The Student Room Group

How to record music for a complete technophobe?!

Hey, so I'm sick of recording crappy quality music videos (both piano and acoustic guitar) on my webcam, and was wondering if anyone can help me out. I can never find any decent information online.

How do people usually do it, do they get a microphone which plugs into their laptop and then have some kind of software that helps them record it? Or is it better to get a camcorder?


Can you recommend me any equipment that won't break the bank? (if possible I wanna spend <£150 altogether).

Any help is appreciated.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 1
Cheapest way is to get yourself a USB condenser mic, they tend to offer decent recording quality on a budget. You could also look at getting something like the Zoom Q3HD for an all-in-one package.
Reply 2
Agreed on the USB Condenser mic as a way to get a decent recording on a budget.

Another option after that is to get a good quality USB audio interface (m-audio, avid or similar) and a decent quality microphone. However that approach can get expensive quickly although can give more options. With a multichannel audio interface you could use several microphones on a piano to improve the quality further and record each input as a separate track allowing you to balance them later.
Reply 3
Most people use condenser microphones. One of the most popular is the Audio Technica AT-2020. It's running for around £80. There is a USB version for £150, but I think it would be cheaper to go for the regular one.

The only condition with that is that you need a mixer, or some sort of power source for it. Condenser microphones operate at slightly higher voltages, so you need something to power it.

A very simple example of this is the Behringer Xenyx 302 mixer. Very simply, you plug the USB into your computer (to power the device, the microphone and to transfer audio) and you have a couple of dials to control the volume as well. The 302 is running for around £37 on Amazon, so this is a total of £115 (cheaper than the USB version by itself).

In addition, it's worth getting some sort of stand, no matter which microphone you go for. You can get a simple one for a tenner or so. You will also need an XLR cable for about £4 or so. That would be your absolute basic setup. There is room to expand though...

It is also advantageous to get a shock mount. The Samson SP-01 works with the AT-2020 microphone. This connects to the microphone stand (watch out, it's a bit heavy at this point) and prevents vibration from causing audio disturbances. That is roughly another £32 or so (£151 grand total).

If you intend to record audio, it may be worth getting a pop shield for £10-£20 (check the reviews) or perhaps making your own. A pop shield gets rid of harsh "P" sounds and the like from your audio, so you can sing along and have a cleaner recording. So £170 all in for the "complete" range of equipment.



Regarding recording, I think the Behringer 302 mixer has software (well, you download it) to handle recording and editing. A free alternative is something like Audacity, just to get the levels right and to remove any noise from the recording and generally clean things up.


I have used and tested all of those products, hence my hefty review and promotion for them. But when I looked, that really was the cheapest option. There are other USB condensers such as the Behringer C-1 or Samson CO1U. There are also Blue Microphones, although I have heard mixed reviews about those. Your best bet is to look them up on Youtube and listen to people playing those sorts of instruments through them. The stand, filter and shock mounts are separate to the actual microphone you get, but it can be well worth investing in in the future.
Reply 4
The Samson G-Track is really good for the money.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samson-GM1U-Condenser-Microphone-Cakewalk/dp/B0015MJE22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375806743&sr=8-1&keywords=samson+g+track

It comes with some recording software, which I don't like so much.
I do use Audacity though. It's free and therefore doesn't have a huge range of features, but if you just want to get some sound into a digital format and have some basic tools then it's fine.
Reply 5



Original post by mfaxford
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Original post by SillyEddy
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Original post by Manitude
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Thanks so much guys, this was all very useful. I'm gonna check out everything suggested and make a decision then :smile:
I was using a YETI USB microphone which was pretty good! Unfortunately the person I borrowed it from wanted it back, loved it though and it's on amazon for £97 :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by SillyEddy
Most people use condenser microphones. One of the most popular is the Audio Technica AT-2020. It's running for around £80. There is a USB version for £150, but I think it would be cheaper to go for the regular one.

The only condition with that is that you need a mixer, or some sort of power source for it. Condenser microphones operate at slightly higher voltages, so you need something to power it.

A very simple example of this is the Behringer Xenyx 302 mixer.


From a very quick look that mixer might not be suitable as it doesn't appear to offer phantom power. The same is likely to be true of most things powered purely by usb. There are various other options that would work though.
Reply 8
Original post by mfaxford
From a very quick look that mixer might not be suitable as it doesn't appear to offer phantom power. The same is likely to be true of most things powered purely by usb. There are various other options that would work though.

It is phantom powered, albeit at around 15V or so.

That said, it works just fine with the AT-2020, and I have used it in that combination. It may not be as sensitive, but it still works. Only "high power" condensers should struggle.
Reply 9
Original post by SillyEddy
It is phantom powered, albeit at around 15V or so.

That said, it works just fine with the AT-2020, and I have used it in that combination. It may not be as sensitive, but it still works. Only "high power" condensers should struggle.


ah ok, It wasn't listed in the specs. Although looking closely at one of the pics I see it in small text under the xlr.
As long as your room has a nice sound to it - nice and clean, not too muddy or echoey, this will do you nicely:


Behringer C-1U
http://www.dv247.com/microphones/behringer-c-1u-usb--63964

Logitech C920
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006A2Q81M

Whole lot - £110 including shipping.

Do the video and audio separate. If you're on mac, use Garageband to Compress and EQ the audio (feel free to PM on tips with this), if you're on Windows, use Audacity.

And you can just use iMovie or the Logitech capture program that comes with the webcam for your video.

Sync it in iMovie or Windows Movie Maker afterwards. If you use Movie Maker, just promise me you won't do one of those pale blue screen crappy font title pages.

Enjoy!
The Audio-Technica AT2020 as mentio0ned above is indeed a very good option for a condenser microphone. I would recommend some kind of external audio interface that connects to your PC via USB and then you can plug instrument cables into it. Perhaps something from Focusrite. You will also need some kind of DAW (audio software) to record the sound. A good free one is Audacity - it actually has a lot of useful features and effects.

The AT2020 microphone is a large diaphragm mic and is best suited to recording vocals but is good for intimate acoustic guitar too. However if you're looking to strum a lot and record other instruments such as the piano I would actually recommend a dynamic microphone such as the Shure SM57 which is extremely famous for being able to record pretty much anything you throw at it and to great effect. You can pretty much record an entire band using only this mic.
Original post by meloncoly
The Audio-Technica AT2020 as mentio0ned above is indeed a very good option for a condenser microphone. I would recommend some kind of external audio interface that connects to your PC via USB and then you can plug instrument cables into it. Perhaps something from Focusrite. You will also need some kind of DAW (audio software) to record the sound. A good free one is Audacity - it actually has a lot of useful features and effects.

The AT2020 microphone is a large diaphragm mic and is best suited to recording vocals but is good for intimate acoustic guitar too. However if you're looking to strum a lot and record other instruments such as the piano I would actually recommend a dynamic microphone such as the Shure SM57 which is extremely famous for being able to record pretty much anything you throw at it and to great effect. You can pretty much record an entire band using only this mic.


This thread is from 2013! Please check dates before posting in future. :yy:

Thread closed.