Recording Guitar and Simultaneously

River Hill · #1 11-14-2016, 02:02 PM

I don't know much about recording besides hitting the memo button on my iPhone or was I was younger using my portable cassette player to try and grab a song off the radio without my brother yelling in the background. Yes he use to mess with my recordings on purpose.

I know many will record their guitar and then record vocals. I would like to try and record both and the same time and looking for good ideas on how to do this. In the future I may even want to try and record some of my electric playing out of my Blues Junior, so if the equipment can be used for both, that would be a plus.

I currently have a iMac, so I should be good on the computer side. I have started looking into this a bit and honestly it is a bit overwhelming. I want to keep things pretty simple, but would like decently quality. Maybe even a mic that would make my voice better

runamuck · #2 11-14-2016, 04:04 PM

With your mac you probably have GarageBand as part of the software.hat, and a USB mic is all you need. Well, almost. You'll need time and commitment to learn how to use GarageBand.

Or you could buy a multi-track recorder like one of the Zoom recorders.
Here's a link to one of their multi-track recorders.

https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/hand...handy-recorder

Jim

Fairlight · #3 11-15-2016, 08:14 AM

The advice above is good regarding a handheld recorder. If you want simplicity and efficiency that is the way to go. I have a Zoom H5 and the onboard mics are truly fantastic. That might be all you need.

If you are looking to delve into the world of studio multi-tracking, You'll need mics, audio interface, recording software. And time to learn how to use it. There are tons of options to fit your needs depending on your seriousness and audio quality level.

Start here (and get a knowledgeable friend to assist with the set up, if possible). Once you choose your path, come back for specific equipment recommendations.

How To Set Up A Small Home Recording Studio

MikeBmusic · #4 11-15-2016, 08:16 AM

Get an audio interface with at least 2 inputs (one with mic preamp and one with instrument or with 2 mic preamps - usually they halso have the instrument input option).
A USB mic can be as easy way to start out, but it limits you - you can only ever use it by itself to record 1 track at a time and the monitoring options are limited.

Ty Ford · #5 11-16-2016, 01:23 AM

Make your life easy by learning to sing and play at the proper relative levels. Figure out what string gauge works best for your sound. I like phosphor bronze mediums. YMMV.

Get a good mic to USB converter. I like this one. http://tinyurl.com/hr36xeo It's a little more expensive than some but has a lot of features that come in handy.

Get one mic and place it at head eight. If it's a cardioid aim it down over your face and guitar. Again, learn to balance the volume of your voice and guitar. Here's a great starter mic. http://tinyurl.com/h8m2nul

Get these Sony headphones so you can really hear what you're doing. http://tinyurl.com/h7pf8f4

Regards,

Ty Ford

DesertTwang · #6 12-03-2016, 06:58 AM

I have a barely used USB mic (Blue Yeti) that I no longer need because I have acquired quite a bit of recording gear, amplifiers, mixers etc. with my band. I've used it with my Mac with great success. You plug it in and you're good to go. Very easy to use. Send me a PM if interested.