Home recording gear advice

[dneal]

So the Apogee Mic is ok, but has some limitations. It works fine for the wife to sing into, but no so great for the guitar.

I'm looking at a pair of inexpensive pencil mics (AKG Perception 170) and a PreSonus for a total of $350 or so.

Am I better off going that route, or just getting a Zoom H(x)? to record the guitar piece?

All this will go into Garage Band.

TIA

Derek

[GregEL]

Your Garage Band is running on what? An iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad?

What interface? If I remember correctly the Apogee is a USB mic. Is the Presonus you're thinking of a USB mic? Were you thinking of plugging your mics straight into the USB ports on your computer?

The AKG P170 is not a USB mic, it uses an XLR cable. For it you'll need an interface. There's plenty of decent ones around that don't cost a whole lot, it's a much better way to go.

I use an AKG Perception 170 for recording solo fingerstyle guitar. Works and sounds great. I'm thinking instead of the Presonus get two AKG P170s. Betcha you can buy them as a matched pair. Call a place like Sweetwater where they bend over backwards to help.

If you've already got the software, computer and interface at home then I wouldn't bother with a Zoom unless you want do the remote portable thing.

Good luck!

[dneal]

A matched pair and a presonus are what I'm considering, and I don't have an interface for XLR mics.

It'll be running into a Mac.

[GregEL]

Duh, misinterpreted your post somehow. You don't say if the Presonus is a mic or an interface. If it's an interface then it should have XLR inputs built in. Presonus makes different models with different number of XLR connections built in. So I'm guessing:

Two mics ---> Presonus interface with at least two XLR inputs ---> Mac

Should work great!

[dneal]

Good point on the presonus. They do make a lot of stuff.

It's the 2x XLR to USB interface I'm looking at.

[fceltia63]

Originally Posted by GregEL

Duh, misinterpreted your post somehow. You don't say if the Presonus is a mic or an interface. If it's an interface then it should have XLR inputs built in. Presonus makes different models with different number of XLR connections built in. So I'm guessing:

Two mics ---> Presonus interface with at least two XLR inputs ---> Mac

Should work great!

Two mics > digital interface > computer!
I haven't had much luck with usb mics and my computer. The sound card on my computer isn't the best. I like using a pencil condenser (cardioid) mic at the 12th fret and large condenser off the bridge.