Listen fellow robots, this is the story about how I tried, only to miserably fail, once more.
>be me
>18, failing school
>everything's wrong in my life
>decide to finally do something about it
>dream of recording stuff and maybe even make a living out of it.
>decide to try to recording myself playing the piano
>don't know how to set up the shit I bough
>huge background noise, shit recording quality
>mfw I spent $300 on mics and cables I don't know how to use
>mfw I realise I'm too retarded to do anything.
>inb4 OP is even too retarded to properly greentext
Don't worry, I'll go back to lurking
>>29507545
Well, figure it out. Keep experimenting with levels and settings until you get a decent sound.
>>29507545
Okay, I'll give you some tips:
>position microphone close to piano strings for best sound
>make sure your input level is just below the red, but not hitting the red, to get a loud signal but avoid distortion
>use EQ settings to bring out a bright, vibrant sound quality
>expensive microphones are only as good as the engineer's skills
Now go play that honky-tonk music like a boss and make a million bucks, OP.
>>29507909
You'll be in the credits, don't worry.
Might be all the cables doing some sort of interferences.
But I'm done for today, neither Google nor myself could help me out for the moment.
>>29508005
Cables are the easiest part. They can't cause problems unless they're damaged. They just connect A to B. What are you using to record?
>>29508040
Well, here's the full setup :
Mic (stc-3d lanen) -> XLR -> phantom thingy -> XLR to jack cable -> Soundcard (Asus XONAR) -> Audacity (cos I can't figure out how Edison in FL Studio works)
>>29508078
>phantom thingy -> XLR to jack cable
What outputs does the phantom power unit offer? Just XLR?
Are you using an XLR to 1/8" cable?
If you're using 1/8" phono inputs on the soundcard, use the Stereo input, not the "Mic" input (which is mono).
If your soundcard has RCA inputs, and the phantom power has stereo RCA outputs, then use RCA cables.
>>29508185
My phantom power only has XLR inpu/output.
I'm using 1/8" input but there's only one input on the soundcard, not sure how I know if it's mono or stereo.
>If your soundcard has RCA inputs
no RCA on the phantom power, nor on the soundcard (except if that's what the "front-ctr-rear" output is)
anon, I feel like I've taken enough of your time already, only reply if you have nothing better to do
>>29508078
>Audacity
Also, you may have to adjust your input volume levels to get a decent, non-distorting signal, since I assume the phantom power doesn't have a volume knob or anything. The way to do this:
>right click Volume icon on toolbar (looks like a speaker)
>select "Recording Devices"
>choose your input (presumably "Stereo Mix"), click "Properties" button
>click "Levels" tab in new window, adjust volume as necessary
Pic related, on Win 8. XP/7/10 etc have similar methods but it might not look identical.
>>29508296
What's some good recording software with tutorials out there ?
Also : I do get a decent sound level. The issue is this constant buzzing sound, whether there's input or not.
>>29508334
REAPER is the best free recording software I've ever seen. It's professional-level, and highly versatile.
If there's just a constant buzzing or humming sound, that could indicate the signal is unbalanced, or your computer is also recording audio from a webcam mic or something like that.
The generic, monoaural "mic input" on laptops and soundcards is really awful for some reason; I never use it for recording. I wouldn't be surprised if that "mic input" was the cause of the buzzing. If that's your only input, you might want to get a different soundcard or a USB device that acts like a soundcard. My recording laptop only has that shit "mic input", so I get around the problem with the Behringer UCA202, it's an inexpensive little box that plugs into a USB port and makes itself your soundcard. It receives and sends in stereo, it works great.
>>29508559
Thank you. I'll try this out.
>>29508757
Hope it helps, anon. Wish I could offer more specific advice, but recording issues have a million variables. So much trial-and-error involved until it finally works right...
Good luck!