this is my first post. I have windows 7 and I want to make my published novels into audio books. can I do that with Audacity and which Mic would
work best. any help would be appreciated. I think I installed from the .exe.
That question is a bit like asking “what make is the best car?” If you can afford a Rolls Royce, the Neumann or DPA microphones are among the best.
I am hoping by making my novels into audio books I may, in the future, be able to afford the very best, but not right now. Thanks
At the other end of the scale is the Logitec USB desktop microphone - it’s among the best for sound quality in its price range (about $15).
When working out your budget, allow a bit for a “pop shield” and microphone stand.
If you want a conventional microphone rather than a USB microphone you will probably also need a new sound card or USB microphone pre-amp. The standard mic input on most PCs are poor to appalling quality.
We run into this problem regularly because as above, there is no good, simple answer.
We do have one very common failing – a mistake that everybody makes. It’s very difficult to isolate your environment from the recording. "How can I get rid of the TV sound in the background of my “Hamlet?”
You don’t. The Weather Channel is now a permanent performer in your show.
Have you ever recorded anything before, ever? I would start there. Use the built-in microphone of your laptop and Audacity. Record a couple of sentences from anything like the morning paper or the gas bill. Play it into good headphones – NOT the laptop speakers. It will sound awful, but the problems will not all be microphone related.
Post a bit of it here. You will be stunned how noisy your house is. “Is that my refrigerator in the background?”
Probably. You can’t record in that room. We can resolve a large number of shortcomings without you spending the first dime. Post samples of the work here, or use the public posting service I know you’ve already arranged, right?
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/how-to-attach-files-to-forum-posts/24026/1
Koz
Good on you for wanting to try something new with your books. I host a podcast on writing (feel free to send me a link to your blog/author page, or if permission allows me to post a link to my writing website.) and have done the odd audio book. All I can say is that recording an audiobook is completely different than just reading it! Sounds weird I know but there’s a bit involved with timing, not obeying grammar rules (eg sometimes skipping a comma makes someone speaking flow better).
When it comes to setup, like the others have mentioned, work on your budget. So do a demo recording first with whatever you have. You are happy with results but need that more professional sound, then sit down and work out your limit.
For me whose podcast is a hobby, I don’t spend too much. Here’s what I did:
Behringer C-1: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-C-1-Studio-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B000CZ0RLK (I got mine off ebay for $50 inc shipping).
Alto 12 Channel mixing desk. Now having been a service tech for music gear, Alto and Behringer are NOT classed as good brands. However, they are cheap and occasionally they have a gem (I have an alto compressor that has just “worked” for 10 years. Hey as long as it does the job right?). Bought this off ebay for $80. For Audio books and podcasting I would suggest: http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/802.aspx Again probably only set you back $100.
Misc cabling. I run my own AV business so had cables coming out of the whats its. You’ll need an XLR cable (male to female). A short one. No more than 1m should be fine. Don’t worry about high quality, this is going from desk to mic, not being thrown around by Roger Daltry.
3.5mm to RCA cable for output into PC.
I modified a desk lamp boom arm to have the microphone clip rather than the lamp. I eventually added two stronger springs from the hardware store. Works amazing. Lamp style: http://www.vdeen.com/UploadFiles/2010122111264157.jpg
Also, I grabbed a coat hanger, bent a section into a circle and placed the end of a heavy sock over it. Mounted this about 2 inches from the mic to act as a pop filter.
I record out in my garage turned office/workshop. It’s quiet enough and with tweaking of settings I can get close to the mic and not have the sound of a car driving past affect the recording. If you can’t find a quiet location, I would suggest recording in your wardrobe/closet. Some people do this and turn it into a professional sound booth. See this guy: https://www.youtube.com/feed/UCsAAnA87sazxWRMSiiCMr4g
Its all old school but has some good results!
Okay now shoot me to pieces LOL.
Damien
Okay now shoot me to pieces LOL.
Raincheck. Maybe later.
You’re already well on the production pathway to knowing that you need a pop filter, good positioning, quiet room, etc. etc. This is going to be a nasty shock to a newbie. Remember, he thinks he’s going to buy the Right Microphone and everything is going to be OK.
No size fitz all, so the poster, if they live in a modern, carpet-less, polished brass house may find that no combination of microphones or other techniques is going to sound like anything other than a kid who stopped doing homework long enough to badly record their podcast.
Koz