looking to do it myself as sometimes we need to change some messages and would like to be able to do that quickly and cheaply.

In all honesty the Mic will very rarely be used so I don't want to spend a fortune, I just need something that records a decent voice without sounding tinny and distant, like you're talking into a toilet bowl.
 
Last edited:
ecoleman said:
In all honesty the Mic will very rarely be used so I don't want to spend a fortune, I just need something that records a decent voice without sounding tinny and distant, like you're talking into a toilet bowl.
Click to expand...



May I suggest you get a very decent microphone from
a very good music shop for 4 to 6 £ for the weekend?

They might include some cool tips in the box! :cool:
 
ecoleman said:
... that records a decent voice without sounding tinny and distant, like you're talking into a toilet bowl.
Click to expand...

That's going to be more a factor of where you make the recording than the microphone & device that you use to make it!
 
DemiLion said:
That's going to be more a factor of where you make the recording than the microphone & device that you use to make it!
Click to expand...

Fair dues, but the microphone must play some part in it, or everybody would have a £9.99 microphone.

We'll record in a quiet office and can probably setup some sort of foam around the mic (I guess that stops sound bouncing of walls or something)

As you can probably tell, I'm no sound engineer :D
 
I've got a Blue Snowball Microphone which is usb for the computer and use it for Skype and a bit of YouTube stuff. Fantastic quality of recording and can be gotten relatively cheap preowned.
 
I have had good results using these for video dialogue https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aputure-Om...&qid=1503707543&sr=8-1&keywords=Aputure+A.lav and they are only £30

You get a a selection of cables one allows connection to a phone.

When you have your audio files try sending them to http://auphonic.com they will process up to 2 hrs of audio/month for free.

The results should be more than good enough for phone messages providing you can control the echo and background noise in the recording space.
 
What do you call inexpensive?

Have a look at the Blue Yeti if your budget is around the £110 mark

You may also want to get a pop filter.
 
ecoleman said:
Fair dues, but the microphone must play some part in it, or everybody would have a £9.99 microphone.

We'll record in a quiet office and can probably setup some sort of foam around the mic (I guess that stops sound bouncing of walls or something)

As you can probably tell, I'm no sound engineer :D
Click to expand...

If you google for something like "Budget podcast microphones", "low cost podcast microphones", the same mics keep coming up.

e.g https://www.thepodcasthost.com/equipment/the-best-podcasting-microphones-on-the-market/#atr2100

and

https://www.omnicoreagency.com/best-podcasting-microphones/

and

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-podcast-microphone/

They give a range of prices as well as brief reviews to help work out what you may or may not be getting for less or more money. Not all are USB


For recording, apart from the obvious of a quiet location the advice that gets given suggests a room with soft furniture and book cases to stop the sound bouncing around. Some people set up inside wardrobes or record with duvets over their head and mic to control sound bouncing around. If you have a desk up against a wall something pinned behind the computer such as a duvet will stop direct bounce back into the mic. Clothes horses with blankets or duvets to try and generate a recording booth will improve sound quality. You obviously don't need to do all these things, but they are worth experimenting with if you aren't happy with the sound you are getting. Most sound editing software will allow some post recording improvements.

You need to get close to the mic less than a foot, so you maximise the signal to ambient noise ratio which also means you may need a "pop filter", but getting close will help with cutting out ambient sounds.

I use a Rode video mic pro on a boom, or a rode smartlav+ but neither are USB mics and the latter is designed for a smartphone and needs an adaptor to plug into a computers mic socket.

I'm no expert on this, but I started making screencasts for teaching a few years ago and did a few online courses, reading etc and the key things were getting close to the mic, and treating the room to improve its sound characteristics, or do something that made you look silly like draping a duvet over your head. As Demilion suggested, the quality of the mic itself makee much less difference to the sound quality than doing these two things. I found a lot of advice by Googling for making podcasts or doing voiceovers "on a budget" about setting up a room for recording.

If I had a laptop with a microphone, I would probably be tempted to put the message you want to record on the screen, put a duvet over my head and laptop, and try speaking at different distances from the built in mic, just see it how it sounded, before buying a new mic. If nothing else it will give everyone watching a bit of a laugh.

Cheers,
Graham
 
Jase said:
What do you call inexpensive?

Have a look at the Blue Yeti if your budget is around the £110 mark

You may also want to get a pop filter.
Click to expand...

Thank you. £150 is more than I want to spend, but the Blue Snowball was recommended above for around £50-£60 so may give that a go.
 
myotis said:
If you google for something like "Budget podcast microphones", "low cost podcast microphones", the same mics keep coming up.

e.g https://www.thepodcasthost.com/equipment/the-best-podcasting-microphones-on-the-market/#atr2100

and

https://www.omnicoreagency.com/best-podcasting-microphones/

and

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-podcast-microphone/

They give a range of prices as well as brief reviews to help work out what you may or may not be getting for less or more money. Not all are USB


For recording, apart from the obvious of a quiet location the advice that gets given suggests a room with soft furniture and book cases to stop the sound bouncing around. Some people set up inside wardrobes or record with duvets over their head and mic to control sound bouncing around. If you have a desk up against a wall something pinned behind the computer such as a duvet will stop direct bounce back into the mic. Clothes horses with blankets or duvets to try and generate a recording booth will improve sound quality. You obviously don't need to do all these things, but they are worth experimenting with if you aren't happy with the sound you are getting. Most sound editing software will allow some post recording improvements.

You need to get close to the mic less than a foot, so you maximise the signal to ambient noise ratio which also means you may need a "pop filter", but getting close will help with cutting out ambient sounds.

I use a Rode video mic pro on a boom, or a rode smartlav+ but neither are USB mics and the latter is designed for a smartphone and needs an adaptor to plug into a computers mic socket.

I'm no expert on this, but I started making screencasts for teaching a few years ago and did a few online courses, reading etc and the key things were getting close to the mic, and treating the room to improve its sound characteristics, or do something that made you look silly like draping a duvet over your head. As Demilion suggested, the quality of the mic itself makee much less difference to the sound quality than doing these two things. I found a lot of advice by Googling for making podcasts or doing voiceovers "on a budget" about setting up a room for recording.

If I had a laptop with a microphone, I would probably be tempted to put the message you want to record on the screen, put a duvet over my head and laptop, and try speaking at different distances from the built in mic, just see it how it sounded, before buying a new mic. If nothing else it will give everyone watching a bit of a laugh.

Cheers,
Graham
Click to expand...

All good advice, thank you.
 
Simon Kitt said:
I've got a Blue Snowball Microphone which is usb for the computer and use it for Skype and a bit of YouTube stuff. Fantastic quality of recording and can be gotten relatively cheap preowned.
Click to expand...

Just bought the Blue Snowball iCE and a pop filter. The reviews look good so should do what I need. Thanks
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top