Selecting
Microphones for Desktop Narrations
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It's
Confusing. Not all microphones work the same on all computers.
The circuitry of computer sound systems varies widely. A microphone
that works well on one brand of PC may not work as well on another
PC from a different manufacturer. The microphone input devices on
Desktop PC's generally yield better recordings than microphone input
devices on laptops. However, since desktop computers often have
loud fans, the increased background noise can degrade the overall
quality of a recording. |
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 Desktop
vs. Headset Mics. Because of the growing popularity of
Internet telephony, headset microphones have become widely accessible
at prices well under $30. Because these microphones can serve double
duty for voice recording and Internet telephony, they are worth
considering. Of all the mics that we have tested, the Andrea
headsets seem to work well, but cost a little more. We have
noticed, though, that poor design often makes it difficult to position
these microphones properly in order to avoid excess mic popping
and sibilance. Here are two sample recordings using two different
headset microphones. 1) Radio Shack HeadSet Microphone ($20 version) 2) Plantronics Headset Microphone ($30) |
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 The
Best Quality. If you work at colleges or a university,
you likely have an audio-visual or media services department. If
you want the highest quality narration, consider borrowing a good
mic and portable recorder from the AV department and record your
narration in a quiet setting. Later, you can then transfer the recording
to your computer. Here is a sample recording (same as above) that
uses a digital audio recorder and a professonal microphone. * Digital Audio Recorder with Professional Microphone |
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Additional
advice and detailed instructions on recording audio will be provided
in succeeding lessons and tutorials. |
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Start
Cheap: If you plan to record narration on your computer,
first experiment with the microphone that came with your computer.
If you don't have one, then consider Radio Shack's Desktop Computer
Microphone ($12), or the newer model with noise cancelation ($29).
Both of these mics have a battery at the base which amplifies the
signal and produces a little better quality than mics without batteries.
Here are two sample recordings using two different desktop microphones:
The
Best May be the Worst. Using a high-quality, professional
microphone with your computer's sound card will NOT do any good
because the circuitry of your sound card is not designed for professional
microphones. You can actually damage certain microphones if you
plug them into a PC's mic input device. Only use a high-quality,
professional microphone when recording narration onto a professional
digital or analog recorder.