Focusrite Scarlett 2i4

[Seventies-Fan 1]

Sheesh, I don't know if this will work or not, I'm not overly tech savy, but I finally found a way to upload a music file to YouTube. A first time noodling about.

Hope it works from here, if not the link could be cut and pasted...

 

 

 

 

 

[blindboygrunt 259]

Worked fine

Sounded good

 

Get a soundcloud account

Free and it’ll save you using YouTube

 

Unless you really want to use YouTube ! That’s fine too

[drathbun 79]

That was excellent! Very atmospheric. The Scarlett 2i4 is an excellent interface. Is that a Southern Jumbo on the recording and in the photo?

[Seventies-Fan 1]

That was excellent! Very atmospheric. The Scarlett 2i4 is an excellent interface. Is that a Southern Jumbo on the recording and in the photo?

 

 

 

Well thank you sir! Yes I played the 1967 SJ that I recently brought home, and that is it in the video, I've really been enjoying playing it, only had it for 5 months now. This video was basically an experiment to see if I could make any of this stuff work :) I have a lot to learn about setup and placement, and I need a new Microphone (I'm using an old Radio Shack mic).

 

I'm eager to get started and am looking forward to some better quality sound and some fresh ideas... So much fun!

Edited May 16, 2018 by Seventies-Fan

[Seventies-Fan 1]

Worked fine

Sounded good

 

Get a soundcloud account

Free and it’ll save you using YouTube

 

Unless you really want to use YouTube ! That’s fine too

 

Hey thanks! Glad the link works... I will need to look into your suggestion for Soundcloud, if it's easier than YouTube then I'd probably like that!

[Lars68 54]

Very nice track with good playing! Guitar sounds sweet too.

 

SoundCloud works great, so it is worth checking out.

 

Lars

[Seventies-Fan 1]

Very nice track with good playing! Guitar sounds sweet too.

 

SoundCloud works great, so it is worth checking out.

 

Lars

 

Thanks Lars, I am hoping a better mic will yield better sound... I will definitely look into SoundCloud!

[billroy 44]

Hey Seventies Fan - I'm going to throw in a little different view. What you're doing sounds good, seems like you're going down the right path in getting a recording out of Focusrite. If it's working for you - I would continue.

 

My question is though - do you need that much capability? A lot of folks in this forum are plugging right into garage band and putting together decent recordings (decent enough to post for family and friends anyways, and i think better than that really...).

 

Personally, I have a Presonus Audiobox 44 VSL, very similar to the Focusrite. I can do a decent recording, but it takes some figuring, and has to be hooked up to my laptop - and if I haven't touched it for a month or two - there's always a learning curve to get going. Now I have not tried garage band yet, but I'm thinking I'll give it a try in the near future to see if it is a simpler way to put a recording together.

 

Just food for thought.

 

Rgds - billroy

[Seventies-Fan 1]

Hey Seventies Fan - I'm going to throw in a little different view. What you're doing sounds good, seems like you're going down the right path in getting a recording out of Focusrite. If it's working for you - I would continue.

 

My question is though - do you need that much capability? A lot of folks in this forum are plugging right into garage band and putting together decent recordings (decent enough to post for family and friends anyways, and i think better than that really...).

 

Personally, I have a Presonus Audiobox 44 VSL, very similar to the Focusrite. I can do a decent recording, but it takes some figuring, and has to be hooked up to my laptop - and if I haven't touched it for a month or two - there's always a learning curve to get going. Now I have not tried garage band yet, but I'm thinking I'll give it a try in the near future to see if it is a simpler way to put a recording together.

 

Just food for thought.

 

Rgds - billroy

 

Thanks billroy, I appreciate your input! I've heard mention of garage band, but I've never seen or heard what is involved in using it. I agree with what you said about a learning curve, I'm a babe in the woods when it comes to this whole thing! Since I've already spent the money on the Focusrite I will be compelled to use it, but I'll research Garage Band anyway!

 

I have a music room and a fast PC and so it's not a problem to have the Focusrite plugged and ready, and no doubt it's probably more capability than I will need, but who knows, it might help me become more creative... The main thing is to have some fun whilst learning and I'm looking forward to it!

 

Thanks again for the note,

-Keith

[Boyd 38]

I've heard mention of garage band, but I've never seen or heard what is involved in using it.

 

It's an Apple program that is included with every Macintosh. There's also an iOS version. But there is no version for Windows.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Boyd

[blindboygrunt 259]

Thanks billroy, I appreciate your input! I've heard mention of garage band, but I've never seen or heard what is involved in using it. I agree with what you said about a learning curve, I'm a babe in the woods when it comes to this whole thing! Since I've already spent the money on the Focusrite I will be compelled to use it, but I'll research Garage Band anyway!

 

I have a music room and a fast PC and so it's not a problem to have the Focusrite plugged and ready, and no doubt it's probably more capability than I will need, but who knows, it might help me become more creative... The main thing is to have some fun whilst learning and I'm looking forward to it!

 

Thanks again for the note,

-Keith

 

 

Same as me

I have a laptop set up with the focusrite and then I use reaper software for a little mixing

[Boyd 38]

I have a fast quad core Mac Mini and 4 channel audio interface that I use for audio and video with Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro (Apple's professional audio/video programs). But I just got a Zoom F8 portable recorder and have been using it for the past week to record my practice sessions. I'm really enjoying this - no need for a computer at all, just press the record button. The F8 has 8 XLR inputs and can record 8 tracks simultaneously at really high quality with no latency, and it can also be used as an 8 channel USB audio interface. It's about the same size (maybe a bit smaller) that the focusrite two channel interface. Lots of other cool features, including an app that gives you a mixing board on your iPhone and iPad to control the F8 with bluetooth.

 

Will be using it to record 8 channels of audio when I do a video shoot with my musical family in about a month. I had originally planned to use Logic on my MacBook Air with the 4 channel interface, but the F8 is a lot better and easier to deal with while I'm also shooting video. Zoom has a whole range of dedicated recorders that get very good reviews, might be worth looking at if you aren't so keen on computers and software. The LiveTrack L-12 in another cool one that I looked at - it's a whole soundboard that can record 12 tracks along with built-in effects. The R8, R16 and R24 are older and smaller versions of the same kind of thing.

[Lars68 54]

It's really a fantastic time for home recording right now. There are so many incredibly good options for both hardware and software available right now at very reasonable prices. I just finished recording twelve songs at home with the Garageband app on my iPad, and the only real weak link throughout the process was my performance abilities. The tech stuff did its part without missing a beat!

 

Since this is a forum for acoustic guitar, it is fair to assume that recording guitar and vocals will be a priority here. In that case it is my firm belief that learning to use the mic, placing it correctly, using the right setting on the interface, as well as in the recording software are the most important aspects. The quality of budget range hardware will do a great job if used correctly. I have learned one setup for guitar, and one setup for voice that works to my satisfaction with my simple gear. That is really all I will ever need. So I would recommend turning all knobs and switches and trying as many settings and options your gear will give you. Then when you find a sound you like, make a few quick notes so you can remember what you did next time.

 

Another thing that is a key, at least for me, is simplicity of use and start up time. I usually don't have much time left of the day when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet enough for recording. So being able to start fast, without having to wait for a computer to boot up, hook up all cables, etc etc is important to me. That's why the ipad works great for me. I open the lid, insert the mic cord, and I'm basically ready to go. If I eventually get better at the singing and playing bits, I might try to get a dedicated computer, and a good recording interface. As long as I'm the weak link, it makes no sense to spend more money on gear

 

If you have more recordings, please post them. I would be interested in hearing them.

 

Lars

Edited May 19, 2018 by Lars68

[Seventies-Fan 1]

It's an Apple program that is included with every Macintosh. There's also an iOS version. But there is no version for Windows.

 

Hmmm, that'll probably be my weak link! I've never become fluent with Apple products, although I did get an Ipad Gen4 for a service award at work, but I rarely even turn it on since I am more of a Windows user, I'll have to power it up and see if it has Garage band in there somewhere! Thanks for the reply

[Seventies-Fan 1]

Same as me

I have a laptop set up with the focusrite and then I use reaper software for a little mixing

 

Reaper software, that's another new one for me! I have so much to learn!!!

[Seventies-Fan 1]

I have a fast quad core Mac Mini and 4 channel audio interface that I use for audio and video with Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro (Apple's professional audio/video programs). But I just got a Zoom F8 portable recorder and have been using it for the past week to record my practice sessions. I'm really enjoying this - no need for a computer at all, just press the record button. The F8 has 8 XLR inputs and can record 8 tracks simultaneously at really high quality with no latency, and it can also be used as an 8 channel USB audio interface. It's about the same size (maybe a bit smaller) that the focusrite two channel interface. Lots of other cool features, including an app that gives you a mixing board on your iPhone and iPad to control the F8 with bluetooth.

 

Will be using it to record 8 channels of audio when I do a video shoot with my musical family in about a month. I had originally planned to use Logic on my MacBook Air with the 4 channel interface, but the F8 is a lot better and easier to deal with while I'm also shooting video. Zoom has a whole range of dedicated recorders that get very good reviews, might be worth looking at if you aren't so keen on computers and software. The LiveTrack L-12 in another cool one that I looked at - it's a whole soundboard that can record 12 tracks along with built-in effects. The R8, R16 and R24 are older and smaller versions of the same kind of thing.

 

Thanks Boyd! I'm going to have to go back to school or something! That F8 sounds like a good thing, hope to get a chance to see your finished video!

[Seventies-Fan 1]

It's really a fantastic time for home recording right now. There are so many incredibly good options for both hardware and software available right now at very reasonable prices. I just finished recording twelve songs at home with the Garageband app on my iPad, and the only real weak link throughout the process was my performance abilities. The tech stuff did its part without missing a beat!

 

Since this is a forum for acoustic guitar, it is fair to assume that recording guitar and vocals will be a priority here. In that case it is my firm belief that learning to use the mic, placing it correctly, using the right setting on the interface, as well as in the recording software are the most important aspects. The quality of budget range hardware will do a great job if used correctly. I have learned one setup for guitar, and one setup for voice that works to my satisfaction with my simple gear. That is really all I will ever need. So I would recommend turning all knobs and switches and trying as many settings and options your gear will give you. Then when you find a sound you like, make a few quick notes so you can remember what you did next time.

 

Another thing that is a key, at least for me, is simplicity of use and start up time. I usually don't have much time left of the day when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet enough for recording. So being able to start fast, without having to wait for a computer to boot up, hook up all cables, etc etc is important to me. That's why the ipad works great for me. I open the lid, insert the mic cord, and I'm basically ready to go. If I eventually get better at the singing and playing bits, I might try to get a dedicated computer, and a good recording interface. As long as I'm the weak link, it makes no sense to spend more money on gear

 

If you have more recordings, please post them. I would be interested in hearing them.

 

Lars

 

Hi Lars, thank you for all the great advice and your experiences, what you say makes a lot of sense. I'm feeling like the kid waiting for Christmas, I just got the Focusrite and did the one minute experiment but then had to go back to work and don't have time at the end of my 12 hour shift to do anything, but the weekend is here for me now and I hope to spend more time with it again.

 

If I do get something done I'll put it on here. I have an old Boss BR8-64 that actually has good audio quality, but I never figured out the file transfer business very well and so I only did a few tracks with it using some other NON-Gibson guitars :)

 

I'm going to have to look at my iPad and see if it offers anything (I am not an Apple guy)... yet!

 

Keith

[Boyd 38]

I'll have to power it up and see if it has Garage band in there somewhere! Thanks for the reply

 

I don't think it will be there, you will need to download it but it's free. Just tap the App Store icon and search for GarageBand. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id408709785?mt=8

[Seventies-Fan 1]

I don't think it will be there, you will need to download it but it's free. Just tap the App Store icon and search for GarageBand. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id408709785?mt=8

 

Thank you Boyd, I'll have to look into this...

[Boyd 38]

I don't think it will be there, you will need to download it but it's free.

 

Just to update.... have never owned an iPad myself, but today I was playing with one in the store and noticed that GarageBand was actually pre-installed. So it's probably already on yours.

[Seventies-Fan 1]

Just to update.... have never owned an iPad myself, but today I was playing with one in the store and noticed that GarageBand was actually pre-installed. So it's probably already on yours.

 

 

 

Hey Boyd! So here is how it turned out.. I powered up the iPad and looked around inside and found that it's a 2013 model with iOS 10.3.3 and it has to have iOS11 to run garageband.

My iPad will only update to 10.3.3 so I'm out of luck it seems... So anyway, back to the Focusrite! :)