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recording equipments recommendation
I am looking for good recording equipment to purchase. My requirement is it should provide excellent quality and I don't have to purchase another one for the next five years. I will be using it to record acoustic guitar on my Taylor 814-BCE for home use.
I am looking at the Scarlett 2i2 bundle (head phone, condenser mic and 2i2) or 4i4. Questions: 1- do I really need the headphone? 2- should buy just purchase the condenser mic separately like the sm57 or sm58? Any excellence condenser that you would recommend? 4- for my situation, do you recommend 2i2 or 4i4? TIA |
#2
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Are you going to do overdubs? If yes, then you do need headphones. SM series mic? SM57 or SM58 is not a condenser mic, they are both dynamics. Recommendations would be based on what you want to spend and what size of condenser you want, small, mid, or large diaphragm. Recommendations? Difficult to say... What's your "situation"? |
#3
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I am looking at the Scarlett 2i2 bundle, Spire. I am also looking Spire on Iphone. Not sure if it is any good. My free recording software is Garageband and Audacity. What would you recommend? Thanks, |
#4
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You don't have studio monitors on your list and you're going to need to be able to listen to the playback somehow. Headphones aren't ideal as the only monitoring source, but if you're not going to buy monitors, headphones will be necessary. I'd suggest closed-back headphones with full cups if you're only going to invest in a single pair. You're also going to need a daw, so best give that some thought. Quote:
Both the 2i2 and the 4i4 have two preamps so you're limited to using just two mics at any time. The 4i4 has two line-in options on the back, so you could use that for a guitar with a pickup (I can't recommend that though since pickup tracks don't usually sound all that good). Be prepared for a fairly steep learning curve. Even with great equipment, great recordings will be elusive for the beginner. You're going to need to do a fair bit of experimentation in the beginning to see what works and what does not.
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Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#5
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Decide on a realistic budget range w/ max amount you can pay for initial purchase and state it . Your question about Focusrite gives some indication that you are more or less looking at entry level price point..... BUT it would be much better and way more efficient, to offer actual dollar amounts. Just saying ALSO...... List your exact intended use,,,, you said to record your Taylor BUT in what context ? Only solo acoustic guitar, Guitar and vocal, guitar and possibly other instruments (either real or Virtual) etc. List what current recording audio gear you have (if any) List what computer and Specs and OS you have or intend to use . List what DAW you think you would like The more info you provide the more targeted the replies will be Other wise its kinda like asking "I want to drive into town, should I get a two door or four door ? " BTW the Shure SM 57 and 58 series are Dynamic mics, not condenser.
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Sonoma 14.4 |
#6
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If "simple" is important then doing the recording with a good small factor portable recorder like many of the Zoom H series would do that for you. A bit more complex would be using an audio interface and one or two condenser mics. A lot of the currently available interfaces will pretty much satisfy your needs, too. That includes the package deals such as what you are looking at. They usually contain a serviceable condenser mic that will produce good recordings. Headphones are usually included in the packages and you can choose to use them or not. The interface packages assume the user is relatively new to computer recording and will need SOMETHING to listen with other than the speakers that come with a desktop computer. When you consider the process of recording your guitar you have to consider all aspects of that. You can team a high performance condenser mic with a good interface, but you're not going to tell the difference between wood choices or even type of guitar if you aren't listening with good speakers or good headphones. |
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If you want the listner to be able to ditinguish between the wood of your guitars, you need good mics Try to get a used (pair of) Neumann KM 184, Neumann TLM 102 or similar mic(s) from another brand in that range. Audient has good and affordable audio interfaces with very decent mic pres. Maybe you can get a used ID4 (mono) or ID14 (stereo). For a headphone, the reference Beyerdynamic DT 770 will do. As it is the referenzen, you might find a used DT 770 online. That's nothing to fancy or over the top and will give you good results. As a DAW you might want to look for Cakewalk. At the moment Cakewalk is free, due to a struggle regarding the license.
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Taylor 914ce Taylor 914ce Charcoal |
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#9
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Cakewalk is windows only. |
#10
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My thoughts, as a professional audio engineer: Ditch the bundle, you never get the best options in a bundle. For your proposed budget of $500-1,000, excellent is not a realistic option. Decent is the neighborhood you're playing in. For reference, an "excellent" audio interface will run you $2k to start. Yes - you need headphones. A decent set will cost around $150. You may also need studio monitors, if you are planning on doing any mixing. headphones are only for tracking. Mixing on headphones is not recommended. A decent set of near fields will likely eat up your budget. I don't have a lot of experience with the lower end of the monitor offerings, so maybe someone else can offer suggestions. I would suggest looking at the Audient interfaces. The preamps are better than the Scarlett pres. Audient uses the same preamps on their cheapest interface as they do on their $100k consoles. For a mic, I would suggest an Audio-Technica AT4050, they are workhorses that sound good on almost anything. That said, they are around $700. I believe they are now making a cheaper version called the AT4040. It's similar to the 4050, without switchable polar patterns. I don't have direct experience with the AT4040, but if it's anything like the AT4050 it will be fine on just about any stringed instrument. Another option is the AKG C214. It's a cardiod only version of the c414. I've used them on guitars and they are surprisingly good for the money. You'll still need a DAW. Reaper seems to be a popular option in the almost free arena. There is also a free version of Pro Tools available. It's limited, but it's more than adequate for simple recordings. If you're using a Mac, just use GarageBand. it's a simplified version of Logic & is really good for free. Welcome to the world of recording. If you thought guitars were expensive, just wait until you dive into recording gear.
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-Steve 1927 Martin 00-21 1986 Fender Strat 1987 Ibanez RG560 1988 Fender Fretless J Bass 1991 Washburn HB-35s 1995 Taylor 812ce 1996 Taylor 510c (custom) 1996 Taylor 422-R (Limited Edition) 1997 Taylor 810-WMB (Limited Edition) 1998 Taylor 912c (Custom) 2019 Fender Tele |
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For high quality and simplicity in your budget, perhaps consider a high end hand held recorder such as a the Sony PCM D100. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...-sony-pcm-d100 Pros - high quality recording; well built; easy to use Cons - not upgradeable (no XLR inputs); not a computer interface; no effects The way I use mine is to record onto SD card and then transfer the recording onto my computer. |
#12
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Thank you all.
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