Watch part 1 first!!! • How to be an Online Vo... / soulbrono3 This info is for audio recording in general, not just voice acting. / boisits13 / tabascosauceboss
2020 GEAR UPDATE FOR THIS VIDEO. A lot of the information in this video is 5 years old and needed a serious recommendation update below. Starter Interfaces: Audient ID4 or ID14 Motu M2 Steinberg UR12 or UR22 Preamps: Bare minimum is GoldenAge Pre73 mk 2. Cheaping out on preamp isn't worth it. Warm Audio WA12 Neve Portico series Microphones: AT2020 is the only starter mic I recommend at this point. Don't bother upgrading unless you're going to Neumann or have a specific need in terms of polar pattern or frequency response.
so if i wanted to go into voice acting and bought the AT2020, what is the bare minimum that i would have to buy to go with it? its just a bit to wrap my head around.
I got a Golden Age pre 73 MK3. Do you have a video where you explain the best way to connect an external preamp to a USB interface (or an external recorder like a zoom h4n pro). I've watched quite a few videos and I'm a little confused.
A note worth noting (and correct me if you feel inclined to): if you are in a room environment that you simply can't treat for reflections or fan noise (such as from your computer fans), a Dynamic mic like the SM57, RE20, SM7B, etc will do a far better job at reducing that background noise. It will not give you as detailed of sound compared to a Condenser mic, but if you get your fancy new AT2020 home and realize that it picks up the next door neighbor's kid's breathing, you'll know why people put so much effort and money into sound treating their room.
If you're having trouble with your room, I'd sort that out rather than throwing more money at a mic. A couple isolation screens make a world of difference. Clearsonic make great ones for about 200 euros or 230 USD which are life savers for dodgy room acoustics
Thank god I have access to a recording studio at my college. I don't have to drop like $1000 right away and can instead use that while I piece together my own stuff. Great vids tho, soul. Keep it up.
Thank you sir. The entire audio world is very interesting, and I didn't realize it was this intricate. I was one of those people who listened to the 'COD commentators' and originally bought a Blu Snowball. Worst decision ever! The next mic I bought was a Samson C01U, and it works fine but my apartment has a lot of echos. I know that in order to be really professional, I would need a mic that is NOT USB. While I'm not a voice actor, I realize that audio quality is important. A mixer or amp is also something that I would want. Thank you again Mac
I saw you put on the AKG C414 in the higher cost bracket, which is great, and has a billion different settings. However with my voice over, I tend to stick to just cardioid, and AKG do a cardioid only version called the AKG C214, which is _much_ cheaper. I've been getting some good mileage out of it so far. ;)
awesome advice! in the past i have been completely dishearted by prices for good microphones and equipment so it was really good to hear about cheaper options and why more expensive ones can be worth it. so glad i decided to come over and check out this channel after watching hbomberguy's video :3
some advice just in case anyone actually reads this... the sm7b and re20 are dynamic mics and usually require a big time pre-amp to power.. sometimes you need to buy am extra pre amp like a cloud lifter, but if you are doing any kind of voice acting in an untreated room it is the way to go because condensers will pic up absolutely everything... If you piss your pants while you are in character a hot condenser will hear it.
Holy shit. So I knew I needed a preamp for a while and finally found one that I was willing to buy for experimentation before I threw down the big bucks. So to entertain myself before it arrives I'm watching these kids of videos. What did I buy? ART Tube MP V3. Seems everybody agrees this is the cheapest solution that 1) still makes a difference and 2) allows you to get a taste for what you want in a preamp.
I would’ve been interested, but my weak and odd nasally voice prevents me from doing so. My voice can sound pretty ugly at times that I find that it doesn’t deserve to be speaking into higher end mics. Though I would’ve just been doing simple narrations.
Got here via a shoutout from hbomberguy. Love the tutorials! Subbed and liked! May I ask if there's any plans in the works for a catalog vid for interfaces as well? As a singer I'm pretty familiar with mics and have done some work in studio, but when it comes to recording my own stuff I get easily thrown off by the technicals. I have a Samson Q7 (attempted competitor to Shure58) but I haven't gotten an interface yet and would LOVE a vid like this to get a better idea of my options. Thanks!
You've made it abundantly clear throughout these "How to be an Online Voice Actor" videos about using an XLR microphone instead of using USB microphones (ESPECIALLY the Blue Yeti) and you even gave some examples of each item to purchase & use. I looked up the items listed in your videos and have a good idea of what to get, but I was both curious and confused about Blue Microphones because of these videos. 1. What's your opinion on Blue Microphones as a company? 2. What do you think of their OTHER products: The Pop, their headphones (Mo-Fi & Lola), preamps (Robbie & The Icicle), shock mounts, and cables? 3. This question is to determine which microphone boom stand we should buy: Is it better to record standing up or sitting down?
As a voice actor I could tell you blue makes some fine mics for the money. The icicle is crap for voice acting, and has a bad converter. There pop filter is fine I guess. The robbie is a solid Pre amp but not really necessary when you get similar quality form a 300$ interface like the audient id14. As for boom stands, mine is from DR PRO and cost like 70$. I think you should spend that much because it provides superior quality and support for your mic. Cheap ones fall over. If you need any help about any of this stuff, I'd be happy to share what I know, take care.
A lot of the stuff in this and the first video I learned in college but forgot. Very informative. I got the AT4033 for Christmas last year, but I stick to my Blue Yeti since I only broadcast on Twitch for now. Been thinking of getting an H6 Countryman headset for broadcasting tho.
Very helpful videos, make more on how to improve voice acting. There are very few HQ resouces on youtube. Please provide tips on improving emotion delivery and not sounding flat. Thanks.
I love the videos, really inspiring and so amazingly done. I just got one question, im sitting here with what it looks to be a National microphone Model: WM-2201 - Panasonic, Matsushita That I found years ago on my dad stuff, it is good to start somewhere??
Great video for aspiring Pro VA, you got a new *Thumbs Up* :D Question: Aside the Shure mics and AT2020. Are MXL mics under $200 (as 990, 770, V67G, etc) are recommended for a begineer home studio recording combo?
+RandomReadings I'm good. I subscribed to you a while ago and I was just checking my subscriber feed and saw that you liked this video, which is cool because I helped out with making this, but I didn't even know if you remembered me at all from that project. By the way we got a A+ on that shit, I need to pay you back for that sometime.
+RandomReadings I just did some assistant editing, minor stuff. I didn't write this or anything, that credit goes to SoulBro and Joe Boisits. I mostly do SFM animations for SoulBro. They're not about voice acting but still just as entertaining. How's voice acting? I hope you and your rich voice are doing well and getting work
Hi! I really liked the videos. I still have a question about pre or post-processing in my DAW (ableton). I have a nt2-a and a mobile focusrite 6i6. I'm wondering if you have any tips in setting up an effectchain in for pre or post processing that would be nice and emulating a preamp. Cheers!
soulbrothanumbuh3 Well I guess that just goes to prove your point that just because it's more expensive doesn't mean it's automatically going to work better for you personally.
So should I avoid using an SM7b for character acting? It looks like a decent mic but the amount of gain it requires seems a bit excessive. Pre-amp suggestions? I'm looking at an at4060 as well but have been told it's no good for character acting as well.
should i use the focusrite audio interface solo because it has a built in preamp while still being an audio interface? also i want to know if i should buy the AT2020 with the interface
A note for people who don't feel comfortable buying used for whatever reason, financing is an absolutely viable option in the realm of audio. With no credit, I've been able to follow multi-month payment plans on gear as expensive as $800, and could probably finance something even more expensive if I so desired. Do some looking around, plenty of reputable websites that will accommodate you. Just be sure you can handle it!
I wound up buying a BM800 just to get my feet wet. Not even close to being on your list here. While it is a condenser mic, is it really bad for trying to get in to this?
So I just bought the steinberg UR22 mk2 and it's great but I was wondering if I need a preamp or not... I'm using an at2020 for a mic and I'm using it to record rapping/singing vocals. If I should get a pre amp what is a good preamp around the price range of about 200 and under?
Would you consider a Scarlett Solo preamp a good paring for a new RODE NT1? That's my planned setup for a first time recorder. Granted I'm mostly going to be using it for singing purposes and I'm a soprano I, but I hope to do some voicework at some point.
The Solo's ok, but at its price range you can do better. You can find a used Scarlett 2i2 or Steinberg UR12/22 for less than $100 on eBay and other sites.
Hey I'm not sure if you check the comments on this video, but before watching this video I was reading on various websites, and one of the starting microphones that was recommended was SE X1, allegedly it suits a wide range of voices (which is helpful because I don't yet know which voice type I am) and it has a studio bundle, which comes with a shock mount and a reflection filter making it more friendly for rooms that haven't been acoustically treated. at least all of this is what I was given to understand, but seeing you sound like you know what you are talking about I figured I would ask here first.
Jordan Bonn any, but for some a cheaper one than he listed last video, get the Behringer um2, for something alot of people use, you can try the focusrite series
Very good video. I've always wanted to record vocals and do voice acting. After doing my research, I bough a Blue Bluebird and a Presonus Audiobox usb. I didn't have much time to use it because my computer ended up breaking a month after I bought the damn thing. Now you say that the Blue Bluebird is good for vocals and not really anything else Could you explain that a bit further? I'm not an expert on sound quality but any character I voiced sounded pretty damn good. I'm more than happy with my purchace but for what I want to do, was it a bad choice?
I'm actually about to sell a Blue Yeti. There's electronic hissing being recorded when you use it depending on the length of your USB cord and I don't know if it's just my problem. Also, in order to get a decent quality recording I have to be very close to the mic, which also means people get to hear the sound of my saliva since it picks up everything.
Shure SM57 or Sennheiser E835? I'd love the Shure for its reliability, but I think the Sennheiser might sound a tad better from the samples I've heard.
So would you say the RØDE NT2A is better, as good or worse than the SHURE SM7B. Because from what I can tell it seems like the more expensive the mic the better, yet you said that the RØDE is "Just a nice versatile mic to have around" what would you recommend in the price range of £200-£300 for character acting. I've already chosen my interface "FOCUSRITE SCARLETT SOLO Audio interfaces USB" to be precise.
Viewtiful Valentine Like the end of the video said, it all depends on your voice. Do some research on the characteristics on whatever mics you're looking to get.
Hey, I have a bit of a question, if anyone can help it will be appreciated. I want to get an AT2035, however, I've been told that the Scarlett Solo that I want to get too comes with an integrated preamp. Is it good? Is it worth more to get a separate preamp? The Scarlett is an interface too right? I'm sorry, I'm kinda lost. Is the AT2035 with the Scarlett Solo a decent setup to at least start with?
Can you really connect a mic-preamp to the audio interface? I have a scarlet 2i2 and im think of getting the art tube mp v3 just to try it out along with my mic.
Marky Chua yes. You plug in an xlr cable in the mic, and then hook it up to the preamp. Then you get another xlr cable and plug one side into the preamp and other side into the interface
Would a SM57 be alright going direct into a Focusrite Scarlett Solo (basically a 2i2 with separate XLR and TRS inputs instead of 2 combined inputs for like half the cost)? I know you mentioned pre-amps, but I've heard a few people say that the Focusrites generally have pretty decent pre-amps (or at least better than most USB interfaces) so I dunno what to do.
RoboZombie777 Getting an actual preamp is always safer. It isn't good to rely on the built-in pre unless you're paying a lot of money for the mixer/interface.
Hey, is the Polar Pattern the *only* thing i should think about when trying to do Let's plays in a noisy room? or does Dynamic vs like Condenser also make a difference?
So I'm in a bit of a peculiar situation. High-school me, not knowing any better, got a Scarlett 2i2 and a Blue Yeti Pro, thinking they would be great pieces of hardware. Now they've done alright, but I've slowly realized over the years that they're not that great when compared to other mics and interfaces on the market. Clearly, I need to upgrade. Thing is, I'm in a bit of a tight financial situation, and I won't be able to upgrade both the mic and the interface at once right now. So which would you recommend upgrading first?
Should I start out with the Neewer NW-700 and build on my equipment from there? I'm recording my instrument for online activities, and am stuck with this Samson GO.
so, AT2020 or the SM57? Are they about level in quality? What i'm going for is basically, voice acting for a web series. But i want it to sound the most like actual voice and not like a recording. Could post processing of the AT2020, ART Tube v3 and the Presonius audiobox be enough to meet this?
The at2020 requires a less powerful pre amp to sound good so that's a better option if you want cheaper. But, the SM57 reduces background noise more, but you need a better pre amp for it.
Reducing the background noise of your room will cost you more than a good pre amp. Thus i would go with the SM57 unless you have a really good room in a house that is in a very quiet area.
Is the AT2035 worth the extra 50$ over the AT2020, also other than the XLR cable what kind of cable do I need to plug the pre amp into my computer? (USB Dual Pre)
Do you think that using a Blue Icicle instead of an interface still shows off the microphone's audio to it's full quality? Based on the sound test I've listened to, using it didn't make the quality that much better than a USB. :/
A few months ago, I got a Blue Spark microphone and an M Audio M Track interface, but Im thinking of getting a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Is that a good interface?
Okay I promised I have watched these videos but unfortunately I am really on a budget. My question is simple would it be worth it for me to start of on a fleureon condenser BM-800 with a 48v phantom power pre amp to begin with in voice recording? I can find both quite cheap and I want to know if it would be worth it. Any help is appreciated!
BM-800 probably won't get you any paid gigs. It's fine if you just want to try amateur roles and voice lessons. You'll also need to get a stand for it.
For mics? If you want to get small-time gigs, a lot of vo artists start with the AT2020 or the MXL990. If you look hard enough, you might find them used for $60-$80 online.
So your personal go-to mic is the SM57, but that doesn't mean that I should cancel my order for the AT2020, right? Would I have to be an audiophile to hear the difference between the 2?
***** No. And the term "audiophile" is only relative to the world of people who sit around and listen to music is ridiculously high qualities, not recording engineers.
soulbrothanumbuh3 Oh, ok. So a preamp is recommended, but do I need it, or could I work with just the audio interface and foam until I get the money for a preamp?
soulbrothanumbuh3 Cool, thanks. One more thing, I'm new to this channel so I'm probably missing something, but what happened to the Comedy Noise LP? Can't find that shit anywhere.
W00ge almost would rather get a snowball, or not get a inteface, that would have to be the first mic you get, and you shouldnt expect quality gigs and stuff with that mic
Hmm... if I had seen this video 4 months ago, I would have gotten the regular AT-2020 over the AT-2020USB+. I started looking into audio recording setups after seeing the setup they have in my Church's media room - so didn't know much before that. I guess I should have done more research before making the buy. Experience teaches wisdom. Disclaimer: Let me point out though, that the AT-2020USB+ is still an awesome microphone for its applications and am still shocked at the quality that comes out of it compared to my previous meteor Mic.
Wait so the AT2020 is apparently the thing to get "if you want to spend as little money as possible" however the $99 Shures are "the best thing you can get for under $200; and they're the same price as the AT. I'm assuming the Shures are better by the statement given, but can you/someone clarify which is actually better?
at2020 for recordings and if you can get rid of backround noise. Shure's for live performences and if you have a lot of backround noise. (AT2020 will pick up background noise much more than shures mics but it also has better clarity and netrual sounding tone)
