My external microphone is barely picking up sound - help

that would be the cheapest solution, yes

MyNameIsJonathan wrote:
Thanks. The bottom line is that I buy a a mixer, like the one linked to (the Behringer 502)?

Hi MyNameIsJonathan,

For a little more scratch, you might want to step up to an interface which most people generally prefer to record with when using a computer. The preamp function (the part of the mixer you need to get your mic louder) would also be included in the interface, along with additional features.

A cheap interface like the M-Audio Fast Track is under $100: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FastTrackUSB/

MyNameIsJonathan wrote:
I don't need many features at all. I'm filming a movie and need to have this mic recording to pick up the actors saying their dialogue. If the Behringer 502 will record their voices loudly with a clean sound, that is all I need. Do you think this will suffice?

Hi,

I should have been more clear. By features I didn't mean functional features like bells and whistles, as much as reliability and sound quality features.

If you are recording dialogue for a film, the typical way would be to record the dialog on some sort of portable recording device that you take with you to the set. The computer adds an extra layer of complexity... but it can be done, particularly if you have a computer and no portable field recorder.

As something to use with the computer, both the Behringer mixer and M-Audio Fast-track are bargain basement equipment, so neither is going to give stellar results, but both should work OK.

The benefit of the interface is that you aren't using the computer's minijack plug which isn't very robust and may get jostled on location, and you are also doing your a/d conversion outside of the computer in the interface, which almost always provides better-sounding results.

Also, I hate Behringer, and tend to recommend people buy anything but.

However, a lot of people use these things, and it should get you up and running pretty fast, so there's something to be said for that! Plus, the Behringer is cheap enough that if you tried it and it didn't work all that well, it's not the end of the world.

Something to keep in mind with either the Behringer or the Fast Track - neither provide phantom power I believe (you need phantom power for higher grade condenser mics), and I believe each just has one mic/XLR input. Generally, on a movie set, it's more useful to have a mixer or interface with more than one mic input (and phantom power), so that you can plug in multiple mics. However, if you are only using 1 mic and the Behringer gets you up and running for under 50 bits... then that might be a good place to start.