[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hello Paul,

I work daily with two rigs that have the same configuration as the one you are planning to get. I am happy to report that I have not experienced any compatibility issues. These two systems have been in use for the last 3 years. I did the new iMac upgrade a couple of months back and the transition went smoothly.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hello Ed,

There are many great advices in the answers above. If compatibility with Media composer is your biggest requirement, then go with Pro Tools.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

I agree with Eric. It’s always a good idea to have the windscreen on because in every recording environment,there is the sound you want to record, and there is everything else. The “everything else” is why the windscreen is so handy. So Keep it on and happy sound hunting.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hi Jason,

I use The AV30s occasionally. The quality even with RCA and no interface is not too bad. Although you may get a better result by including a USB interface(Perhaps a Yamaha Audiogram 3)in your signal chain. Hope that helps.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hello Ryan,

In addition to the brands already suggested, Alesis also carries some low price mixers, as does Yamaha. Sweetwater.com will be a good place to start.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hi Kyle,

By the sound of it, you are competing with overly loud commercials. There is no universal way to do this but I will suggest to boost your signal a dB or 2 in the 2-8K range, add a small boost(Less than a dB)to the highs, and throw a Limiter on the master. Reference your final output with other commercials to see if you are still quieter.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Turning the gain nob on the mic-pre down will effectively prevent clipping. The question is how many decibels down? There is a 4-way relationship to keep in mind here: the loudness of the source, the sensitivity of the mic, The mic’s placement in relation to the source, and the mic-pre.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hi Steve,

In addition to Ty’s questions, here are a few more to think about.

Are you recording indoors or outdoors? What kind of source are you dealing with? Do you have access to other mics? Are you monitoring the signal with headphones?

The baby bottle is perfect for studio applications. However, it’s not the best choice in outdoor situations. If turning the levels further down does not correct the problem, then perhaps it’s time to replace the mic.

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hi Gabriel,

I think it’s fair to say that most people on the Cow’s Audio Forum are sound designers. I don’t want to speak for the moderators but I think everyone here will be more than happy to discuss any sound design related topic with you. You can also check out the following forums:

GearSlutz

Avid Audio DUC

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer

[Koffi alain Sessi]

Hi Stewart,

Try this https://www.multimedia-stock.com/sounds
Like on most free sites some are good and some not so good. Registration is required. I do second Ty’s suggestion of recording your own sounds. This approach gives you more control over your SFX.

Best,

Alain Koffi Sessi
Sound Designer