Recording Question

[zombywoof]

Whether I like it or not I am being dragged into the 21st century. Not saying there is not a certain amount of kicking and screaming involved on my part but the times the are a changing.

 

My daughter wants to do some recording on a computer something where she can play and then mix, piano, uke and electric bass (which she is getting for Christmas). We do have a new computer on the way (courtesy of my brother who had an extra corporate computer laying around) to replace the 12 year old machine sitting here and a Yeti mic. But my question is what recording software do you guys use. Thanx.

[Leonard McCoy]

Reaper and Abletone.

[AnneS]

I don't think you can go wrong with Audacity, which is free and not too complex. With zero experience when I first started toying with recording, I managed to figure out how to use it, in the main.

[MorrisrownSal]

Zomby...

 

Should your kid, or you, have an iphone... Garageband and your yeti mic will be awesome for the application. You would need a USB - lightning adapter. Unless you have a Macbook or Mac... then garageband and your yeti mic as is is fine.

 

If money is burning a hole, drop $200 on the Apogee MiC. I cant sing its praises enough.

[BluesKing777]

It can have a simple answer, or it can be as complicated as a Moonshot!

 

Simple can be if you own a Mac of any kind - Garageband comes free with all Macs. Apple invented computer sound. Simple could be Sal’s recommended Apogee Mic, as it takes care of a big problem - getting the sound in to the computer - it is a ‘USB mic’. (Computers need some kind of interface to get A into B).

 

Audacity is PC software, but again some kind of interface is needed to get sound from the mic into the computer and to Audacity.

 

Good luck and ask if you need anything!

 

 

BluesKing777.

[blindboygrunt]

I’ve used audacity.

Reaper I find to be better , audacity will do it but it’s a little geared toward other things. Reaper has effects that would be more suited to someone making ‘acoustic’ music

But either will do. It’s more a question of learning what you will never need on these things . It’s a head melter when you first look at it but like I say once you realise you can ignore 95% of the buttons that’s the major hill

 

For an interface get a focusrite

 

Look forward to hearing your stuff zomby.

[zombywoof]

I don't think you can go wrong with Audacity, which is free and not too complex. With zero experience when I first started toying with recording, I managed to figure out how to use it, in the main.

 

Oooh, actually Audacity is what I use to do a bit of re-mastering recorded stuff - concerts and such - that I have laying around.

[AnneS]

Oooh, actually Audacity is what I use to do a bit of re-mastering recorded stuff - concerts and such - that I have laying around.

I had a Samson USB mic that worked well (until it didn't), but I much prefer the multi-purpose Zoom HD2.

Or, if you have non-USB mics and cords on hand already, there are some inexpensive interfaces out there, letting you plug in to the unit and then the unit goes into the pc via usb.

 

I got a used one a awhile back but never yet have used it.

[blindboygrunt]

Don’t use usb mics

They are good , but you can buy an interface instead of spending on a usb mic and then use the mics you are comfortable with

[zombywoof]

I had a Samson USB mic that worked well (until it didn't), but I much prefer the multi-purpose Zoom HD2.

Or, if you have non-USB mics and cords on hand already, there are some inexpensive interfaces out there, letting you plug in to the unit and then the unit goes into the pc via usb.

 

I got a used one a awhile back but never yet have used it.

 

 

Bwahaha - I am used to a 4 track Ampex board, a Roberts reel-to-reel, and RCA ribbon mics.

[Jinder]

I made my last album using a 15yr old copy of Cubase SX and an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra interface. The pres in the M-Audio are good and I just wanted a crisp, clean recording of what was happening in the room, which that setup gave me.

 

My advice would be to keep it simple-digital recording can be an utter rabbithole of heck. Logic (a very popular Mac based DAW) is everywhere at the moment and I can’t stand the tone of it-I can pick out a Logic recording a mile off, it just sounds like chewy plastic to me. It’s bristling with plugins and an immense amount of options which most people (some pro producers I could name too, not just home recordists!) just f*** about with endlessly until it all sounds like a big disheartening mess. Given half a chance I’ll do exactly that-the obsessive in me will merrily lock myself away and tweak until my ears fall off, so I studiously (no pun intended!) avoid software like that.

 

I want a DAW to essentially give me what a basic desk, rack and reel to reel does-good preamps, effective parametric EQ, some subtle spatial options and hard/soft knee compression. Otherwise, it’s all about the room and decent mics for me.

 

Mic wise, I use a Rode NT1A large diaphragm condenser, an AKG C1000S pencil condenser and an AKG D7 reference coil dynamic, which is also my live vocal mic. The Rode is wonderful for vocals or guitar and has an insanely low noise floor. The C1000S is a good all-rounder and excels for higher SPLs, and the D7 is incredibly detailed whilst still being “wide” sounding, warm with no excess mid hype or woofy bass like an SM58 displays.

 

This is the Rode on Vocals, and the C1000S and D7 on a Tricone resonator, which has a National Slimline pickup which is also DI’d very low in the mix. All through the M-Audio interface into Cubase SX.

 

[BluesKing777]

Jinder's reply reminded me of a few things - do you want to hear the little story?

 

 

Short version - years and years ago, a guitarist I know had a Teac reel as part of a whole setup and I had a few 'sessions' while he experimented and the end result: 'I want'

 

I did buy it off him but I had none of all the myriad things needed to go with it...and in those days, each one of those thingies cost a bucket.

 

A few years later Tascam brought out a 4 track recorder that used a cassette tape to tracks on both sides! It had to be mine! And I recorded all kinds of multi track 'tunes' and bought a little Boss drum machine!

 

Now my friend the piano player was over and when I showed him the Tascam, his eyes lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree! And off a second career of recording he went, including going back to Uni and getting a Masters in all things related to music and recording it. In this time he bought a 32 track digital mixer and a Mac tower computer and recorded everything he could, including any bands or musos willing to be guinea pigs......ahem....ME!

 

So he had the dual agony of learning this digital mixer and how it connected to a Mac and the first Pro Tools. He rang me one day and asked if I could show him Photoshop - he wanted to make his own cd covers! Photoshop may be a bigger ask than Pro Tools! Phew.

 

Next thing we know, he contracted Cancer, got sick and died of it. Oh boy, I won't go into all that here but he left me all his recording studio in his will!

 

So I got it all hooked up, get this, guessing his password! What are the chances?

 

After a while, it was obvious that I was never going to use more than 2 tracks as I was already going down my solo guitar/vocal thing, so I decided to get rid of it all and use my iMac. (I gave it all to a friend's son who played guitar, wanted to learn recording/computers and make his own hit record.He came and got all the stuff, and shortly after, took it all to the pawn shop!)

 

Meanwhile, I had all the consumer interfaces and Cubase and while great, they are a lot of mucking around on a computer and my eyes were hanging out my head already from working on the computers all week, so the day I saw a guy talking about the Allen and Heath 4 channel digital mixer, well, bingo!!!!!!

 

So the crux of them is that plug it to my iMac via one USB cable and after altering the preferences of the computer, I record straight to my computer via the mixer. The mixer has some nice reverb/delay which I put on first.....

 

But the joy of it is that you alter everything by knobs, not menus - sort of hybrid old school with new tech! I love it and don't look at the computer except for pressing: 'record'. [biggrin]

 

 

There are later model mixers - mine is the old version::

 

 

 

http://www.allen-heath.com/ahproducts/zed60-10fx/

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[kidblast]

I set up a laptop with pro tools HD, )that's all it does) and I aint looking back.

 

It isn't all that cheap, (USB Interface, Pro Tools License, iLok device... etc..) But It's pretty awesome once you get the hang of it, you can very quickly pump out some great sounding recordings.

[tbman]

Maybe one of those Zoom recorders would be good. I've been meaning to pick one up myself. Otherwise, you're chained to your PC and you'll need an interface for the computer, a mic or two and recording software. The Zoom replaces the hardware requirements. You can always get the free Audacity software to add eq to recordings made with the Zoom.

[drathbun]

 

There are later model mixers - mine is the old version::

 

http://www.allen-heath.com/ahproducts/zed60-10fx/

 

BluesKing777.

 

The Allen & Heath USB mixers are arguably the best consumer mixer/interfaces on the market. They have super quiet preamps and excellent digital effects. I don't own one, but I have listened to and sold a bunch of them. Solid recommendation.

 

My setup has changed over the years from plugging straight into a laptop and using Audacity (17 years ago) to my setup now:

 

Zoom UAC-2 USB interface

Sonar Platinum DAW

Rode NT1A Condenser Mic

Rode M5 Stereo Matched Pair Condenser Mics

 

For beginners GarageBand on Mac is hard to beat. For PC, Audacity is free but the user interface is a bit spartan. I like Reaper a LOT! You can download it free and use it free for 60 days, after which, it is $60. Which isn't a lot, and Reaper has great support and a wonderful online community of users to help.

 

Reaper

 

Intro to Reaper Video

[zombywoof]

Maybe one of those Zoom recorders would be good. I've been meaning to pick one up myself. Otherwise, you're chained to your PC and you'll need an interface for the computer, a mic or two and recording software. The Zoom replaces the hardware requirements. You can always get the free Audacity software to add eq to recordings made with the Zoom.

 

That is not a bad idea. I had one I used at work years ago and it worked out really well for me. I had forgotten about it.

[kidblast]

I have one, (a Zoom Handy Recorder H2.)

 

it does a good job.. you can do a line in from a sound board, or just use the on board mics.

 

Not in the same league as an interface, and sw like pro-tools, but a real good way to grab quick recordings.

[fretplay]

I

I think what you are looking for Zomby is a simple recording system to make a start.

 

Get a Cubase system for your software which will give you separate tracks to record on and a few effects to play around with.

Then you need a mic like a Shure SP58 which can work all purpose voice or guitar or piano. If you have an electric or electro acoustic you can record both voice and guitar together.

 

This is enough to make a good reproduction of a performance, too much complexity and you will loose interest. Good luck.