Support Searching for a good quality voice acting Microphone

For clear crisp sound, you'll need a pop filter.
But, usually, good mic's for recording in such high quality?
Check around Amazon and see what they have: http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=11974631
By the way, condenser microphones are what you want, if you have a sound board.
Dynamic's usually are cheaper but you sacrifice quality.

 

Alright (I know a decent amount about mics and audio because I used to do a shit ton of recording for YouTube and a few podcasts) and one thing I can tell you, there are a lot of the "good mics" around the price range of 100 bucks and some are actually pretty bad. For a while I was using the Audio Technica AT2020 which was very....inconsistent. Sometimes I would get a good quality sound from it that I was quite impressed with, and others it just sounded hollow and airy, it was just awful. However if your room (or wherever you are recording) has a lot of carpet / not many hard surfaces for the sound to bounce off of, then its a good mic for the money.

I would although recommend the Blue Yeti. This is another USB mic (the AT2020 is a USB mic as well) and is superb if you just want good quality audio and don't really plan on using it for anything other than just casual recording.

However once/if you start to want even better quality then that, USB is not going to cut it. For a more professional style i highly recommend using a Dynamic mic, these are very good. However they require the use of an external audio interface. This has its good/bad side. The bad being, they cost money. The good being, once you buy an audio interface you generally don't need another one even if you do upgrade to a better mic even after that. These also usually have multiple inputs for more mics if you ever wanted to have multiple people other than yourself being recorded in the same area.

A good company that sells audio interfaces is Focusrite. I personally own one of their audio interfaces and it works like a charm, good controls for adjusting your levels, and a VERY simple installation. It takes little to no time to set things up. If you were looking for something just for personal use, this might do the trick for you. As for a good mic to go with that, I have two suggestions. The Shure SM7B or the RODE Procaster. I own the SM7B (for the record that isn't the mic I was using on Skype last night, don't worry the quality is much better). If you plan on recording a lot (several times a week) then I recommend you go with a dynamic mic. However if this is just going to be a "ill record sometimes, i guess", go with the Blue Yeti.


I understand this is a lot of information to take in, so if you (or anyone else reading this) has any questions, feel free to message me. I like this subject a lot so I'd be glad to answer any questions / talk about it.

 

Seconding Princess ♥'s recommendation for the Blue Yeti. I did a bit of research for a low-end USB microphone, wanting a new one for podcasts and game commentary, and the Yeti I found was the most recommended at that price point. I've been short on cash so I went with the Blue Snowball (same company, cheaper mic, I got mine on sale for $40 while the Yeti will run you at least $80) and I really like it. It's a weird size/shape which takes some getting used to but it sounds really nice. You can obviously hear me using it on the podcast, but that's processed through Skype so the result is lossy. I'll attach a recording off of it if you want to have a listen.

I've read some comparisons of the Snowball and the Yeti, most people say that if you have the extra cash, spring for the Yeti. The size & stand is better (I'm buying a new stand for my Snowball, the one included is nothing special) and it has a built in headphone jack (which doesn't sound like a big deal but I'm kinda missing it with my Snowball). Dynamic microphones will of course get you a better result but they require some additional configuration. I'm no audiophile but I'm happy with my Snowball.

I think @Ars Nova has a Yeti.

 

Yeah I do but oh my friggin' Jesus your audio sounds better than mine with a FORTY DOLLAR MIC.

So that's your answer: You don't need to burn a hole through your wallet to get good sound. You just need to be a voodoo sorceress like Misty /brick'd

 

I can't imagine why heh, all I do is hook it up and record through Reaper (I find Audacity adds some static to the recordings so that might be part of it).

I should also mention that I have a pop filter on my microphone. They're fairly cheap (I bought this one for $12) which helps filter out pop noises (duh) and other stuff I think. As I understand it they're not a mandatory addition but given the low price it doesn't hurt to get one.

 

Yeah having some form of filter is almost the best way to fix a lot of problems you are going to find with lower to mid grade mics.

 

Does Reaper cost coin? If not I might try it. I do notice a bit of static in Audacity.

At the risk of digressing from the topic, would a pop filter fix a mild echo? Everywhere I can think to record I can hear a slight reverberation, the kind that makes it clear I'm recording in my bedroom or closet, rather than a studio. And I'm not really in a situation where I can do anything to the walls to dampen the sound either, so.

I actually do have one, it's just a bit bulky so I've neglected it. But if it'll fix that it's totes worth.

 

Reaper is kind of a never ending free trial. You're supposed to buy it after using it for 30 days but it doesn't stop working after the 30 days and you don't miss out on any of the features soooo... lol. It's worth a try at least. I use it instead of Audacity.

Dunno about echos with the pop filter though, I've never had the problem.

 

If you can't do that, then its worth a shot. Whats the worst that can happen? I've found that usually the room cause that but it could be anything from settings in whatever you are recording in, the room itself, or no filter.

 

A pop filter won't do you much good for echo, no, what you need to to make your walls as soft as possible. Pros use foam, but anything soft, like clothes, will do. Basically you just want as many surfaces that aren't flat or hard for the sound to reverb off of.
Another trick is to put a blanket over your head, but you'll probably overheat REALLY fast

 

I can try those. Thanks for the input! I didn't realize anything soft would help, doesn't need to be perfect but I'm sure it'll do.