G-Day Mairead,

I guess it depends on how much experience you have using these higher end products and how much you are willing to invest to make your voice and studio sound "INCREDIBLE."

Truth be told, I believe that it is possible to have a fantastic sounding studio using what some consider "consumer" level equipment.

Do you need a "Class A, Large Diaphragm" condenser mic for "studio" quality? I guess that also depends on what you think "studio" quality means? There is no question that a Neumann TLM 49 or 103, which are Class A, is what large professional studios use. Does that mean you need to shellout $2K to do what those studios do? Simple answer. You don't do what they do. In home studio voice over, there are less variables. You aren't creating one thing that is supposed to mix with 20 others. There are some variables you need to understand however. More on that in bit.

All that matters is YOUR voice.

Different voices sound better with different types of mics. "Class A Large diaphragm" covers a lot of ground and price range. I started out with an Audio Technica 3035 a few years back ($199 at Guitar Center and few others) and I was finding work. OK, I upgraded to a TLM 103 after a while, when I could afford to. In listening back to stuff I did before that however, I found that the $199 mic reproduced my voice in fine style. Now the TLM 103 is great, but was it worth the $1000 upgrade? My many clients couldn't tell.

One of the things I've done over the past few years, like any professional studio does, is create a stable of different mics for different situations. I love to experiment. We've talked about USB mics, which can save your bacon on the road. ("New Breed of USB Microphones") I also purchased a studio "ribbon mic" which I use for re-creating the classic 1940's CBS radio sound when needed. I still have my 3035 which is useful for a multi-mic set-up when I have more than one person in my studio.

Yes you need a "good" microphone, but don't over do it at first until you get a feel for what you sound like. Start off with something affordable like the 3035 or other Class A Large Diaphragm condensers in that price range.

To your second question about firewire interfaces. Same principle. You don't need to take out a second mortgage to have a great home studio. The RME fireface 400 is like a $1000 bucks! It has all sorts of bells and whistles. I find that to be very high end for what you need. Very true, a firewire or USB interface combines many functions like a pre-amp and 48 volt phantom power to charge up a condenser mic as well as being a direct digital input to your PC. So does a $350 Presonus Firebox, and everyones favorite, the M-Audio MobilePre USB, which retails for around $149. I think that people get excited over the idea of the multi-channel recording these high-end boxes can do. Hey! You only need ONE. TWO if you are adding stereo music to your final mix. (These boxes become your computers sound card.)

This is going to sound off subject, but it really isn't. One of the keys to great sound is having what the studio engineers refer to as "the audio chain." It's not just one, magic bullet apparatus. I have 4 steps to my audio chain. My mic, (Whichever I chose to use that particular day for whatever particular reason) A Presonus Tube Pre preamp ($99) which provides me phantom power, a 20Db pad, an analogue VU meter, and a gain control to really get the max out of any mic I plug into it. (Very important with a ribbon mic) (Don't buy one of those yet) From there, the sound goes by XLR cable to a MIXER. Mine is a Yamaha MG10/2 with 4 mic inputs. NOT EXPENSIVE! $120?)

Why a mixer?

Several reasons. the most important is ATTENUATION. When you are setting up your mic for a recording session, you need to attenuate the sensitivity of the mic input. Each read is different and you need to check your levels for each one. The mixer also gives you some equalization options if you want to emphasize or de-emphasize a certain frequency of your voice. You want your audio signal perfect BEFORE you send it to your digital interface (USB or Firewire). The mixers multiple outputs allow me the ability to send the audio signal somewhere else like another computer or ISDN or one of the other new studio to studio links. (See "A Primer On ISDN And Other Similar Technologies:The Rapidly Changing World of Studio Link-Ups") Just thinking ahead. From there my signal goes from the mixers output to my Presonus Firebox (or my ol' Mobile Pre USB) and into my PC. (or mac)

Does an RME Fireface do all that? Yeah, sort of. My audio chain gives me far more flexibility and control at a reduced cost. Around $600 as opposed to $1000, and that is Money In The Bank in more ways than one!

Bottom line? Learn each step of this process and how each affects your studios sound. Going for the all-in-one solution may sound like a quicker path to success, but in my mind ( A shabby place to be sure) knowing each individual variable and how to control it puts you in charge. More on these individual variables in future blogs...

Master VO out... ((((GONG)))))