Advise me for Audio Book & ScreenCasting Narration Videos

[kozikowski]

When you read reviews, pay good attention to the negative ones. Those are likely to be "real." Some of the positive reviews are almost certainly posted by suppliers or manufacturers. The positive reviews that claim the product is perfect in every way and that it cures cancer and makes the sun come out are probably bogus.

Sometimes the negative reviews are because the poster failed to use the product properly or made some other mistake. Those are valuable, too. Now you know what happens when you don't follow instructions -- but it doesn't mean the product is bad.

A note. Audacity does not support ASIO. So if Audacity is your audio program of choice, the ASIO software drivers will make no difference to you. Audacity has is own set of Windows drivers with similar talents.

Also note that "Latency" (delays) don't affect you if you're just recording your voice and you listen yourself at the mixer. Delays/Latency becomes critical if you start overdubbing or doing fancy sound-on-sound recording, or if you plug your headphones into the computer rather than the mixer.

You do have a good set of headphones, right? You can't have speakers and a live microphone running in the room at the same time.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Once you have a target mixer this is a big step. We can tell you things about it (where we can) and you can decide if it's the right mixer for you.

I don't know that you ever told us what kind of computer you have. USB Connections are a problem because you can't ever get more than about 6 Feet (2M) away from a noisy computer. This is a serious problem. My MacBook Pro has a solid state drive, doesn't heat up and makes zero noise.

Koz

[MGadAllah]

I don't know that you ever told us what kind of computer you have. USB Connections are a problem because you can't ever get more than about 6 Feet (2M) away from a noisy computer. This is a serious problem. My MacBook Pro has a solid state drive, doesn't heat up and makes zero noise.

Koz

Yes I do have SSD one as well. my computer is i7 2600k with 16 gb ram, and i've a very good power supply that is making almost 0 noise because this is the main reason for the noise.

When you read reviews, pay good attention to the negative ones. Those are likely to be "real." Some of the positive reviews are almost certainly posted by suppliers or manufacturers. The positive reviews that claim the product is perfect in every way and that it cures cancer and makes the sun come out are probably bogus.

Sometimes the negative reviews are because the poster failed to use the product properly or made some other mistake. Those are valuable, too. Now you know what happens when you don't follow instructions -- but it doesn't mean the product is bad.

A note. Audacity does not support ASIO. So if Audacity is your audio program of choice, the ASIO software drivers will make no difference to you. Audacity has is own set of Windows drivers with similar talents.

Also note that "Latency" (delays) don't affect you if you're just recording your voice and you listen yourself at the mixer. Delays/Latency becomes critical if you start overdubbing or doing fancy sound-on-sound recording, or if you plug your headphones into the computer rather than the mixer.

You do have a good set of headphones, right? You can't have speakers and a live microphone running in the room at the same time.

Koz

I do always start with negatives ones. And microphones will be purchased with the other audio equipments so I can pay shipment from USA to EGYPT only once.

"I think the best model for your purposes will be the Mackie Onyx Blackjack:

While I think the Mackie may well be the better performer of the two, I'm betting because of its 2X2 label, the microphones only appear on one side. Microphone #1 only appears on the "Left" of the stereo show. Microphone #2 appears on the "Right."

You might want to check that. You can fix that in Audacity, but it's extra steps and takes longer.

You should not consider a "Y" cable to force one microphone to appear in both connectors.

Koz

I did read more about this model yesterday and realized that Focusrite SCARLETT-2I2 especially that it is up to 96kHz while mackie onyx blackjack is only up to 44.1khz. And I think recording in 96khz will be better ofcourse.

All we can do is tell you the differences and talents of the equipment and software and in some cases traps and known problems. And yes, in some cases, the choices will seem to be getting larger, not smaller.

Sometimes it's valuable to back away from the problem a little.

If you have a single microphone and want to do announcing in a known quiet room, you don't need a mixer at all. The mixer's talent is combining two or more sounds into one. It's main job is to mix.

I did an evaluation of a simple microphone to USB adapter. That's a Shure X2U.

http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/ ... verdub.jpg
http://www.shure.com/americas/products/ ... al-adapter

It contains everything I need to run any microphone that I have -- excluding the computer microphones. It is one of the devices that can be used for overdubbing -- recording yourself multiple times into your own orchestra.

I would never buy one again because the performance isn't good enough for what I want. It was designed to be small with enough controls to get the job done. I can't find the picture, but I have a shot of this adapter in my pocket.

~~

While you may have your microphone and other parts for a very long time -- the microphone I used for the stereo sound test is decades old -- that's not likely to be true of the mixer. They wear out and break. It may not be useful to buy your "forever mixer" right now. Buy something small to get you going and then as you become internationally famous, you'll have enough to buy a larger one -- and the experience to know what you want.

This is more in your neighborhood. The woman has a computer behind the glass, not a large sound mixing console, and there is just enough equipment to get the microphone into the computer (sorry, I don't know exactly how they did it).

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/AmmanStudio.png

I know most people who post on the forum are living in their parent's basement and have no friends, but it is valuable to see what other people are doing. Talk to rock bands and see what they use. I bet every rock band on earth has to tried to record themselves and even if it doesn't work out very well, their experiences and comments are very handy.

"I would never buy this mixer again. It's noisy and all the switches are broken."
"Our recording is terrible, but my brother has a very nice mixer, so we record at his house."

Also pay attention if there are no comments about their mixer because it just works day after day. I like those mixers.

From memory, I think we have had people post who use this simple mixer.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ ... fgodhm4AbA

It comes with very abbreviated sound level lights, but you don't need sound meters. You can use Audacity for that. After you find out where the overload and clipping points are by experiment, use the Audacity sound meters. They will undock from the program and expand.

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/AudacityPanelFull.jpg

Koz

I will go ahead and buy the Focusrite SCARLETT-2I2 and I hope to find it as what I've found so far reviewed.

This will be the order from bswusa.com

• Sony 7506 - Closed Ear Headphone MDR-7506 $99.99
• Heil Sound PR40 Package $369.00
  Dynamic Mic w/ Shockmount, Boom, BSW Broadcast Microphone cable and Pop filter
• Focusrite SCARLETT-2I2 $149.99
  USB Audio Interface
• Roland R-05 $199.00
  High Resolution Handheld Recorder

Do I need to add anything else? or anything need to be replaced with something else?

[kozikowski]

Sony 7506 - Closed Ear Headphone MDR-7506 $99.99

There is a story about this.
I spoke to one of the Hollywood sound people and asked him if I could listen to his 7506 headphones. Of course he has a set. They all do, and he's on his fourth pair.

He said yes and I went over to their office with a bag of different headphones and a source of music and test tones. He was on a studio sound shoot at the time and posted word to let me in.

The short answer is, they do what they're supposed to do, but I can't stand to listen to them at normal volume for a long time.

The users of this headset have odd requirements. They need headphones that you can put on and take off with one hand, the headphone has to retain it's positions and settings and not shift when you take them off. They must be able to hold up one muff to their ear without fighting the headband and they have to be able to slide them down onto their neck to speak to the director without choking.

These are the requirements of the guy on the right.

http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/Boom.jpg

Note sound quality isn't mentioned. The sound quality is very forward and aggressive and yes, if your job is quality control, these would certainly do the job, but you might be a tired rag by the end of a long day. I wouldn't last that long.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Focusrite SCARLETT-2I2 $149.99

We have had complaints about this device. Search the forum. I think it has to do with making it run at all, not the quality of the performance once it is running. I believe this is another non-mixer USB Device. Whatever you plug into Microphone #1 is going to appear on "Stereo Left" and you can't stop it. All your stereo captures will require post production and sound management.

I don't know that I would fall in love with 96000 sample rate. That just means you can record music that only dogs can hear. I'd be much more concerned with 24 bit depth. That's the one that controls the surgical quality of the sound and the overload points.

16-bit/44100/Stereo is the sound standard for Music CD. 16-bit/48000/Stereo is the standard for Digital Television. That's the one that I use because most of my work goes straight to a video editing room or other video service.

Koz

[kozikowski]

I don't see the microphone stand in the list.
Koz

[MGadAllah]

Sony 7506 - Closed Ear Headphone MDR-7506 $99.99

but I can't stand to listen to them at normal volume for a long time.
The users of this headset have odd requirements. They need headphones that you can put on and take off with one hand, the headphone has to retain it's positions and settings and not shift when you take them off. They must be able to hold up one muff to their ear without fighting the headband and they have to be able to slide them down onto their neck to speak to the director without choking.
Koz

What is the monitoring headphone you would recommending me to use which I can put on for a long time? but it must not cancel any noise and let me figure out and catch anything in the voice I am monitoring.

Focusrite SCARLETT-2I2 $149.99

We have had complaints about this device. Search the forum. I think it has to do with making it run at all, not the quality of the performance once it is running. I believe this is another non-mixer USB Device. Whatever you plug into Microphone #1 is going to appear on "Stereo Left" and you can't stop it. All your stereo captures will require post production and sound management.

I don't know that I would fall in love with 96000 sample rate. That just means you can record music that only dogs can hear. I'd be much more concerned with 24 bit depth. That's the one that controls the surgical quality of the sound and the overload points.

16-bit/44100/Stereo is the sound standard for Music CD. 16-bit/48000/Stereo is the standard for Digital Television. That's the one that I use because most of my work goes straight to a video editing room or other video service.

Koz

Shall I go with Mackie Onyx Blackjack then? or you would recommend another one?

I don't see the microphone stand in the list.
Koz

Oh, I forget to mention that this package will include a boom arm only but I forget to add the stand to my cart, I will do so. Thanks for the note.

[steve]

Shall I go with Mackie Onyx Blackjack then? or you would recommend another one?

Forum policy is that this forum does not recommend or endorse products other than Audacity. Any suggestions that are given regarding equipment or other software are personal opinions of the person posting and do not represent endorsement by Audacity.

Personally I would not want to recommend one small mixer over another as they all have strengths and weaknesses in features and quality. It is a highly competitive market so products from any of the major manufacturers are likely to give good value for money. To some extent you get what you pay for. It is expensive to make a really good mixer so budget mixers are all cutting corners somewhere. Trade magazines (such as "Sound-on-Sound") often have useful reviews, or you could just look around for a good offer - if something normally sells for $100 and you see it on special offer for $80, then it is probably a good deal (though check that it has the features that you require and for on-line sales check the reputation of the seller).

[MGadAllah]

Hello Steve,
Thanks for your reply.
I thought the recording equipment forum is mainly to ask for advise for which tools or equipments a one can use.
Also I've explored the forum before the 1st post and found many members did the same and asked about an advise from experienced guys around the forum for the same thing I did which is ... recommendations for an equipment.
Like this one for example:- http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 27&t=76228 and also there are too many others but this one was next my thread
but if you do mind that, it is ok of course

[steve]

You may of course ask for opinions of other users.
I am just pointing out that opinions given are personal opinions and are in no way an official endorsement by Audacity or the Audacity forum. I have made suggestions / recommendations on many occasion, but in each case it has been a personal recommendation based on my personal experience of the product. Regarding small mixing desks, my personal experience is that all of the major brands that I have used have been good value for money, but none of them can be compared with state of the art professional equipment that cost many time more.