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#1
11-03-2009, 02:42 PM
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wanted: pc recording setup for fingerstyle (quiet) acoustic
I have the PC, need everything else for a recording setup---I'm not going to release any albums, but I'd like a faithful reproduction of my playing, and the webcam mic isn't doing the trick :-). A couple of condenser mics through some gizmo over usb and into some basic software, I'm assuming... Let me know if you've upgraded & might unload your previous stuff.
Mark 
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#2
11-04-2009, 01:17 AM
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Hi there - well I'm no expert but you are going to want to download audacity.
Its free and whether you decide to use it or not, its so popular that you ought to get a feel for it as it will 'set the bar' for you in terms of what to expect. Regarding the other equipment - you don't mention budget, so I'm going to assume its small initially - I'd start with a cheap matched pair of concensor mics (for example Behringer c 4 or c 2) and a cheap USB interface or mixer with phantom power (to drive the mics). Sticking with Behringer (low end but good bang for the buck) they have a range of mixers (the Xenyx range) many have phantom power. You want a usb interface (some of the mixers come with this) too. I guess you could get started with the mics and mixer/interface for around $250 ish (I'm in the UK, so doing some translation here). You'll want XLR cables and a mic stand too - so factor in another $50 or so for that. I'm sure more experienced and helpful replies will follow  Paul.
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#3
11-04-2009, 02:01 AM
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Hi Mark ...
I am just a little ahead of you on the PC recording learning curve and I have to agree with Paul about Audacity. I can also recommend the Behringer UCA22 USB interface. It is a brilliant little device and cheaper than the known brands that I looked at. No setting up required, no external power just plug it into a USB port and it becomes an audio input and output for your PC and bypasses the sound card. I was amazed at the difference in sound quality of my recordings so far. You can use a small EQ as a preamp if you need a little more volume, or a small mixer as Paul said. Again, I use a little Behringer mixer ... an MX400 and they sell for around $55 here in Australia. Hope this helps Geoff
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#4
11-04-2009, 09:05 AM
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You'll need:
1) Hardware computer interface with at least two channels in and two channels out. It should have a headphone out and it would be nice if it has analog monitor outs (no latency). It should have 48v phantom power for condenser mics. 2) Software for recording and mixing. Many hardware interfaces come with this. You will want certain software "plugins" that compliment the recording and mixing software. At a minimum you should have eq, reverb, compression, gain, normalize and limiter plugins. 3) Two condenser mics, preferably small diaphragm. Spend some $$ here. These are important. 4) Pair studio nearfield monitors. 5) Room to record in. This is also very important. 6) Miscellaneous - table, mic stands, headphones, cables, etc. You can do this for about $1,000, and can certainly spend more.
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#5
11-04-2009, 04:46 PM
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My PC recording setup is:
2x Behringer C2 for recording guitar 1x MXL 990 for recording voice Behringer MX802A mixer Creative Labs Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS soundcard Cakewalk Sonar Home Studio Arcam Alpha 3 HiFi amplifier Gale bookshelf speakers Sennheiser headphones Stands & cables If I was to start again I would probably use a firewire audio interface like the Presonus Inspire 1394 because the soundcard, being stereo, can only record two tracks at a time whereas the Presonus box can do four tracks (and can be daisychained with others). It's tempting to go straight from the microphone to a USB / firewire interface then to the PC but it's always nice to have a mixer in there for that bit of control. Colin
__________________
www.soundclick.com/colinmacdonald
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#6
11-04-2009, 06:28 PM
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Aloha - Check Out These Options
Aloha,
I've been researching home computer recording for over two years. You paint a simple picture of what you have for your pc recording setup. However, home computer recording and options are far from having simple solutions today. In fact, I say it's about as complicated and expensive as anything you can find in audio today. So don't expect simple answers and an easy set-up. Sdelsolray laid it out for you above. But the big "BUT" is putting together a compatible, stable computer recording system that can work for you over time. And PC upgrades tend to sabotage the entire process. I've tried out plenty of DAWS, plug-ins, free demos etc. But the biggest issues are compatibility. upgrades leading to instability, and memory space errors related to almost everything. You may intend to keep it simple, but the truth is that those three factors will definitely find you sooner rather than later. For example, if you decide to try Pro Tools LE, you'll find their list (check it out)of compatibile PC's and chipsets to be miniscule. That means that few PC's will work well with PTLE. All the Mac's are compatible with PTLE. The most stable set up that I've found so far (and I've been a PC guy for over 25 years), is one of the Mac computers & OSX with Garageband, Logic Express or pro quality Logic Pro 8 (not 9) DAW and an Apogee Duet two-track interface/converter/clock set up. The hardware and software are fully integrated by the manufacturers so you have fewer potential for compatibility issues. It's third-party hardware and plug-ins that seem to cause problems. Check out this thread from last month about what people here are using: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=164654 Musician's Friend offered this helpful four-part introduction to computer recording: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/computerstudio http://www.musiciansfriend.com/computerstudio http://www.musiciansfriend.com/computerstudio http://www.musiciansfriend.com/computerstudio Good Luck! alohachris Last edited by alohachris : 11-04-2009 at 06:33 PM.
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