Extreme Recording Newbie Needs Basic Advice

[PulledPork]

I've been playing for a few years, just for myself, family and friends, and doing a little singing - even taking lessons. I'm at the point where I'd like to record myself onto a CD (I know, CDs aren't really where the action is anymore), but I'm of a "certain age" and don't understand half of any description of any recording device - computer based or otherwise. I just want to record my guitar, voice, maybe harmonica, maybe banjo, maybe keyboard, into something that will spit out a decent-sound-quality CD. I obviously would need the ability to lay down other tracks, say 4 or 5, over what I initially record. Can anyone tell me what I can buy that does that, and roughly what it would cost? Thanks ever so much.

[Fran Guidry]

There are too many options to answer your question without asking you for two qualifiers: what's your budget and how good do you want to sound? Also, what kind of equipment (mics, mixers, cables, stands, computer) do you have now?

Recording advice #1: you're recording the room you play in, so the better it sounds to the microphone, the better your recording sounds.

Recording advice #2: you can do a lot to adjust your recordings but you can only adjust what you can hear. So if you want good sounding recordings you need monitoring that you can rely on.

Recording advice #3: learning to record takes lots more time than you think. If it's fun you'll have lots of fun, if it's torture you'll have lots of torture. If you start doing it and it's torture, stop!

Recording advice #4: if you have a good sounding room, plenty of practice recording, and a good performance you can get a very good recording with very low cost equipment.

Recording advice #5: learn about proper level setting in digital recorders. Aim for -12 to -18 dBFS, do not try to get the hottest level you can.

This can go on for a loooooong time without mentioning any specific gear.

Sorry,
Fran

[Indolent58]

Everything in Fran's response above is true.

As for equipment, my first question would be is there a decent computer available in the room where you will do your recording? If there is, I think an entry-level PC-based recording system is actually the easier to use than many of the dedicated digital multitrack recorders out there today, if only because the PC monitor can display much more information than the small displays on the multitrack units so its a lot easier to see what's going on. Both systems can produce good recordings if used properly.

If you go PC-based you will need an audio interface and DAW software - with the software often being bundled with the hardware. An interface with two mic/line inputs would probably be sufficient unless you are recording a group.

If you go for a dedicated multitrack recorder look for one with a CD burner that can support the number of tracks you think you will record.

Regardless of which way you go you will need:

1. Headphones for tracking. They don't need to be audiophile quality as long as they have decent isolation.

2. Two microphones (assuming you want to record voice and guitar at the same time). You can spend any amount of money on mikes. I would recommend a large diaphragm condenser for vocals and a small diaphragm condenser for instruments to start. The Chinese mics like MXL, Audix, Nady etc sold at GC and elsewhere are scary cheap for what they are.

3. Monitor speakers. Again, any amount of money can be spent, but entry level monitors like M-Audio AV40s are usable to start.

4. Microphone stands and cables.

To get an idea of prices, take a look at the recording bundles sold by Musicians Friend. I am not necessarily recommending any of those but they can give you some idea of your choices.

[PulledPork]

Thanks very much to you both for your help.

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by PulledPork

Thanks very much to you both for your help.

So, any idea for a budget?

One way to go about this, and a very sensible one, is to use an integrated recorder like the Zoom H2/H4/H4n, Sony PCMD10, etc. These things achieve really remarkable quality, and you can take them around to try different locations in your space. Check out the possibilities at Wingfield Audio: http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/index.html

The Zooms also function as a computer interface, but all of these recorders allow you to transfer your files to a computer for editing and creating CDs.

Knowing what I know now, from 10 years or so of burning through all my hobby money trying to find the magic recording gear, this is the approach I would take if I were trying to make a "friends and family" CD.

Fran

[Indolent58]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

Knowing what I know now, from 10 years or so of burning through all my hobby money trying to find the magic recording gear, this is the approach I would take if I were trying to make a "friends and family" CD.

Fran

Don't give up! The reason you couldn't find that magic recording gear was because I have it. A tube preamp with hand-drawn wire made of copper from one of Nikola Tesla's 1898 original coil transformers and NOS tubes recovered from a sunken U-boat. And a condenser mike with a diaphragm sputtered with gold from Rasputin's pinky ring. They could be yours for a reasonable sum.

[PulledPork]

Thanks again, fellas. I have no real feel for a budget because I just haven't had any idea where to start with that. But you've given me some good guidance from which I'm sure I can arrive at something affordable and satisfying. BTW, I was told I have Rasputin's pinky ring. Got it from a very nice man who happened to have it in his trunk. Weird.

[meandmyguitar]

Get a Mac. It has the iLife bundle. The iLife bundle has iTunes for music file maintenance, GarageBand for sound on sound recording, iPhoto for maintaining photo files, iWeb to create a website. It literally has everything you need to make things happen to your music.

Next, get a condenser microphone. You can get a good one for under $200. then get an interface between your computer and your microphones and MIDI keyboard. Also $200. I recommend Tascam. It makes a USB connection between your computer and your instruments.

You may also use a USB connector to a MIDI port. They also have microphones with USB connections.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by PulledPork

Thanks again, fellas. I have no real feel for a budget because I just haven't had any idea where to start with that. But you've given me some good guidance from which I'm sure I can arrive at something affordable and satisfying. BTW, I was told I have Rasputin's pinky ring. Got it from a very nice man who happened to have it in his trunk. Weird.

Actually by far the best advice you have received has been the question of Budget and I would add to that a list of recording gear you might already have like a (computer, what kind) etc. Because by far the most efficient way to shop and or receive advice is try to determine budget range, based on your disposable income for example . The reason is that "that will spit out a decent-sound-quality CD" is very subjective and some what vague. For example for some all in one options like a Zoom hard disk recorder for around $600 .Others might say $5k to $10k some $10k -$25k k will get you there yet others might say for actual CD quality just choose the Peter Gabriel SSL home studio Shed for $ 250k . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFDbNxm8EEY So try to choose at least an upper limit ?

[shoreco]

In the past, I recorded all my practice sessions right into my computor, but this was simply to hear myself playing (be my own critic)...

I recently went out and purchased a Roland R-09
http://www.rolandus.com/products/pro...?ProductId=960

You can set it up in the background and record "live" in stereo, or you can record with a "line in" imput (mono recording, but no background noise)

The software I use to layer tracks is from Sony "Music Studio 7"
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/musicstudio

I personally plug my guitar and mic into my TC Helicon VSM-300 XT and plug this "mix" directly into the recorder.
http://www.tc-helicon.com/voicesolovsm300xt.asp

From there the possibilities are endless when you start layering other instruments using the software program...

The end result = a studio perfect recording that you simply burn onto any CD