Best way to record on a budget?

[BlackhawkRise]

Right now I've got several pedals, a few guitars, and a Bad Monkey amp simulator. What more do I need to get to recording? The recording doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough for me to gauge my playing and record ideas for songs.

 

[Securb]

PreSonus has a recording bundle that is budget friendly if you are looking for software and gear. It comes with an inexpensive condenser mic which would not be my first choice for recording electric guitar but it will be serviceable. I would suggest upgrading to a cardioid dynamic mic like a Shure SM57 at some point or CAD makes a serviceable 57 clone that is inexpensive. You can also go direct with the PreSounus.




https://www.sweetwater.com/c695--In...M0Qws3a2t6bnYQLFVFBoCMa0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Securb]

Also, if you want to go extremely cheap Audacity software is FREE to download. You would just need a mic or audio interface

https://www.audacityteam.org/

 

[Clint 55]

I like sticking a usb mic in my laptop for quick recordings rather than having to faf with a daw. All you do is use video on the camera. You can also connect a usb mic to a phone. The quality is pretty good. Then you can always use the full daw setup later if you want to try to make a proper recording.

 

[Demanic]

I use a Zoom H4.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarStv]

Right now I've got several pedals, a few guitars, and a Bad Monkey amp simulator. What more do I need to get to recording? The recording doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough for me to gauge my playing and record ideas for songs.

Just get any cheap portable recorder with a built in mic. Sound quality doesn't matter, so it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. Don't complicate things with mics and preamps. You're just getting a feel for how your playing is and recording song ideas.

 

[Mincer]

Garage Band is a great, free app on iOS. Waveform Free is a wonderful DAW on Windows.

 

[devastone]

Waveform is easy to use, I used it back when it was Tracktion and paid for it. I highly recommend it for a free PC solution.

 

[BlackhawkRise]

Waveform definitely looks nice. Is there a cheap way to send my signal directly to the computer? I've got a decent amp sim (at least as far as it sounds into a soundboard) so is there a decent cheap box to convert my guitar signal to something a computer can understand?

My apartment is right by a pretty well used road so I'd prefer not to use a mic.

 

[Securb]

If you look around, you can find a used audio interface for around $20 - $30, Chinese sites like Aliexpress.com will also have some inexpensive audio interfaces new.

 

[Mincer]

Another good thing about Waveform is that as you get better at recording, you can grow with it. It has a lot of features that you might not use immediately, but might grow into. I still use it after many many years.