Complete Home recording virgin - help!

[Firedance]

Hi Guys

This looks like a great site - apologies for the nature of the query - I'm sure you are all sick of it but I really need advice from the experienced!

Ok, I have:
Decent PC with large HD/plenty of RAM etc - I've no doubt it's fit for the job.

Squier Tele (with crappy practice amp and zoom fx pedal)

Yamaha acoustic

...and nothing else...and I'm scared...

I really want to do this home PC recording thing but don't know where to start. I'm looking for suggestions for an external soundcard, software, mic, preamp etc. (+ maybe more? I'm not even sure... )

Am I kidding myself in thinking that I won't need a mixing desk? If so half decent 16 track?

I'll be using a drum machine I guess so I'll need a bit of guidance on that.

So, budget? well, I'll stretch if necessary but suffice to say, I don't want something totally basic that I will regret buying after 6 months but then again I'm not made of money. E.g would around $1000 get me a reasonable start?

All suggestions welcome & I'd really appreciate all comments.

Thanks in advance!!

Edit: Ok, having explored this site a bit more I've just used the soundcard wizard and have been recommended the E-MU 0404 2.0 for around $200- so that's a start!

[shylessness4924]

hey
I'll try to give you a lil head up on some stuff you asked,
I'm not a pro but I was at the exact same place 1 year ago.

Originally Posted by Firedance

I really want to do this home PC recording thing but don't know where to start. I'm looking for suggestions for an external soundcard, software, mic, preamp etc. (+ maybe more? I'm not even sure... )[/I]

Aight, as for the software, there is so many. Free or not, some are goods some are not. But the thing is that you need to be comfortable with it. If it doesn't give you all the freedom you're looking for then its pointless using it.
I strongly recommand you Cubase. Try out Cubase LE, I'm sure you can find it on the net and I almost sure that it's a free one (they give it away with so many recording materials and it doesn't require a cd key....so yeah!). It gives you a great freedom and it's a good thing to start with. It's basic but can give you awesome mixes.

The mic(s) is an item that is hard to class. For a start, you should try out the shure sm57 (or 58 , same difference). It has a good quality/price ratio. It's good for recording amps, some vocals, acoustics, etc. However if you're planning on recording vocals, I recommand you to buy another item called a condenser mic. A very fragile mic that gives you an awesome sound. Although it requires a phantom power; a source of power coming from a mixer or a pre-amp. If you're scared about the price, I can tell you that each mic cost me between 100-150$ each (new, not used).

Originally Posted by Firedance

Am I kidding myself in thinking that I won't need a mixing desk? If so half decent 16 track?[/I]

Unless you're rich, I dont think the mixing DESK is a good idea (its pretty big). More like a normal mixer with 4-8 tracks would be fine ( or a pre-amp). Make sure it includes a phantom power.

Originally Posted by Firedance

I'll be using a drum machine I guess so I'll need a bit of guidance on that.[/I]

If you use Cubase, I believe there is a guide. Drum machines are very easy to use. Again , with cubase, there's a "okay sounding" drum machine. You can always find better stuff on the net. DFH drums are good. I use something called ezdrummer. If you check "my stuff" in my signature , you'll hear a song where I'm using a drum machine with which i haven't used many effects...The basic sound is good. You can always buy the super great programs like DFH Superior that will use 32 GB of space and will cost you 300$.

Originally Posted by Firedance

So, budget? well, I'll stretch if necessary but suffice to say, I don't want something totally basic that I will regret buying after 6 months but then again I'm not made of money. E.g would around $1000 get me a reasonable start?
[/I]

1000$ would give you a very reasonable start (more reasonable than ppl saying they only have 200$... which is sad...).
But I'm not sure that you should buy everything you need at the same time. I say you buy a lil when you start to need it. You should start off with the soundcard, a mic, buy (or if ur wise enough , find on the net) a recording software and maybe a mixer (or pre-amp). The reason why I said maybe a pre-amp is that I heard that with some soundcards, you don't need a mixer. But I'm not quite sure, i say you should get a second opinion on this one!


Hope it helped you!
And welcome in the forum btw



alex

[Firedance]

Nice one Shylessness4924!

Thanks very much for the reply. That E-Mu soundcard I mentioned at the end of my post seems to have built-in preamps and is generally supplied with a basic copy of Cubase (sometimes more depending on 'bundles' available) so it seems like a good place to start.

One other thing has crossed my mind - is the guitar generally played clean, directly into the soundcard or via effects/amp? I neglected to mention that I do have a pair of decent Roland speakers which could act as monitors. I'm guessing it's better to leave any effects to Cubase...

Thanks again!

[brandondrury]

Am I kidding myself in thinking that I won't need a mixing desk? If so half decent 16 track?

If you get the right soundcard, you won't need a mixer at all.

Why You Don't NEED A Mixer For Home Recording

Edit: Ok, having explored this site a bit more I've just used the soundcard wizard and have been recommended the E-MU 0404 2.0 for around $200- so that's a start!

I'm glad to hear the soundcard wizard worked out for you.

The E-MU is bundled with both Cubase LE and Sonar LE so you are covered in the entry level software department. You can always upgrade at a discount after that.

From there, it's just an issue of mics and studio monitors.

I'd check out these studio monitors:
M-Audio BX5a 70 Watt Active Studio Monitors

Actually, something like this bundle should have everything you need.
KRK RP8 Studio Bundle

Do you already own a drum machine? If not, like as suggest above, I'd like for a VSTi equivalent. A lot of people seam to be very happy with EZ Drummer. I use DFH Superior.

[Firedance]

Thanks Brandon!

This is great - TBH I've learned more on this forum in a few hours than I've "learned" in the last year listening to ill-informed smart asses.

Re monitors, I have a pair of Roland MA-12 micro monitors - any thoughts or feedback on these?

Thanks for the other recommendations.

[brandondrury]

This is great - TBH I've learned more on this forum in a few hours than I've "learned" in the last year listening to ill-informed smart asses.

Home run! This is why I started this site. I (myself being a smart ass) was tired of being suckered into wasting my time and money on items that weren't making my recordings better.

Re monitors, I have a pair of Roland MA-12 micro monitors - any thoughts or feedback on these?

Forget feedback about studio monitors. That's like sending someone a picture of your girlfriend / wife naked and asking them what they think.

Sticking with the significant female analogy, I'd tell you to go have some naughty fun with her and let me know how it worked out for you. If your experience was positive, than you are in great shape. If your experience was negative, you may need to do something different.

THE ONLY thing that matters in a studio monitor is how your mixes translate to the rest of the universe. There is no need to even think about how "sweet" the high end sounds or how tubby or boxy they made sound. Just do a mix. If the mix sounds good in your car, your computer, and your home stereo there is never a need to upgrade / switch out monitors in your life.

If you mix doesn't turn out the way you thought it would, it's time to look elsewhere.

[Firedance]

Thanks again Brandon

Sorry - one more question - bass? are there any issues specific to using a bass with a soundcard? should I expect just the same reaction/performance as from the guitar or are there any allowances/special requirements?

OK, so I've no excuse now - just gotta get my soundcard & get started...

[brandondrury]

bass? are there any issues specific to using a bass with a soundcard?

No, not with the soundcard.

Granted their are some audio engineering approaches for bass that differ from guitar, but that's just in terms of sound and mixing.

Brandon

[Firedance]

Thanks again Brandon.

[brandondrury]

No problem, dude.