I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden

"Holden" wrote in message
om...
I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have
good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden



two questions...

1: What kind of noise are you getting? Is it a hum? Is it white noise
(hiss)? Etc.

2: How is your mic connected to your PC?

Jeff

"Jeff Foster" wrote in message
m...

"Holden" wrote in message
om...
I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD
or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand
nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have
good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in
rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been
able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden



two questions...

1: What kind of noise are you getting? Is it a hum? Is it white noise
(hiss)? Etc.

2: How is your mic connected to your PC?

Jeff


And what brand and model of mic?

THe noise is white nosie. I believe the problmem could be with the
connection to the computer. The mic uses an RCA type connector. I've had
to reduce that to a tiny plug that will fit into my sound card. That is
very suspect!.
The mic is an Audiotechnia ATM41A. It's not the world's greatest, but
worked fine with the band as a voice mic.

THanks for your help.

Holden

"John L Rice" wrote in message
...

"Jeff Foster" wrote in message
m...

"Holden" wrote in message
om...
I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD
or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand
nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have
good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in
rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so
high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are
several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been
able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden



two questions...

1: What kind of noise are you getting? Is it a hum? Is it white noise
(hiss)? Etc.

2: How is your mic connected to your PC?

Jeff


And what brand and model of mic?

Wow... I've not heard of mics using RCA plugs very often. Audio-Technica's
website lists that mic as having a standard Male XLR plug. If you are using
an adapter to take the XLR plug to an RCA and then another to take it from
RCA to 1/8th", check you adapters to make certain that they are connecting
the right pins to the right places. I.E. Pin2 on the XLR is the positive.
Pin 3 should be combined with pin 1 at one of the adapters. Neither pin 1
or 3 should be combined with pin 2.

The mic should be fine for recording speech. First, I would check to make
certain that you have the mic plug/adapter plugged into the "mic" in port
and not the "Line" in port. Second, check your windows recording mixer or
your software settings to ensure that the "mic" channel is turned up to a
decent level. If the mic setting is near the bottom of the slider area,
move it up towards the top end.

Check those and post back...

Jeff


"Holden" wrote in message
om...
THe noise is white nosie. I believe the problmem could be with the
connection to the computer. The mic uses an RCA type connector. I've had
to reduce that to a tiny plug that will fit into my sound card. That is
very suspect!.
The mic is an Audiotechnia ATM41A. It's not the world's greatest, but
worked fine with the band as a voice mic.

THanks for your help.

Holden

"John L Rice" wrote in message
...

"Jeff Foster" wrote in message
m...

"Holden" wrote in message
om...
I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for
DVD
or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand
nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I
have
good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in
rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so
high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are
several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been
able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden



two questions...

1: What kind of noise are you getting? Is it a hum? Is it white noise
(hiss)? Etc.

2: How is your mic connected to your PC?

Jeff


And what brand and model of mic?

"Holden" wrote ...
THe noise is white nosie. I believe the problmem could be with the
connection to the computer. The mic uses an RCA type connector. I've had
to reduce that to a tiny plug that will fit into my sound card. That is
very suspect!.
The mic is an Audiotechnia ATM41A. It's not the world's greatest, but
worked fine with the band as a voice mic.

According to Audio Technica, the mic uses a male XLR connector
(on the back-end of the mic) You must have a cable with a female
XLR connector and something on the "computer end". Seems unlikely
that it is "RCA", perhaps it is a 1/4" phone plug? What did you use
it with before?

In any case, the quality of the mic preamps in typical compter sound
cards ranges from marginal to horrible. You appear to have demonstrated
that for yourself. Of course you should confirm that all the connections,
adapters (which you didn't mention?), etc. are working "nominally" (as
they say at NASA). Does your sound card have a "+20Db boost"
function?

Your Sound Blaster may not be as highly regarded in this circle as you
might hope. You will likely need, at minimum, an external mic preamp
that feeds line-level into your Sound Blaster. Many people who are
looking for a bit better quality use external mic preamp/USB interface
products like the M-Audio Mobil Pre USB (US$150 street price)
This provides a decent mic preamp, phantom power (for condenser
mics), and a clean audio path into (and out of) your computer.

Good Greif! This looks like I may have started something that will soon
have me spending more money than I want and still have me in over my head.
But I've done this before with my computers so what's new. Please pardon my
lack of vocabulay in describing what I have. Yes, it is an XLR connector,
typical of old bands. I have felt very uncomfortable with the adapter to
get the plug down to a size that fits into my computer, but I don't see the
alternative. Except, the idea of a preamp could solve the problem to some
extent. Perhaps that is my starting place. The $150 price is more than I
planned, but not out of my reach. I will look up the one you recomended.

Again, thanks for your help. Makes sense that the first place to look is
the preamp and also see if there is a connector that will not have to go
thru the XLR to a plug that fits my computer. That's a bg of trouble right
there.

Holden


"Richard Crowley" wrote in message
...
"Holden" wrote ...
THe noise is white nosie. I believe the problmem could be with the
connection to the computer. The mic uses an RCA type connector. I've
had
to reduce that to a tiny plug that will fit into my sound card. That is
very suspect!.
The mic is an Audiotechnia ATM41A. It's not the world's greatest, but
worked fine with the band as a voice mic.

According to Audio Technica, the mic uses a male XLR connector
(on the back-end of the mic) You must have a cable with a female
XLR connector and something on the "computer end". Seems unlikely
that it is "RCA", perhaps it is a 1/4" phone plug? What did you use
it with before?

In any case, the quality of the mic preamps in typical compter sound
cards ranges from marginal to horrible. You appear to have demonstrated
that for yourself. Of course you should confirm that all the connections,
adapters (which you didn't mention?), etc. are working "nominally" (as
they say at NASA). Does your sound card have a "+20Db boost"
function?

Your Sound Blaster may not be as highly regarded in this circle as you
might hope. You will likely need, at minimum, an external mic preamp
that feeds line-level into your Sound Blaster. Many people who are
looking for a bit better quality use external mic preamp/USB interface
products like the M-Audio Mobil Pre USB (US$150 street price)
This provides a decent mic preamp, phantom power (for condenser
mics), and a clean audio path into (and out of) your computer.

"Holden" wrote in message
news
Good Greif! This looks like I may have started something that will soon
have me spending more money than I want and still have me in over my head.
But I've done this before with my computers so what's new. Please pardon
my
lack of vocabulay in describing what I have. Yes, it is an XLR connector,
typical of old bands. I have felt very uncomfortable with the adapter to
get the plug down to a size that fits into my computer, but I don't see
the
alternative. Except, the idea of a preamp could solve the problem to some
extent. Perhaps that is my starting place. The $150 price is more than I
planned, but not out of my reach. I will look up the one you recomended.

Depends on what level of quality you need. Unlilely that any
commercially-released recordings (of speech or music) were
done with a Sound Blaster (Audigy or otherwise).

Again, thanks for your help. Makes sense that the first place to look is
the preamp and also see if there is a connector that will not have to go
thru the XLR to a plug that fits my computer. That's a bg of trouble
right
there.

Does the SB work with any other microphone (like a "computer mic"?)
Confirm that you have it plugged in to the Mic input (NOT line input)
Confirm that you have all the sound card setup stuff done properly:
* Mic input selected (and all others DE-selected!)
* Mic input not muted
* Mic input level turned up (I'd start at 75% of full scale)
* Check for any gain boost features (may have a "+20Db boost")

Does your recording software have any way of monitoring input
signal levels in real time?

Holden,
Have you considered the possibility that pro audio (like professional writing)
may look to an outsider like "anyone can do it," but that this may not be the
case? Maybe a pro could give you much better results faster, without the
hassles. It would be worth checking into, in my biased opinion.

Yours,
Dan Popp
Colors Audio
USA

Holden wrote:

I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden

I believe his is trying to put something like an SM-58 into a line
input -10 soundcard jack.

the dood needs a MIC PREAMP!

lol

It sounds like to me you are missing a crucial ingredient... a mic pre
amp. You can't just plug a microphone directly into the soundcard, or
even into a stereo amp... you need a mic pre. You can buy a cheap
little mixer that will do the trick, but it's still not going to sound
like the profesionally recorded audio books which are done in real
studios (with real actors), unless you spend some money on better gear
and learn how to use it properly. And you might also need some
outside talent to do the reading if your voice doesn't cut it.

Al

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 02:12:34 GMT, Dan Popp
wrote:

Holden,
Have you considered the possibility that pro audio (like professional writing)
may look to an outsider like "anyone can do it," but that this may not be the
case? Maybe a pro could give you much better results faster, without the
hassles. It would be worth checking into, in my biased opinion.

Yours,
Dan Popp
Colors Audio
USA

Holden wrote:

I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden

Holden wrote:

I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD or
CD. I've got good computer skills and should be able to understand nearly
anything you tell me.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

BUT, I can't get anything worth working with. The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded. I know there are several
possibilities for areas that would cause the noise, but I've not been able
to track it down.

Any help? Thanks a bundle

Holden




Which Audigy 2? Mainly, does it have a mic in? If so that would be a
1/8" submini phone jack. If not, you have a line input, with the same
type of connector, only stereo.

If it is a mic input (ie, you got the "value" version), you may want to
try a Radio Shack transformer (about $20) and an adaptor. The
transformer has the female XLR 3-pin side for the mic cable and the
other side is whatever they carry these days, probably 1/4" phone (like
a guitar cord). Whoever had the PA in your band may have a few. Get
whatever adaptor that will make the transition from the transformer to
the input.

If it's a line input (like the expensive version) you'll need a mic
preamp as others have noted. A Tascam USB unit (-122, etc) may be a
reasonable alternative in this case.

In article writes:

I'm a writer and what I'm trying to do is record my latest book for DVD or
CD.

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

How's your voice? That's going to be your biggest problem once you get
the technical details sorted out.

The Noise level is so high
that I can barely make out what I've recorded.

You've plugged your microphone into a line level input. Get a preamp.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article m writes:

Good Greif! This looks like I may have started something that will soon
have me spending more money than I want and still have me in over my head.

Yes, that's a problem when you get into audio recording on a computer,
and you expose yourself to Usenet, where everyone likes to spend
someone else's money.

Yes, it is an XLR connector,
typical of old bands. I have felt very uncomfortable with the adapter to
get the plug down to a size that fits into my computer

As well you should. Hanging an XLR on to a mini jack will ruin the
jack very quickly. Spend the money. You'll get rich from your book.
(isn't that the idea, any way?)


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Holden wrote wrote:

I have a good sound card, a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 24 bit card. I have good
software, SoundForge. And, I have a mic that I used when I played in rock
bands not long ago. So, my equipment is fine, or should be.

Looks to me like you mave a mediocre soundcard, no decent mic preamp,
and the wrong mic for the job. Your equipment is probably not fine.

--
ha