Recording sound into the Mac
 

How can one record voice over directly into the G5 with a consenser microphone?

Just what do you have in mind when you say "directly into?" Do you mean just plugging a mic into the existing soundcard or what? Or are you asking about what software you need? Perhaps the most direct method would be to choose one of the several mics on the market today that plug directly into a USB port. If you can give us a little more info on what hardware you already have and what you're trying to accomplish with it we can be a little more helpful.

Kevin, there are many USB and firewire devices that will do this. To use a condenser, you would need to have a micpre with phantom power or select a FW/USB interface that has one or more built-in. Do a google search on firewire audio interface or usb audio interface. There are tons of these things out there, MOTU ultralite, traveler or 828, Apogee Mini-me, Focusrite, M-audio, etc.

Best, Scott

A mixer, compressor or mic pre with phantom power would be a good first step, unless you are buying an all-in-one interface option that's strictly for audio such as the units suggested by Scott above.

But, if you have the need for or already own an NLE card such as those made by AJA or Blackmagic, you can use their inputs. I have found that Soundtrack Pro, which is part of the Final Cut suite, does a very good job for us in the VO department.

Our setup is AKG-414 mic, Joe Meek VC-1 compressor/pre, Mackie 1404-VLZ mixer, G5 with AJA Kona LHe card, Final Cut software suite. That's listed in the order that the audio path travels for VO sessions.

Investigate the Griffin iMic - an excellent (and low cost) audio A/D and D/A input/output device, that takes 3.5mm plugs (mic or line level signal) and converts to and from USB. Mates with any Mac perfectly.

(This assumes your mic comes out on a 3.5mm jack, of course.)

I've not heard of a condenser microphone that goes to mini-jack. Any that I'm aware of will require phantom power, and therefore, an XLR connection.

I'm not a sound expert so don't ask me how it works but my sound guy uses a mac laptop and an M Box to record audio directly to pro tools.

Here is the thing i'm talking about.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun0...idesgnmbox.asp

thanks, currently I have an audio techinica condenser mike with XLR connections -- perhaps for just infrequent use, I should just use the mini DV -- but this is good into to know.

Which mic specifically?

I gather your 'just use the miniDV' option you refer to the rather useful but round-about ability for one to connect an XLR Phantom powered mic into an XLR equipped camcorder (e.g. Z1, PD150, etc), connect the camcorder via firewire to the computer, and hook up to the output in one's recording software (as a Mac person, I used this setup a great deal to do emergency VO work in Final Cut Pro).

It kind of works, but I've finally settled on a slightly more ambitious (yet still portable) rig:

Edirol UA-25 (USB 44.1/48/96 box with phantom power, pre-amp and compressor)
Boom Recorder - http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/
(great Mac recording app with plug-in to txfer T/C to FCP)

Boom Recorder is worth a look - for those of us not requiring a full digital audio workstation, but still needing things like T/C, multichannel, accurate metering, high quality from good mics etc, for $20, it's great.

There's little touches like a keystroke which will stop one recording, save it, increment the take number, and start a new recording instantaneously (you can but the two together without missing a sample). Great for when the VO talent gets frustrated over an impossible line.

The Edirol wasn't quite the box I'd hoped it to be. It works fine. I can't fault its quality. I could have done with more control over the compression (it's actually more of a limiter) and really want more pre-amp (for quiet mics like the Coles).

HTH.