Hello,
how I record Vocals in better quality?
Can anybody recommend me a good and cheap microphone?
The Laptop mic comes with a very bad quality…
I have an 6,3 mm connector here at the external soundcard.
And I record vocals with audacity. Is that ok for Renoise?
Greetz
ZeroCool
I have an SM 57 and an Studio Projects B1. I prefer the B1
https://www.amazon.com/Studio-Projects-B1-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B0006AZN4W/
However, as important as the mic are the acoustics of the recording space.
When I was first recording I was mostly happy with the results but after some time listening there was something about the vocals that sounded off. On a re-listen to the raw vox I could hear some slight room echo. Once I rearranged my recording setup (nothing too complex, just a few panels and some better mic placement, plus I started singing closer to the mic with a lower gain) things sounded much better.
It took me a while to get the right placement, direction, place some sound absorbing panels, figure out pre-amp settings, recording level, and a host of other little details before I was able to get good results. It’s worth the trouble (to the extent you can manage it).
For me there were just some things that were impossible to fix in production (such as that room echo). Double-tracking, reverb, etc. can’t hide/fix everything.
The B1 is what I used tor record my album of songs: http://music.jamesbritt.com
I recorded using an M-Audio preamp (http://m-audio.com/products/view/audio-buddy) into a Tascam DP-008 EX.
I would do about a dozen or two takes of a song, bring the wav files into Reaper, comp the vocals to get whatever sounded best in each take, and then import that final wav into Renoise.
Audacity should work fine, too, Depends on the sound card used I suppose.
I typically did all vocal fx in Renoise (though when comping I would use some compression and reverb while listening to get a better feel for what it would likely sound in Renoise).
Some discussion on another site:
http://therecordingrevolution.com/my-favorite-affordable-home-studio-microphones/
+1 for the SM57, it’s legend. You can get it new for around 100€, or a little more with the cable:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/shure_sm57lc_bundle.htm?ref=search_prv_9
It’s one of the best you can get for that price, and it even holds up to much more expensive mics.
In any case you would need some Mic preamp, e.g.:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_u_phoria_umc22.htm?ref=search_prv_3
This one is cheap, super nice quality and it works 100% on Linux 
It’s like an additional sound card with Mic preamp which you connect to your USB port.
If you want to invest that money you’ll have something good for many years to come.
About the acoustics of your room:
I’ve treated my small studio with acoustic absorbers for a total of about 25€ only using those:https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_takustik_hilon25.htm
I bought acoustic glue for nothing, because in the end I just nailed the absorbers to the walls, so I can’t say if the glue would make any difference.
Anyways, thats the glue I got:https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_takustik_kontaktkleber.htm?ref=prod_rel_315571_0
To save some money on bass traps I used one of the same cheap absorbers to create an “arc” in the corners, then stuffed another one in the resulting space in the corner between the absorber and the walls - it works!
Also check these vids to get a general idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02qpJt0hsL0
Best regards,
vitaminx
My little homestudio: 
You should probably read a buyer’s guide for microphones just so you know what features you’re looking for. Trying to shop for mics without understanding a bit about how they work and their sonic characteristics makes it very confusing.
With that said, mics are a great thing to buy used - you get a lot more bang for your buck buying an older high quality mic than a shiny new one with a high price tag but cheaper quality.
I got a nice used Audio Technica condenser mic at my local used music shop, and it’s great. It’s an analog mic that needs phantom power and an audio interface to get sound into your computer, but I like it better than the USB-native mic I bought years ago.
I run it through the TC-Helicon VoiceLive GTX Play which gives me GORGEOUS studio-quality vocal effects (nice reverbs, vocal harmonies, etc.) as well as nice guitar preamps and sounds. That unit serves as my main audio interface - just plug in the mics and guitars I want to play, and it handles everything. Highly recommended.
Of course, you could always just get a straight USB mic - even that would be an improvement over your laptop mic, but they vary in quality, so read reviews. I have an old Samson C01U and I don’t really like it much - the analog mics paired with a preamp are much more forgiving of volume spikes.
Good luck!
