1st Hussy and Dalton Recording

[TXKirk]

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10766666


Okay, this is my TDR right into the new MacBook. No interface, just me, Hussy and Mac.


Get me started on what I need to make a better recording. Mics? interface?
I just don't know.

Kirk

[moon]

Zoom H2 is inexpensive but has decent sound. For the price it's great value. This video posted on the forums recently will give you an idea what it can do.

The zoom does a good job of recording audio but you'll also need to listen critically to your recordings. That means an audio interface, studio monitors (or a decent hi-fi) and headphones. Onboard audio isn't up to the task.

A Mackie Blackjack would be good value. Driver problems on windows but apparently they're rock solid on macs.

An Apogee Duet would be more expensive but has excellent audio quality. It's more or less the standard by which the others are judged. Get one if you can.

Good acoustic guitar mics which won't break the bank are the ADK A6 and Oktava Mk012. Get two if you can to record in stereo.

These are all items which I think stand out as being particularly good value for the audio quality they provide. A lot of gear pitched at home studio use can be disappointing.

[TXKirk]

i saw a clip of the apogee one. I wonder what would happen if you tried to record vocal and guitar at the same time with just the on board mic.


I guess the duet is the answer, but it costs and I was thinking about a new amp or a 6120 hot rod.

kirk

[sachi]

Who was the hussy you were recording with?

[TXKirk]

I kindly refer to My Huss & Dalton TD R as "Hussywolf" or just "The Hussy".

But you can hear my wife and kids working a puzzle in the background.

Heck its just fun to record yourself and play it back, ya know try to learn something.


Kirk

[moon]

Originally Posted by TXKirk

i saw a clip of the apogee one. I wonder what would happen if you tried to record vocal and guitar at the same time with just the on board mic.

In general, that could work fine so long as you can match voice and guitar levels. If you've got a very quiet voice and a loud, boomy guitar - or vice versa - it might be a problem. No idea what sort of quality that particular mic is though. I'm sure it's not bad but you could probably do better with a separate mic.

You can also lay down the tracks individually but that doesn't always work for everyone. In a live performance, guitar and voice will react to each other naturally with subtle changes in volume, pacing etc which add to the "feel" of the music. You can lose sight of that a bit when you're multi-tracking. On the other hand, some people put in a better performance when they can concentrate on just one thing at a time.

Originally Posted by TXKirk

I guess the duet is the answer, but it costs and I was thinking about a new amp or a 6120 hot rod.

I had to google "6120 hot rod" to find out what that was. Whoaa! That's a big ballsy, guitar with a lot of heart

[TXKirk]

I really have a soft spot for those big boxes and TV Jones Pups.

I don't like the multi track deal. While my singing is not stellar, it gets worse when I'm not playing. Its all feel for me.

I may have to go to GC and just play with a few of them and see what I can get them to do.

Kirk

[KevWind]

I suggest . First think about what really are you wanting to do with recording say in the next year or two ( this will help narrow down the list of equipment options you may want to consider).

Second and perhaps most important Decide on a budget range for initial expenditure. This will help eliminate getting lost in the thousands of possible variations in gear choices and prices.

[TXKirk]

good points KevWind.

It's all for fun really. Oh, I have dreams of being a great songwriter and being able to quit my day job and write tunes like Ryan Bingham, Ray LaMontange or Robert Hunter. But alas, it's more for enjoyment than profit.

I would like to be able to record my Hussy, vocal and maybe a Grestch ( once I buy it). I know I cannot record all at the same time, But if I could record vocal and Hussy at the same time that would be cool. I don't mind recording the lead guitar parts as a stand only track. I guess I should get comfortable with doing all as separate tracks, just for the sake of fixing a single mistake in the vocal or rhythm track.

so apogee one?

Kirk

[moon]

Could be exactly what you're looking for. Here's Tommy Emmanuel demonstrating an Apogee One. Audio can get a bit mangled by youtube but that sounds not bad.

That mic position, foot or two back, aimed around the neck-body joint, is always a good place to start. To take out a bad room, get in as close as you can without getting hammered by proximity effect.

[TXKirk]

sweet, thanks.

I posted a tune I wrote and recorded in the show and tell. This time I went into my Tascam then to gargeband.


Kirk