What do I need to get started recording?

[Andrew Lamprecht]

I decided I want to work on an album and put it on bandcamp. I want to record guitar through my amp, not just direct, and vocals, and also some synth stuff (like drums).

I need an audio interface, a mic, and a midi keyboard so far I guess. Anything else?

For the mic I am just going to get a Shure SM57, what do you guys think I should get for an audio interface and midi keyboard. I'd like to spend less than $200 on both those things. What are some decent options?

 

[everdrone]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

I have a presonus audiobox 22vsl that sound great, as an interface

for drums I recommend toontrack

recording an amp is tough, but great mic placement and a great mix will get you there!

best thing to do is to use what you have, and then get decent stuff; music production is A MONEY PIT!!!

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

For $200.00 you should be able to get yourself set up with all those things. Of the 3, I'd say spending the most on the mic is the most sensible strategy, as it's likely to have the longest lifespan. The SM57 is a good safe bet here for amp work.

For interfaces, try to find one with switchable phantom power, as you never know when someone with a condenser mic might show up. Take a look at the M-Audio FastTrack stuff, as well as the Focusrite Scarlett options. There's some very good value stuff in the small USB interface space at the moment.

For keyboards, have a look at the Akai MPK Mini - it has built in drum pads

You may need to look around for good used items to keep within the budget, or perhaps shop floor deals, but you should be able to get there.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

any midi controller keyboard will do the job. The main issue is latency in your soundcard. The more powerful the soundcard, the less latency.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

Presonus and M-Audio make some decent audio interfaces.

I am currently using a low-end Yamaha mixer with USB as my recording interface. I paid $100 for it at GC, used in its original carton. It is a decent audio interface for recording, but can also be used stand-alone to mix a small band in a pinch. Other than the plastic housing of this unit, it shares a lot of decent circuitry with its more expensive cousins in the MW line. You can switch between 44.1KHz and 48KHz sampling rates, and it came with a copy of CuBase.

You can probably get a decent audio interface for less money, but something like this will give you more flexibility down the road. Something to consider...

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

^^ Good call on the Yamaha. I have the MG166CX, and whilst it doesn't have the USB option, it is a great way of bringing multiple sources into the PC via my M-Audio Delta 2496. I can also testify to how well made their mixer products are. Definitely worth looking into.

 

[cream123]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

I'd suggest a Tascam unit for an audio unit. My US-122 was 40 bucks used and more than carries its own weight!

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

For not much more money than the 57 you can get a Sennheiser e609, which IMO completely kills the 57 for guitar. It's not as high mid focused, and you hear a lot more of the guitar's frequency range.

However, if you want a cheap do-it-all mic that can record acoustic guitar, electric guitar (not super loud though), vocals, and percussion, look no further than the Audio Technica AT2020.

Audio interface: Focusrite's current line DESTROYS anything else in its price range. For your budget, the Scarlett 2i2 would meet all your needs and has very good pre's and converters.

For keys, there is a vast range of price and quality here. Generally if you want a more solid feel to the keys, or more than an octave or two in range, you will need to spend more than you are budgeting for. I have an M Audio Oxygen 49 that is good enough for me.

 

[DankStar]

Re: What do I need to get started recording?

At the risk of sounding like an inept geezer, I'm not ready to recommend the Scarlett 2i2 to anyone. Having too much trouble with the clipping input and timing issues. Even my silly m-audio jamlab doesn't displace the track position like when I use the Scarlett. Latency I don't mind - but the track better be where it should at the end of a take, not starting a half second later. But, it's the cheapest with a proper balanced out, so I'm using the dumb thing. Most of the timing issues are on my Mac, not my PC for what it's worth.

If you don't need a balanced out and want dirt cheap, the tascam us-144 mkii works well right off the bat - pc or Mac.