For those of you that are interested in VO, lots of people were asking me this question all the time, so I’m posting the answer below:
Want to record auditions from home? On a budget? It can be done! To get a basic setup – perfect for email mp3 auditions, it’s easier than you might think. Read on to find out how…
Disclaimer
I am not responsible for anything I suggest breaking your set up. You purchased it, you installed it, ergo you broke your own shit. These opinions are mine and your mileage may vary. That said…
Equipment you’ll need:
Computer
You’ll need one purchased with in the last year or two. An older machine might do the job but for best results with these instructions, a Mac running OS X (10.5 or 10.6), or a PC running Windows XP (SP2 or SP3) or later will be fine. Either machine must have at least one USB and one Firewire port for additional equipment connection.
Microphone
On a budget, for auditions, you’ll want something with a microphone and audio interface combined. That way you can plug the Microphone directly into the computer. Many choices are available but right now the best on a budget (IMO) is the Samson Audio G-Track it’s a high quality mic WITH audio input monitoring, meaning you can hear your voice in your headphones while you record unlike the Blue Snowball Microphone. The G-track is my top pick right now and you can find them for about $130-$150, at Amazon, Sweetwater, and B&H. It works with Mac or PC so it doesn’t matter where you buy it.
External Hard Drive
For optimal recording, with no lost audio or broken tracks, an External Hard Drive is a must! It will save space on your computer’s hard drive; plus most audio programs work best when they record to a hard drive other than the one running the program.
There are many External Hard Drives to choose from – but for quality, reliability and price I’ve have had great success with Other World Computing drives. They are professionally built from the best components, have a great warranty + support, and are generally cheaper than those of lesser quality found at big box retailers like Best Buy. I recommend the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Quad interface – many are available to fit any size or budget.
Software
The best kind of software for this type of recording is free (we are on a budget)! On the Mac, Garage Band is ok and it’s included. However, for recording, editing and exporting to MP3 – Audacity is IMO faster and easier to learn. Audacity is also free it has a simpler interface, great quality and easy export – you’ll be sending off your MP3′s in no time. On a PC Audacity is also the way to go. Download Audacity here.
Just hook it all up – learn the program – and start auditioning from home.
Though this little machine is quite useful in many ways my attempts to run VDMX5 through this little beast have largely fallen flat. Unless your’e triggering tiny clips, the internal 5400rpm HD just isn’t fast enough to interact with SD cards for smooth performance. I’m thinking about going to an SSD in this little guy just to see what will happen? Then again, spending another 200 bones on this “cheap” netbook is looking less and less likely. If anyone else out there has a mini system up and running for VJ gigs let me know I’d love to tell folks how it went.
