Hey Guys,
New to the site and have been getting a ton of great info.
I’m looking to see if with a Yeti microphone if there is a way to record 2 channels using the one microphone. I did a podcast with a buddy and used just the 1 and I was too close and he was too far. I want to, next time, see if I can record it on 2 channels so if there are some issues I can boost one or the other depending on how it sounds.
Idealy I’ll set it at the correct distance so it’s not an issue.
Thanks
I want to, next time, see if I can record it on 2 channels so if there are some issues I can boost one or the other depending on how it sounds.
No… In general with Windows, you can only record from one “device” at a time. That’s one downside to USB “podcast” mics.
In order to record 2 (or more*) channels/tracks, you need analog mics and a USB audio interface with two (or more) mic inputs. Another option is analog mics and a mixer that has USB.
The Yeti does have Stereo and Bidirectional modes, so I believe you can put one person on the front of the mic and another person on the back and record in stereo (to get one person on the left and the other on the right). If you can do that, of course you can optionally mix-down to mono after adjusting/matching the levels.
…Some people complain about “Yeti noise”, but I assume the noise is getting-in through the USB power so it may vary from computer-to-computer. And, I believe it’s lacking a (analog) recording-level control which can make it difficult to get a good signal-to-noise ratio.
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One of the problems with USB microphones is they’re super non-expandable. Your choices are use a single microphone or go home. There is no two or three USB microphones.
You are describing a small sound mixer and two analog microphones in a quiet room.
If you can do that, of course you can optionally mix-down to mono after adjusting/matching the levels.
Perfectly correct in a studio. But in a normal office or living room, there will be so much reveb and echoes from the walls you will be crazy trying to make it sound right.
Oh, and if you try that, nobody can move. The minute somebody leans left to right a little bit, they will appear on the other performer’s channel.
If this was easy, anybody could do it.
This is where I give you a list of simple equipment to do this show, and I’m not sure I know that list. I’ve done multi-performer shows, but I did it in full engineered mode, where I was the third person mixing live to make sure everybody sounded right.
Nobody does that any more.
Koz
There was one video where the recording engineer gave everybody little stand-alone sound recorders about 2" (50mm) on a side and everybody clipped one onto their shirt. Collect all the recorders after the show, off-load each sound track and edit your brains out.
It looked a little weird, but the sound was almost perfect unlike some of the other tracks in that show. That without question is the best way to do a multi-track interview. Trying to record on a computer by juggling drivers and odd hardware may seem like a dandy way to go, but it’s not always.
I tried it with a little USB/Recorder, but its digital sound had bad sampling and it suffered from handling noise. But it was a good idea. The whole recorder the size of a thumb drive.
Koz
Thanks for all the replies. It’s been a great help.
I do have a Presonus aubiobox usb but have yet to figure out how to make it work with Audacity. Maybe I need to mess around with that and make it work. Wonder if i could use my yeti and the audiobox and have 2 separate microphones that way.
Thanks again
Audacity will record from one USB thing at a time.
Anybody have a laptop you can borrow? Nobody wrote you have to do all this on one computer.
https://www.presonus.com/products/audiobox-usb
That one? That’s the answer. You plug your two analog microphones into the front and they should automatically record isolated Left and Right in Audacity. Change level and some sound quality in Post Production Audacity, mix down to mono and out the door.
Know anybody in a rock band? Borrow two Shure SM58 rock band microphones. They should plug right in there. Turn the Phantom Power off if you do that. SM58s don’t use Phantom Power.
You can use SM57s, too, but I wouldn’t mix them.
Koz
Awesome idea. That’s perfect!!!
Thanks again.
You can try out the microphones and see how they work before you lay out the bux to get your own. I picked that microphone because it’s pretty common, quality is good and it’s directional. The area directly behind the microphone is dead, so you can use that to suppress noises or sounds you don’t want in the show.
And just a note that hardwood floors and bare white walls may be stylish and cool, but they’re a hostile recording environment. Unless you’re really good at it, you’re going to sound like you’re recording in a kitchen.
This is a commercial track from someone who recorded their main commercial absolutely perfectly in a studio and decided to record additional work at home. How hard could it be?
http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/clips/EchoSample.mp3
Koz
Thanks for all the help Koz. The podcast I did with the Yeti wasn’t quite that bad of an echo but I believe a couple of mics in the right place will make a huge difference.
Thanks again,
Jeremy
I believe a couple of mics in the right place will make a huge difference.
So do I.
I haven’t pulled out the 3:1 rule in a while. To get any usable affect, separation between performers should be at least three times the distance between the performer and the mic. If everybody is one foot from the microphone, they should be at least three feet apart from each other.
Koz
There is a silly and completely unworkable solution, too. It’s not unusual for movies to be shot with a single movie camera. First you shoot her lines and then you shoot his. Cut it together in editorial and it looks like they’re having steamy, candle-lit dialog.
Oh, Marcia.
Oh, John.
Marcia, Marcia Marcia.
John, John, John.
Her lines were shot on a different day than his. Thanks to Stan Freberg.
So you could shoot this on one good quality microphone with 100% isolation. Just shoot different people on different days. And that’s not crazy, silly, either. If it’s a straight interview, you record the host and play that back into the guest’s headphones while you record them. Or record the guest with the host off-mic. Record the host “for real” later. More interviews are produced that way than you think.
Koz