$250 Budget for home recording.

[Chas007]

Planning to record acoustic guitar, a little electric guitar and maybe a little singing for home use.

I have the laptop computer already.
All my research suggests I have two choices.

1. I go with a really nice new usb microphone.
2. I go with a cheap used xlr setup.

Dell laptop using Audacity software with Windows 10. The usb microphone I'm looking at is a Rode nt-usb+ which is new.

The xlr setup I looking at is a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB audio interface and a Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Medium-diaphragm Condenser Microphone. Both of which are used.

Which would you choose?

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Chas007

Planning to record acoustic guitar, a little electric guitar and maybe a little singing for home use.

I have the laptop computer already.
All my research suggests I have two choices.

1. I go with a really nice new usb microphone.
2. I go with a cheap used xlr setup.

Which would you choose?

You're not providing enough information for anyone to be very helpful.

What usb mic and into what computer (specs?) using what software?

Not sure what you mean by "xlr setup." XLR is a type of connector generally found on microphone cables but what would you be plugging the mic into in this setup?

[Chas007]

Originally Posted by jim1960

You're not providing enough information for anyone to be very helpful.

What usb mic and into what computer (specs?) using what software?

Not sure what you mean by "xlr setup." XLR is a type of connector generally found on microphone cables but what would you be plugging the mic into in this setup?

Sorry. Dell laptop using Audacity software with Windows 10. The usb microphone is a Rode nt-usb+.

The xlr setup I looking at is a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB audio interface and a Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Medium-diaphragm Condenser Microphone. Both of which are used.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Chas007

Sorry. Dell laptop

What cpu and how much ram?

So long as your computer is up to the job, all those choices should be fine but the conversion on the Focusrite is likely better than the conversion on your computer. Given the choice, I'd go in that direction.

[Chas007]

Originally Posted by jim1960

What cpu and how much ram?

So long as your computer is up to the job, all those choices should be fine but the conversion on the Focusrite is likely better than the conversion on your computer. Given the choice, I'd go in that direction.

i5 cpu @ 2.67GHz
8 GB of ram
Not sure about the sound card.

[j38guitar]

Focurisite and a good mic goes a long way. You will also need some monitors or headphones.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Chas007

i5 cpu @ 2.67GHz
8 GB of ram
Not sure about the sound card.

I don't think you're going to be able to push that computer too hard. You're going to need more than an interface and a mic, as was pointed out. There's a beginner's guide in the stickied thread that I recommend you read so you have a better sense of what you're getting into.

It covers a lot of ground and spans five posts.
You can get to it by clicking here and scrolling to the 2nd post on the page.

[Chas007]

Originally Posted by jim1960

I don't think you're going to be able to push that computer too hard. You're going to need more than an interface and a mic, as was pointed out. There's a beginner's guide in the stickied thread that I recommend you read so you have a better sense of what you're getting into.

It covers a lot of ground and spans five posts.
You can get to it by clicking here and scrolling to the 2nd post on the page.

You're probably right, I may not get any better sound than my computer microphone will give me. Maybe I'll just save my money.

[kurth]

A new focusrite solo and an audio technica at2020 should come in less than 250...and you'll get a free daw with the focusrite. Is the i5 a 2 core or 4 core machine. That'll make a difference with how many tracks you can work with. But either way, you should be able to use the free daw...most likely ableton, which will give you a development path better than audacity .

[FrankHudson]

You can get started with the Focusrite and the mic and your laptop, though to be exact you need or want a few other things even to start. You can use any old headphones you have as long as you have an jack or adapter to fit the Focusrite 1/4 inch output jack, but something like a set of AKG K240 or Sony MDR-7506 headphones will allow more accurate mixes. You'll need some kind of mic stand. You'll need a xlr to xlr mic cable.

Now there's lots of things you could do to get more options or more quality. But one mic and the Focusrite can let you get pleasant sounding recordings. Yes, you may be recording the acoustic and vocals live in pass together in mono, but mono isn't necessarily bad sounding, it's just a sound. You can eventually add a second mic if you stick with it. Electric guitar and vocals together in a live room can be more difficult to record at once, but you can overdub vocals on a second pass and even build up complex recordings track by track.

Things you can practice doing with that basic setup would be determining the best place to put your microphone and the best room or location in a room for best recorded sound. You can use the headphones above to help you figure out how to mic, even if you're engineering yourself. Instead of listing to how you sound in the room as you might if you were just playing, not recording, listen to how it sounds in the headphones and move your mic or playing position and see how it changes what your ears hear in the 'phones.

Audio recording itself is not all that demanding of computer resources. Audacity software can capture live recordings and allow basic editing and mixing of those recorded tracks. There are other low cost to free software to consider too, but you can start with Audacity.

I sense there are already folks here waiting to suggest ways you spend a bit more and get more. They'll all be correct, buy they aren't sending you money either. An argument can be made however that you should start with at least a 4 mic input interface so you won't outgrow your 2 mic input Focusrite you're considering too fast if your interest grows.

Someone has already suggested audio monitor speakers. As you start out, I see no great value in trying to fit monitors into your budget. If you begin just live recording with your one mic, acoustic guitar and vocals in one pass (so mono) then inexpensive monitor speakers will give you little to no advantage. You can shop for those later if you stick with it.

Someone may suggest sound treatment. For mixing, the decent <$100 headphones will mitigate the mixing in an untreated or unsuitable room issues, and while there's value in treatment for recording, you may find a room and mic position that keeps room reflections etc from hurting things much.

Recording can be expensive and the things you do with a greater budget can add things you can do wile recording and that listeners can hear. But basic recording can be rewarding too, and a good performance recorded with just a single mic can still be compelling.

I don't see much advantage to going with the single USB mic BTW.

[Horseflesh]

I would definitely choose a more flexible interface like the Focusrite over a one-trick pony like the USB mic.

You might consider a mixer which can operate as a USB sound interface. Here's a 6 channel Mackie for less than $200. (It even has instrument level inputs.) That leaves you some money for a mic.

https://mackie.com/en/products/mixer.../ProFX6v3.html

I have this mixer and it's fine but in all honesty I have not critically evaluated its capabilities as an interface.

[keith.rogers]

I would recommend sticking with an interface + mic to start with. Mixers (like the Mackie) in your budget almost always limit the USB connection to a stereo out, i.e., you don't get a separate channel in the digital signal for each input.

Your budget is probably over optimistic, but I think you could do something for $300. You have to accept that you are in the entry level pricing. In particular, the differences in brands is very, very small in this range, regardless of the brand name. They all have to put something together with essentially the same components, and probably in the same factories.

I would avoid used electronics unless you are buying them from somewhere like a local Guitar Center where you have a very easy and almost cost-free route to return items which do not work. There is simply no repair option for most of this stuff if you find you've just bought a clunker off of Craigslist or eBay.

Honestly, the Behringer Uphoria interfaces and even mics get good marks and will work for a starter, leaving room for a mic stand (+ pop filter if you will be doing vocals) and decent set of headphones. Here's my quick picks.

Behringer U-Phoria UMC202HD : $100
Behringer C-1 medium condenser: $50
Audio-Technica ATH-M20x Headphones: $50
Mic stand, cable + pop filter: ~75

[kurth]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...cording-bundle

$209.....and you can record guitar as good as the best...or where no one can tell the difference. The only limit will be your own talent, and that's the burden we're all under. There's always this tendency to tell starters they need more. Not true. For example...mic stand....go to hardware store, buy a 5/8-27 bolt and bolt the mic to anything that works, or build something from what's around the house. Or used micstand for $10bucks. The only limit is, with only one mic you can't record both voice and guitar as easily in a single take. Simple...2 tracks. That's what the compu and interface do. In fact you can record as many tracks as your compu can handle. One good experiment is to test your compu's power. You might be surprised.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by kurth

$209.....and you can record guitar as good as the best

I'm sure that would be fine for his stated purpose but to say he can achieve "as good as the best" might be overselling it a tad.

[kurth]

Originally Posted by jim1960

I'm sure that would be fine for his stated purpose but to say he can achieve "as good as the best" might be overselling it a tad.

Really? Go to soundcloud and tell me what compu and interface someone's using. Why is this forum always pushing more....when less is, either all someone wants, can afford, or needs. I've got an i5 with 16g of ram. Important that it's ddr4, but I regularly have between 10 and 15 tracks , and when I'm recording voice, I'll throw in another halfdozen to chose the best version. Maybe I should have said 'as good as the best here' ? Maybe there's a small exception, but when someone is such a good guitar player that a focusrite solo would need to be upgraded, they've probably earned that path. No need to block the path before it's ever walked on. The sweetwater deal has all he needs to get started, for less than $250.