Recording equipment

FreddieFrugal

Good morning folks,

I'm just starting out as a teacher in September and want to start a choir - something I'm considering is starting a choir/singing club and I'd like to be able to record singing in good quality so we can do things like sound editing etc. and possibly make an album for parents to buy for charity.

Question does anyone know what sort of equipment is required to do it well. I bought a good quality mic a few years ago but it isn't powered and when I tried recording via laptop it was very quiet even with volume set to maximum - only way to boost created static. Is there some sort of plug in box that can power the microphone? Or do I need a different type?

Really am clueless about this so anyone who has more knowledge about sound recording than me, please advise.

Thanks in advance

Cheapest solution would b

tom15387202

Can't answer your question but I hope someone does.

Making money for charity is always good.

closed

move the microphone closer

lots of things like this around, but you should be able to get a decent sound using a laptop and an external mike.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tascam-DR-05-TASCAM-DR05-TASDR05/dp/B004OA6JW0/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1375781605&sr=1-1&keywords=sound+recorder

googler

What's your budget? One person's cheapest is another's "How Much!?!?!?"

What kind of mike did you buy, and what other equipment do you have?

You could research the basics with books from the music section of your local library or bookshop, also there's a brace of monthly recording magazines....

neilwoods

Probably because the line level of the microphone is too weak, could try a pre-amp for microphone, that boosts the signal in order to increase the signal to line level.

But as said what is your budget, to record a decent album is going to require a bit more than a simple microphone and laptop. Without knowing what your microphone is, more than likely a directional microphone, which is good for a single person but pretty useless for multiple people. Need something with polar patterns, something that allows to record from multiple angles. And then the software to mix and overlay any music if needed.

Mankysteve

Check out this guys view there pretty good got a few on mics.
http://m.youtube.com/channel/UCX5iJzFRYrClA39XL_r-r_A

http://www.garagebandandbeyond.com/Garageband_and_Beyond/Home.html

googler

You also need to decide how you're going to produce the CDs. Burn them yourself, or send to a pressing plant?

paddyrg

Talk to your local college - some have music/recording courses and you'll get a student engineer for the price of a decent meal. They may be a student, but they'll have backup from the college.

There is way too much involved in being a sound engineer than a forum post can cover, from different types of microphones, levels, cables, acoustics, etc. Get someone who knows what's what.

John_Gray

You need two microphones for stereo...

I won't repeat the other sensible suggestions above!

FreddieFrugal

googler wrote: »

What's your budget? One person's cheapest is another's "How Much!?!?!?"

Quite right! I meant to delete that bottom bit before I posted as I realised it was a stupid thing to say.

googler wrote: »

You also need to decide how you're going to produce the CDs. Burn them yourself, or send to a pressing plant?

Well the idea would be getting the children to do as much of it as possible as that's sort of half the fun really. Designing the cover and learning about all the stages of trying to make one, including the sound mixing and editing etc.

googler wrote: »

What kind of mike did you buy, and what other equipment do you have?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hama-Dynamic-Microphone-DM-65-socket/dp/B00006J6LN/ref=sr_1_18?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1375799203&sr=1-18&keywords=microphone <- pretty sure it was this one that I bought but I don't have it with me at the moment.

I'd be happiest using free tools such as audacity as it's the sort of thing that's readily available in schools and quite simple to use. I've also used it before for sound editing.

googler

If you want to continue using that mike, and Audacity, you need to get, I think, a USB Audio Interface. Pick one compatible with your mike. Feed into a USB port, and record into Audacity from there.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/8-of-the-best-budget-usb-audio-interfaces-570850/1

And, as someone pointed out, you have a Mono mike there. If you want to record in stereo, either get one exactly the same, and a mike stand with a twin fitting, or trade up to a mike with a pair of stereo capsules in one unit.