The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > RECORD

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-22-2020, 09:33 AM
gfsark gfsark is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 669
Default Music live-stream concert, just did my first one, need help improving the signal

For the grandkids and their friends, I live-streamed a 20 minute concert of Raffi songs using Zoom. About 6 different houses logged in, and it was such a blast seeing the kids and having fun with music!

The mic used was a Blue Snowball ice which I got at Target the night before—-the last one on the shelf because there has been a run on such equipment. That mic worked a lot better than the laptop’s mic, and had a usb plug which made interface simple, but still the result wasn’t that great. The laptop camera was OK.

Comment on the sound was that it was weak, and somewhat subject to fade-in and out. Now I want to get a much more powerful and clear signal going out on live-stream. Looking for suggestions. I have mics that I use for singing, both condenser and dynamic, but couldn’t figure out how to interface these into the laptop in a hurry, hence my trip to Target.

Open to all ideas. Willing to buy equipment with modest budget. All my other gigs have canceled and I want to go live. Thanks for your help.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-22-2020, 09:43 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 5,960
Default

That doesn't sound like a mic problem as much as it does a set-up problem. I believe Blue snowball mics have two polar pattern options, cardioid and omnidirectional . If you're using the cardioid pattern, you can't have a lot of movement while you're playing or you'll be moving to the edges of the area where the mic is picking up sound. Choosing omnidirectional would probably yield better results so far as eliminating the fading but poorer results in adding in much more of your room which probably isn't optimized for this stuff.
__________________
Jim
2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi
2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood
2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar
2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce
2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce
1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce

along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos.

YouTube
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-23-2020, 09:59 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: On the Mass/NH border
Posts: 6,663
Default

To use any of your other (non USB) mics, you will need an audio interface.
__________________
Mike

My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com

2020 Taylor 324ceBE
2017 Taylor 114ce-N
2012 Taylor 310ce
2011 Fender CD140SCE
Ibanez 12 string a/e
73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string

72 Fender Telecaster
Epiphone Dot Studio
Epiphone LP Jr
Chinese Strat clone

Kala baritone ukulele
Seagull 'Merlin'
Washburn Mandolin
Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele
antique banjolin
Squire J bass
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-23-2020, 06:46 PM
gfsark gfsark is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 669
Default

Well, to answer my own question. I used Rode M3 condenser mic, into FocusRite 2i2 mic preamp, and then via usb into computer. Result was a very clean signal with almost no background noise, according to the people on the video-conference session.

Vastly superior to the Blue SnowBall Ice. But then that’s $300+ dollars of audio equipment vs. $50. Wasted money perhaps, but I was in a panic to make the vid conference work, and stressed out, and just couldn’t think of what else to do at the tine, because my equipment was in a big jumble...Now that I have lots of time at home waiting for Godot, I’ll add organizing my gear to the list.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > RECORD

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:29 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=