Tman5293 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I plan on going to get a mic to record my guitar playing with this weekend. The mic is a standard XLR instrument mic. My question is, do XLR mics normally record in mono or stereo? And are 3 pin XLR cables mono or stereo? Also, whats the best way to connect an XLR mic to the 3.5mm mic input jack on my PC? I was looking at this mic: http://www.guitarcen...505-i1532396.gc And using this cable to connect with: http://www.guitarcen...019-i1166818.gc Although I'm not sure if using that cable is the best way to do it. Any help is greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 That will record mono, and look for either an interface, or some mics plug directly into the USB port on your computer. Check out the Blue Snowball mic, search on Amazon or eBay. Very nice quality for the money, usually around 50-60 bucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 That will record mono, and look for either an interface, or some mics plug directly into the USB port on your computer. Check out the Blue Snowball mic, search on Amazon or eBay. Very nice quality for the money, usually around 50-60 bucks I would love to get the Blue Snowball but money's short and I need a poor man's mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I would love to get the Blue Snowball but money's short and I need a poor man's mic. I hear ya. Check Craigslist, some decent deals to be had on there, and ask around at music stores. My one friend asked the Guitar Center by me if they had any extra mics for cheap, and they had one that was dropped or something and the box was damaged, so they just gave it to him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 That will work............not top shelf stuff, but, yes, that will work........It is a mono mike, that's fine........ If you feel comfortable doing so, record the same guitar track twice, with the mike in a different position....... Propellerheads.com has some simple but good info on recording for you............ If you double up your purchase, you can record stereo.............. http://www.propellerheads.se/substance/record-u/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I think the confusion about being able to record stereo comes from the misconception that XLR means Ground(X), Left(L), Right®. for the three contacts on an XLR connector. It was erroneous when I was told this old recording engineer tale and is still in error. XLR has to do with how the connector is put together and the features of a three pin connector designed by a guy named Cannon. On pin is the case ground, one pin is electricity headed to the mic and one pin is the electricity, modified by the mic, coming back from the mic which carries the electrical impulses which are turned into a sound at the speaker, via the amplifier. To record in stereo you need two microphones. Think of the output. A stereo with one speaker is not a stereo. Two speakers is required to hear both left and right channels with separation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 For cryin' out loud! Read up about balanced signals and how they work (you might want to look up "phantom power" and how that works, too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 For cryin' out loud! Read up about balanced signals and how they work (you might want to look up "phantom power" and how that works, too). I agree it's an over simplification, but I can understand how some people think a single mic can record stereo through one XLR mic given an old wive's tale about what XLR meant that I was told decades ago, that seems to persist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I plan on going to get a mic to record my guitar playing with this weekend. The mic is a standard XLR instrument mic. My question is, do XLR mics normally record in mono or stereo? And are 3 pin XLR cables mono or stereo? Also, whats the best way to connect an XLR mic to the 3.5mm mic input jack on my PC? I was looking at this mic: http://www.guitarcen...505-i1532396.gc And using this cable to connect with: http://www.guitarcen...019-i1166818.gc Although I'm not sure if using that cable is the best way to do it. Any help is greatly appreciated! It records mono. Here are the issues, The dynamic mic will not have enough gain without a preamp, The cable you are looking at is after the mic has been through a preamp, So if you are on a budget: Skip the 2 things you posted and look for that USB mic (Samson I believe) that Duane and Surfpup bought and that sounds great (look for the posts they made here) It'll plug via usb right into your PC and comes with the cable so for $50 you can record. http://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Compact-USB-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296881067&sr=8-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 This is a very good article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 So based on the responses, It looks like I should be looking for a USB mic instead. That one that Stiff suggested looks good and that might be the one I go with unless someone else has a better suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 So based on the responses, It looks like I should be looking for a USB mic instead. That one that Stiff suggested looks good and that might be the one I go with unless someone else has a better suggestion. Please clear this up for us all.......You have stated that all your recording is done at a " REAL STUDIO "........... And yet, your recordings sounded not pro.......I have recorded in real studios, a lot.........just sayin'....... Which ever route you go, you should study what you want to do recording wise.......Study the above methods and advice.....There are many avenues, and techniques, and combinations there-of...............The more you learn, the more you know.....There are MANY ways to record guitar..Learn them all........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman5293 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Please clear this up for us all.......You have stated that all your recording is done at a " REAL STUDIO "........... And yet, your recordings sounded not pro.......I have recorded in real studios, a lot.........just sayin'....... Only some of my recordings are done in a real studio. Others, like all the covers I've been doing lately, are not professionally recorded. I recorded those myself with a direct line from the headphone jack on my amp straight to the line in jack on my PC. All of the jams I've recorded are done in the studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I use a Line6 Tone Port UX2 and a pair of Sure SM57s to record my amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Only some of my recordings are done in a real studio. Others, like all the covers I've been doing lately, are not professionally recorded. I recorded those myself with a direct line from the headphone jack on my amp straight to the line in jack on my PC. All of the jams I've recorded are done in the studio. Thank you.....makes sense, which helps us help you out..... The reason your 'home' recordings sound the way they do is from going direct direct without a 'preamp' or other 'buffer' in there; As such, when you start learning this all, your recordings will start sounding so much better...Your guitar playing is fine, recording them better will sound really 'cool.' And we all look forward to hearing the results !!!!!!!!!!!! [thumbup] ............. A headphone out doesn't have a built in buffer......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I record into my br-600 and that sends a signal into my Yamaha 166cx, which of course, sends a signal to speakers. When miccing, I put a fuzzy blanket around the microphone so that the only thing it picks up is the guitar speaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I plan on going to get a mic to record my guitar playing with this weekend. The mic is a standard XLR instrument mic. My question is, do XLR mics normally record in mono or stereo? And are 3 pin XLR cables mono or stereo? Also, whats the best way to connect an XLR mic to the 3.5mm mic input jack on my PC? I was looking at this mic: http://www.guitarcen...505-i1532396.gc And using this cable to connect with: http://www.guitarcen...019-i1166818.gc Although I'm not sure if using that cable is the best way to do it. Any help is greatly appreciated! If you want to use a regular XLR microphone and you want to plug it into the USB port of your computer, this is the gizmo that you'll need: Either THIS or THIS That's how to plug a regular microphone into your computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 So based on the responses, It looks like I should be looking for a USB mic instead. That one that Stiff suggested looks good and that might be the one I go with unless someone else has a better suggestion. I would suggest that if you are on a budget, for $50 you get the mic, cable and most likely comes with the software to make it all work. Here is the basic concept: Computers usually have a 1/8" mic input, but usually this is a "line level" input, what that means is that either a guitar or a xlr microphone will require a preamp to get their signal up to "line level" this is what you have been doing by recording out of the headphone out, meaning the signal is already amplified by the time you plug into your computer. Some people record out of their Multi-Effect pedals directly into the computer, again this is an amplified output so no preamp needed. The best option is to buy a computer interface, like the Line 6 UX2 Searcy mentions, this type of units have a preamp, phantom power for condenser mics, guitar, mic and line in inputs and all plugs into a USB port. but after buying the unit, mics and cables you'd be out $200 to $300. There is actually an impedance converter for dynamic mics that plugs into an xlr cable and converts the mic to be used in amplifiers and even as "line in" but the gain is very, very low it is not worth the $20 that it costs. I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 On pin is the case ground, one pin is electricity headed to the mic and one pin is the electricity, modified by the mic, coming back from the mic which carries the electrical impulses which are turned into a sound at the speaker, via the amplifier. . I agree it's an over simplification... No, your description of the wiring function is just flat-out wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Tman, All mics are mono. Even a stereo room/overhead mic will have two jacks (left and right). That cable you posted a link to is just an adapter with the 1/8" end being correctly labeled mono. Stereo 1/8" and 1/4" will have two rings (tip and ring; left and right). And as was mentioned, with a dynamic mic you will need a preamp of some type to boost the signal. Mic level is very low. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 No, your description of the wiring function is just flat-out wrong. Edjumacate me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Skip the 2 things you posted and look for that USB mic (Samson I believe) that Duane and Surfpup bought and that sounds great (look for the posts they made here) It'll plug via usb right into your PC and comes with the cable so for $50 you can record. http://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Compact-USB-Microphone/dp/B001R76D42/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296881067&sr=8-2 Yep. $59 and you are set to go! And, BTW, the Samson GoMic sounds much better than the Blue Snowball in my opinion. (And yes I actually own both of them. Unlike some folks here I don't praise or dis gear I have not actually owned and used). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 $49 actually I may buy one in the future, I like the convenience of plug and play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I have 2 XLR mics...a Shure SM57 and an M-Audio Condenser mic...I use both of them with my M-Audio firewire interface...has 2 XLR inputs. I record and the blend together when mixing...sounds pretty nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 $49 actually I may buy one in the future, I like the convenience of plug and play. Guess I paid too much. $59 at Best Buy. But I needed instant gratification! I have 2 XLR mics...a Shure SM57 and an M-Audio Condenser mic...I use both of them with my M-Audio firewire interface...has 2 XLR inputs. I record and the blend together when mixing...sounds pretty nice!! My larger set up is almost identical. The only difference being an XML condenser instead of M-Audio. I have both mics on one stand one at guitar level and one at voice level. Also I run each mic through its own ART Tube MP preamp before the M-Audio firewire interface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.