Get better audio recordings

#1 Thanks for the update nick, this sort of information is always useful.

Perhaps you could offer some suggestion of sounds card people could use, for levels of say basic, ameteur, and professional.

Will, for example, a basic sound blaster live be suficcient for the indie sound developer wanting to make a few ogre attacking noises?

Also, do you have any suggestions about the microphone? What sort of microphone is good for basic, ameteur, and professional, for recording voice and sounds.

Also, what about the sound environment? If you are recording sounds for a game, do you need to be in a special studio, or can you get away with a friends bedroom, if his mum downstairs turns the tv down?

What sort of sample rate do you deem to be acceptable - I think CD's are 44khz (off the top of my head). Obviously the size of the file goes up with the higher sample rate, so what do you think a good compromise is?

Im not a sound person myself, but this sort of industry information could prove invaluable to a lot of indies.

Look forward to hearing from you.

#2 That's what always has fascinated me in GG forums' audio section: people not only ask for help here - sometimes they simply offer nudgets of information just "without a reason" :)

#3 I been an audio enginer for many years and tried most stuff
out there !
I agree fully with the cable choice but todo a good recording
you really dont need all recording studio stuff !
I made a 24 channel recording with a sblive and cubase vst 24
after that i made a 24 channel recording with a otari 24 2" !
The tape recording was better but a ordanary listener dont hear
the differns !

Two really good alround microphones out there is shure sm57 or 58.
And a sblive its enoth for recordings but you must set the
input levels right !
use a good recording program like wavelab or simular !

I made all my thunder effects with a sblive and they are really
good !
I was only hanging my microphone outside the window a recorded.

So the most important thing is the soundsource and your ear !!
You can do really good recordings with a small budget !

-Billy

#4 I've been look at this recently quite a lot and it's definatly very daunting to start with.

Mic's seem to get as expensive as you want to pay, Nick are you saying there are Mic's that actually have a 'digital' output? The sm57 / 58 seem somewhat legendary in the home studio environment, and they're usually pretty cheap too.

I've also found that there seems to be a fair amount of 'studio' liquidation assets in the UK. Last week there was a

#5 Gareth !

Even if there is a mic that have AD converters build in
They could never match a analog mic in anyways !!!!
I have heard people recording sounds with a soundcard cost
over 1000$ and get bad results anyway !
So the most importen thing is to listen to what you record
and change the distans to the source until you get maximum
results !
All pro studios still use the sm57 and 58 so dont think
the new mics are far better becasue they are new !

-Billy

#6 Vocal Recordings, I use Shure PG58 and Cool Edit Pro audio program because you can easily find it free (though its not...and its changed to Adobe Audition)...and the PG58 is around 70 bucks with a mic stand, 30 bucks used maybe.

SM57-58 is good for instrument or non-vocal recordings, such as natural sounds.

I have a $150 Creative Labs Soundblaster Extigy ($99 now i think)...and I love it. Lots of frontal inputs and it includes 2 optical inputs also. All you really need is some $50 dollar Creative speakers, those mics, and that extigy and you're good to go. Only upgrade speakers and soundcard when you want studio quality.

#7 I would like to add another "nudget of information just without a reason" :D (cool post, Nauris! heh) :)

Well, I suggest to always record at 24bits 96khz. What? You say no need for recording with a 96khz sample rate?

Check it... you'll hear a better sound, especially for the highs. The bright of the recording will be kept also after converting down to 44.1khz...

#8 As far as actual hardware goes I swear by my Delta 1010(24bit/96k, selectable -10 +4, SPDIF, external AD/DA in a really quiet box). If you need good mics spare no expense, but shop wise. I've been using a Neumann TLM103 for years on VO and I love it. We used the same mic to record Bill Clinton (at a studio I contract for) to record "My Life" which won the Grammy. It's perfect for baritone vocal. For a woman's voice I preffer a U87. It picks up upper alto to soprano with a little more sillabance than the 103. Both mics are a little on the expensive side, but if you've been using 57's and 58's you will be floored by the upper registry. I also just invested in the ADK knock offs of these mics. While I wasn't so impressed with the 87 knock off (the Vienna) I was elated with the 103 knock off (the Hamburg). I A/B'd the Hamburg and the 103 and did a spectrum analysis that came out almost identical. The ADK's rum $300 new with shockmount. As far as pre's go I use a DBX 386 right now with digital outs. I've been looking to upgrade, but it's quite good for the price. I especially like the analog tape head modelling. The one piece of gear I just can't live without thought is my EL8 Distressor w/Brit mod. Yes it's an outboard compressor but it makes a world of difference.