Entry level recording rig for teenager stuck at home...
 

My friends' daughter is 16 and like most of the world, can't get out of her house.

She is a decent guitarist and can sing and play some keyboard. She has started writing music just sent me a message asking what a decent but inexpensive recording system I'd recommend. Just something for demos to get her ideas down. I'm guessing she has $200-$300 to spend. She already has a mic.

I'm clueless.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
David

Tell her to get a used Apogee One. It’ll be a mic and interface all in one. They’re great.

Step1:

Zoom R8 and a good set of headphones. She can record anywhere, not tied to her computer. (Tascam is also a choice...)

The huge advantage of this comes from the creativity side of the equation. It's super-easy and you don't get sidetracked by manipulating the technology. Recording is intimidating enough, let alone without needing to worry about the tons of things that you need to concern yourself with. Much better to hit the red button and have a hardware device that is designed to be easy to operate. Save all the complex stuff for when you're sitting behind the DAW screen, no instrument in hand.

Step 2:
If she ends up with anything she wants to take further in the process of production then the tracks can be imported into her computer and edited or manipulated within any DAW she jells with.

Get a Spire Studio. It's great and can record up to eight tracks, so she can record her different instruments and voice separately, then combine into one song. It has a very decent built in mic, but her separate one can be plugged in if desired.

Do some searches on this site and the internet and read others opinions on how useful and cool this thing is.

Thanks guys! Much appreciated!

Zoom H5.......

THIS!!! Amazing technology but really pretty simple. She/you can even email me directly with questions if you need to. Not an expert, just pretty fluent with it. Under $300, I'm sure.

Since she already has a mic, maybe a Zoom or Tascam handheld recorder with mic inputs. They also have internal mics as well.

What about video/audio recording? The ZOOM Q2n is under $150 on Amazon. 2 built-in mics. Runs on 2-AA batteries or usb power-bank. Decent audio and video settings for a pocket-sized inexpensive scratch-pad idea recording gizmo. And what 16 year old girl wouldn't want to see her "selfie" performing her creations too. Which can be saved to a mini-sd card - laptop, and/or posted online.

I have the first version. It's easy and great to see & hear instant audio/video results right on the units' tiny screen and tiny speaker, or line-out through the headphone jack and video-out connections.

They now have an updated Q2n 4k model for fifty bucks more.

Good luck!

Hi Maxed or anyone else with advice!

I'm thinking of doing the same, get a, Zoom q2n 4k, but wondering if for like $50 more I might be missing out on something a lot better. Is it a big price jump to go a grade better than the q2n 4k? I saw a video of a guy who used a GoPro Hero 6 with a small Rode mic. The Hero 6 is now older and prices came down for that... only he was using it for conferences with his business and not music... For 2 yrs I've had very nice response at open mics and would have started first time coffeehouse gigs to try my music with the general public only the CoVid19 happened. It's just my vocals with guitar and sometimes harmonica. I thought I could post my songs as a video on YouTube to see how the general public likes me as I believe open mic goers are more empathetic and not the real test. I'm just trying to avoid having to learn software like ProTools etc. and keep it simpler that way but have reasonable quality on a low budget. I'm willing to spend $300 and see the q2n 4k, at $250.

Thanks!
Winfred

Amazon has the H4n Pro for $189 right now. Multi-track recorder, USB interface, USB microphone all in one. Any teen's iPhone will have a better camera than the Zoom Q

If you have an Apple computer I would always recommend Garageband and a basic USB interface as a cheap way to get recording.

Hi!

I'm a songwriting musician trying to find ways to present my music and looking at the Zoom q2n-4k and as of yesterday noticed 4-19-20 they upped the price to $220. Like you suggest maybe she doesn't need the 4k version.
I checked Amazon, and several other independent sites and they all have it at $220, so maybe the company requested it of all their sellers. I also read that the two batteries run out quickly and is strongly suggested to buy the $44.25 battery compartment with a very high shipping cost of $13.95 for something so very small and light. It also comes with no batteries. Maybe she doesn't need it as 2 batteries can run it for 2 hrs, but not sure if that's 2 hrs at the highest resolution 4k video and 96hz recording or not. Maybe that doesn't help, but I tried.

Sincerely,
Winfred

I have the Q2n - the battery life is no where close to 2 hrs (maybe if you used the audio only setting). I use a Mophie USB power bank and another no-name phone charger that works well. So if you have

Those of you who require 2 hours of video recording time at once have my respect. That said, you can use any phone charger with the Zoom q2n-4k and have essentially infinite time (subject to vagaries of power distribution and more critically, the capacity of your memory card).