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Easiest way to record clear songs on imac

F

frebay

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 22, 2008
12
0
Hi All,
Can someone tell me what mic or other product I need to record a clear singing voice. I don't want to edit my voice after the song, just a little reverb on the mic will suffice.

For example:
I got my imac over the weekend and used the built-in mic to record this video using imovie and it's not clear at all, and on the high notes the the quality decreases dramatically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcO0eSjoIuk

I notice some other people on youtube singing and their sound is very clear. For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31rGd6Kgg8

At the end of the day, I want to sit in front of my imac, click imovie, click record, record a clear sounding song and press upload. Is this even possible?

Thanks for all that reply.
 
it's all about quality components and a treated environment. if you want to get into engineering, awesome, but if you'd rather just be a musician i'd gently suggest you hire a recording studio when you track vocals.
 
You'll need a decent mic pre-amp, decent mic, decent room acoustics and last but not least, you'll have to sit in the right place.

A good mic will capture that sound better, but it still won't be very good, and it won't be cheap either...
 
would the m-audio Fast Track Pro be a good pre-mic? any recommendations for a good mic?
 
iow, you're going to ignore the above and try to get quality on the cheap. Good luck with that.
 
Is 1000 enough? I was planning on getting a AT4050 mic and m-audio "Session with Fast Track USB - The Make-Music-Now Studio for Guitar and Vocals"
 
right, i just went and listened to the "good" recording on youtube. i'll allow that the file compression introduces some issues, but imho it's not a very good recording.

so if that's the bar set, you're in luck, because your expectations are low.

the at4050 is indeed a nice mic. you should try before you buy to make sure it fits your voice. i'm less impressed with your choice of pre and converter, but it should suffice for your needs.

also recommend you drop the $130 to get a pair of these. set them up in a V-shape (say, 75 degrees) and sing into them. not too close, though, you want the mic a few feet away. that'll help with your room sound and probably get you a better sound than the woman playing the keyboard.
 
zimv,
can you give me an example of what you think is a good recording on youtube? also what would you suggest as a pre and converter?
 
if it were me, i'd be looking more in the presonus direction and less in the m-audio direction. that's assuming that after $600 for the at4050 and $150 for the 244's, you've got only a couple hundred left to spend.

might also look at the shure ksm32 instead of the AT, to free up a few bucks. but again, you should try before buying.
 
frebay said:
Hi All,
Can someone tell me what mic or other product I need to record a clear singing voice. I don't want to edit my voice after the song, just a little reverb on the mic will suffice.

For example:
I got my imac over the weekend and used the built-in mic to record this video using imovie and it's not clear at all, and on the high notes the the quality decreases dramatically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcO0eSjoIuk

I notice some other people on youtube singing and their sound is very clear. For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B31rGd6Kgg8

At the end of the day, I want to sit in front of my imac, click imovie, click record, record a clear sounding song and press upload. Is this even possible?

Thanks for all that reply.
Click to expand...
The second link you put down looks like she is singing through one of the AKC Perception Mics http://www.akg.com/site/products/powerslave,id,951,pid,951,nodeid,2,_language,EN,country,ENUS.html

But, you will need an audio interface like the ones mentioned above to use it. One of the mics plus something like a motu ultralite http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite/ will get you started. $1000 should get you there. The ultralite is a good little starter for an interface but I have not used the Perception mics. Do some looking around before you buy since you just bought the iMac. When it comes to recording audio, the amount of money you invest plus the research = the best quality you can get. Good luck.:)
 
I'm surprised nobody has recommended that apogee duet... I myself couldn't as I've never heard it. Seconded on the AT4050, I have one and it sounded great on this folk punk band I recorded that only wanted one mic... They have a very soft sound, the mic itself is quite trebly/harsh, but not in an overpowering way.
 
Tarkovsky said:
I'm surprised nobody has recommended that apogee duet... I myself couldn't as I've never heard it. Seconded on the AT4050, I have one and it sounded great on this folk punk band I recorded that only wanted one mic... They have a very soft sound, the mic itself is quite trebly/harsh, but not in an overpowering way.
Click to expand...


i looked at the apogee duet, but isn't the AT4050 an XLR connection and lookes like the apogee duet is only a mini-jack.

for the mic, is it good for power ballads and high ranges?
 
I'm upping my budget. I got the mic already, and have 1k left to spend. Were you suggesting the Presonus Firebox?

zimv20 said:
if it were me, i'd be looking more in the presonus direction and less in the m-audio direction. that's assuming that after $600 for the at4050 and $150 for the 244's, you've got only a couple hundred left to spend.

might also look at the shure ksm32 instead of the AT, to free up a few bucks. but again, you should try before buying.
Click to expand...
 
i answered my own question, the apogee duet has a breakout cable.


After some research looks like i'm going w/ apogee duet and an AT4050.
 
Thanks for everyones help so far! I picked up a AT4050 and apogee duet and recorded the following in garage band:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa94fn6aEok

i noticed in some high ranges that the sound starts breaking out. any ideas why?

also do you suggest monitors or headphones? what's the main difference?
 
frebay said:
i noticed in some high ranges that the sound starts breaking out. any ideas why?
Click to expand...

so is that you singing?

what i'm hearing is that the record levels are too high. set your levels so you never go into the upper half of the LED range meter. i'd also back off the mic a bit, it sounds like you're crowding it.

you'll get a bit more room sound, and then i'll refer back to the recommendations for the bass traps.

you're getting some s-sounds, as well. i'd try a stedman pop filter for that. or, if you want to save a few bucks, use the pencil technique (see next post).

also do you suggest monitors or headphones? what's the main difference?
Click to expand...

monitors. headphones don't give you a real picture of what's going on.

nice voice, btw!
 
pencil trick

tape a pencil vertically across the mic capsule. this will help stop s'es and whistling (for those w/ gaps in their teeth):

pencil_trick.jpg
 
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