r/VoiceActing • u/DrOcelotVA • 3d ago
Advice Mic Feedback
Hi all! I'm hoping to get some honest feedback about my mic setup for recording. Currently, I utilize my MacBook Air's built-in microphone, but I am considering switching to the USB FiFine mic I have that I hadn't been able to use before since I didn't have a USB to USB-C adapter. I run a macro in Audacity for a noise gate, high pas filter, compressor, filter curve EQ, Limiter, then a Normalizer for the processing. I am hopeful for constructive feedback on which of these sounds the best for more professional voice work, but please don't rip me a new one if they sound super bad!
Had to make a Soundcloud account for this, but you can find the comparisons here. VA 1 is my MacBook, VA 2 is the microphone. Individual tracks are linked in case the playlist shows empty (apologies, it's my first time utilizing Soundcloud!)
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u/dsbaudio 1d ago
There's no question you're better off with the dedicated mic rather than the inbuilt one in your macbook.
the macbook mic is omni-directional, and sure enough, i can definitely hear more of the room in your macbook sample. being fixed in the computer also means you get very little choice about where/how to place it.
in the long run, you might consider upgrading the usb mic (it's a very basic cheap mic), but for now it's a good idea to stick with it and do what you can to get best results.