Audio Jerks: Help me out!

[nathansmart]

I have one of the Blue Snowball USB mics that I got years ago when they first came out. I bought it for some basic podcasting and so I could have some better recordings when I was doing Indie Blockedappella on a regular basis.

Now-a-days, I don't use it as much because I'm lazy, but I never did get the hang of it. Every time I would record any loud singing the vocals would completely distort. I've talked with plenty of people about this and the answer I always get is to turn down the input volume in the audio preference pane in Mac OS X. I feel like I've done that to the point of it actually being too low to even work well.

Is there something I'm missing here?*

*A better mic (along with a mixer) is not the answer I want to hear, even though I'm sure that's it. I'm just trying to work with what I have for now.

[Trial]

do you have a compressor

[nathansmart]

it's a USB mic so no. I'm sure there's something in GarageBand but I don't know how any of that stuff works. I mean, I know how to get it to work, but I don't know what does what and how much of it I should use.

[Jack]

Sounds a lot like this issue discussed here:
There have been reports like this from 10.4.10 to the present Mac OS as Apple made a critical change in its Core Audio drivers with the Leopard architecture. The way that we have found out to bypass this until Apple addresses this in a fix is to change the Audio Midi Setup menu options for input and output to 48k. I have attached a document showing how this can be done.

[nathansmart]

No, this is clearly a user issue. I really don't know how stop my mic from distorting when I sing loud into it. Maybe I just need a recording tutorial...

[pg13]

Have you tried NOT singing loudly into it?

That, I think, would solve your problem...

pg--Or, and again, this is just a thought, perhaps you want to move your head further away from the microphone when you're about to get louder...maybe even go so far as to step back from the microphone when you're loud...and move closer when you're not so loud. Again, I'm just trying to be helpful.--seattle

[guyswithfeelings]

nathan,
i'm not great with this stuff, but my understanding is that USB mikes suck shit, and are cosidered a rip-oof. I have two.
when i bring mine out audio snobs really lay into me.
nash

[Batman The Horse]

You need a compressor/limiter. This is the reason they exist. The noise you hear is most likely digital distortion from the output (from the mic) exceeding the maximum amount of volume the input (your computer) can take (or in this case the ADC in your mic). A software compressor won't work because the audio needs to be compressed/limited before it hits the input on the computer. I'm not sure what to do about your microphone having a USB plug, maybe there's a converter for it (that would output to 1/4"/XLR)?

Once your microphone/a microphone is plugged into a compressor/limiter just plug the thing into the Line In on your computer. Before your do the real recording do a few test recordings (where you are really loud, normal talking and then really quiet) fiddling with the three-plus knobs until you find a sound that is good to your ears.

Commercial radio compresses the shit out of their signal until everything is the same volume... for podcasts this is probably fine, too, since it's just people talking. PM me or find me on AIM if you have more questions.

edit: also, you could be overloading the mic if things are tooooo loud (like a normal guitar amp turned up all the way) since I think your mic is a condenser and they are more sensitive than the other kind. Still, this is probably not it.

[drieux]

I would second the compressor/limiter. While I do agree that, as an audio jerk, I have found USB microphones to be giant hunks of junk, I think the Snowball is decent enough for what it sounds like you want to use it for and a cheap compressor would keep your extended costs from going completely bonkers.

And for podcasting, yup - compress the hell out of it. In my radio work everything is compressed to the nth degree, simply because you're trying to optimize for the conditions you can't control - the final listening experience. You don't know if somebody is going to be listening on an iPod, to a burned CD in their car or if they're going to transfer it over to an 8-track and play it on a mono deck in their dad's rumpus room. So you make the most out of what you can and compress it for that very reason.

Also, most modern music is the same way. So if you were wondering why you get a headache after hearing a Fall Out Boy song, that's why.

Y'know, other than the whole "sucking giant balls" part of Fall Out Boy.

[nathansmart]

thanks guys!

[karyrogers]

I usually put my snowball on setting #2 on the back so I can stay close to the mic without having it peak too much. That said, I've struggled with the same issues with my snowball. I have to be really careful because it peaks fairly easily. Sometimes I get great sounding recordings with it, other times not so much. If I had to do it over, I'd buy a cheap mixer and XLR mic.

[nathansmart]

I may just end up doing that anyways... Thanks!