Zen and the Art of Buying Your First Microphone

If you want to monetise your skills and knowledge by selling audio downloads you may be wondering, “Which microphone should I buy?” These three holistic entrepreneurs chose very different microphones, for different reasons.

Faye Rogersfaye-crystal-2-Small is an animal communicator, healer, teacher and writer. She had already bought a Sony Recorder before enrolling in Monetise Your MP3s, so she asked me;

“Would I be best to purchase a microphone and record on the computer instead of my new Sony Recorder? I am a bit of techno idiot so everything is totally new for me.”

 

I told Faye that it depends what you want to use the recorder for. If you want to mix background music or sound effects alongside your voice then you might as well record straight into recording software on your computer (this is covered in my course). But if you just want to sell an MP3 of your voice, i.e; a short audio book or voice-only lecture without music, then the Sony recorder could be fine. Try recording an MP3 and then listen to it with headphones from an iPod or smartphone, like your clients would do. Then see if the quality sounds good enough. If you don’t have a mic already, the mic in your Sony recorder will be better than the mic built into your computer. If your Sony recording device has four tracks you could add your own music in the recorder and upload it to the computer together.

Faye bought a PC Laptop Lapel Lavalier Microphone (also known as a tie clip-on mic) and has now created many guided meditations, some of which are bonuses in her e-course Crystal Essences Rock. 

 

jane-huttonJane Hutton, functional nutritionist and healthy foodie said,

“One thing that confuses me is the equipment to buy if I plan to do videos as well as mp3 for different products. I’m going to upgrade to an iPhone 5 to use for filming – will the mic be good enough to record for video or will I have to record separately then edit the film and audio files together?”

 

I told Jane that she can record straight to iPhone with a lapel mic that costs only £10. I’ve used a cheap microphone plugged into a much posher camera (£700 – it’s not mine!) to make many of the videos for my sound recording e-course. Jane first went for a Boya lapel mic which didn’t work well and she had little info to work out why – it should have been plug and play, even with a Mac. In the end she found the mic on the iPhone itself, its earbuds, or the Logitech camera mic used via Quicktime, were more than adequate.

She says, “For my professional videos, my son uses professional equipment as my film maker, but for audios or mini vids, the iPhone and Logitech have been great.”

Jane uses an iPhone, or a Logitech camera mic. Her Functional Foodie series of videos shows how to make smoothies the healthy way for a quick nutrient boost.

 

Michelle Anita WirtaMichele Anita Wirta, The Soul Translator said,

“Hey Peggy, I’m just about to get a Blue Yeti mic through Amazon and thought I’d check in with you about a thumbs up, or if there is a smaller version (a lapel mic?) that could work as well? Thanks!”

 

My reply to Michelle was that The Blue Yeti will always be far superior to budget lapel mics, but it may be an unnecessary investment when budget lapel mic’s can give very good results. You could try a £10 lapel mic in different locations around the house, do lots of test recordings and listen back on your headphones before going for the final takes. Then if you need better quality invest a little money. Michelle decided to go for the Blue Yeti anyway as she was planning on doing in-person interviews as well, so wanted a stand-up higher quality mic.

Michelle uses a Blue Yeti USB microphone with a separate pop shield. She now offers four meditations as gifts to Sheroes taking part in her Mini Soul Clarity & Manifestation Course (free). 

I just wanted Michelle and the other students to know that for taking my e-course you can spend just £20 on a mic and still get a good result. As with anything on Amazon, it’s always helpful to check the reviews of a mic you’re considering buying.

Which microphone should I buy?!

So the answer is generally, don’t spend too much, read Amazon reviews and do some test recordings to make sure you’re happy with the sound that you’ve got. You may also be surprised to know that your smart phone probably has a pretty good mic inside of it.

Overcome your technophobia today – without spending any money! Check out this free training: Create an Audio Download in 60 Minutes or Less. In about an hour you could record something on your iPhone and sell it online!

Create Your First Audio Download in Just 60 Minutes
Free Masterclass + Get techie tips & biz advice to sell your sounds.

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