Before anyone mentions it, yes I will be getting a shock mount and a pop filter. However before doing that…I need to find a place to put my mic.
Attached is a picture of my computer/setup. Nothing special but I need a place to put some sort of stand/mount for my mic that won’t obstruct my monitors. I’ve been trying to think of some way to do this but by god am I stumped…anyone have any sort of ideas/suggestions?
How about not in that room. The hard wood paneling should give you good hollow echoes and sound “slap” almost no matter where you put the microphone or how directional it is. That’s always going to sound like you’re recording in the kitchen. On the other hand, if you had a nice acoustically dead room with heavy carpeting and hung ceiling, it wouldn’t make any difference where you put the microphone.
So that’s the hole you’re digging yourself.
I have one of these head-set microphones and it works very nicely to ignore the room, but it’s a commercial microphone that takes a battery supply, mixer and digital converter.
You can also try a USB headset like the Logitech headsets, but they sound more like gaming microphones (air traffic controller) than entertainment microphones.
Koz
Unfortunately this is where the computer is…so I can’t really move somewhere else =/
There’s drywall under the paneling but dunno if that helps or not. I’m in my bedroom however so at the very least there’s really plush carpeting. And if it’s still really bad I’ll likely get some sort acoustic paneling to put up. But that’s another thread, lol.
In regards about it not making a difference where I place it? I’ve heard myself clicking and typing when it’s simply sitting on my desk and it’s thunderous. So I have to do SOMETHING about that. I don’t hear it at all really if I simply hold the mic still in my hand.
As for headsets I tried them. Used to use a Logitech G35 “Surround sound” headset but it fell apart in a year.
I have AT-M50’s now and I got the mic AT-2020USB for $20 so I’m not complaining there, lol
Been looking at the arms you clamp onto the desk as well as shock mounts so far. I think I my have a good location for it but would have to test it out still
You’re doing commentary on a game, right? Entertainment quality under severe conditions. You’re never going to get a hanging microphone to reject desk noises.
On the other hand, there are simple things you can do. Please note in this picture there is a doubled-over moving blanket on the desk. That does two things. It suppresses table slap sound effects and it suppresses fiddling with a pencil noises.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/JMASoundShoot.jpg
That thing is an On-Stage Stand and it’s not a dreadful way to suspend a microphone.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicStdFBoomL/
You can make cheap moving quilts go a long way. When I bought mine, they kept wondering why I wanted them all to match.
http://www.kozco.com/pictures/boothFinished/laptop-mic.jpg
But nothing you do with a hanging microphone is not going to reject keyboard clicks. You need a Good headset – and even then I couldn’t guarantee success.
If someone wrote me a check and said to shoot that, I’d be using that AKG 555 headset terrific quality microphone and one of these:
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/x2uShureOverdub.jpg
The headset would plug in to the Shure X2U USB Adapter to replace the ratty Shure SM58 rock band microphone in the illustration.
I think that’s the only way out of what you’re doing. I know it looks like a torture device, but it’s very light and it vanishes while in service. You have to remember not to walk away without unplugging it. I’m not making this up. Have you been following the TED talks? Do you see where they tape the microphone onto the performer’s head? They went through a long development process with those microphones. This isn’t easy.
Koz
Try that mic stand and a gallon jug of water to hold it so it doesn’t tip forward. Throw moving pads or blankets around.
Koz