"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
Eeyore wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
For recording speech you want a mixer with a half decent
compressor/limiter.
Many ppl have managed without compressors just fine.
Depends on how you define 'fine'.
My defintion of fine is "avoided disturbing modulation of background
noise".
The OP suggests it will be for recording public meetings with multi-mics.
So by nature no real chance to pre-set levels at a rehearsal - especially
if there are questions from the audience. Of course if recording to good
digital you could simply record leaving plenty headroom. But then
you'll likely end up with a dynamic range far too great for home listening.
And what issues may there be that either freeware or modestly priced
software, say sam-ultralite, aka magix home studio or sam lite, aka sam
9SE or something to that effect can not solve?
I record speech (as well as other things) for a living and even on drama
where you do get a rehearsal I'd end up with clipping on occasion without
the use of a compressor.
You *do* manage to avoid clipping the mic input pre, right?
In my case, an SQN mixer - which has probably the
finest one available for this sort of thing.
IMO the questionee needs a "12 channel" Behringer mixer sans digital
effcts and the required number of external phono-pres. He can even get
one tossed in with one of the software packages that comes to mind,
Magix Audio Restoration suite (or something to that effect), multiple
distribution versions, one of those comes with phono-pre amp. There's a
neat lil' sound editor included, as I recall this with compression
capability. There is also Adobe Audition for those that want to use more
money and of course also SAM9.
Of course like all these aids you need to know what it does and how to use
it.
True, the simpler the better, not just for the novice user, for any
user.
Dave Plowman London SW
Kind regards
Peter Larsen