Looking to record on my HP

[marty bradbury]

Hello folks. I have an HP and am looking for a simple but worthy recording software/hardware for my computer. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks!

[Bowie]

The recommendations you get will largely come down to individual preference but having just helped a friend with his bedroom set-up, I'll throw out some recommendations;

-Mic; this is an important aspect in terms of tone. The Oktava 012 si one of the best low-end options for acoustic because the midrange has a fairly honest "what you hear is what you get" quality. A pair will give you a wider sense of space and more advanced micing options, but don't feel that you need to spend a ton on a "matched pair" just yet because your set-up is unlikely to reveal the differences and that extra $100 to $200 is better spent elsewhere. Cardioid is usually a good place to start for home recording.

-Interface; This has your mic preamp, A/D, D/A converters, and interacts with your recording software. I haven't shopped beginner interfaces in a long time so I can't help here. I'm sure you'll get plenty of good responses. You probably only need 2 channels.

-Software; Presonus Studio One 3 is a wonderful DAW that is just as capable as Pro-Tools, Logic, etc, but is far more intuitive than any of them. Will save you a lot of headaches in the learning process. They have a $100 basic version that should be more than enough for what you need.

-Acoustic treatment; If you record in an untreated bedroom or living room, it will sound like you recorded in there. I personally don't recommend diving too deep into this as it can get pretty expensive pretty quick. Better to close-mic until you decide you want to invest a bit in your recording set-up. Find the best sounding room in your house and track in there. If you do decide to treat your room, which is a good idea, beware of the cute foam wedges everyone puts on the wall, they usually kill the top end, leaving the uncontrolled bass turn your recordings into mud. Consider a few Roxul or Corning panels/bass traps in the corners, maybe a few diffusors (which I love). If you have a 'zing' type of standing reflection, foam is appropriate for dealing with that, so long as you place it correctly.

[marty bradbury]

Thanks so much Bowie. The room I play in is a small office space in my home, I heard that where u place the mic makes a difference also. If I purchase just one first where would you recommend placing it? I will be recording my Alvarez AP70, Parlor.

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by marty bradbury

Thanks so much Bowie. The room I play in is a small office space in my home, I heard that where u place the mic makes a difference also. If I purchase just one first where would you recommend placing it? I will be recording my Alvarez AP70, Parlor.

Small home-office rooms are tough. Lots of reflections and boxy tone. But, not impossible.
Mic placement is a good 75% of it, yes. With one mic, I tend to like to be a little further back (2 to 2.5', depending on the mic) to capture the "whole picture" but you will get a lot of the ugly room reflections in the mic if you do that in a small, untreated room. You'll probably need to be around 1' away, with a cardioid or supercard, somewhere between the sound hole and 12th fret.

That's a wild generalization so keep in mind, placement will depend on the sound you're making with the instrument and how you want the sound to fit in the recording. If you are doing solo guitar, you probably want it as full as possible. If you are doing a full arrangement you may want more 12th fret action so you're not stepping on other instruments. If you're supporting a soft vocal, you may want it more toward the lower bought so that you have more bass and the sparkle of the guitar is not masking the vocal. There's an endless number of options. Do a lot of experimentation and listening with mic placement and remember that a "mix" involves getting various sounds to co-exist. That means that some things may sound weak when solo'd, but they come together without stepping on each other.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by marty bradbury

Hello folks. I have an HP and am looking for a simple but worthy recording software/hardware for my computer. Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks!

You may get the most appropriate suggestions if you give us an idea of your goals. What are you recording? How much time and effort are you willing to put into your recordings? What are your uses for the recordings? Does your instrument(s) have a pickup? What level of 'quality' are you trying to achieve, and what does quality of recording mean to you? What are you comfortable spending?

[MikeBmusic]

And what is your budget?
Starting off, you can spend a couple of hundred dollars or a couple of thousand! If you want to start small but (maybe) move up as time and money allows, then you need to plan accordingly.

I'll recommend Reaper as your recording software - free to download the full version, $60 to register it after 30 days to avoid the annoying pop-up.

Basic gear:
Condensor mic
Interface with at least 1 mic preamp
Monitors/headphones (how are you going to listen to what you have recorded?)

[marty bradbury]

Good questions. Recording acoustic guitar. Alvarez AP 70 using a Seymour Duncan Woody, sound hole pick up. Would like to start small and eventually move up. I think as time goes on I would definitely like the recordings to sound great. But for now learn the basics. Hope this helps.

[ChuckS]

You could start with an interface like a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or 2i4. Initially you could record using your pickup if you don't want to buy mics right away.

Audacity is a free DAW, or Reaper is $60.

Headphones for monitoring while recording and playback would be cheaper than powered monitors. I don't have info on headphones but a quick search on this forum would give you an idea of what to get.

I agree with an earlier suggestion of Oktava MK-012 microphone(s) when you are ready. There are some less expensive, often suggested entry level mics as well but I don't have experience with them. Buying used mics is sometimes a good choice.

If you don't really know what you want/need, you might not want to spend too much on the gear. However, if you upgrade in the future you will not get your money back on your initial gear (especially if you buy new).

[MikeBmusic]

If you want your guitar to sound like an acoustic (not a plugged-in acoustic), then you will want to record it with a microphone.
There are several decent LDC choices in the $100-$200 range - AT2020, AKG Perception 220 to name a couple.
The Scarlet 2i2 or 2i4 are low cost 'starter' audio interfaces and will serve you well to start.