Leave a list of your microphone setup and/or dream mic setup and discuss equipment. A place where audio RECORDING is more important than the reproduction.
PC Setup 1:
Mic: Rode Procaster
Mixer: TC-Helicon GoXLR
Headphone Amp: Massdrop CTH/DAC combo
PC Setup 2:
Mic: Audio-Technica ATR-2100 (USB Mic)
DAC: Grace Design SDAC (standalone)
Headphone Amp: Massdrop 02 standard-gain amp.
I am looking to add a cloud lifter to the first setup so that i can lower how hard the GoXLR has to work to power that mic. I find that it generally has to sit at about 75% and that i have to also run a compressor on the mic with an additional gain of 15 db to operate it properly at times.
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im working towards getting a better setup at the moment for mic, just hasn’t been high on my financial priority list.
My current do-everything audio setup is:
- Microphone: Samson Q2u on a Rode microphone arm
- Mixer/DAC: Yamaha AG03
- Headphone amp: Monoprice Liquid Spark
It’s way overkill for what I do, but I bought it with an eye to video game streaming. The Yamaha is obviously an improvement over internal audio, but I don’t know how much improvement there would be going to a standalone DAC. I mean, the Yamaha has balanced outs if I want to use that…
Garbongo what mic are you looking into?
I’m sure that there is some gains to be made by going up a couple steps on the DAC but I don’t think that it will be really worth it in a purely price to performance sense.
One of the popular end address dynamic microphones. I like the form factor and the sound of all of them. Rode pod/pro/broadcaster, sure sm7b, EV re20/320
Yeah i do really like my procaster its a solid mic. I just need to get a voltage regulator to put on my tabletop fan as it gets really hot in Texas. I saw that Zeos was using one and im thinking about getting one so i can run my big fan while not causing too much annoying background noise.
Or get one of those bladeless fans. They are pretty quiet. Enough so that if your mic pics it up your gain must be CRANKED
Interface: Audient ID22
Headphone Amp: JDS Labs Atom
Microphone: SM57 and MD421
I mostly record stems for songwriters and producers. I live in an apartment so I also record my guitars direct using a loadbox/IR system (in my case, Torpedo Notes Live).
Well my gain is up quite a bit because if not then people can not hear me which is why i really want a cloud lifter because while i love my GoXLR I think it has to work really hard to power the Rode Procaster. So i know the cloud lifter wont fix the background noise issue but it should make some things better that the GoXLR doesn’t have to compress the audio as much and that it doesnt introduce more noise from struggling to power the mic. I think the cloud lifter and the fan mods should help alot for better sounding mic setting while gaming and streaming.
I use a Zoom H4N which is really sensitive to picking up background noise. I used to use it for video but now it’s just a desktop mic.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a mic that’s not sensitive and good for close proximity voice calls? Budget is 150usd. I’m just using it for discord and games… I use a Koss KSC-75 for gaming so I can’t use any mics that attach to a headphone.
My current input setup used for general comms and gaming;
Input Devices:
- Shure SM7B microphone (mounted on a RØDE PSA1) via a Cloudlifter CL1
- Akai MPX16 sample recorder and player
- Amazon Echo Dot Gen 2
Input Audio Interfaces:
Virtual Audio Mixer:
Bit of a strange setup. I use the SM7B with the Yamaha AG03 as I really like the native EQ and Compressor rather than relying on software, it might be just me but the SM7B seemed to have a slightly cleaner signal through the AG03 compared to the Scarlett 6i6 too. The Cloudlifter is amazing, can’t recommend it enough if you’re using an SM7B. I also tried the Triton Audio FetHead booster, it was nowhere near as clean as the Cloudlifter! One cool gadget I do like from Triton Audio is the Phantom Blocker. This came in handy on the Scarlett 6i6 as you can’t select phantom power independently on the inputs, both have phantom power or not at all.
The Akai MPX16 isn’t great but allows me to load many samples with easy to use pads, essentially used as a soundboard without the need for any software. This feeds through the 6i6.
Again through the 6i6 is the Echo Dot. Useful to mix to my headphones so I can use it on the fly, in our house we also use Alexa for announcements too (like an intercom).
Voicemeeter Banana just ties everything together. Fantastic tool, really easy to route devices to various outputs. Highly recommend.
At some point I would like to clean this setup up, just waiting for the right products to hit the market.
I have literally no technical knowleadge in regards to audio recording, engineering, or mixing process, but my setup is the following:
Microphone
Shure Super 55 - (with a simple round pop filter)
Audio Interface
Scarlett Solo (1st gen)
External DAC/Amp
FiiO Q1 (Mark 1)
When I’m recording, I connect my headphones directly to the front Monitor output of the Scarlett Solo. When I’m playing back the final audio, I use the FiiO Q1 with my headphones or speakers.