Voiceacting.co.uk

Home Studio 101:  So You Want to Improve Your Recording Setup?by Gregory Houser

Okay, you’ve heard the sound that comes out of your current recording system and amidst the buzzing and occasional garbled word you feel that your current setup is the best that no money can buy.  Or maybe, you’ve heard wondrous tales of the setups that other AVAs have, and upon listening to their clips, were turned green with envy.  Well fret not true believer, we’re here to fix up that clunky, unreliable rig you call a recording system and set you on the path of the righteous VA.  Surprisingly, the terminology and costs to design and purchase equipment has gone down in several years, leaving you with a plethora of options to choose from.  Today we’re going to discuss some generic systems at various price points so that you can get up and start recording with confidence.  Now I’m going to assume that if you’re reading this, that you have minimal experience with recording equipment, but at least own or have access to a computer.  Now before we get into the all-encompassing world of technical gadgetry, let’s take the time to talk about some key terms first.

Microphone – Okay, if you really need to know what this is, you’re on the wrong board.  Your mic is that lovely looking little device which takes the sound waves that come out of your mouth and translate/convert them into a form which can be readily played back.  The idea is pretty simple, you speak into the part that looks like an onion (hence the nickname often given to a mic) and the element within the mic vibrates based on the effect that your sound has on it.

Element – Let’s take a little peek at the mic for a minute, shall we?  Look close, really close, and you’re going to see a ring behind the wire mesh on the onion of the mic.  That’s your element.  Now, do you see what looks like a piece of tin foil in the center of that ring?  Well, that’s part of the element too and is usually a piece of thin metal that vibrates when you speak into it.  There is usually a direct correlation between the price of the mic and the type of metal used as an element (not all metals behave the same, and some, like gold, are more apt to register subtle changes in sound energy than those made of, let’s say copper).

Cables – Not much to talk about here.  They’re used to connect your mic to your computer, or your mixer, preamp, whatever.  For the more professional mics out there, you’ll be using XLR cables.  And while it’s easy to skimp on this part of your rig, it’s a temptation that you should avoid.  From experience, a cheap cable can really hurt a recording.

Headphones – there are so many different nicknames for these things I can’t remember them all.  “Cans” seems to be the one I most often hear used (or for those with a bit of a snooty ‘tude, “studio monitor” is occasionally thrown around).  No, these are not the headphones that you got with your walkman or iPod.  These are closed ear, insulated headphones that make it easier for you to hear yourself while you are recording.

Monitors – I get people telling me that they already have monitors, so let me clarify.  This term refers to your speakers.  Studio speakers are called monitors, and they are usually better insulated and have a better sound to them than the $15 Altec Lansing speakers that you got with your Dell.  Now we have two types of monitors, active monitors, which require their own power source and passive monitors which get the power from another device.  I’ll admit my bias and lean towards the active monitors, but both can produce great sound.

Cardoid – Most unidirectional microphones are cardioids in nature.  What does this mean?  Well, take a peek at a microphone’s rating on a polar coordinate map and you’ll know what I mean.  Just like cardio is Greek for heart, cardoid means that the pattern on the coordinate plane resembles a heart shape.  In laymen’s terms it means that the mic picks up more sound from the front than it does from the sides or back.  Here’s a quick example of what a cardoid mic’s polar response pattern will look like (as taken from a Gefell M930):

Hypercardoid – is it a cardoid microphone with ADD?  Perhaps it’s one on illegal pharmaceuticals?  Hardly.  The hypercardoid is merely another pattern of microphone.  While similar to the cardoid pattern, it has a longer reach in front.  This is particularly useful in video applications, and is often attributed to the boom mics you see used for movies and TV productions.  Hypercardoids are especially useful in VO when dealing with excessively noisy environments.  As the polar pattern shows, it does not accept nearly as much input from the sides (as taken from a R0de NTG-2) compared to a cardoid microphone.  Nearly all shotgun mics are cardoid.

However, as with all things there is a catch; the hypercardoid pattern is notorious for removing character from the vocals it records.  This is the result of two things (in my opinion), the first is the pattern itself and the second is the talent’s or sound engineer’s inability to use the pattern appropriately.  To make a long story short, you have to be extremely precise with mic placement when working with a hypercardoid, as it requires a specific distance from the mic before it properly picks up an acoustical signal.  Additionally, there is not much room for play within the pickup radius of the microphone.  It is for these reasons that the author does not recommend them for beginners.

Multi-Pattern – these are microphones that are capable of multiple patterns.  Usually, if you are using multi-pattern mics, you are using them for a variety of applications.  The Neumann U87 (3 pattern), U89 (5 pattern) and Peluso 22-47 (9 pattern) are good examples of multi-pattern microphones.

Condenser – a condenser is a type of microphone that requires an external electrical source (from a preamp, mixer, or even batteries) in order to operate.

Dynamic – a dynamic microphone that does not require an external electrical source.  When pressure (from a sound wave) is exerted on the diaphragm, a coil located in the magnetic field moves in response, producing a varying electrical current (this is a basic principle of electromagnetic induction.  Dynamic mics are less sensitive than condenser microphones, which is both an asset and a liability.  While they cannot capture quite as much color off of a recorded source, they are much easier to use in non-studio environments.  Additionally, dynamic mics are more durable, resistant to moisture and to proximity effect.  They are cheaper than similarly performing cardoid mics, however they also require a more gain from a preamp, which is something to consider when purchasing a dynamic microphone.

Author’s note:  some of the most popular microphones used for radio broadcasting and commercial VO are dynamics

Ribbon Microphone – these microphones use a thin, usually corrugated metal ribbon, suspended in a magnetic field. The ribbon is electrically connected to the microphone’s output, and its vibration within the magnetic field generates the electrical signal.  Ribbon mics are very sensitive to pressure changes, which give them their appeal; however this sensitivity also makes them more prone to damage from misuse.

Tube Microphone – Simply put, this is a microphone that uses a vacuum tube as part of its operation.  This allows the microphone to have a distinct distortion when recording.  This is where vintage microphones and recordings get their “color” from.  Usually, an additional power supply, and cabling are required for proper operation.

Phantom Power – a term used to indicate that the device requires an electrical current if it is to operate (usually 48V).  This is a requirement for most condenser microphones.

Preamp – A preamp is an electronic device that is used to power all of your recording gear.  A good preamp will allow for multiple channels of recording and provide phantom power to your devices.  The preamp will be attached to a recording/mixing device through a TRS or similar input, or directly to your computer through a USB or Firewire connection.

Gain – the transduction gain is directly related to the output level.  The more gain that your preamp has, the more sensitive your mic is.  You want to use your gain to achieve a proper “level” for recording input (-2 dB or so is a good place to be).  Now the hitch is that the more sensitive your mic is, the more background noise and other undesirable vocal sounds (breathing, tongue clicks, even teeth grinding) are picked up.  For dynamic and ribbon microphones, you want to make sure that your preamp has a lot of gain (65 dB or greater is usually recommended).

Mixer – recording device that lets you hook up many different sound sources for you to mix and manipulate what is being recorded.  This device is very helpful when doing SFX or recording multiple channels of audio.

Channel – the best way to describe this is to say that every separately recorded sound is a channel.  Playing a guitar and singing?  The guitar is recording on one channel, and the singing is recorded on another.  While some mixers and preamps can record an obscene amount of channels simultaneously, you only need one for most VO, and rarely more.

Recording Software – whatever you use to record and edit your takes.  Audacity, Goldwave, Adobe Audition are all good examples.  If you want to take the next step, you’ll want to take a look at such tools as Cubase, Tracktion 2, and Pro Tools.  Additionally there are applications designed specifically for ADR recording, allowing a producer to take an audio clip from the talent and properly sync it to the original audio track within an animation.  While expensive, these applications can separate the kids from the adults, so to speak.
Now that we have the basic terminology down, let’s take a peek at the first setup on the list.

Author’s note:  there is more recording equipment out there than one can shake a stick at.  However, the components listed are those that the author has personally used and/or owns for his own studio.  Since everyone’s voice is different, your mileage may vary when choosing the appropriate equipment for your personal studio.  Additionally, specific equipment, such as EQs, compressors, limiters, etc. have been left out of stated configurations.  The software applications listed have the ability to perform many of these tasks, and quite frankly, this is a beginner guide.  If you want more information on such topics, please check out boards such as found on sites, such as www.homerecording.org .

Author’s note #2:  assume Mogami Gold or Monster Cable have been used as the cabling for all setups
The “I’m so poor, I’m PO” Setup.

Okay, so you have more lint in your pocket than cash.  While you’re not going to be running a professional studio out of your room anytime soon, that doesn’t mean that you can’t cobble up something nice for around $250 or so.  You’re going to need the basics, a mic, preamp, mic stand and music stand.

Recommendations:

Configuration A

Blue Microphones USB Snowball Microphone

Audacity

Mic Stand

Popfilter

Configuration B

MXL MXLV63M

Studio Projects VTB-1 Tube Preamp

Audacity

Mic Stand

Popfilter

The “middle of the road” Setup.

Right!  You have a bit more cash, but aren’t wealthy by any stretch of the imagination.  You want to take a stronger approach to your setup, but don’t want to end up owing your firstborn to Chase Manhattan.  For about $500 - $700, you can be set up quite nicely.  The setup is similar to the starter configuration that was mentioned earlier, but we want to toss in some cans and a better mic for this.  Now a lot of people are going to say, “why do I need cans?  I have my stereo headphones, not that I want to listen to myself anyway.”  Here’s my response:  1) your headphones are good for portable listening of music, not recording.  They don’t block out extraneous background sounds, nor do they let you focus in on listening to what you sound like over the mic.  2)  You probably have little idea of what you sound like over the mic and using a set of cans is a great way to judge your actual ability.  Believe it or not, we sound differently to ourselves than we do to others.  It’s called bone conduction which means that the sound waves that are created when we speak vibrate through our bodies and create a different sound than what is actually coming out of our mouths.  Once the sound waves have vibrated through our mandible, jawbone, skull, sinus cavities, and the space in our heads (which for some is larger than others, but I digress), the actual sound wave has been distorted and sounds a lot different.  This is why we want to use a good set of closed headphones.

Recommendations:

Configuration A

R0de NT-1A

Edirol FA-66 or UA-66

Audio Technica ATH M-30 Headphones

Goldwave

Mic Stand

Popfilter

Configuration B

Studio Projects C1

Joe Meek 3Q ½ Rack Channel Strip

Sony MDR-NC6 Headphones

Goldwave

Mic Stand

Popfilter

The “prosumer” Setup

So you’ve got some cash to toss around and you’re serious about this whole voiceover thing.  Let’s talk turkey then.  For around than $1500 you can configure a great home setup like the “middle of the road”, but with some good monitors attached to it and some upgraded equipment.  Just like with the headphone crowd, some are going to say that they don’t need to invest in monitors.  The two rationalizations I get for that response are usually either “I have speakers” or “I have a set of cans, so I don’t need them.”  To those in the first camp, I say okay… maybe you do have some speakers with your computer.  Are they insulated?  How do they handle multiple channels?  Do they operate better at higher registers, or lower ones?  While a high end set of gaming speakers is good, you’re going to want something that is a bit more insulated and designed to handle register changes a bit better.  A “tinny” sound is not your friend.  To those in the second camp, I say only this… do you think that your audience will be listening to you through headphones alone?  When editing, you want to choose the medium that most of your audience will be using, and that would be through speakers.  A good set of studio monitors will save you a lot of aggravation in the long run, so for the $, make the investment.

Recommendations:

Configuration A

Audio-Technica AT4050

Shure 57 or 58

Focusrite Platinum VoiceMaster Pro

Sony MDR-NC6 Headphones

Adobe Audition 2.0

Mic Stand

Popfilter

Configuration B

Electrovoice RE-20 (w/ R0de D-Powerplug)

R0de NTG-2

Joe Meek OneQ

Audio Technica ATH M-30 Headphones

Adobe Audition 2.0

Mic Stand

• Popfilter

Configuration C

R0de K2

Shure 57 or 58

Grace Designs 101

Sennheiser HD-280 Pro Headphones

Adobe Audition 2.0

Mic Stand

Popfilter

The “money to burn” Setup

So money is no object to you, huh?  Awesome!  Feel free to pass some along to me for writing this article and educating you. No, I’m not joking (well, maybe just a bit).  While we could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a recording studio for you, let’s face it… you’re probably an amateur, and not even a professional would normally spend that kind of money unless they were pulling down 6+ figures.  Let’s keep this modest shall we?  For $4000 -$6000 you can come us with something that will make you the envy of most AVAs everywhere (and perhaps even some professionals).  Like the previous configurations we’re going to build upon the one mentioned before, but with some upgraded equipment and the addition of sound absorption materials.  Now we’re not going to get into stuff like a soundsucker or whisperroom isolation booths, but there are some alternatives that are worth mentioning.  Besides, if you have that kind of money and an actual need for one of those, then you most likely already know what you are doing and wouldn’t be reading this anyway.  Now some of you are also going to point out that there are multiple mics and preamps listed.  That is correct.  While you don’t necessarily need the additional gear, the reason I include it in this setup is because every mic and preamps sounds a little different.  Depending on what you are trying to do, you might want to change things a bit more than is readily available through your recording software.

Recommendations:

Configuration A

Neumann TLM 103

Electrovoice RE-20

Sennheiser MKH-416

Universal Audio M-610

Mackie Onyx 1220 (w/ firewire option)

Sorber S4-2 Panels (x5)

Sony Pro MDR-7506 Headphones

Tracktion 2.0

Adobe Audition 2.0

Mic Stand

Popfilter

Configuration B

Gefell M930

Electrovoice RE-27

Sennheiser MKH-416

Germanium Preamp/DI

Mackie Onyx 400F

Sorber S4-2 Panels (x5)

Sony Pro MDR-V700 Headphones

Tracktion 2.0

Adobe Audition 2.0

Mic Stand

Popfilter

Configuration C

Peluso 22-47 Limited Edition

Electrovoice RE-27

R0de NT-2A

Avalon M5

Focusrite ISA 220

Ultrasone PROline 750 Headphones

Clearsonic Isopac E Enclosure

Adobe Audition 2.0

Pro Tools

Mic Stand

Popfilter

Hopefully this will give you some ideas on where to start.  As I stated earlier, not all equipment will work for everyone, but at the least you should have some better understanding of the terminology used, and some new ideas on products that you want to add to your studio, now or sometime in the future.  My personal view is that a home recording studio is much like a financial black hole, I mean, a living being.  You’ll always find your studio growing and changing, which will mean that as time goes by, you’ll be adding and changing the gear that you use.  Eventually your studio will get to a point where you don’t find yourself needing new gear as often, but still purchasing equipment to expand your capabilities.  When you reach that point, and find yourself looking at your old gear, please remember this article and donate that stuff to me… I always have room for new gear!

^u^

Gregory has been working as a professional actor for over six years, having performed on stage screen and voice with companies as Big Ticket Entertainment, Conoco-Phillips, the NBA, Lockheed Martin, and others.