Rode Podcaster or XLR AT2020?

[MVPernula]

So a couple of months back I bought the Rode Podcaster USB, I've been fairly happy with it. I tend to use it mostly for my game recording and skyping so just for an every day use it's all good. Though when it comes to gaming it'll start cracking on higher levels, thius is something I'd expect from a gaming headset, not an expensive microphone. I do however realize that this is made for podcasting and such, it may or may not be very well suited for "screaming" as of which can happen while gaming from time to time and has left me unhappy with the sound I recieve.

 

I'm now hoping that the Audio Technica AT2020 will suit me better, it's the microphone I was originally looking at but went with the Rode Podcaster instead. I've heard good things about it and I like the sound of it from what I hear on videos and soundcloud. I realize the XLR version need phantom power, and I have no idea what to buy to get that. And yes I want the XLR version. Do you guys think I should get USB? Tell me why. 
Is it possible for me to get something with phantom power which also supports headphones since I'm looking at a pair of Sennheiser HD 558's? Something that would go in the budget of about 1800kr (SEK- Sweden).

[ShadowCaptain]

9 minutes ago, MVPernula said:

SNIP

I would have just kept the podcaster, not sure why its cracklking, perhaps you are getting some interference somewhere
 

If its "peaking", you should lower your recording volume, also dont forget audio processing such as normalising, etc can greatly help too!!! and you can always gain the audio up later (if not streaming)

i prefer dynamic mics to condenser mics for voice recording, they are also less susceptible do background noise

or change to the "procaster" which is XLR (or maybe get something better)

[MVPernula]

1 minute ago, ShadowCaptain said:

I would have just kept the podcaster, not sure why its cracklking, perhaps you are getting some interference somewhere

i prefer dynamic mics to condenser mics for voice recording, they are also less susceptible do background noise

or change to the "procaster" which is XLR (or maybe get something better)

So it shouldn't be crackling? What could be interfering with the sound to make it do that? Is it fixable? Becuase if I can do something about it I wont even consider buying anything else.

[ShadowCaptain]

1 minute ago, MVPernula said:

So it shouldn't be crackling? What could be interfering with the sound to make it do that? Is it fixable? Becuase if I can do something about it I wont even consider buying anything else.

is it crackling, or is it peaking because you are to loud (if so easy fix)

 

@EposVox can probably provide some more input here

[MVPernula]

2 minutes ago, ShadowCaptain said:

is it crackling, or is it peaking because you are to loud (if so easy fix)

 

@EposVox can probably provide some more input here

Define peaking, it's basically not able to handle loud vocals and the sound get's distorted and bad.

[Dackzy]

1 minute ago, MVPernula said:

Define peaking, it's basically not able to handle loud vocals and the sound get's distorted and bad.

turn it down, move it a little further away from you.

[ShadowCaptain]

Just now, MVPernula said:

Define peaking, it's basically not able to handle loud vocals and the sound get's distorted and bad.

All microphones will do that, 

 

Open up your recording software, and start talking, check what the audio levels are, if they are hitting "red" then your recording volume is too loud

lower this,

if you need to make it "louder" for putting into a video, you can increase the gain in post during editing, 

you can also do various things to help your audio sound better such as normalisation, applying a compressor, deessing and eqing

examples here

http://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-process-vocals-for-podcasts-or-voiceover--audio-6969

[MVPernula]

3 minutes ago, ShadowCaptain said:

All microphones will do that, 

 

Open up your recording software, and start talking, check what the audio levels are, if they are hitting "red" then your recording volume is too loud

lower this,

if you need to make it "louder" for putting into a video, you can increase the gain in post during editing, 

you can also do various things to help your audio sound better such as normalisation, applying a compressor, deessing and eqing

examples here

http://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-process-vocals-for-podcasts-or-voiceover--audio-6969

Thank you!

[ShadowCaptain]

Just now, MVPernula said:

Thank you!

Worth a try, the podcaster is a great mic

 

first thing to try is lower the recording volume, 

 

And maybe apply "normalisation" - this evens out the volume so the SHOUTY bits are not too loud and the quit bits are not inaudible 

[MVPernula]

1 minute ago, ShadowCaptain said:

Worth a try, the podcaster is a great mic

 

first thing to try is lower the recording volume, 

 

And maybe apply "normalisation" - this evens out the volume so the SHOUTY bits are not too loud and the quit bits are not inaudible 

Hmm, might try that. I am recording with OBS however.

[ShadowCaptain]

Just now, MVPernula said:

Hmm, might try that. I am recording with OBS however.

are you streaming or just recording?

 

if so record with audacity

[EndlessOyster]

You need a compressor.
A compresses reduce the gain when the input volume gets louder. So when talking it wouldn't do anything but once you get loud enough and pass a limit which you set on the compressor it reduces the volume. This should stop the peaking but there is a stage that it just sounds a bit stupid when it compresses like mad.
http://www.hotto.de/software/audiocompressorlimiter.html
try that bit of software.

[ALwin]

When using mics, it's best for the levels to stay just above -20db and hardly go above -6db max.  In television broadcasting, the guideline was never to peak above -12db, because there was once a time that an audio signal above -12db risked leaking onto the video signal.

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how-to-set-audio-levels-for-video/

 

Additionally, microphones have a proximity effect.  Depending on the mic, this effect can be either good or bad.  A lot of radio announcers love using this effect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximity_effect_%28audio%29

[MVPernula]

38 minutes ago, ShadowCaptain said:

are you streaming or just recording?

 

if so record with audacity

Just recording!

 

There is OBS studio which allows multiple Audio streams, opionion?

[EndlessOyster]

1 hour ago, ALwin said:

When using mics, it's best for the levels to stay just above -20db and hardly go above -6db max.  In television broadcasting, the guideline was never to peak above -12db, because there was once a time that an audio signal above -12db risked leaking onto the video signal.

http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how-to-set-audio-levels-for-video/

Thats a iffy thing to say because it depends on so much stuff. A better recommendation is to say have it at a suitable volume which isnt peaking.

[ALwin]

1 hour ago, EndlessOyster said:

Thats a iffy thing to say because it depends on so much stuff. A better recommendation is to say have it at a suitable volume which isnt peaking.

Yes but in recording location sound, peaking around -12db is more than enough.  Don't go to 0db and never above it.

 

And if then OP is going to be recording audio, he/she should know how to read the audio levels meter and how to set the mic volume.

[EndlessOyster]

24 minutes ago, ALwin said:

Yes but in recording location sound, peaking around -12db is more than enough.  Don't go to 0db and never above it.

 

And if then OP is going to be recording audio, he/she should know how to read the audio levels meter and how to set the mic volume.

But it 100% depends on what equipment your using, different mixing desks have different pre amps and setting the audio gain at one position in one desk is completely different to another desk. For example with yamaha mixing desks you wouldnt go above -12 not because thats the volume you want, you do it because thats the volume the pre amp can handle. While most other mixing desks you aim for the loudest sound to just be below the top so that point on the vu where its above the green in the yellow and not going into the red.

The link you linked has a photo of a yamaha desk so I woudlnt be surprised if thats the only thing hes ever mixed on so he sees the -12dB of yamaha desks as a rule on mixing and not a rule just for yamaha.

[ALwin]

16 minutes ago, EndlessOyster said:

But it 100% depends on what equipment your using, different mixing desks have different pre amps and setting the audio gain at one position in one desk is completely different to another desk. For example with yamaha mixing desks you wouldnt go above -12 not because thats the volume you want, you do it because thats the volume the pre amp can handle. While most other mixing desks you aim for the loudest sound to just be below the top so that point on the vu where its above the green in the yellow and not going into the red.

The link you linked has a photo of a yamaha desk so I woudlnt be surprised if thats the only thing hes ever mixed on so he sees the -12dB of yamaha desks as a rule on mixing and not a rule just for yamaha.

Look I'm giving a general guideline that's tried and tested.  Sure it depends on the equipment but most advice is don't ever peak above -6db.  You need to leave headroom for sudden spikes in audio.  Also don't rely just on the meters, use a headset to monitor the audio.

 

http://www.emusician.com/tracking/1396/ask--what-are-the-proper-recording-levels-for-digital-audio/45193

 

http://www.massivemastering.com/blog/index_files/Proper_Audio_Recording_Levels.php

[ALwin]

Double post.