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I need some advice from you folks. Not that I am near good enough to record my own music, but I am thinking about moving my gear to another room in my house with more room. I have a screaming HP Envy lap top and and I am wondering what gear and/or software I need to create a little recording studio, now that I have my J-35. :blink:

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I need some advice from you folks. Not that I am near good enough to record my own music, but I am thinking about moving my gear to another room in my house with more room. I have a screaming HP Envy lap top and and I am wondering what gear and/or software I need to create a little recording studio, now that I have my J-35. :blink:

 

I'll share ... the PC I'm using is over ten years old running WinXP, nothing specific to music recording. Connect a small passive mixer like Behringer Xenyx 802 direct to sound card, but adapt 1/4" cable out to 1/8" soundcard hole (you can buy these adapters at Radio Shack). It's mono signal, just to 'line-in' hole on soundcard (beside 1/8" speaker hole). I use an open source recording program called Audacity. There's a learning curve to Audacity, but basically a few twiddles in Windows volume control to get the 'line in' reading sound on the recording and it's off to the races.

I mic my guitar amp or plug crap-of-the-line keyboards direct in, vocals too. It's reaalll handy to do arrangements with and I can make MP3's for uploading to internet with it too. It's that simple. Low tech, low budget home recording. Don't forget to invest in a couple of good mics. IF that setup sounds 'questionable' like it would blow Windows or something, I've had it setup for like five years with little to no problems with the computer or soundcard or desktop monitor speakers.

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I'll share ... the PC I'm using is over ten years old running WinXP, nothing specific to music recording. Connect a small passive mixer like Behringer Xenyx 802 direct to sound card, but adapt 1/4" cable out to 1/8" soundcard hole (you can buy these adapters at Radio Shack). It's mono signal, just to 'line-in' hole on soundcard (beside 1/8" speaker hole). I use an open source recording program called Audacity. There's a learning curve to Audacity, but basically a few twiddles in Windows volume control to get the 'line in' reading sound on the recording and it's off to the races.

I mic my guitar amp or plug crap-of-the-line keyboards direct in, vocals too. It's reaalll handy to do arrangements with and I can make MP3's for uploading to internet with it too. It's that simple. Low tech, low budget home recording. Don't forget to invest in a couple of good mics. IF that setup sounds 'questionable' like it would blow Windows or something, I've had it setup for like five years with little to no problems with the computer or soundcard or desktop monitor speakers.

 

Thanks, Sgt. That gives me another idea to try. [smile]

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Thanks Deeman, this probably is right up my alley as far as what I want to spend. Thanks for the link. :rolleyes:

 

why the rolleyes? I was just trying to help! If you don't want suggestions then don't start a thread! [confused]

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There are many you can buy some with better drivers and some with not so good drivers (for Windows or Mac).

Usually they are USB 2.0 interface so depending on what you do is how much you can spend.

there are DAW programs like Music Creator (cheap - @$50 from Cakewalk) or expensive ones like Pro Tools, but some are easier to learn and use like Presonus Studio One, or Sonar (from Cakewalk) or the other mentioned.

Microphones the same way also, cheap or expensive, but always better equipment will sound better usually and do a better job of making music.

 

http://www.sweetwate...dio_interfaces/

 

Actually too big a category for it.

 

If you want something easy to use - Studio One, and maybe a Steinberg (good drivers) like a UR44 or UR22 perhaps, or even a better RME equipment. http://www.sweetwate...NDk2NjIzMyJdfX0

 

Might want to check out Gearslutz to see what others ask and look at reviews of equipment (not all though).

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/

 

Actually if you only want something cheap they have those nowadays also.

http://www.sweetwate.../detail/MTrack/

 

But drivers for the computer is the most important thing and whatever OS you are using.

 

And I will stress drivers again for the computer which makes it all work.

 

And again if you get into the high end, then you can spend thousands of dollars plus fixing up the room to record in (or do it more electronically with newer guitar amps out nowadays and whatever).

 

Channel strips, Pre-amps (for mics), Compression equipment, Equalizers, whatever or use what is in the software program mentioned above or other soft synths or real equipment

 

Then you can get into a debate about what recording speed you should use from 44.1kHz to 192kHz and why - or why not - it does not make any difference since CDs are still 44.1kHZ and 16 bit, although most people probably record at 48kHz and 24 bits.

 

Or buying at your local music store or another place that sells on-line wherever you are in the world.

 

??

 

Then there are powered monitor speakers.

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/studio/studio-monitors/

 

and any place you care to spend money on this hobby whatever.

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Lots of great links there. This is really weird but I just started moving my equipment upstairs. My kid is 12 now and doesn't need a "play room" anymore. So I finally get a studio. I bought this:

 

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I use PreSonus FireStudio with Cubase, which is probably overkill for what I need. I have played around with Audacity though and I like it. I just received my M-Audio 4" Active Monitors that I ordered from Sweetwater. They got incredible reviews. I didn't want to go nuts with monitors. These are as cheap as you can get but sound great.

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I use an audio interface (Focusrite Scarlet 2i2) and when I have to record more than two things at once (or want effects from the mixer) I use my Yamaha mixer (MG82cx). So intruments to mixer to interdace or intrument to interface.

I got Reaper as my digital audio interface (DAW) software because you get the entire thing to try for free for a month and it is very cheap. There are no virtual instruments loaded and it can be saved to a memory stick because it is not demanding of computer space/memory.

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