hey. i’m new on audacity, even though I had it downloaded for a DECENT chunk of time. i NOW find use of using it because I’m recording voice lines for a game on Roblox. however, I kind of need some recommendations for a new headset because if I have the mic too close, every time I speak, it sounds like “PHPHHPT” at the start or when I REALLY enunciate. if I have it not a centimeter close enough, it’s WAY too quiet. I’m not entirely sure I just got a bad headset, I didn’t edit the settings (maybe?), or I just don’t know what the heck I’m doing, so if the big smarties can help me, I would really appreciate it.
I don’t know, but maybe a broadcast headset like sportscasters use. You’d need an audio interface for the “pro” audio connections.
Or there are good headset microphones like Taylor Swift uses but they are normally used with separate in-ear monitors. And again, they won’t plug directly into a laptop or soundcard.
Most podcasters (and audiobook producers) use a separate pro mic and headphones.
There are probably some good “gaming headsets” but someone else will have to help with that…
You almost told us what you have now. If you go directly from no volume to overloading and distortion, there’s a terrific chance you’re using it wrong.
Koz
Oh. One more. I can’t find my notes, but I do have a headset that’s probably in the garage because it didn’t work very well. I know how to microphone but I never got it to sound good. Maybe during a multi-player game or something like that, but I would never try to record my voice for a pro application.
So maybe “gaming headset” is a red flag.
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There is a ray of hope. Kevin, from Airline Videos Live (on the left) got a new headset and his sounds terrific.
His show goes live from LAX Sunday at (I think) 10A. I can go over after breakfast and see how he did it.
I bring him Biscoff Cookies and he’ll do anything I want.
Koz
I paid them a visit in Clutter’s Park just south of LAX. They’re using Sennheiser HMD-26 headsets. Rudy’s is a Type II variation. I don’t know what that means.
You can listen to the performances on Airline Videos Live as I type this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1t6_nVelw
That’s all the good news. They’re not cheap. B&H PhotoVideo has them for only $499. The interconnect cable is an extra $99.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1821471-REG/sennheiser_700318_hmd_26_headset.html
That gives you a stable, good quality, hard to break or overload, Dynamic (moving coil), super directional microphone, with a 6 foot cable ending in a broadcast 3-pin XLR connector.
Since Kevin is outside, he bought a fuzzy wind-sock for the microphone.
So your computer interface has to accept a 3-pin XLR plug.
The headphones run from a 1/4" (not 1/8") stereo cable and connector. So it won’t plug into your laptop directly. Many of my interfaces feature 1/4" and I have to adapt up instead of down.
Koz
A word about the theatrical sound. Kevin has a whole setup of special effects sounds. He also has a directional microphone mounted just to listen to the planes taking off.
He has provision to listen to Air Traffic Control in the background. That’s why it sounds like a live theatrical production rather than just two guys watching the planes land.
Koz
That address turns out to be the generic address for all the AVL productions. As I type this, it points to the unmanned cameras watching LAX from a hotel roof. I know there’s a way to listen to old shows and I need to find it. There are a couple of other changes, too. BTS (Behind The Scenes) is now a different Youtube address and you can’t easily jump from one video to another. I need to pay better attention.
Koz
OK, so this is Sunday’s show featuring the Sennheiser headsets. Scan forward past the intro stuff.
If you scan down to 5:30 you can watch me giving Kevin his Biscoff cookies.
Koz