Help for home recording

[superbitterdave]

I may be way off base, but I’m surprised there are no suggestions for something other than GarageBand as the DAW. I’ve used it on an iPad, but found it was pretty light on features. Does the Mac desktop version have better effects?

I found it limited in terms of compression, reverb, digital instruments, etc. Do others have a suggestion around a price friendly DAW?

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by superbitterdave

I may be way off base, but I’m surprised there are no suggestions for something other than GarageBand as the DAW. I’ve used it on an iPad, but found it was pretty light on features. Does the Mac desktop version have better effects?

I found it limited in terms of compression, reverb, digital instruments, etc. Do others have a suggestion around a price friendly DAW?

The OP's budget is pretty thin as it is. He's already penciled in purchases that cover $660 of an $800 budget and that doesn't include cables, monitors, or headphones. If he wants to stay around $800, there's no money for a different daw so he may as stay and learn on GB until he gets to where the limitations start getting in his way (could be months, could be years).

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by superbitterdave

I found it limited in terms of compression, reverb, digital instruments, etc. Do others have a suggestion around a price friendly DAW?

Reaper. Fully-featured, can use any plugins or VIs, free trial (30 days?) and only $60 to purchase.

[kellyb]

Those are really good, smart choices.

Devil's advocate...having had an NT-1, they're fine, but they can also be a bit thin and in my opinion, abrasive. It's been awhile, though, so maybe they've improved. I don't personally know anyone that's really ever loved one, or hasn't sold it as soon as they could afford to upgrade. Personally, I'd consider these in addition to the SM57 too, as they're classics that folks find use for long after they can afford to upgrade:

• First choice: a used Audio Technica 4050 which is for many, a lifetime microphone. More importantly, it's a multi-pattern mic with Figure 8, Omni, and Cardioid patterns. If you're just getting into recording, those patterns are magical, practical tools. There's a used one on Reverb for $299 right now.
• Second choice: a used Shure KSM32. Cardioid only, show up used for about the same as 4050s. A little more balanced and honest sounding than than the 4050, which is pretty open and airy. Another mic people never get tired of. Ever useful and takes EQ like a champ.
• A used Audio Technica 4033. Cardioid only, but there's a used one on Reverb for $180 right now.
• A used Shure SM7. Cardioid. These hold their value and don't show up used often, and are between $3-400, but again, a lifetime mic you may never want to get rid of. They sound great on vocals and work fine for acoustic guitar. Great drum room mics IMHO. Michael Jackson recorded the vocals for Thriller using an SM7. They're studio workhorses and sound great.

RE: software, if you don't know why you need something better than Garageband, there's a good chance you don't for now. I'm not super up on software instruments, but GB runs Audio Units plugs...isn't that the format that instruments use?

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by kellyb

Michael Jackson recorded the vocals for Thriller using an SM7. They're studio workhorses and sound great.

They require a good amount of gain and if you don't have a quality preamp that isn't going to introduce a lot of noise, you're going to need a Cloudlifter or some other such advice. Also, Michael Jackson was recording in a world class studio. His results were not just the product of the mic.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by kellyb

Those are really good, smart choices.

Devil's advocate...having had an NT-1, they're fine, but they can also be a bit thin and in my opinion, abrasive. It's been awhile, though, so maybe they've improved. I don't personally know anyone that's really ever loved one, or hasn't sold it as soon as they could afford to upgrade. Personally, I'd consider these in addition to the SM57 too, as they're classics that folks find use for long after they can afford to upgrade:

• First choice: a used Audio Technica 4050 which is for many, a lifetime microphone. More importantly, it's a multi-pattern mic with Figure 8, Omni, and Cardioid patterns. If you're just getting into recording, those patterns are magical, practical tools. There's a used one on Reverb for $299 right now.
• Second choice: a used Shure KSM32. Cardioid only, show up used for about the same as 4050s. A little more balanced and honest sounding than than the 4050, which is pretty open and airy. Another mic people never get tired of. Ever useful and takes EQ like a champ.
• A used Audio Technica 4033. Cardioid only, but there's a used one on Reverb for $180 right now.
• A used Shure SM7. Cardioid. These hold their value and don't show up used often, and are between $3-400, but again, a lifetime mic you may never want to get rid of. They sound great on vocals and work fine for acoustic guitar. Great drum room mics IMHO. Michael Jackson recorded the vocals for Thriller using an SM7. They're studio workhorses and sound great.

RE: software, if you don't know why you need something better than Garageband, there's a good chance you don't for now. I'm not super up on software instruments, but GB runs Audio Units plugs...isn't that the format that instruments use?

The NT1 is a well-loved mic that's often found in home studios.

The one thing that's not often related about the NT1 is there were THREE versions. Rode first introduced the original NT1, then improved its overall performance and reduced its self-noise and named it the NT1-A. Fast forward a few years and Rode improved the specifications and reduced the NT1-A's signal to noise ratio and named their new mic... wait for it... the NT1.

Someone's personal experience with the Rode NT1 would be flavored by which version they used.

[kellyb]

Ah, okay, so the NT-1 has gotten better. That's great, 'cause it used to be nails on a chalkboard!

I just found this NT-1 video on YouTube and I think he's using it with an Audient to record vocals and acou guitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo8N...roduceLikeAPro

Still not really my thing, but sounds a little darker than it used to I think?!

It's interesting, I've never really shopped for low self noise. I've assumed (and maybe wrongly) that unless it's a really really inexpensive condenser, the manufacturers' engineers kinda have to sort this out in order to be at all competitive.

Re: the SM7, that's a really good point about it needing some extra gain. To the OP, it would add $50 or so get a used inline preamp (like the SE Electronics 'Dynamite').

I guess the point I'm trying to make is try not to buy stuff that sets you on an upgrade path immediately - maybe the current NT1 the OP is considering is just that lifetime mic!

RE: Thriller and a "world class studio", there was also MJ's world class talent! :-). I'm kind of a mic pre snob (though less and less lately as gear gets better an better and cheaper), and I'd bet money that an SM7 is going to sound pretty world class through that Audient. But you're right about the studio helping - especially recording through a real console. Still, I know plenty of folks that pick the SM7 over Neumanns or whatever else for vocals in their nice home studios that have plenty of gear.

[shufflebeat]

Originally Posted by kellyb

Still, I know plenty of folks that pick the SM7 over Neumanns or whatever else for vocals in their nice home studios that have plenty of gear.

One of the reasons the sm7b works well for people is that it's designed to be used very close and, as a result, with comparatively less "room sound" included. If you have a nice sounding space then a bit of distance makes a significant difference to the natural-ness of the recording and great recordings can be made with modest mics.

When I work remotely with friends, even if it's for simple demos I ask them to walk round the house recording themselves chatting on the phone, describing their surroundings, then email the recordings to me. When auditioned on decent headphones or monitors in a good room even a phone recording can give valuable information as to which space will add something and which will just sound bad.

Lots of this comes before choosing a mic and informs the process. If you really have no quiet, good sounding spaces then the sm7b is high in the list, if you want more Sinatra then check out your bathroom.

It's always possible to set up a remote rec/stop system unless you keep your DAW in a lead-lined coffin, then it gets more complicated.

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Reaper. Fully-featured, can use any plugins or VIs, free trial (30 days?) and only $60 to purchase.

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