connecting microphone to p.c.?

/|/)etal)-|ead

I would like to try recording my guitar using a microphone. Can someone please explain how to connect a microphone to a p.c.?
Can you just get some connector from xlr to the input jack on a sound card, or do you have to get a mixer or what? I've tried using a digitech amp simulator thingy but I didn't like the sound at all. I'd really appreciate any replies, obviously I'm clueless about this, and any web searches just seemed to result in information for building big home recording studios.

Karl Hungus

You can get a jack to the mic line, or like me, if you have a Audigy sound card with a drive, you can plug straight into the PC. Use wavelab, or something similar then to record.

Smiler

Okay I haven't thought about this in a while but as far as I remember.

An input on a sound card is a line input which means it's expecting a signal of +4db.
A mic generates a mic signal (duh) which is -10db. So normally you would need a pre-amp to bring the mic level up to a line level. This is basically what the gain (per-amp) on a mixing console does.

Behringer do some really small & cheap mic per amps.
Like this

http://www.behringer.com/02_products/prodindex_ub.cfm?id=UB502&lang=eng


On the other hard a DI box might be what your looking for.

I really have to look over this stuff!!

I dunno if I'm 100% right on all that as I'm not sure if the signal in your soundcard is a line input or not. But that's how I remember it.

I'm sure all the practicing sound engineers will let you know if I'm wrong.

Morello

Hi,

Virtually any Sound Blaster has a line and a mic input so you don't need anything else, just a connector or an XLR-to-jack lead. You can buy these in Peat's in Parnell St or Maplin in Jervis St.

Don't expect an amazing sound though... what mic are you using? And you record an electric or an acoustic?

/|/)etal)-|ead

Thanks for all the help/info. I want to record an electric, and I haven't even got a mic yet lol. I just want to get something together cheap, I'm not expecting studio quality or anything. But hey, it'll probably still sound better than St. Anger's production ;p


here is an article I found about this in case any other noobs are interested.

Morello

Originally posted by /|/)etal)-|ead
Thanks for all the help/info. I want to record an electric, and I haven't even got a mic yet lol. I just want to get something together cheap, I'm not expecting studio quality or anything. But hey, it'll probably still sound better than St. Anger's production ;p


here is an article I found about this in case any other noobs are interested.

OK then, in this case just plug your guitar straight into the mic input of your soundblaster and record with Wavelab or any program like Cakewalk, Cubase, etc.

You don't need anything else then!

If instead you can invest a bit of money (€200) you can consider this

It rocks coz it does nearly what Protool's Digi001 would do (8 simultaneous inputs and outputs). I don't know what software you should use with it but I guess any will do

Smiler

Originally posted by Morello
OK then, in this case just plug your guitar straight into the mic input of your soundblaster and record with Wavelab or any program like Cakewalk, Cubase, etc.

You don't need anything else then!

If instead you can invest a bit of money (€200) you can consider this

It rocks coz it does nearly what Protool's Digi001 would do (8 simultaneous inputs and outputs). I don't know what software you should use with it but I guess any will do

I bought one & we were are using it with Cakewalk Sonar XL. It's not great.
The latency is MASSIVE!!!!!!! They've also stopped making it.

You can get a Digi001 for 800 yoyo's.
And you get the Protools LE software free with it. Class...

Although it really depends what you want to do with it. If you are only looking to record simple audio tracks & stuff then the Inca is your man. If a good quality recording is what your after go with Protools.

Only problem with Protools is if your using a P.C you have to use specific motherboards & processors. Although I heard recently that they are now compatible with all P4 & Athlon XP's

Oh.... I'm starting to ramble

Morello

Originally posted by Smiler
I bought one & we were are using it with Cakewalk Sonar XL. It's not great.
The latency is MASSIVE!!!!!!! They've also stopped making it.

You can get a Digi001 for 800 yoyo's.
And you get the Protools LE software free with it. Class...

Although it really depends what you want to do with it. If you are only looking to record simple audio tracks & stuff then the Inca is your man. If a good quality recording is what your after go with Protools.

Only problem with Protools is if your using a P.C you have to use specific motherboards & processors. Although I heard recently that they are now compatible with all P4 & Athlon XP's

Oh.... I'm starting to ramble

Hey that's good to know thanks. I use a Digi001 myself and I agree it's class but /|/)etal)-|ead here was looking for something cheaper...

Besides, you need a very expensive PC or Mac to run ProTools *well*

I thought this could have been a good cheap alternative to ProTools, what's exactly wrong with it? And what do you mean for "latency"?*

I'm foreigner...sorry! :ninja:

Smiler

Originally posted by Morello
Hey that's good to know thanks. I use a Digi001 myself and I agree it's class but /|/)etal)-|ead here was looking for something cheaper...

Besides, you need a very expensive PC or Mac to run ProTools *well*

I thought this could have been a good cheap alternative to ProTools, what's exactly wrong with it? And what do you mean for "latency"?*

I'm foreigner...sorry! :ninja:

Alright Alex

Wasn't sure which member of Morello I was talking to.
Mick form Tokin here.

Anyway Latency (how I understand it) is basicaly the time delay listening back to a track, while it's being recorded. It's the computer the sound card causing a delay in the returning signal.

So we would be recording something with the soundcard and everytime the guitarist would strike a chord, there would be a microsecord delay to that signal getting to his cans.

It really puts someone off. It doesn't really occur when your listening back to a track, only if your listening to what your recording.

Personally (& for only a few dollars more ) he could go with one of these things. We've also used this before & it's quite cool.
Not as many inputs but it's ideal for the recording guitarist.
But the inputs are balanced.

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_artikel-144036.html?sn=70769b3aa60b6cabaabf27b664fba097

Good to hear the albums finished. Has Dubh gone home yet?

Morello

Hey Mick how's it going?

Thanks for the explanation, that's good to know. The Midiman thingy there looks class, very similar to the Digi001 but much cheaper, isn't it?

Dubh left this morning, he was knackered as we kept him working until 6am but he did a great job and was satisfied. The album is cool and we're chuffed. It won't be until September before we release anything tho, I'll keep you posted.

What's the craic with yours?

Smiler

We've just finished recording a few more demo tracks in pulse studios. Really good to us in there so we came in for two days & let all the students experiment with recording us.

It was gas. 8 students in a studio with gear worth over half a million and there running around like lunatics. Deadly.
Got some quite good results actually.Good class this year Anyway were gonna hold off on recording our "EP" until we get our own studio up & running. It's just tooooo pricey any other way

You'll have to stick some MP3's of the album on your site. I didn't hear any of it with vocals.

Morello

That's good stuff, well done

About this yoke here:

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/tho...abf27b664fba097

How do you connect it to your PC? USB, PCI Card or what else? Also, would it run with any software (Cakewalk, Cubase, etc.)?

Smiler

Couln't get that link to work.

What product is it?

Morello

Originally posted by Smiler
Couln't get that link to work.

What product is it?

Man that's the link you posted, the one of the Midiman

Smiler

Ooops

I should have looked at the text.

Im getting slow, to many late nights

As far as I remember the Midiman works with a PCI card. We borrowed it off out guitarists brother.
We were using Cubase with it originaly. But we went to Cakewalk Sonar XL. Which for my money is the next best you can get to Pro Tools(without going to it of course). The features in the sonar version are deadly.

Loads of "borrowed" plug in's available


:ninja:

ferdi

we just stick the pa into the mic socket at the back ot the pc, we get keyboard, guitar, bass, vocals with ok quality.

Morello

Yep that works fine, unless you want separate tracks

Giblet

Latency is only a problem if you are using the pc as a monitor, you can turn off monitoring and just play and it will be fine. For a single musician playing some overdubs, monitoring isn't essential.