MacBook for audio recording

[jerryk]

Hi. I do educational voice (like voice-overs) recordings. I usually do this on my windows desktop, but want to switch to using a laptop in a separate recording space. I have the following mic chain, Rode Procaster (to be replaced) -> DBX 286S -> Audient iD14 -> usb -> computer running Adobe Audition. I am thinking about getting a dedicated (likely used) MacBook or MacPro for this computer. Any suggestions for systems and configurations?

Also, any voice over types have a suggestion for a new mic? Space is not the greatest so I want to stay dynamic, such as RE20, RE27, Sm7b, or ???

 

[Fishrrman]

Although I've never used one, I've read that the RE-20 is a great mic for voice.
Pricey, though.

Is it going to be just "one channel in" along with the video/track that you're "voicing over"?
I would think that almost any MacBook Pro will handle this kind of audio recording easily.

My personal preference is for the 2015-design MBPro's.
Just a more robust design, in my opinion.
The 2015 15" is still sold "as new units" from Apple (also Apple-refurbished).
The 2015 13" is available as Apple-refurbished.

 

[jerryk]

Although I've never used one, I've read that the RE-20 is a great mic for voice.
Pricey, though.

Is it going to be just "one channel in" along with the video/track that you're "voicing over"?
I would think that almost any MacBook Pro will handle this kind of audio recording easily.

My personal preference is for the 2015-design MBPro's.
Just a more robust design, in my opinion.
The 2015 15" is still sold "as new units" from Apple (also Apple-refurbished).
The 2015 13" is available as Apple-refurbished.

Yes, it is recording voice only. This is for recording the voice for a class teaching people. So the voice is done separately from the demo slides and programming demos, and then assembled and edited on a different desktop workstation.

I was thinking the MacBook since it does not have a fan that would make noise. This would be mostly a dedicated system, that would live in a recording setup. And maybe do a little traveling for browsing in an hotel room and sending emails. Can a MacBook handle that?

For more "real" work, I already own a 2015 MBP 15". Also, I will upgrade that to the 2018 15" MBP IF the keyboard issues are resolved and the new processor works out OK.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"For more "real" work, I already own a 2015 MBP 15"."

No need to shop further.
Use what you have.

 

[Plett]

OP wrote:
"For more "real" work, I already own a 2015 MBP 15"."

No need to shop further.
Use what you have.

Agree, I use a MBP 15" when recording voice, never had the recording task the cpu hard enough to kick the fan on. Recorded on both Garage Band, and Logic X.

 

[jerryk]

OP wrote:
"For more "real" work, I already own a 2015 MBP 15"."

No need to shop further.
Use what you have.

Like I said, I want this system to mainly reside in the recording area. I use my 15" MBP for other things and sometimes leave it places if a project is on going.

 

[Fishrrman]

"Like I said, I want this system to mainly reside in the recording area. I use my 15" MBP for other things and sometimes leave it places if a project is on going."

OK, my last word on the subject.
Get a 2015-design 13" (or 15") MacBook Pro.
A keyboard that won't break, and a full complement of legacy ports for the connections you already have.

 

[jerryk]

"Like I said, I want this system to mainly reside in the recording area. I use my 15" MBP for other things and sometimes leave it places if a project is on going."

OK, my last word on the subject.
Get a 2015-design 13" (or 15") MacBook Pro.
A keyboard that won't break, and a full complement of legacy ports for the connections you already have.

Thanks. I had not considered the port issue. I want to be able to use the USB to the interface, SD card and mouse at the same time.

The only concern is potential fan noise.

 

[mcpryon2]

If you're just tracking one voice any Mac should do. I used to do foley and voice in the field with my MacBook Air, mbox, and Pro Tools years ago.

The RE-20 is a good mic to have around if you're going to be using different people and don't need an assortment. You may need to consider using a Cloudlifter with it since it likes gain. Same with the SM7B, from what I've seen (heard, I suppose).

For the university radio station I maintain I've got some Heil PR30 (if I remember correctly) mics and they work just fine. They're dynamic, end-address and show up in the same conversations as the RE20.

 

[Beau10]

Thanks. I had not considered the port issue. I want to be able to use the USB to the interface, SD card and mouse at the same time.

The only concern is potential fan noise.

Fan noise should be minimal as long as the machine is at low load. All the same, it's worth pointing out the 12" Macbook is fanless. The port issue can be solved with a good dongle like this.

 

[Chancha]

The one-port-only situation on the MacBook is quite an obstacle for a recording setup. Isn't the Audient iD14 USB bus powered? Coupled with the MacBook needing more juice than its battery holds if your sessions are prolonged, this is asking for trouble. You may need some time and luck to find the one dongle that hubs in the USB while providing power reliably, and doesn't introduce audio latency or even dropouts.

That said, the form factor of the rMB is indeed pretty great for portable use cases like yours. Being fanless means it can literally sit next to a mic.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Sounds like the retina MacBook is tailor made for you with a one use computer with no chance of background noise due to fans. It should easily perform this task without even trying and the lack of ports is easily remedied. See below for a one cable charging and usb SD card solutions.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HooToo-Shu...d=1517313488&sr=1-4&keywords=hootoo+usb+c+hub

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Get the USB to Lightning adapter and use GarageBand on iPhone or iPad. I plug my iPhone 7 into my Yamaha mixer to snag stereo recordings of my band. Recording a single voice would be a cakewalk.

GarageBand on iPad can record up to 8 tracks simultaneously via USB I/O.

Any Apple laptop from this decade can easily handle your request.

 

[jerryk]

Get the USB to Lightning adapter and use GarageBand on iPhone or iPad. I plug my iPhone 7 into my Yamaha mixer to snag stereo recordings of my band. Recording a single voice would be a cakewalk.

GarageBand on iPad can record up to 8 tracks simultaneously via USB I/O.

Any Apple laptop from this decade can easily handle your request.

Does it let you view and edit wave forms? I sometimes have to say the same sentence over and over to get the audio clean, pacing correct, etc. And I want to ensure the levels are correct, no plosives (Popping P, C, T) or sibilance (sssss sounds). One of the reasons I use Audition is because I can see these in the wave form, and determine if I have a good take, can fix it in post, or need to re-record. Since some of there scripts are 20+ pages, it is a real pain to have to not be able to see when you made a mistake.
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The one-port-only situation on the MacBook is quite an obstacle for a recording setup. Isn't the Audient iD14 USB bus powered? Coupled with the MacBook needing more juice than its battery holds if your sessions are prolonged, this is asking for trouble. You may need some time and luck to find the one dongle that hubs in the USB while providing power reliably, and doesn't introduce audio latency or even dropouts.

That said, the form factor of the rMB is indeed pretty great for portable use cases like yours. Being fanless means it can literally sit next to a mic.

The iD14 can be powered by the bus, or via an external power adapter which is what I do. The recording area is a unused bedroom, so A/C power is available.

 

[Beau10]

You may need some time and luck to find the one dongle that hubs in the USB while providing power reliably, and doesn't introduce audio latency or even dropouts.

The one I linked has power passthrough. That said, if it doesn't quite meet power requirements there are larger docks with external power supplies.