Recording with an External Microphone

The CC Witness features a high-quality line-in jack that also functions as a external microphone jack. Simply plug a microphone into the line-in jack, set your CC Witness to "Mic-in" and start recording! This feature is perfect for recording live music, interviews, lectures, recitals, etc., making the CC Witness a great tool for students, journalists, musicians, and audiophiles.

When using the CC Witness to record live audio, the first step toward a quality recording is choosing the right microphone. Determining which microphone is "right" depends on the situation. For help choosing the right mic for your situation, check out the Cortland.edu page about basic digital sound recording. But just as a suggestion, for general purpose recording, we recommend using a dynamic microphone.

Once you've chosen which mic to use, you'll need to acquire the necessary cables and/or adapters so that you can plug the mic into your Witness. The best cord for doing this is a XLR to 1/8" stereo cable. This cable has a connection for a microphone (XLR) on one end, and a 1/8" stereo plug on the other end. Really, you could use almost any mic cable, as long as you have a 1/8" adapter on the end that plugs into the Witness, however, this type of set up is not recommended as using adapters puts unnecessary stress on the Witness' input jack.   

Next, set your Witness to "Mic (Mono)" or "Mic (Stereo)", depending on which type of mic you're using. To set your Witness to "Mic", navigate to the "Settings" option on the main menu.  Then go to "Record Settings", and click on the "Mic/Line Choice", then choose accordingly.

(If you try to record using an external mic, with the Witness set to "Line", your recording will end up very quiet.) 


Once you have your CC Witness set to Mic, and have an external mic plugged into it, you can start recording. However, for best results, you'll need to give special consideration to mic placement. The behavior of sound waves is complicated enough to begin with. When things like walls, obstructions, and other noises are introduced, sound waves start to bend, bounce, blend, and do a number of other things that make creating a clean recording very difficult. Because of this, the physical location of the microphone relative to the incoming sound waves makes an enormous difference in the quality of the recording. 


INTERVIEW
In an interview-type situation, things are pretty simple. Just make sure you keep the microphone about six inches away from the mouth of the person speaking. Holding the mic too close results in what is called the "proximity effect".  This is where the recorded voice sounds bass-heavy and punchy.  If you want your recording to sound professional, avoid this as much as possible.


LECTURE/PRESENTATION/RECITAL
When recording lectures, speeches, and other presentations, it may not always be possible to get close enough to the sound source (the person speaking, or the loudspeakers they are being amplified through). In these situations, try to place yourself in a central location equal distance from the main loudspeakers. If possible, hold your microphone above other audience members, but make sure it's still aimed toward the audio source. Once you start recording, remember to limit your movements. Don't handle and or move the microphone any more than necessary. Small changes can make great differences in an audio recording. The single best tip is one of the simplest. Experiment!  Try testing a location during the introduction of a speech, then listen back and make any adjustments needed. Every location will result in a slightly different recording, so trial and error is sometimes your only choice.


MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Recording musical instruments with the CC Witness is simple, but making a quality recording with a single microphone can be a challenge. Please visit the Basic Digital Audio Recording page for help choosing the best type of microphone for the instrument you want to record.  

For most (handheld) instruments, you can get great recordings by facing the mic toward the instrument but a little off center. The distance will depend on the room, mic, instrument etc. If the room has poor acoustic qualities, try recording from closer.(Don't get too close or you'll end up with a two-dimensional sound.) In a room with good acoustics, you can move back a bit. Don't move too far though, or you'll hear too much of the room. The goal is to find a good balance. Personal preference will be the ultimate deciding factor. A stereo mic is ideal to get the most realistic recordings. If you will be recording louder instruments, you may need an in-line signal attenuator to prevent distortion. A simple in-line volume control  will work fine.  This is a common device you can find at most places where headphones are sold. Don't think that just moving the mic further away from the instrument will fix the problem, as doing so will only lessen the quality of your recording.


LIVE MUSIC
Live music recording (A.K.A. bootlegging) is one of the most popular uses for portable digital audio recorders. As an MP3 recorder, the CC Witness lends itself to this purpose naturally. In fact, the CC Witness is the favorite audio recorder of many "bootleggers". The most important tip to remember if you plan on bootlegging (recording) live music is to get permission! Ask the performers before recording anything.  Most musicians won't have any problem with it, especially if you offer to give them a copy. If you are a musician, you'll find that the CC Witness is the perfect tool for bootlegging your performances, as well as an indispensable tool for practice. The CC Witness can also be used to easily record song ideas or demos.

A well placed mic is crucial for a solid recording. Ideally, you'll want to position yourself equal distance between the loudspeakers, and about as far in front of them as they are apart from each other. (see diagram)  If you can't get to that spot, try to get as close to it as possible. Avoid getting too close to the stage though. The view from the front row is great, but the sound is not. Some people swear by recording from the sides of the room (close to the speakers), but every room is different, so you'll have to experiment for yourself. Pay extra attention to your surroundings. Any noises around you may end up on your recording. If possible, keep the microphone above the heads of the audience members. You may need to move away from people who are singing along, talking with friends, etc.  

To avoid distortion when recording loud music, you'll need an in-line attenuator to keep the signal from overdriving the Witness. An in-line volume control will do the trick. If you plan on recording the whole show, just hit record at the beginning, and don't hit stop until the end of the encore. You can cut the recording into multiple tracks afterward. This can be done while playing back the recording on your Witness. Just press pause where you want to cut it, then hit "Edit". Select "Divide File", and then choose "Divide at pause".

To get the highest quality recording of a live show, your best bet will be to get a direct feed from the soundboard. Talk to the person doing sound for the show to see if they can plug the Witness into the soundboard's out jack  (or headphone jack if the output is being used). You'll have to supply the cord, so you'll probably want to bring an 1/8" patch cable (or a 1/8" to 1/4" patch cable), or possibly a RCA to 1/8" adapter cable. Don't bother the sound person too much though. And don't expect them to help much either. Most won't mind telling you where to plug into, but that's about all. If you go this route, set your Witness to "Line-in (Stereo)" (under the "Mic/Line Choice" option in the "Record Settings" folder of the "Settings" menu).








There are some nice attenuators available (like the one above, by Shure), but an in-line volume control will work perfectly fine. (below)

1/8" patch cable

RCA to 1/8" adapter