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Hey, I'm really late, and not as active as I'd like to be, but I just wanted to let you know that I really like your check, great tone and excellent pronunciation. You've definitely got talent for VO work, you should look at getting a better mic and getting demos made.

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Textured/dp/B000EOPQ7E

A lot of people have good luck with this one, and it's a good price.

Absolutely! Happy to provide any details you want. My equipment list is on my website here

On my walls are home-made panels made of OC703, they hang on the walls like picture frames and are non-permanent. I can take more detailed shots of them, if you want.

I recorded this with a Sennheiser 416 shotgun mic, which is my current Go-To mic. I was practically eating it for this recording, cause I wanted an in-your-face sound, but normally I'm about 10 inches off the mic.

The audio goes into Reaper, and I have a few default plugins activated for every track I record. I have them in this order: Gate, deesser, EQ, Compressor, Limiter. I found that the order matters, I use EQ to roll off some bass, and a little bit right in the "S" sound frequency, because the compressor is going to come right in and boost them. I think it sounds better to cut them before the compressor does it's thing. The limiter is at the end to make sure I stay under Amazon ACX guidelines for -3db peaks.

Again, happy to provide any further details you're interested in. If you want more gory details about how I have things set up, just ask. I could talk about this all day!

It really depends on how much you want to spend and what you're planning to do with your setup.

I personally use a Rode NT2-A with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface (or you could get the Solo and save 50 bucks, but I needed two input ports) and I am pretty satisfied with my setup - I've been using both of them for a whole bunch of paid audiobooks I've done over the years, so they've paid for themselves many times over.

I started out with a Blue Yeti myself, but I decided to change it as soon as I started getting more work. It's not a bad mic, but it's not stellar. When it comes to cheaper USB mics though I'd recommend the Rode NT-USB - my NT2-A broke down over the summer and I was supposed to be recording an audiobook, so I needed a decent replacement until my main mic got repaired. It's slightly more expensive than a Blue Yeti (goes for around $170, while the Yeti is around $100), but I think it's a better quality mic. I still keep my NT-USB at home to use for smaller work that doesn't require going to the studio.

Depending on what your budget is, if you are looking to go real cheap, I highly recommend the Blue Snowball. I've done professional quality radio and television commercials with it and would be more than happy to share them with you if you message me.

I paid $50 for it when it was on a gold deal on amazon and right now its just priced at $44 which is fantastic.

As someone who also has this issue (at random intervals, also only while talking, and while using a Blue Yeti) I believe the USB theory is not necessarily a single port problem but more of a problem with how your whole system delivers power to the ports, so swapping ports or changing cables would not make a difference. Removing all other devices powered by USB connections might, if you have any plugged in. As /u/EternalConflict suggested, you could try a wall-powered USB hub (I have not tried this) or there are also devices for "cleaning" the USB power (which I have also not tried) but both are going to require you to price your faith at $20-$40.

What you can do in the meantime is try to find a couple small sections of that buzzy sound (try zooming in and testing right before the start of your words), copy/paste it into a new Audacity file, then use that new file to get your noise removal sample. (I hope I'm making sense.) Usually, if I do that with the sensitivity somewhere around 4, it's good enough to get most of that junk out in one pass without ruining the file. For me, though, anything over 5.5 on the sensitivity generally starts flattening out my voice at a really noticeable level.

Good luck -- I know from experience that this is a really frustrating issue, so I hope you're able to find something that works for you.

I'm using a Blue Yeti and I love it. I only got it last month after me and my friend borrowed someone else's to record an advert for a wee project of his.

It has different direction options which is really handy, too. I record all my stuff next to a noisy desktop so its front facing option is really a lifesaver.

Oh boy - never heard anyone admit they used an internal mic before. But take the following advice, and keep it for everything you do in the future regarding almost anything:

> I'd you ask for an honest opinion and it is given, listen to it.

With that said - start small. You can spend $200 on microphone and equipment for it, and not be anywhere better than the current (a bit over saturated), so first you need to find out if this is fun for you to do. You can make money down the road, but if it's not fun, do something else.

Microphones: there are three types of connectors to you computer: mini jack (please don't), usb (that'll be you), and XLR (for later).

USB microphones plugs into you pc, downloads driver (normally automatically) and you are off flying. Normally people shout "get a Blue Snowball" - that is the go-to microphone for USB. It's $50, and you get some cable to stash yourself away from noise.
And with that, I mean you should get somewhere quiet to record. Hang up your duvet/blanket (self-promosion, sorry) close behind you - it makes a world of difference!

Next - head to castingcall.club and/or Behind The Voice Voice Actors (BTVA), create a free account, and start record something.
You might also want to check out /r/recordthisforfree and pick up tips in /r/voiceacting.

The way I see it, USB mics simply aren't as versatile as XLR. I'd rather have an external mixer or pre-amp any day. That way, you can swap mics, try new ones, and mess around with different setups a lot easier. If you're really just looking for a no frills, no noise way to connect to your computer, check out the Alesis MultiMix 4. Best I've found for under $100. That, along with a decent condenser or even a basic Shure SM58 in a good room will give you a really solid sound well under your budget.

If you are interested this is the mic I am looking to buy. Obviously haven't purchased it so I can't give you a great review but it seems great for the price.

If you have a carpeted room that can be quiet for any length of time (bedroom, closet). You can still get in practice at home without much of a hit on your wallet. That's my current setup and all I have is a $50 USB Mic and use free software Audacity or if you have a mac Garage-band.

Example of quality I get

I still use my Yeti Blue for quick usb recordings. There's nothing wrong with them. Pretty sure that most if not all of the airchecks I've recorded for this forum have been recorded using the Yeti Blue.

My entry-level XLR mic was the Rode NT1A. (It's still part of my setup when I need multiple mics simultaneously.) They are currently on sale one Amazon Rode NT1A but I don't know what the current 38% off / $229 translates into for you up there in Canuckistan. (That's a package price that includes a pop filter, shock mount, mic stand, and xlr cable.)

If you do go with the Rode NT1A, you'll want to take a few basic steps to treat your room if you haven't already. It picks up everything. For example, before I had my room treated properly, I had to stop recording if the refrigerator started running downstairs.

My primary mics are currently a Shure SM7B for studio stuff, and a Shure Beta 58a for live outdoor vocals. But the Rode NT1A is still in the mix from time to time. It's a solid entry-level professional microphone.

This guy

Presonus interface

These are work horses of studio and live sound. We've got them scattered about our school and they're very reliable.

https://www.amazon.com/InnoGear-Microphone-Stabilizing-Recording-Broadcasting/dp/B06XJ19VWG/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_267_lp_t_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VT3AZH8KR7TGNWHRNDA5

Pretty basic setup. Blue Yeti mic connected (USB) to an HP laptop. I record with Audacity. I used Goldwave for a while (got a 1-year license to try it, rather than buying it outright), but found that Audacity did everything I needed, plus it was free. 'Pop filter' is some paper towel held in place over the mic with an elastic band. The mic sits inside an empty copy paper box, standing on end, packed with towels. It might not be pretty, but it works!

I'm actually considering dropping a few dollars on an arm stand and shock mount setup to make things a bit tidier around here. Though I wouldn't need the cable included in that kit.

Thanks! I've just started to really work on my various accents ( got a sweet book to help ). I'm American, so I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle with the ridiculous amounts of different English/Commonwealth accents.

I may be a little late to this, but my advice would be to get something very soft around the mic in a semi-sphere (something akin to this: Isolation shield) and speak very, very softly (NPR style) about an inch or two to the left or right of the mic, with the mic turned to point at your mouth (don't speak directly into the mic, your breath will ruin the recording). Keep in mind, this will make it sound very bassy due to the proximity effect and may not remove all of the reverb, but it can cut it down a great deal.

It's this stand with this isolation shield.

The booth is 2m tall, but I'm kinda short at 5'6" so it's plenty tall enough for me.