Recording Noob Needs Help!

[Lazarus1140]

I know you guys in the Tips and Clips house have probably seen this cry for help a hundred times, but here it goes again ....

I have read Mike's tips on recording basics and then for getting clips out on the web. My problem is that there is so much gear and so many programs and so many software choices I don't know where to begin. No, it's worse than that ..... I am technologically challenged and don't know the lingo. I don't understand what the features and benefits of this or that software are because I don't know how to break the code. It's like looking up a word in the dictionary only to find a definition full of words you don't understand.

Can someone make some suggestions. I want something relatively simple yet good quality (good luck with that, huh?). I just would like to be able to record some guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard tracks, and if there's a way to incorporate drums that would certainly be a bonus. Most of all, it has to be a system that is very intuitive or at least comes with clearly written instructions (I have a $300 Casio keyboard, and the manual might as well still be in Chinese as far as my ability to decipher it goes).

Also, do these finished music files require a lot of storage on your computer or do you just burn them to CD to free up space? Then, can they be reloaded and modified?

Do any of these recording programs have the capability to write out a chart for the keyboard lines you've played?

Right now I only have an Audigy or Sounblaster soundcard which I am told is more for games than for producing quality recordings.

Summary: What is simple and works well, and what are all the requirements?

Thanks,
Laz

 

[StillLearnin']

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

Well - the question is like opening Pandoras Box.... Everyone uses something they have gotten used to and whether one product is better than another is purely subjective. You might want to get a different soundcard to begin with only to give you some additional flexibility for mic'ing and/or line level inputs. You can also bypass that and get an inexpensive Behringer board that actually has phantom power for about 80 bucks at guitar center - then you can run mic's to it and output line level straight to your existing soundcard. It's really pretty straight forward.

Software-wise, I started out in the 90's using Cakewalk and graduated to Cakewalk Sonar awhile back. There really isn't anything you can't do with it - unlimited analog and midi tracks and accepts just about any standard directx or vst plugin out there (and there are tons) I recently started using ez Drummer which is about 100 bucks. It's a vst plugin that you put inline and trigger via midi sequences that you build or drag and drop into Sonar but has some very real sounding drums and grooves. You can whip out a decent sounding drum track real quick with little effort. Alot of your multitracking ability is limited by your computer so it's good to have a pretty beefy system when you start getting into a lot of tracks or using a lot of soft synth plugins... For about 500 bucks or less, you can get the stuff you need to start putting it together.

Just my .02

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

Thanks for the input. I understand most people will recommend the products they use or are most familiar with.

I looked online at Sonar Home Studio 7 and it looks like that will be more than enough for my simple needs and the spell out the requirements plainly enough. I guess it's time to part with some cash.

Wait for discount .... wait for discount ....

 

[StillLearnin']

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

Thanks for the input. I understand most people will recommend the products they use or are most familiar with.

I looked online at Sonar Home Studio 7 and it looks like that will be more than enough for my simple needs and the spell out the requirements plainly enough. I guess it's time to part with some cash.

Wait for discount .... wait for discount ....

Cool - I've used a variety of recording SW including Cubase and Tracktion and for whatever reason, the Cakewalk stuff has always been the most intuitive for my tiny brain

As long as I've been messing with it, I still learn something new about it almost every time I use it - makes you wonder about the guys who code this stuff - they must be aliens to work that much functionality into it. Anyway, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

I got a firepod 8 inputs and use the cubebase that came with it. I used Cakewalk and a 2 input tascam before that.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

i use ver 4 of cakewalk / sonor home studio .. havent upgraded in years ... and it still gets the job done well ... i use an inexpensive line6 UX2 to get the stuff in and out of the computer (so my garden variety soundcard is less of an issue)

have fun - good luck
t4d

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

I'm running Sonar 7 as well, and it's really easy to work with. For drums and keys, I use Reason 3. The two together suit all my needs and more.

 

[StillLearnin']

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

I'm running Sonar 7 as well, and it's really easy to work with. For drums and keys, I use Reason 3. The two together suit all my needs and more.

In addition to Reason, I just recently started using Native Instruments for my keys ... that's some cool stuff if you get a chance to try it sometime. I still haven't figured out to get around the pretty hefty latency when recording patched through it however... pain in the butt. Still have to do the parts using a stock sound patch off the keyboard directly so I can hear what I'm playing in real time, then go back and patch the recorded midi track back through the NI plugin.

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

In addition to Reason, I just recently started using Native Instruments for my keys ... that's some cool stuff if you get a chance to try it sometime. I still haven't figured out to get around the pretty hefty latency when recording patched through it however... pain in the butt. Still have to do the parts using a stock sound patch off the keyboard directly so I can hear what I'm playing in real time, then go back and patch the recorded midi track back through the NI plugin.

The only NI product I use is Guitar Rig 2. I love it. I recently got a copy of Amplitube Metal as well, but it uses a little more CPU.

 

[StillLearnin']

Re: Recording Noob Needs Help!

The only NI product I use is Guitar Rig 2. I love it. I recently got a copy of Amplitube Metal as well, but it uses a little more CPU.

Yeah - NI also uses a ton of CPU when you start getting a few tracks patched to it. I'm starting to reach the upper limits on my system with some of the music I've been playing with lately...