What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

[RayAP19]

You know how on YouTube, people have voiceovers on top of their videos. What kind of mic do I need for that?

Thanks

[judgejudy]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

you could probably get away with just a basic computer mic from target or radioshack or something. if you're looking for something more professional just ask Morgan Freeman, I heard he's pretty good with this kind of stuff.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Yeah, any mic will do.

[bgeno]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Yeah, it's not so much the mic that will make a difference between a good recording and a bad recording. Just make sure the mic is cardioid or uni-directional. Don't get omni-directional or hyper cardioid... they'll pick up too much ambience.





Of course, you're going to get what pay for in terms of microphones, but where the increased quality comes from is the studio (or lack there of) that you record in and the way you speak in to the microphone.

There's so much ambient noise in a bedroom or computer room. Think about it... turn off your music, TV, whatever is in your computer room and just listen. There are air vents, noises from the computer, noises outside, etc. Plus, you typically will have some echo from the hard walls. What you can try to do is throw a sheet or blanket over your head while recording (I've actually seen professionals do this in dire circumstances) so that the audio hits the blanket and dies instead of bouncing off the walls in the room.

Also, the way you speak into the microphone helps. If you get uni-directional/cardioid, like I suggested, that doesn't mean you have to speak directly into the microphone. You should actually hold it off to the side of your mouth a little bit. If you speak directly into the mic, it'll pick up a lot of those "P" and "T" sounds that make audio sound terrible. In addition, just make sure your audio levels are decent in whatever program you use to record. Your audio should OCCASIONALLY bounce in the "red" (the color on the indicator typically red... what I mean is the top of the audio level indicator). If it stays in the red too much, your sound will become over-modulated and just sound awful (lots of "P" and "T" sounds will be muffled and stuff). If it doesn't even hit the red, you'll have to jack up the volume in post-production. And then, you'll get a lot of ambient noise that you didn't want to pick up.


I don't know how serious you are about narrating and how good you want your audio to sound, but those tips should help. I think TJ is a radio guy as well, so he'd probably echo my statements.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2579682

[Blzer]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Don't tell me I'm the only person that looked at this picture and saw completely different figures than what they were intended for.

I go to my buddy's house to record some of my songs. I want to see what kind of equipment he has but its tens of thousands of dollars. As for simply voice recording, you could just use any old cardiod mic and calibrate your room settings with a program like Audacity or Cool Edit Pro if you know how to use them.

[RayAP19]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Will those headset mics that people use on Skype or whatever work?

[DickDalewood]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Don't tell me I'm the only person that looked at this picture and saw completely different figures than what they were intended for.

You're not alone.

[RayAP19]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Will those headset mics that people use on Skype or whatever work?

[eXperiment63]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

You can go the cheap route of a Behringer XM8500 I believe it is.. It's a ripoff of the Shure SM58. They will set you back about $30 if that, and then buy a cheap xlr interface for your pc... Get a free noisegate plugin, and you should be set.

[RayAP19]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

I don't necessarily want something cheap... I want people to be able to hear me clearly with minimal background noise

[eXperiment63]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Yeah, and you can do that cheaply man...

Interface: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...Pre?sku=703092

Mic: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...one?sku=270490

Desk Stand: http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ip-?sku=483279

^As you can see, most of your money will be spent on the interface... You COULD go even cheaper than that, but that's the cheapest xlr interface for pc that I'm comfortable with recommending.

[RayAP19]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

I can't use a headset-type mic? I'd really prefer that.

[bgeno]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

I can't use a headset-type mic? I'd really prefer that.

Why?

[RayAP19]

Re: What kind of microphone should I buy to "narrate" videos that I make?

Because I have a laptop, not a desktop, so I don't really have anywhere to put a mic stand since I just put the laptop wherever I'm sittin