Sonic-Studio Tech Review

[fh1805]

Barry,

You asked:

Can anyone provide a link to a show and just let us know what recorder was used?

I've just uploaded a sequence about the North York Moors Railway, (File name: NYMRailway.zip; file size: 33MB). The link is here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7836f6f...2db6fb9a8902bda

The voice-over and the location sound recordings were all done using the Zoom H4, captured as WAV files at source and post-processed using Audacity. The only time they became MP3 was when exporting the final mix of the soundtrack. The A4 Pacific whistle was recorded with the unit lying on the ground in a clump of sedges for additional wind baffle while I did the photography. The station ambience was recorded with the unit held in my hand.

regards,

Peter

[Ken Cox]

Peter

great show --effects beautiful - siderod details great -- you better hunt a place for Patrick to stay when he visits

ken

[Barry Beckham]

I was impressed with the iMic recordings. It sounded great to me.

Not sure about the recording on the NYM Railway AV. It had a distinct warble that I was not too keen on.

The sequence was great though

[Tomuk]

Barry,

You asked:

I've just uploaded a sequence about the North York Moors Railway, (File name: NYMRailway.zip; file size: 33MB). The link is here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7836f6f...2db6fb9a8902bda

The voice-over and the location sound recordings were all done using the Zoom H4, captured as WAV files at source and post-processed using Audacity. The only time they became MP3 was when exporting the final mix of the soundtrack. The A4 Pacific whistle was recorded with the unit lying on the ground in a clump of sedges for additional wind baffle while I did the photography. The station ambience was recorded with the unit held in my hand.

regards,

Peter

Peter.

Great show, for me there was also a wobble in the sound, but that apart your sync work was out of the top drawer.

You say you used your H4, well I have the H2 and a question if I may...You say you record in wave, am I correct in recording at 44.100 @24 or is 16 bit ok?

This sequence would go down well at "The Great Northern" in December, I'll see you in the dining room if you are taking lunch.

I'm off now to research the area you took your shots, It looks great for a couple of away days.

Tom.

[fh1805]

Barry,

Was the "warble" predominantly on the voice-over? if so, it was because I had a slight cold when recording the voice-over. I normally wouldn't do the recording in such a situation but I had broken my own rule and accepted a commitment to show the sequence to an audience before I had got it finished. In order to meet the deadline I had to record whilst still being a little "under the weather".

regards,

Peter

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Peter

[fh1805]

Eric,

The show is built to run from a PTE Menu sequence. Because of a problem associated with running PTE sequences under Windows Vista, this sequence has to be built to run "Windowed mode" and not "Fullscreen" mode. In fact, this is true of all my v5 sequences. They are built to be projected at 1024x768 and triggered off a menu sequence.

regards,

Peter

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Back to the original start of this topic, I have dug around in my archives and found a tie clip mike I used to use on a video camera 20 years ago, It's a GENNEXA omnidirectional 33-3003 with an impedance of 1k ohm, it is powered by a 1.5v button battery, the battery is flat & I've ordered some. Been on Gennexa's web site and they don't list it on their products, only place I can find any reference is on ebay, with a mike for sale. I want to try it with the IMIC does anyone know if it is suitable.?

Yachtsman1

[Tomuk]

Eric,

Why don't you get yourself a cheap plastic stick Mic from any computer shop or computer fair.

Thats what I did... bunged a wind sock on it (just to make it look more pro on my desk) plugged it into the iMic and recorded the butterflies demo that Brian Kelly (Conflow) rates and has recommends as a good example of a quality sound track leaving out my dulcet scousers accent.

I think I paid something like 3 quid ( about the cost of a pint) about 12 months or so ago and I'm still using it to-day talking with Ken Cox, Ronnie West, Peter Appleton etc: on Messenger Live daily: if you want to have an audio experts opinion why don't you ask them.

If this cheap thing works great for me, I'm sure your clip on will perform OK when plugged into the iMic.

Tom.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Eric,

Why don't you get yourself a cheap plastic stick Mic from any computer shop or computer fair.

Thats what I did... bunged a wind sock on it (just to make it look more pro on my desk) plugged it into the iMic and recorded the butterflies demo that Brian Kelly (Conflow) rates and has recommends as a good example of a quality sound track leaving out my dulcet scousers accent.

I think I paid something like 3 quid ( about the cost of a pint) about 12 months or so ago and I'm still using it to-day talking with Ken Cox, Ronnie West, Peter Appleton etc: on Messenger Live daily: if you want to have an audio experts opinion why don't you ask them.

If this cheap thing works great for me, I'm sure your clip on will perform OK when plugged into the iMic.

Tom.

Hi Tom

The reason for the question was technical, would the fact the tie clip jobby is powered be detremental to the IMIC. Also us pensioners have to look after't brass, the tie clip doesn't owe me anything, just a couple of quid for the batteries.

Eric.

[Conflow]

Eric,

Why don't you get yourself a cheap plastic stick Mic from any computer shop or computer fair.

Thats what I did... bunged a wind sock on it (just to make it look more pro on my desk) plugged it into the iMic and recorded the butterflies demo that Brian Kelly (Conflow) rates and has recommends as a good example of a quality sound track leaving out my dulcet scousers accent.

I think I paid something like 3 quid ( about the cost of a pint) about 12 months or so ago and I'm still using it to-day talking with Ken Cox, Ronnie West, Peter Appleton etc: on Messenger Live daily: if you want to have an audio experts opinion why don't you ask them.

If this cheap thing works great for me, I'm sure your clip on will perform OK when plugged into the iMic.

Tom.

Tom,

You are quite correct, any cheap Cassette Type (Mono-Microphone) or even a better type, will do the job.

Microphone Impedance should be between:- 200 ohm ~ 1000 ohm and best fitted with a Mute switch.

As always it should be mounted on some form of Desk-Stand with a Felt layer under the Stand.

It will also need to have a 3.5mm 'Mini-Jack Plug' fitted to it to suit the Griffin Mic Input.

The same Mic can also be used with the Zoom Recorders. (switch off the internal Mics)

I can't comment on (Battery-powered) Electret Microphones as there are so many different types available

and some of these are Phantom-powered, not suitable for the Griffin iMic.

Regards,

Brian.Conflow.

[Tomuk]

Eric,

I thought you might be interested in the mics I use:-

This one is the cheap thing I was telling you about, it sits on it's plastic stand on my desk top and is used for most computer needs, plugged into the iMic, the quality is great,

This one I have also used with the iMic, it's powered by 2 x AA batteries that live in the body, now days I use it with my Zoom H2 for OB recordings.

Finlay my H2, I haven't owned this piece of kit for very long and I'm still on the learning curve, up to now the recordings I have made are first class in quality.

I hope this has been of some help and in conclusion, I think your clip on will perform OK with your iMic.

Lets have a sample of a recording you will make.

Tom.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Eric,

I thought you might be interested in the mics I use:-

This one is the cheap thing I was telling you about, it sits on it's plastic stand on my desk top and is used for most computer needs, plugged into the iMic, the quality is great,

This one I have also used with the iMic, it's powered by 2 x AA batteries that live in the body, now days I use it with my Zoom H2 for OB recordings.

Finlay my H2, I haven't owned this piece of kit for very long and I'm still on the learning curve, up to now the recordings I have made are first class in quality.

I hope this has been of some help and in conclusion, I think your clip on will perform OK with your iMic.

Lets have a sample of a recording you will make.

Tom.

Hi Tom

Thanks for the Mike info, I'm working on a strict budget at the moment and keeping a close eye on the current financial situation. I also have an H2 bought on Peter's reccomendation, do you get better recordings from the Realistic plug in mike? I was considering using the H2 as a mike through the IMIC to see if I can improve my voice overs & OB recordings. Off the subject, are you going to the Yorkshire AV day at Bradford in November???

Regards Eric.

[Conflow]

Tom,

Be careful with that recommendation, you wrote:-...."I think your clip on will perform OK with your iMic"....

Some of these supply a DC.voltage down the signal line ~thats not good for the iMic~ best test the Mini-Jack

with a little Voltmeter to make sure there is no voltage present...with these things its always safe to be sure !!

All the best,

Brian.Conflow.

[Tomuk]

Hi Tom

I was considering using the H2 as a mike through the IMIC to see if I can improve my voice overs & OB recordings. Off the subject, are you going to the Yorkshire AV day at Bradford in November???

Regards Eric.

Eric,

I'm not to sure if you can use your H2 through your iMic, I think,and I could be wrong, that you can only use the H2 as a microphone with your computer via USB, iMic doesn't support USB, read pages 73 to 77 of your H2 manual.

In either case I think it would be prudent to heed Brains warning in his earlier post about powered Mic's and the iMic.

Tom

[Tomuk]

Tom,

Be careful with that recommendation, you wrote:-...."I think your clip on will perform OK with your iMic"....

Some of these supply a DC.voltage down the signal line ~thats not good for the iMic~ best test the Mini-Jack

with a little Voltmeter to make sure there is no voltage present...with these things its always safe to be sure !!

All the best,

Brian.Conflow.

Brian,

I apologize to all, it just goes to show that a little knowledge can be dangerous, especially in the hands of an aging scouser.

Tom.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Brian,

I apologize to all, it just goes to show that a little knowledge can be dangerous, especially in the hands of an aging scouser.

Tom.

Hi Tom

As Del Boy says "Who Dares", the batteries for the tie clip mike just arrived so if you smell burning down in the Pool, you'll know if it went fizzzzz.

Yachtsman1

[Barry Beckham]

Peter

Sorry I am a bit slow replying at present, but that warble wasn't your voice it was electronic. I have heard that sound before when I was trying to clean up a H4 sample that someone sent me. When I got the background noise of birdsong out, sometime it left that odd sound.

[Conflow]

Barry,

You're bang on target ~ I had explained that to Peter in the other thread 'H4 Problem Solutions'.

It's an electronic artifact which the H.4 generate's itself under certain operational conditions.

Unfortunately there is no way of removing it with the 'Sound Editors' we have available on Forum.

However (fortunately) there are way of avoiding it alltogether with proper 'selective' set-ups.

Brian.Conflow.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Guys

I've now made some test recordings. Unfortunately I couldn't get the IMIC to operate with the Gennexa. So the tests are voice overs with the tie clip connected direct into the laptop, then connected to the H2, then the H2 alone, I know which I think is best, what do you think. One warning put tongue in't cheek when listening http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=8ad1243...2855aa41911935a

Yachtsman1

[Ken Cox]

Eric

rating as you recorded

IMHO

#1 best

#2 not bad

#3 not acceptable -- voice is flat and distant

I dont think you will qualify for the Morman Tabernacle choir

KEN

[Tomuk]

Hi Guys

I've now made some test recordings. Unfortunately I couldn't get the IMIC to operate with the Gennexa. So the tests are voice overs with the tie clip connected direct into the laptop, then connected to the H2, then the H2 alone, I know which I think is best, what do you think. One warning put tongue in't cheek when listening http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=8ad1243...2855aa41911935a

Yachtsman1

Eric,

For me the best quality was on the first recording, all tho I suspect the other two are suffering from lack of experience on your part in using the equipment.

You say the microphone was placed about 3in away from your mouth to record your singing, well for me 3 miles would have been a better distance. LOL .

Tom

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Eric,

For me the best quality was on the first recording, all tho I suspect the other two are suffering from lack of experience on your part in using the equipment.

You say the microphone was placed about 3in away from your mouth to record your singing, well for me 3 miles would have been a better distance. LOL .

Tom

Philllllistine!!!,

The first recording was the tie clip mike plugged into the laptop, I have ordered a cheepo basic desk mike from ebay to try the IMIC again, although I have a horrible suspicion it's duff, it rattles when i shake it.

Regards Eric

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Eric

rating as you recorded

IMHO

#1 best

#2 not bad

#3 not acceptable -- voice is flat and distant

I dont think you will qualify for the Morman Tabernacle choir

KEN

Hi Ken

What about the picture???

Eric

[Ken Cox]

just a bunch of straw bales --- we got lots of them here in the colonies

ken