cumbrianlad Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Yep, this is a quick question. When recording dialogue you can configure the CK for the device you're using. After you select the device you get a list of microphone formats to use. All of them are mono. My Hyper-x headset only has 2 channel 16bit formats available, eg 2 channel, 16 bit, 44,100 Hz Can I use this or do I have to buy a good quality mono microphone especially for recording CK dialogue? I should add that I recorded one line with the headset before I found the configuration button and it worked! I just don't know if it could cause unseen problems later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatalmasterpiece Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Your Hyper-x headset doesn't have a stereo mic, I'm not sure why the specs are listed that way. For that it would need two microphones built into it. It shouldn't cause any problems either way. IMO it's not the best for recording dialogue however. Because of the fairly low sample rate and placement to the audio source, you're not going to get good quality. There's also no way to add a pop filter or isolate room noise given it's mounted on your face. Additionally you cannot move your face further and closer to the mic depending on the level at which you're speaking/yelling etc. You would be better off with a simple USB Audio interface with 24 bit 96kHz and a Shure SM57 microphone. Of course that whole setup will cost you at least $150 so if you're not able to invest that much the headset will work. IMO you're better off setting it on your desk than wearing it on your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumbrianlad Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 Thanks for the reply. I have a xonar essence ST soundcard on the pc. It has 24 bit 96 kHz facility for microphones. (It also has 24 bit 192 kHz but that's probably OTT) I take it that with that I'd just need the microphone? In the UK the Shure SM57 retails at around £90. From what you said I'll give the headset a go and see how it sounds at 16 bit 48 kHz (the best I can set it for). If it's not good enough I'll have to go for a better mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatalmasterpiece Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Thanks for the reply. I have a xonar essence ST soundcard on the pc. It has 24 bit 96 kHz facility for microphones. (It also has 24 bit 192 kHz but that's probably OTT) I take it that with that I'd just need the microphone? In the UK the Shure SM57 retails at around £90. From what you said I'll give the headset a go and see how it sounds at 16 bit 48 kHz (the best I can set it for). If it's not good enough I'll have to go for a better mic.Nice! I see that the Essence ST has "line in", which should work for any typical dynamic microphone. You could try getting something like a Behringer XM8500 which retails in the States for $20.Along with a desktop stand and a pop filter, then plug into your Essence ST with an XLR to 1/4th cable: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumbrianlad Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 That's good news... Thanks for the photo of the leads. I'd already seen the XLR connections on the microphones but I could easily have missed it. ...now to improve my powers of voice acting! There's never been any Cumbrian followers in Skyrim before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werr92 Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 (edited) The only thing I would like to correct Fatalmasterpiece here is the type of mic. Don't go for a dynamic microphone, go for condenser one. You're interested in doing voiceovers, not onstage performances, aren't you. And buy a pop-shield. Also you might wanna use 44100 Hz 16bit and not 48 kHz. Edited February 8, 2017 by werr92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumbrianlad Posted February 8, 2017 Author Share Posted February 8, 2017 werr92, I've just watched a demo recording with and without a pop filter. That's definitely a must. I know I need something though because the headset mic is practically useless. There's no gain on it...I virtually had to shout to get anywhere near -6dB on audacity, at which point it pops and bangs like my motorbike with the baffles taken out of the exhausts. I'm not loaded with money though, so I'll have to compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasheni Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 (edited) As I posted before:You need a preamplifier for your microphone. Here are some very helpful tuts for sound: https://www.darkcreations.org/forums/topic/7444-voice-acting-tips-and-tricks-for-veteran-and-new-vas/Bad recorded sound will break the fun. Edited February 8, 2017 by Tasheni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werr92 Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I know I need something though because the headset mic is practically useless. There's no gain on it...I virtually had to shout to get anywhere near -6dB on audacity, at which point it pops and bangs like my motorbike with the baffles taken out of the exhausts. What you record is a digital signal (even if you had used XLR mic it would have been then converted into digital when proceed through the audio interface). This means there is no need to try and hit the engineering standart of -6dB from the very first attempt of recording. Find a sweetspot where your gain would be good enough to let you record less background noise and yet be able to shout safely with no clipping. You can then easily reduse that noise and apply normalisation (dynamic compression) where your signal will grow up to -6 dB in amplitude. There're lots of tips and tricks regarding sound recording process which can't be described in couple of words. Long story short – audio recording is not like pressing "start/stop" button. And I'm not saying about voiceacting here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatalmasterpiece Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 The only thing I would like to correct Fatalmasterpiece here is the type of mic. Don't go for a dynamic microphone, go for condenser one. You're interested in doing voiceovers, not onstage performances, aren't you. And buy a pop-shield. Also you might wanna use 44100 Hz 16bit and not 48 kHz. If they get a condenser mic they are going to need phantom power and an entirely new sound card. Sure, it will be better but is it necessary? No I don't think so. I've recorded albums with dynamic mics in studio after a/b-ing them against condensers and the dynamic wasn't bad. So you're right that they can do better but for cheap solutions I think a dynamic would be much better than their usb headset. As I posted before:You need a preamplifier for your microphone. Here are some very helpful tuts for sound: https://www.darkcreations.org/forums/topic/7444-voice-acting-tips-and-tricks-for-veteran-and-new-vas/Bad recorded sound will break the fun. Their soundcard already has a built in preamp. Whether or not it's any good is hard to say. Again, a good preamp will help but that's an additional cost (they can run anywhere from $50-1000). I wouldn't immediately say a recording will be "bad" without a good preamp but their mileage may vary. Personally I use a Golden Age Pre73 Neve 1073 clone in my studio and it's a luxury, not a necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts