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Old 11-09-2020, 10:38 PM
Wellington Wellington is offline
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Default List Me An Affordable Home Set Up

So I used to record songs as a teenager on my laptop using a very cheap 2 input interface that plugged into my computer and a very cheap mic, don't remember what kind. Still have it somewhere but I'm missing some stuff for the interface, the cord. I want to start recording again just for fun as over the last 15 years I've written a lot and just let it die away and get forgotten.

I have a Mac laptop, as well as a pc, but I will use the Mac as it has GarageBand on it.
I might track down a cord for my interface as budget is a big deal, unless the interface is going to have more impact on sound than the mic?

So, money is definitely an object. Can I get a half decent mic for $200 or less? Something that will record guitar well but can also handle vocals? I could use my old mic for vocals and a new one for guitar, then I could record both tracks at once.

How do I record for stereo, not mono btw? (please don't stone me for my ignorance).

So, feel free to suggest specific mics, interfaces if you think its important to upgrade, and even software if need be.

Thanks
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Old 11-10-2020, 01:44 AM
alohachris alohachris is offline
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Default Zoom H4N Pro

Aloha Wellington,

I recommend an all-in-one approach to getting into home recording affordably: The Zoom H4N Pro small, hand-held digital recorder. It has everything you need to track in stereo & then move it via an SD card to a DAW like Garageband or Logic Pro on your Mac for editing/mastering. At $229.99 it's very affordable & a good value.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

The H4N's onboard stereo mic's work well & there are two balanced inputs for using your own better mic's through the unit as well. That will give you more mic placement options for guitar or vocals (or both together), a key to optimizing your recordings, Wellington.

It's a solid way to get into home recording affordably & can teach you a lot about the recording process. There are many online how-to video's RE: Zoom recorders. Check out the Sound-on-Sound reviews as well. These are very popular & affordable digital recorders. Here's Doug Young recording in stereo through the H4N using some great external SDC mic's, in an A-B spaced pair mic placement, on a great guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXmE...MQnl5ESaIAOnj5

If you need more options & slightly better onboard mic preamps, & less self-noise - the Zoom H6 Recorder is a winner. A very good value at $329.99, the H-6 won't break the bank. It's also easier to use than the H4N & again, you can add your own mic's. Or, just use the Zoom as an interface - many options, Wellington.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Doug Young has made some stellar sounding solo guitar recordings using an H-6 w/ some great mic's through Mac's. Check 'em out online. Here are a few raw demo tracks from Doug using the H-6 on board mic's alone.

https://soundcloud.com/doug-young/zo...zoom-recording

And finally, here's Doug with a great video of how to use the Zoom's with lotsa recording tips - from start to finished product - VERY, VERY USEFULL!:

https://acousticguitar.com/home-reco...oustic-guitar/

Additionally, you may need a mic stand to mount the Zoom or external mic's, some quality connecting cables (Planet Waves) to your computer & monitors, & a pair of near-field monitors eventually (check Sweetwater Audio's site). You can start with some decent, comfortable, enclosed headphones (AKG, Sennheiser, Sony or AT) for tracking & mixing but that's not optimal as with monitors. The rest you'll learn along the way as your knowledge increases.

Good Luck, Wellington!

alohachris

PS: Recording is ALWAYS more expensive than one imagines or plans for - even casual recording. As your knowledge increases & ears get educated, so does the cost & expanse of your gear naturally. So be prepared, Wellington. -alohachris-

Last edited by alohachris; 11-10-2020 at 03:53 AM.
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Old 11-10-2020, 02:09 AM
SkaMar SkaMar is offline
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Default Eco home setup

Hi

I use RODE NT2A mic which I bought for 150$ (used) - this mike is great for guitar and for vocals. I also use Scarlett Focusrite 2i2 interface (100$ used)
This interface has two imputs so you can record guitar wiht one mike and vocals with the other.

Stereo recording: 2 ways: 1 - use two micropfones and in your DAW (editing software, I use Abletone but any will do) pan them off center. 2- use one mike and i your DAW a) duplicate the track,b) pan those tracks off center c) equalize each track sligtly different.

Here are the recordings I made with this setup for reference:











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Old 11-10-2020, 08:01 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wellington View Post
So I used to record songs as a teenager on my laptop using a very cheap 2 input interface that plugged into my computer and a very cheap mic, don't remember what kind. Still have it somewhere but I'm missing some stuff for the interface, the cord. I want to start recording again just for fun as over the last 15 years I've written a lot and just let it die away and get forgotten.

I have a Mac laptop, as well as a pc, but I will use the Mac as it has GarageBand on it.
I might track down a cord for my interface as budget is a big deal, unless the interface is going to have more impact on sound than the mic?
...
It would be good to know what interface and mic you already have, but if the interface is 15 years old, it can probably be discarded at this point if it was actually "cheap" back then. You can get a perfectly serviceable interface for about $100 IMO and even a mic that will work for another $100, though if you have a mic, it might be sufficient to start with. You'll need a mic stand and cable, too.

To *record* stereo you need 2 mics, but in GarageBand, all of the default "Share" options will produce a stereo output [file]. If you record a single track, and set the PAN (left-right/balance) to the center, that track will show up equally in both the left and right channels. if you record more than one track, even sequentially, adding to the song, e.g., guitar, then vocal, you can pan the tracks however you want to "widen" the stereo image.

The handheld/"handy" (in Zoom's nomenclature) recorders are convenient ways to capture performances. They get a little "fiddly" if you are layering tracks, and not all of them are designed for that purpose, so if that's what you want to do, make sure to ready up on individual features.
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Old 11-10-2020, 08:06 AM
Wellington Wellington is offline
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Thanks everyone, I'm really appreciating the input and looking into these options. Regarding the Zoom h4n, Long & McQuade has the h4n handy, but not the pro. It's there a significant difference between these two models?
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Old 11-10-2020, 08:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkaMar View Post
Hi

I use RODE NT2A mic which I bought for 150$ (used) - this mike is great for guitar and for vocals. I also use Scarlett Focusrite 2i2 interface (100$ used)
This interface has two imputs so you can record guitar wiht one mike and vocals with the other.

Stereo recording: 2 ways: 1 - use two micropfones and in your DAW (editing software, I use Abletone but any will do) pan them off center. 2- use one mike and i your DAW a) duplicate the track,b) pan those tracks off center c) equalize each track sligtly different.
Actually while both methods can yield satisfactory results, (technically speaking ) for clarification, for a stereo "recording" there is only one way, which is your Number 1 way with two mics . The term "stereo" implies two discrete sources .

Number 2 is not technically a "stereo recording" it is a mono "recording" edited to simulate a wider stereo field .
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Last edited by KevWind; 11-10-2020 at 08:22 AM.
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Old 11-10-2020, 08:24 AM
Neal Pert Neal Pert is offline
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Are you hoping to have both audio and video, or just audio?

I've been SUPER impressed with my Shure MV-88+ Video Kit as a songwriting tool. It works with a phone and the audio quality is quite good with the mic. Check it out!

It's EXTREMELY easy to set up and record audio or video at the spur of the moment with the included apps, and the mic is a stereo mic with all sorts of of polarities for different recording situations. Tracks can be dumped easily into Garage Band.

I love, love, love this thing:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...xoCDxcQAvD_BwE
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Old 11-11-2020, 12:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wellington View Post
Thanks everyone, I'm really appreciating the input and looking into these options. Regarding the Zoom h4n, Long & McQuade has the h4n handy, but not the pro. It's there a significant difference between these two models?
Yes there is a significant difference - the ‘Pro’ has a better preamp - same as the H5 and H6.

If you want to do overdubs, multi-tracking I recommend the H4n Pro, other wise the H5 or H6. The H6 is worth the extra IMO just for better mic module, easier colour screen as well as having 4 inputs.
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Old 11-11-2020, 10:04 PM
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I don't record vocals, just solo instrumental guitar. I use two AT-2035 mics ($150 each) into a Zoom H5 ($280). After I record a few "takes" I will upload the sound files to my PC and edit using Rx7 Standard ($99 upgrade on sale) and then EQ in Reaper ($60).

Here's what my setup sounds like:



I record in an untreated spare bedroom.

Editing of a sound file - noise reduction, clipping and pasting is probably possible in Reaper, but I am used to using Rx 7 for these tasks.
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Old 11-15-2020, 02:11 AM
stringbound stringbound is offline
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The Zoom devices are pretty decent. Depending on what you want to do, I would go either for the H5 or Q8. The Q8 gives you the possibility to record audio and video. The mic preamps are pretty decent, resulting in a good audio quality. The built in microphones in all Zoom devices are ok, but with the Q8 and from the H4 up you can use external microphones, even studio grade condensers. I use the Zoom Q8 with a pair of Neumann KM 184 and a pair of Neumann TLM 102 to record my guitar. You can even use the Zoom Q8/H4/H5 as an audio interface, when you want to capture audio on your computer and work with a DAW. At the moment Cakewalk is available for free, due to a legal dispute regarding the license. I'm quite happy with Cakewalk, even though I have the latest version of Cubase Pro.
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Old 11-15-2020, 06:11 AM
NormanKliman NormanKliman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wellington View Post
Regarding the Zoom h4n, Long & McQuade has the h4n handy, but not the pro. It's there a significant difference between these two models?
Quote:
Originally Posted by RodB View Post
Yes there is a significant difference - the ‘Pro’ has a better preamp - same as the H5 and H6...
Another difference is that Windows 10 recognizes the H4nPro but not the H4n.
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