Help with recording

[Elow]

So, my state auditions are online now.... Not sure how i feel about this but it is what it is. I need a microphone that’s better than my phone. I know pretty much nothing about mics. If i get one does it just hook up to my computer or how does that work? I really don’t want to spend more than like $300 but if there’s a god mic out there for 400 i can do that. So, what should i buy, and how does it work? Thanks

[Doug Elliott]

Phone mics are not that bad. For the audition purposes your playing will make more difference than the mic.

[Elow]

Phone mics are not that bad. For the audition purposes your playing will make more difference than the mic.

Well the music is easy and my director said i can have infinite takes and submit the best one so playing shouldn’t be a problem but i’d like to get a mic that can communicate tone better.

[Posaunus]

You will get much better results (than using your phone) with a laptop computer and a USB plug-in microphone.

A good value would be an Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ mic – about $150 + tax.

Make sure you are at least 3 feet away from the microphone.

Good luck, Elow.

[AndrewMeronek]

If you don't have the funds for a laptop, a decent USB microphone should be able to plug directly into a smartphone. Just check and make sure you have a USB cable that matches the connection types.

[bassbone721]

I've used a Blue Snowball for my all state and college pre screen recordings. I got it for around 50 and its held up pretty well. A few minor annoyances but it captures everything well.

[JLivi]

If you have a $300 budget I would recommend to get this

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-bundle

It’s easy and all there.

But I’d got wanted to piece it together I would recommend the following:

Audio interface (can find as cheap as $50 (Behringer))
Shure SM57 or 58 (can buy a kit of mic, stand and cable for $110 from guitar center)

You can get a better mic than a 57, but it’s definitely going to be exactly what you need for right now before you decide to make a bigger investment
I highly recommend an interface and a mic just to have because I don’t think recording at home is going to go anywhere anytime soon.

[harrisonreed]

I second the Focusrite bundle.

[timothy42b]

I use a Zoom H2.

At home I connect it directly to the laptop and record on Audacity rather than on the internal memory.

At concerts and rehearsal it records onto an SD card so you have a handy portable digital recorder as well as a USB microphone for home use.

[BrianJohnston]

Hey Elow I have some suggestions... i'd steer clear of Zoom's honestly.

The focusrite suggestions are great, but i'd look into passive ribbon mics... You might end up spending 300-500 dollars on them, but they're the best sound quality you can get. Clearly you don't want to spend that, so I recommend saving up and just using your phone for now.

[harrisonreed]

I have used large condensers, small condensers, dynamic, and ribbon mics. Up close, they all sound really different, and NONE of them sound like what you actually sound like (unless you're a jazz player, who only plays with a mic in his bell --then that's your sound and the mic is super important) ... (Or if your audience regularly sits one foot in front of your bell, or inside of your bell). If you want no room sound, want to use lots of effects, and are doing a jazz recording, this is where you can REALLY dig into mics and "find your sound".

If you want to hear what you actually sound like, and make a realistic recording, the mic(s) need to be at least 1.5 meters away, and placed on the correct spot. Most auditions that I've submitted takes for suggested putting the mic 12 feet in front of you, and above the bell level. At this distance, the mics will make a lot less of a difference, and you'll begin gravitating towards neutral mics like AKG large condensers or small condensers. There are mics in each of these categories that are very affordable.

[timothy42b]

Also pick the right room. Huge difference! probably more than the mike.

[Doug Elliott]

Your playing will make more difference than any mic.

Any how does anybody really know that "NONE of them sound like what you actually sound like" since you can't actually hear yourself from a distance?

[harrisonreed]

Your playing will make more difference than any mic.

Any how does anybody really know that "NONE of them sound like what you actually sound like" since you can't actually hear yourself from a distance?

Touché! A lot of mics add a lot to the sound with their own frequency response. Close proximity amplifies this. I can't say that there are no mics that will sounds exactly like you, so I take it back!

I 100% agree with Doug here that if you sound like crap on a cheap but decent mic, you probably will sound like crap on any mic. Try to sound GREAT on an average mic. Then you will be able to appreciate what a difference a GREAT mic can make.

[timothy42b]

Any how does anybody really know that "NONE of them sound like what you actually sound like" since you can't actually hear yourself from a distance?

I've always wondered that!

And then I heard Christopher Bill say that trombone is not that complex a sound and not that hard to mike. Hmmm.

I do think what I hear from behind the bell is a good bit different from what someone at a distance hears, partly because of the sound off the instrument but probably just as much because there are sounds in my head competing.

[afugate]

There was an older gentleman, an orchestral bass bone player that occasionally frequented both this forum and the previous. (I believe his name is Bob?) He suggested using two mikes - one in front and one over your shoulder. I've tried this a few times, with the front mike off-axis and the rear mike pointed at the bell. I used a large condenser in front and a pencil condenser over the shoulder. I like the results. YMMV.

These days I mostly record using a ribbon mike that I purchased second hand.

Full disclosure: When I record I am reminded the limiting factor for me is not the equipment...

-Andy