Best Method to Record Narration?

kylelewis1

kylelewis1

Well-known member
I am trying to figure out what the best method is to record narration. I usually have to mic up my DVX and then record myself, then capture it on FCP. Is there a better way to record straight to my Mac? I learned that the G5 can't take a mic directly into the audio input, so I would need to purchase some stuff to run a mic into the Mac. How can I run it through right into FCP? Also, is there a way to do voice recording directly into sound track through the camera?
 
FCP allows you to record a narration straight to your timeline through various inputs, but I am not sure if it is possible through a camera. My FCP won't recognise a camera that is in "camera" mode, only VCR mode.

I tend to record to tape first and then capture the audio separately. It is easier than messing around. You can get USB and Firewire breakout boxes with XLR inputs, but why spend if you can do it for free?
 
A $30.00 "iMic" is a good and cheap interface to run a mic into your Mac. You can use the Voice Over tool in FCP. Although I prefer doing it with the camera and a good mic then capturing that.
 
Well, I'd do it by first bringing the video into an Digital Audio Workstation (like Nuendo, Cubase SX or Logic). I do this anyway as this is where I do all the sound design, music comp, audio editing, etc. Then I would use a quality audio interface and a large diaphragm mic with pop screen to capture the audio (I might also use a deesser during recording depending). Then I would sweeten it a bit in post and mix it with the rest of my sound.

But that's just me...

Matt
 
I don't suggest iMic, it is a good mic for its purpose, and its purpose is not to record narration at top quality. Get a good microphone, and plug it into your audio input in the back of your comp, then go to "window" in FCP and there should be a selection for V.O., or ADR, some sort of default audio dub over selection, I know there is, I just cant think of the name right now, and onve you bring it up, and have the mic plugged in, you should get immediate monitor on your computer.

hope it works out for you

-Matt-
 
The iMic isn't a microphone, it's an inexpensive audio interface. You can run a mic into it, or a guitar, keyboard, tape deck, etc. It's handy. But for really great VO you really need to do it with a good mic and another DAW, or at least a good mic, a quiet room, and into your camera.
 
I tried to run a mic directly into the input in the back and got NO sound. I looked up on Apple's discussion board and found out that the input in the back is an input and not a mic input, therefore I would need some sort of amp to go between the mic and the computer. I have heard about iMic... is the quality good enough for dvd videos? I have a semi-decent mic already.
 
here's what i do:
(i realize this might not fit with your budg, but i'm just tellin you how one fella does it.)

on my g4 i had an audiophile 2496 pci card. i used to record into that. i had to sell my g4 to get my g5. my g5 is only pci-x (won't take the old card, and i've been too broke/lazy to give m-audio the $50 they charge to upgrade to the new kind of card.)

but i feel like the line in on the mac is really not bad if you give it a nice strong (but not noisy) line level signal. (-10, not +4.)

so i have a nice single channel preamp/compressor/eq unit. mine is a drawmer mx-60. there are many others out there. they're often called things like "vocal channel" or something. mine is the best i've heard in its price range, but i'm not even sure what all is on the market these days. anyhow, that handles the analog side of things in the best way i can afford to. i have a variety of mics, most of which aren't very expensive. large diaphragm condensers are great (at times,) but you shouldn't necessarily buy into the market-driven hype that you have to have one to do a good voiceover. you'll hear that recommendation often, and it's not entirely without merit, but it's largely a result of the fact that in recent years, several enterprising businesspeople have discovered that they can prosper by employing cheap chinese labor to do their best at copying and reproducing classic german microphone design and unloading it by the truckload online, by catalog, and at retail establishments like guitar center. as a result there is a glut of these mics, accompanied by a corresponding surplus of marketing dollars, deployed in the hopes of convincing you to buy a particular company's mic.

one important detail that is often neglected in this swarm of ad copy is the fact that these condensers really require you to think seriously about acoustics and room treatments. condensers generally have a level of sensitivity that's incompatible with typical contemporary living conditions. if you have the wherewithal to build an actual studio, or at least to jury-rig a quiet and reflectionless "vocal booth," then fine, get yourself a large diaphragm condenser. if you can't record under such optimal conditions, then do what broadcasters and recording engineers have done for years- look at one of the high-quality "broadcast" style dynamic mics, like the sennheiser 421, the electovoice re20, and the shure sm7.
 
I think the iMic is fine. It's certainly easy and cheap enough. I still don't feel that a mic into the Mac is going to give you the best all around quality but it'll work.
 
I would go with a quality audio interface. It doesn't have to be real expensive either. I'm a big fan of the MOTU gear for Macs as I think their drivers are the best for that platform and their preamps are very good for their price range. If you can afford an Avalon channel strip, great, if not, most of the low end channel strips (pre-amp wise) are no better than those included with the MOTU gear. RME also makes some really fine audio interfaces. The other aspects of a channel strip are great, but for voice over work not essential (you might use a hint of compression and deessing). Also, you can use some Waves plugs while recording if you had to, but for VO, I would probably just opt to record the cleanest signal I could and then sweeten in post.

Regarding the Large Diaphragm Condenser mic, hey, what can I say, I'm a fan. But I also like ribbon mics so I may be a bit of an anachronism. I have a fairly inexpensive Rode NT-1A and it produces outstanding results given it's price and where I record (my closet in my apartment) and would certainly opt to use that mike for a VO before any other budget mic.

Matt
 
MattC... that is awesome, I do my recording in my closet as well! I hang the mic with a coat hanger and between some shirts to keep the sound from bouncing. I think the closet make it turn out pretty good!
 
iMic will offer the same sampling rate as your DVX and yourt timeline wich is probably 16 bit.

Until recenty the audio input on Macs was 16 bit stereo line in / mic in mini jack.

Now they are mostly line in.

You need a "direct box" to run a mic into your mac, which iMic basically is. All of the $100 and under directboxes will be an analog input just like your iMic and then the mac will capture it digitally via usb with most including the iMic, or via analog in the line inport but again, it will capture it in 16 bit. 24bit is expensive, but you are not going to output to anything that is higher than 16bit so why bother.

Highest quality would be a USB device that you can hook your XLR camera mic into and then the capture would happen digitally via usb. You prbably won't be able to tell the difference if you use iMic, you'll just have to get an XLR to stereo mini adaptor, which kind of sucks, but know one will be able to tell any difference in quality.

I use a tascam us224 usb mixer.

For ADR, don't put the mic - especially if you are using a shotgun mic - right under your actors nose, they will sound like a drive time DJ. Get themm 4-6 feet away from the mic, on axis of course and record them that way. This will more likely approximate both the way we hear and probably the way the rest of the dialogue in your movie was recorded.

For voice over its a matter of desired style/effect, but you will probably want to get closer with the mic. Remember a mic works like an ear, and closer doesn't just mean louder, but a different frequency response as well.
 
the imic is not a direct box, but a low budget audio interface.

a device that takes a mic signal and outputs line level is also not a direct box, but a mic preamp. technically the imic is a combination mic preamp/ a/d converter. direct boxes are often passive, and take signals hotter than mic (like speaker, instrument and line level,) and output a balanced mic-level signal. passive di boxes contain no active electronics whatsoever. mic to line requires amplification and there is no such thing as a non-powered amplifier. typical use for direct boxes would be when a bass player, guitarist, or other musician wants to take their instrument's output and send a balnced signal to the house soundguy so that it can come through the pa system. (with rock, it's usually bass players who do this the most frequently- guitarists usually mic their amps, since so much of the sound of rock guitar is a function of the amp.)

you cannot use the imic with a condenser, because condensers require phantom power, which the imic doesn't supply.

g5's stock audio inputs and outputs convert at 24 bit, 48khz. (if you set them to.) the reason to record at 24 bit when your final medium (dv tape, cd, etc) is lower res is similar to the reason that people often convert dv footage to uncompressed or less-compressed video formats before doing color correction. mixing (like color correction) is destructive, and can often highlight the technical shortcomings of lower bitrate sources. most (virtually all) recording engineers record at higher word-lengths and resolutions than can be heard on the end product (cd) because it's preferable to do your mixing with the best possible material and not dither (compress) the music down to 16 bit until the final mix is finished.
 
Scottdvx100 said:
Don't you get a lot of hum on your iMic? I do on mine no matter what microphone is used.
Click to expand...
I don't actually have an iMic. I have a usb mixer. I didn't know iMic sucked so much. :shocked:

I thought 16bit stereo in / USB interface - what could go wrong.

Apparantly it's just to get a mic in and take dictation or something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top