Recording with Garageband

[jorasho]

Hello,


I am trying to record a show with music and voice on my iMac G5 with analog line in. However, as I use Garageband, as soon as I record any sound I hear my fan going through it which I can't cancel, even with maximum correction. So I decided an external microphone would be a great idea, however spending very much money is not an option as I'm going to use this equipment maybe only once and certainly not very often.

- A Philips microphone battery powered mic gave reception, however only fair when putting my lips against the microphone, which is not acceptable.
- A Logitech Desktop Microphone gave exactly no reception.

Can you recommend me which microphone/solution to acquire or if I'm doing something wrong? Thanks in advance!

 

[scottlinux]

I have a logitech USB desktop microphone for random needs. It works VERY well actually. It is only a mono mic, but it is noise free.

If this is the one you have, try this:

For me to get it to work with Logic (probably same for garageband) I had to go to Audio Midi Setup, and then at the top, choose Audio>Aggregate Device Editor, and then USE for AK537(the usb mic) AND also USE for onboard audio (or whatever sound card you are using). And I called this device 'USB Mic'

Now in System prefs, and Logic prefs, I have chosen 'USB Mic' as my audio device input, and it works.

 

[jorasho]

No, my one was the one with the normal sound plug. The USB version was not available at the store.

I guess I will go to some pro-sound-store and ask them if there is a cheap solution to work with my Mac.

 

[scottlinux]

USB mics are best, for a cheap solution. No noise. Otherwise, you'll need a firewire interface with XLR inputs for a real microphone. It gets expensive very fast. Good luck!

 

[zimv20]

USB mics [...] No noise.

i don't get this. what's so special about a USB mic that it's more quiet -- no noise, even -- than the typical mic -> pre -> converter setup?

 

[scottlinux]

No, my one was the one with the normal sound plug. The USB version was not available at the store.

i don't get this. what's so special about a USB mic that it's more quiet -- no noise, even -- than the typical mic -> pre -> converter setup?

A $10 cheap USB mic is better than the $5 cheap analog plug mini jack mic. Sorry, should have clarified.

I guess I will go to some pro-sound-store and ask them if there is a cheap solution to work with my Mac.

Just look in the internet. http://www.m-audio.com http://www.sweetwater.com A good mic is anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars; plus a firewire audio interface, etc. Minimum of around $500 you can spend to get a low end mic and interface. m-audio may have a cheaper package deal, if you aren't looking for anything special.

Or get a cheap desktop usb mic. Unfortunately, those are your only options.

Edit: Something like this, perhaps:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackStudio-main.html

 

[BurtonCCC]

The cheapest set-up to get good quality would be a SM58 with a M-Audio FastTrack USB. If you want better quality in your mic, get a condenser, I recommend the M-Audio Nova. Note: Most condenser mics use Phantom Power, which the FastTrack can't provide, but the M-Audio MobilePre can.

Get all your equipment used on eBay to save a ton of money. That's what I did and I just finished recording my first CD in GarageBand. MySpace toned down the quality quite a bit when I uploaded it and the television I recorded and put in the background gives it a "dirty" feel (thus, the "Dirty - EP"), but you can have a listen here if you like. My set-up is M-Audio Nova and M-Audio MobilePre. Note that the acoustic guitar is recorded both with a mic AND the instrument jack at the same time. It gives a much fuller sound. Using two mics would give an even nicer, more realistic sound.

Daniel.