Contents

Introduction
Inexpensive Microphones
Professional Microphones for Meetings
Microphones for Voiceovers and Podcasting
Recording Phone Conversations
USB Adapters and Professional Sound Cards
Sound System Interfaces
Digital Recorders

Introduction

After SoniClear, the most important tool you need to create professional quality recordings is a high quality microphone. SoniClear offers microphone products that handle most recording situations.

There are also many microphones compatible with computers to handle a wide variety of recording needs. We have tried to test all of the models that are available in stores and online. Based on our tests, there are major differences between the products. You may find that the microphone built-in or included with your computer will meet your needs. However, using one of the recommended microphones will probably provide better sound quality. The best approach to determine the optimal microphone is to experiment with different models while recording with SoniClear on your computer.

Important Note: When testing a microphone, if the volume is very low, review the Troubleshooting Page information for options for fixing the problem. If adjustments to boost the sound card level do not work, the microphone you are testing may not be computer compatible.

Inexpensive Conference Microphone

Labtec 333

The Labtec 333 is included in all SoniClear products. This is a good general purpose microphone for recording meetings, presentations and dictation. It picks up sound from the entire room, so it most useful in smaller, quiter rooms, or rooms that have good sound systems.

The Labtec 333 microphone is compatible with virtually all currently available sound cards. We have not found any sound card that it does not work with, and the sound quality is much better than most inexpensive microphones.

The Labtec 333 is available from most Labtec dealers. Estimated Price: $10.

Available at Amazon.com: Labtec PC Mic 333

Professional Microphones for Meetings

Centrum Sound CM-3

For recording meetings, the most economical professional-quality microphone is the CM-3. It can be recognized by its unique triangular shape. The microphone is placed on the table or other hard, flat surface. This product uses the "boundary microphone" design which provides excellent pickup of voices from around a room. This microphone can also be "daisy-chained" to connect up to 4 microphones into a single computer microphone input. This provides for even better sound pickup when recording meetings held at long conference tables. Cables can be combined for up to 50 feet in length.

When combining multiple microphones in a noisy environment, it may be desirable to add an automatic mixer to the configuration. This will allow only a single microphone to be turned on at a time, cutting down on background noise, such as room resonance and paper shuffling. With an automatic mixer, up to 8 microphones can be combined for coverage of large conferences.

The CM-3 is not compatible with older sound cards, but was found to work with most newer computer systems. You will have to test it with your specific computer to determine compatibility. There is a possibility that the sound card will need to be configured differently to make the sound level high enough. See the Troubleshooting Page for details.

The CM-3 microphone is available from Trio Systems as a two-microphone kit that allows the microphones to be used either as a dual microphone setup for larger conference tables, or as two separate microphones for recording in smaller rooms. Part Number CM3D, Price $245.

The CM-3 is also available directly from Centrum Sound. Estimated Price: $90.

Additional CM3 Information: centrumsound.com/cm.html

Centrum Sound sells the Audio Technica MX341a automatic mixer along with CM-3 microphones, and the required cabling to connect to a computer system. Estimated price: $650.

Additional Audio Technica MX341a information: Audio Technica Product Info

Acoustic Magic Voice Tracker

The Voice Tracker microphone is a specialized device designed for recording board room meetings. If you are recording in a medium-sized conference room where there are problems with the clarity of voice, this would be a good microphone to consider as an alternative to the daisy-chained CM3 setup mentioned above.

The patented design consists of eight microphones and an audio processing computer ("DSP chip"). As someone speaks in the room, the microphone virtually "points" the eight individual microphones towards that person, blocking out other sounds in the room. In addition, the DSP chip can remove background noises from the audio signal. This is especially helpful for transcribing meetings where there is noise in the room, such as air conditioning, video projectors, or background street noise, that interfere with being able to hear clearly.

The Voice Tracker requires either a line-in connection on the computer, or you can use the USB adapter available from Acoustic Magic (which is compatible with the automatic USB detection system in SoniClear).

For connecting the Voice Tracker to the computer at a distance of more than 3 feet, you will need to purchase an additional audio extension cable. For up to about 16 feet, the least expensive solution is the Radio Shack cable (see Part # 42-2493). For greater distances, the output of the Voice Tracker will need to be converted to a balanced line signal and connected to the computer using the MAudio MobilePre USB audio adapter, or similar device. We recommend the Shure A96F adapter (see Full Compass on Amazon) or the Hosa MIT-156 (see B&H Online Catalog).

SoniClear Dealer eMicrophones offers a bundle of SoniClear software along with the Voice Tracker. They have two different configurations, a single Voice Tracker unit and a dual unit connected together using a Y Adapter. For SoniClear Gov, see their Government Applications Page. For SoniClear Enterprise, see their Business Applications Page.

The Voice Tracker with USB adapter is available from Trio Systems, part number USBVT, price $345.

The Voice Tracker is also available directly from Acoustic Magic. Additional information: www.acousticmagic.com

Microphones for Voiceovers and Podcasting

To record voiceovers and podcast commentaries, there are no inexpensive choices for professional quality results. A new microphone, the Samson C01U combines a broadcast studio microphone with a USB computer interface. SoniClear dealer eMicrophones combines this microphone with a stand for a complete setup ($169 from eMicrophones) .

Other combinations of equipment and microphones are possible, depending of budget. Consult with a local audio retailer (such as Guitar Center), or look at the podcasting equipment packages offered at BSW

Recording Phone Conversations

You can record from the telephone by using an adapter that connects the phone handset to the computer microphone jack. There are a number of products that do this. Many are inexpensive and of very poor quality, producing recordings that may have extreme hum or other noise and distortion problems.

JK Audio

The JK Audio QuickTap and CellTap products are computer compatible devices that plug into the microphone input of the computer. QuickTap records audio from the phone by connecting in-line with the handset. This makes it compatible with digital PBX phone systems, as well as regular phones. CellTap plugs in-line with the 2.5mm cellphone headset connector, making it compatible with most cellphones and portable phones. The recording quality for both of these devices is good for capturing conversations accurately and without too much noise or distortion. These are available from JK Audio dealers, such as BSW. Estimated Price: $60.

For recording of interviews for webcasting the phone taps do not provide the level of quality that most people expect, based on what they are used to hearing on the radio. JK Audio has developed two new product to solve this problem, Broadcast Host and InnKeeper PBX. These "digital hybrid" phone devices will provide sound quality comparable to what you typically hear on the radio. We have not tested either product yet, however, based on the reputation of JK Audio, they should work well, and are designed to be simple to use with a computer. Order from JK Audio dealers, such as BSW Estimated Price: $460. Requires using a professional microphone and headphones for the "studio" side of the call.

With some computers, connecting a phone tap or digital hybrid will cause there to be hum on the phone line and on the recording. If switching to a different computer or sound card, or running off of battery power (in the case of laptops) does not solve this problem, you will need an "isolation transformer". See notes about isolation transformers under the Sound System Interface section below.

Plantronics

When using a Plantronics headset, the Plantronics headset amplifier can be replaced with their special "multimedia" amplifier, model MX10 (see the Plantronics Website for technical details). Plantronics products are available only through dealers, such as SKC Communication Products, for an approximate list price of $135.

USB Adapters and Professional Sound Cards

Most computers include sound card capability, either built into the system or with an additional sound card. For recording from a computer-compatible microphone, these will be adequate for most situations. If the sound quality provided by the existing audio input is inadequate, this can be resolved by upgrading to a professional quality sound card, or using an external USB sound adapter. Also, when recording from a sound system, a suitable line-in connection will be needed that may not be provided by the computer. This can be solved by adding a new internal or external sound adapter, or an interface box.

USB Audio Adapters

SoniClear has the ability to automatically detect and use a USB audio adapter device when it is plugged into the computer. This is a convenient way to attach meeting room sound systems to a laptop, as SoniClear automatically switches to the USB device, and then reverts back to the internal sound card when the USB device is not plugged in, without intervention required by the user. Also, most laptop computers do not include the line-in connections needed for connecting to sound system equipment.

Below are USB audio devices that have been tested for quality and compatibility. In addition to those listed, a number of manufacturers have USB audio devices, including general purpose adapters, desktop microphones and headset microphones. Trio Systems has tested many of these and found no incompatibilities with SoniClear. However, some USB devices did not work with all computer systems. You will need to test the USB device with the specific computer and in the specific setting where your will be recording to ensure proper operation.

Griffen Technology iMic

The iMic USB audio adapter was originally designed for use with Macintosh computers, which did not have built-in audio recording capability. They have updated the design of the product to be compatible with Windows computers as well.

This is the least expensive USB adapter, and works well in most situations. It includes a computer microphone input that can be switched to line-in level, and a headphone jack for playback. If ground loop problems are encountered when connecting to a sound system, you can add a separate isolation transformer (see under Sound System Interfaces). Or you could switch to the Xitel Inport device, which includes a built-in transformer.

The iMic is available from Trio Systems, part number USBMIC, price $60.

Available from most major computer retailers and directly from the company. Additional information: http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/imic/

Xitel InPort

The InPort USB audio adapter is specifically designed for connecting the computer to home audio systems for converting LP records to CD. This device is good for connecting any consumer-level audio signal to the computer, including sound systems with consumer-level outputs. It has the primary advantage over the Griffen Technology iMic of built-in isolation transformers. This prevents some types of ground loop hum from entering the computer, which is a common problem. The InPort is especially well suited for situations where you are currently recording on cassette and are moving to digital. This box can be plugged into the same sound system jack as the cassette recorder.

This device does not include playback audio, although the Windows device driver reports that it does. When using this device, you will have to configure the SoniClear Hardware Preferences to disable automatic detection of USB playback devices. Then audio will play correctly through the internal sound card of the computer.

Available from specialty hardware mailorder firms (such as Ram Electronics), and direct from the Xitel website. Estimated price, $79.

Additional information: http://www.xitel.com/USA/prod_inportdl.htm

M-Audio/MidiMan MobilePre

The MobilePre is useful for recording through the USB connection to the computer using professional microphones. It provides XLR connections and phantom power that is required by that type of microphone. Consumer-level line-in audio can also be connected to the MobilePre, with the appropriate connectors, although it does not provide any advantage over the less expensive USB devices for this purpose and the location of the connectors is awkward.

Available from most music equipment retailers (such as Guitar Center) and directly from M-Audio/Midiman. Estimated price: $180.

Additional information: http://www.midiman.com/products/en_us/MobilePreUSB-main-1.html

PCI Sound Cards

Desktop computers have the option of upgrading the existing sound card, or installing an additional card. SoniClear can be configured to select from multiple sound cards that may be installed in a system. On some systems, simply installing an additional card will work. On other systems the existing sound card will have to be removed or the motherboard sound chip will need to be disabled for the new card to work properly. You will have to consult with your system administrator to determine the best method of installing a PCI card.

The advantage of a PCI card is that the installation is permanent and highly reliable, compared to a USB connection that could potentially become disconnected (the USB connector is not as stable as a professional audio connector). Also, PCI sound cards usually do not have knobs or buttons that can be set to the wrong position.

MAudio Delta 44

The Delta 44 PCI card installs in desktop computer systems in a PCI slot. While this is a four channel card, SoniClear will record only from one of the stereo input pairs. You can select this from the Hardware tab of the SoniClear Edit/Preferences dialog.

Input and output to the Delta 44 card is through a breakout box that uses 1/4" TRS or TR plugs (balanced or unbalanced). The line level can be adjusted to three different standards to match the output of the sound system. Microphones cannot be plugged into the Delta 44 directly, since only line-level signals are supported. A microphone preamp or sound system preamp will be required for connecting a microphone to this adapter.

Available from professional audio installers and some music equipment retailers. Estimated price: $200.

Additional information: http://midiman.com/products/en_us/Delta44-main.html

Sound System Interfaces

Connecting a computer to a sound system may require special equipment. Because there are many different types of sound systems and computer sound cards, a number of problems can occur that reduce the quality of the recorded audio. While this section will give you general information about what hardware to use, we recommend that you consult with an audio specialist to ensure proper operation.

For connecting sound systems from a "consumer line level" output to laptop computers you can usually use a Xitel Inport USB adapter. For connection to a desktop computer from a sound system that has a professional line level output, use a PCI adapter. See the Audio Adapter section above for more detail about these two options.

Radial Engineering ProAV1

For maximum flexibility, we recommend the Radial Engineering ProAV1. For example, if the sound system that you are connecting to provides professional-standard line-level signals, or if you need to connect to a sound system at a distance from the computer, the ProAV interface box will convert the signal at the PA system into a professional mic-level signal, which can be run through long professional microphone cables and connected to the computer using a professional adapter, such as the M-Audio MobilePre.

The ProAV1 and USB adapter are available from Trio Systems as a kit, part number USBINT, price $499.

The ProAV1 is also available from professional sound equipment retailers (such as BSW). Estimated price: $109. A two channel model, the ProAV2 is also available from some suppliers if the sound system has stereo output.

Additional information: www.radialeng.com/re-proav1.htm

Digital Recorders

SoniClear is compatible with any digital recorder that can produce standard WAV files. You can use all of the features of SoniClear, such as creating notes, converting to MP3, and webcasting, using the WAV files created by the digital recorder. The main disadvantage of doing this is that you will not be able to enter notes while recording. In addition, there are extra steps required to transfer the audio file to a Windows computer where it can be processed by SoniClear. However, for situations where a computer is not available to make the recording, a separate digital recorder can be useful.

Marantz PMD 670

The Marantz 670 recorder is a professional machine for digital recording in standard WAV format. Files created with the 670 can be transferred directly to the PC, either through a USB connection, or by inserting the flash memory card in the PCMCIA slot of a laptop. Using a medium quality setting and a 1 Gigabyte flash memory card, over 6 hours of audio can be recorded, making it suitable for almost all meetings.

Setting up the system is somewhat complex and should be done by a technical assistant familiar with audio technology. Once the machine is properly configured, it is easy to use, although not totally conventional. Some training for non-technical users may be required.

For more additional information, see the Marantz Website. The Marantz 670 is available from professional audio dealers, for example BSW. The 670 has been replaced by the 660 and 671.

Marantz PMD 660

The Marantz 660 digital recorder has all of the features of the Marantz 670, but in a smaller box. Based on reports from customers, this is a very high quality product that will provide reliable recording backup capability.

The Marantz 660 is available from professional audio dealers ($499 from BSW).

Marantz PMD 570

The Marantz 570 recorder is a rackmount version of the PMD 660 and 670 digital recorders. It is well suited to providing backup recording for permanently installed systems.

Other Digital Recorders

Most of the currently available digital recorders are oriented towards dictation and produce files in formats other than WAV. A few recorders allow for transferring the non-standard format file to a PC and then converting to WAV format. We have not tested these products, and therefore cannot recommend any particular model.