Hey all, I'm still just trying to get my parts together to try a CBG build. Meantime, I wanted to do a few talkie recordings on youtube, but have NO CLUE how to get the sound I want. I am severely musically challenged so please bare with my posts. I DID find the sound I like and want to record in. Recording would either be DIRECTLY into the Laptop, or record into my Stereo (has line in). Please see this youtube video -- I believe he is a CBN member. I'd LOVE to know how to do that mic sound. Is there some way to build a thing to record with? Link here: https://www.youtube.com/user/redeyedramblers#p/u/5/WKNLIkwYs-g Thanks for any thoughts Jim

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  • I use a green bullet harp mic and the cheapest overdrive pedal I could find.I've had better luck with the overdrive pedal than with a distortion. Just tweak the knobs until you get what you want. You could use any mic with a pedal but need an XLR to !/4" adapter to pug it in. I've made the piezo in a can mic before and had pretty good results. There's a sample of the harp mic on my page called work in progress just to give you an idea how it sounds. Everyone's ideas here are good. Just a matter of how you want to do it and the budget you have!!!! Always seems to be my biggest problem.....

  • Make a piezo "surface mic" and tape it onto the bottom of a soup can (or turnip greens for "authenticity").

    Mount your can to a home made broomstick mic stand, and plug it into your mic input.

    Make some noise.

    Audacity is a good free choice for recording, theres other cheap or free options as well. I havent used it in ages, but a recording program that will work with effects "plug ins" would broaden your range for experimenting, as many basic assorted plug-ins are also cheap, or free.

  • Recording on the cheap:

     

    Try using an old set of headphones, earphones, or even earbuds. The smaller they are, the more lo-fi you'll get, and it will be in stereo if you record them that way. Plug it into your computer's microphone input, which is usually a pinkish color. If it has an inline volume control, turn it up all the way.

     

    I even connected a little speaker I ripped out of an old tape recorder to a mic input. It actually sounded pretty good.

     

  • Yeah I say go for audacity....it will make all the difernec in the world...just dont save aas an MP3 file...it will sound terrible...other than that direct recording gives you lotsa of options
  • Do a google search for Audacity.  It's free and very powerful.
  • Thanks guys.
    Let me clarify... talk to me like a cheap Idiot, hahaha

    Filters? Please understand, the only recording software I have is windows built in WAV REC, ahhhhhh

    Can I make it any harder? hahaha

    Kindest
    jim
  • In addition to using an old phone handset, you might just try using a regular vocal mic into your computer setup and then use a high pass and low pass filter to bandwidth narrow the vocal track.  Old analog phones were about 800Hz to 4kHz.  So in your recording software go to EQ and set a high pass at 800Hz and a second filter for low pass of 4kHz.  It will give you a similar effect without the distortion.  There are plenty of ways of adding distortion if you want but try this first as you would need no additional equipment.
  • I believe it's done using an old army-type field telephone handset...the carbon element gives you that hard-edged distortion. Alternatively you can go for a "Coppertone" mic..more sophisticated and expensive, and a more subtle tone.
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