recording equipment

shred1980now

shred1980now

New member
alright so i was wanting to start recording my own music but i dont know the first thing about it. what kind of equipment am i gonna need? i want to be able to record vocals, drums, guitar, and bass. i have a dynamic vocal microphone, guitar equipment, a drum set, and bass equipment. i don't need it to be top quality or anything, just so i can get it out and maybe burn it to disc. you see, an issue with my band is sometimes we cant practice together because of conflicting work schedules, so i figured if i could record some songs and burn it for them they could practice along to it and we wouldnt be so rusty when we jam.
 
Re: recording equipment

If you're going straight into the computer to record, and not into a standalone multitrack recorder, you're going to need a recording interface for the mic. If you intend to use the same mic to record everything, you won't need a multi-input device. However, swapping the mic around from cabs to drums and such is a lot of work, so you might look into a mixer of some sort and run your amp's direct outs (if they have them) to the mixer, then into the computer.

Now, it's not going to sound anything at all like your amps, because your PC speakers are not your cabs. This isn't going to change. There's a huge physical difference between a 4x12 300w guitar cabinet and a 20w PC speaker designed for gaming and general PC sound.

I know you said sound quality isn't important, but trust me - once you listen back to it, sound quality will become extremely important to you, and you'll waste your life away trying to make your guitar tracks coming out of your 20w PC speakers sound like it's coming out of your guitar cab.

You'll also need to be able to crank the amps. Bedroom jamming volume is not going to be detected by the mic over the sound of its own electrical current and the fan in the window. With increased volume comes increased stupidity from the people around you. Family, neighbors, and cops crying about noise levels.

If this is going to be a problem (i.e. you're not in a rural area miles away from other people) look into direct-recording units like the POD or a rack preamp.

You're also going to need a multi-track software-based editor to mix it all. There's free and there's paid stuff out there. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks. Free is not always equal to good.

You're also going to need a good set of playback monitors so you can hear your recorded tracks well enough to play along with on the other instruments to lay down those tracks.

If you're a guitarist and record the guitar riffs first, you're going to need a lot of volume for playback when you're recording the drum parts. If you're miking amps, and those amps are going to be loud, then you'll need headphones to hear the amp and the drum track so you don't have playback sound bleeding into the mic.

I mean, I'm assuming you don't have the option of turning a house into a recording studio, where everything can be isolated. Even then, you're going to need headphones because sound will delay as it bounces from room to room, making live monitoring through speakers relatively difficult.
 
Re: recording equipment

shred1980now said:
alright so i was wanting to start recording my own music but i dont know the first thing about it. what kind of equipment am i gonna need? i want to be able to record vocals, drums, guitar, and bass. i have a dynamic vocal microphone, guitar equipment, a drum set, and bass equipment. i don't need it to be top quality or anything, just so i can get it out and maybe burn it to disc. you see, an issue with my band is sometimes we cant practice together because of conflicting work schedules, so i figured if i could record some songs and burn it for them they could practice along to it and we wouldnt be so rusty when we jam.
Click to expand...

it is a time and money pit in disguise!!!

for basic demos, download reaper and get line 6 toneport and ezdrummer if your drummer does not have drum mics and you are set, until teh gas gets you!!!
 
Re: recording equipment

Go to your local library and read some books on the subject; this is a much better starting point than any forum, anyplace! (No offense, guys)

THEN, come back with your specific questions.
 
Re: recording equipment

Books assume you have tons of money and a well-stocked music store, or magical internet service that allows you to download hardware.

Besides, many of those books are written by sponsored engineers who offer their biased opinions on brands.

The other books were written based on info from those of us who posted the same info on web boards.
 
Re: recording equipment

I guess I do it wrong - I've never really had to crank an amp to record, using close mic'ing. In fact, it's almost easier to play at a normal practice level, or slightly above and get a good mic level on the recording device. It's a bit louder than what I'd be able to do when my kids are trying to sleep, but someone would probably not hear it outside if standing in front of my house.
 
Re: recording equipment

everdrone said:
it is a time and money pit in disguise!!!

for basic demos, download reaper and get line 6 toneport and ezdrummer if your drummer does not have drum mics and you are set, until teh gas gets you!!!
Click to expand...

This.
Put down a basic drum track first using ezdrummer, then record guitars (direct to pod farm) and bass (direct to pod farm)
Then lay down vocals (direct to pod farm)
If you feel the need to have the "real" drum track after that, mute the basic ezdrummer track and record drums. Since it is just for practicing I wouldnt bother.
Mute drums and send to an MP3 in reaper. Give to drummer
mute guitars, send to mp3 and give to guitarist
mute bass, send to mp3, give to bass player.
mute vocal for singer
 
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