I play recorder and clarinet, and I want to do some simple home-recording.
I have been using the internal microphone of my headphones until now, but it sounds awful. I have been considering buying a proper microphone and an external soundcard, but I got overwhelmed by the options and all the technical stuff, so I decided to ask for help here.
I don’t have a big budget, and I won’t be recording in a studio, so it doesn’t have to be something fancy.
I have a ThinkPad L14 gen 3, running Windows 11, but i want to switch to Linux soon.
I don’t know exactly… You might do some Internet research about mic placement, etc.
You can try your cell phone if you have, or if you can rig-up, some kind of stand for it. Cell phone mics are usually pretty good but they are omnidirectional so they pick-up noise from all directions.
Then you can optionally transfer the file to Audacity for editing.
The most common type of microphone used in studios for almost everything is called a cardioid (directional) “Large Diaphragm Condenser” (LDC) but I don’t know if that includes woodwinds.
They typically start at $100 - $200 USD and they can go WAY up from there. But the biggest difference is frequency response which can be tweaked with EQ, and you can also get “features” like pick-up pattern selection and “pad” & low-frequency roll-off switches, etc.
Then you’ll need an audio interface with a balanced XLR connection and phantom power for the condenser mic. “Pro” microphones are not compatible with regular soundcards or laptops.
Or, a more economical and convenient solution is a USB “Podcast Mic” which is essentially a studio mic with a built-in interface. (But I wouldn’t cheap-out too much and by the cheapest thing on Amazon.)
With reasonable equipment, the acoustics and background noise in the room will be the biggest limitation. The lack of soundproofing is the weakest link in most home studios, especially noise.
It’s top of the heap on Distrowatch at the moment, I see. I also noticed there seems to have been several German Arch-based releases in the last fortnight. Have you seen Omarchy at all? If you like Arch and doing everything using the keyboard, it seems very impressive - aimed at devs. Good luck, whichever you choose, Linux and mic/audio interface.
A little bit, yes but nothing world-beating or exciting. I’ve never modded system files, I wouldn’t know how. I use Audacity for digitising LPs and cassettes etc. I’ve also created ringtones for my own amusement. My setup is Linux Mint MATE. I’ve tried others but I never found anything that suited me better. I have a couple of Behringer devices - Xenyx 302 USB mixer and UMC 404HD audio interface that both work on Linux. If you have more specific questions, I’ll try to help.
I meant to add, if you like to have a Plan B, have a look at Ocenaudio too. It’s not open-source but it is free and very reliable.
Assuming that you are recording one instrument at a time so you don’t need stereo (1), I’d look for a directional USB mic that can be used on a mic stand.
Look for one that has a recording-volume control. Most USB mics without volume control are “calibrated” low so that you don’t overload and distort the built-in analog-to-digital converter when recording drums or a guitar amp, etc.
If you are playing to a backing track, another feature that can be handy is a headphone jack. Usually if it has a headphone jack you can get a mix of your live sound and a backing track. The “direct” monitoring eliminates the latency (delay) that you get through the computer which can make it difficult to perform.
Many audio interfaces also have direct hardware monitoring.
(1) Stereo generally requires separate left & right mics, and you can only use one USB mic at a time. Two good mics, 2 mic stands, and an interface with two or more inputs will likely exceed your budget.
There are a few stereo mics, including some stereo USB mics. The “famous” Blue Yeti is a USB mic with a stereo setting. But I don’t think it can be mounted to a mic stand and it gets “mixed reviews”.
You can use more than one USB microphone at the same time on the computer, but they have to be different brands with different drivers. Combining them together into a stereo stream that can be captured by Audacity requires a “virtual mixer” program like Voicemeeter Banana or Voicemeeter Potato.
Not for the feint of heart, especially if you want everyone to monitor with headphones and selectively remove other inputs in real time.
