Advice for home recording

Wailin

I've read the sticky on home recording and found it very detailed and helpful but I still need some advice. I'm looking to record at home, acoustic with singing and possibly some bass and lead guitar but mostly two acoustic guitars with vocals. I've been checking out the multitrack compact studios on thomann and would like to be pointed in the right direction before diving in head first. What type of mics are best suited to record acoustic guitar and is a seperate one required for vocals? What portastudio would people recommend? I haven't a whole lot of cash to spend, something in the region of 600. In the case of portastudios, what does 8 track, 12 track etc mean. Basically I want to buy something that will give decent quality recordings and I'd like to know all the kit i need to begin. Cheers in advance.

mkegvn

if you're any good with computers, i'd try and utilize that over buying a portastudio. you'll get some software with most interfaces - http://www.thomann.de/ie/tascam_us122mk2.htm

you can use the same mic for acoustic and vocals. something like this is perfect - http://www.thomann.de/ie/audio_technica_at2020.htm

then for bass and electric guitar this will do the trick! - http://www.thomann.de/ie/shure_sm57_lc.htm

all that above with a few cables etc, and you're good to go.

if you are set on a portastudio though, this little thing is pretty sweet. http://www.thomann.de/ie/zoom_r24_bundle.htm - good luck

Wailin

mkegvn wrote: »

if you're any good with computers, i'd try and utilize that over buying a portastudio. you'll get some software with most interfaces - http://www.thomann.de/ie/tascam_us122mk2.htm

you can use the same mic for acoustic and vocals. something like this is perfect - http://www.thomann.de/ie/audio_technica_at2020.htm

then for bass and electric guitar this will do the trick! - http://www.thomann.de/ie/shure_sm57_lc.htm

all that above with a few cables etc, and you're good to go.

if you are set on a portastudio though, this little thing is pretty sweet. http://www.thomann.de/ie/zoom_r24_bundle.htm - good luck

Can you tell me what the advantages are of using a pc as opposed to a portastudio? I have a dell inspiron laptop with 2 RAM memory, is this too small? I was eyeing up the tascam 2488 neo which is just about within my budget if i was to stretch it a bit. Im not sure but i would probably find the portastudio more user friendly, but maybe im wrong.

krd

I'd advise against the Tascam. I have two Portastudio type things - they're a lot fiddlier than using a computer. Plus if you master Ableton you can make recordings that sound pretty pro and sharp -

Something like Ableton will run on your laptop. You only really need an interface to get stuff into your computer. So Mics and some kind of external sound card.

You would be better buying a decent external interface, and mics,,, and crucially monitors and then using Ableton.

As for Laptops - I got my latest one after the last one blew up - it cost me €150. And it's good enough to handle anything I throw at it. Years back you needed a very powerful computer to run a DAW, now you don't.

All the different equipment has draw backs -- unless you have the space and serious cash you're limited.

Wailin

Thanks for the advice Krd. So you reckon using software with an interface on a laptop will give better results than a good portastudio? Obviously i'd be able to record 2 or 3 guitars plus vocals and backing vocals as well? Where is the best place to buy such items, Thomann i suppose?

krd

Wailin wrote: »

Thanks for the advice Krd. So you reckon using software with an interface on a laptop will give better results than a good portastudio? Obviously i'd be able to record 2 or 3 guitars plus vocals and backing vocals as well? Where is the best place to buy such items, Thomann i suppose?

Don't rush into anything. I would say 3/4s of the money I've ever spent on gear has been, I won't say a complete waste, but had I known what I was doing, I could have got much better for less.

DAWs have huge advantages over Portostudios. But PC's were never built with music production in mind.

There are drawbacks - My version of Ableton (7) can only record a two track (stereo) input at any one time. Other daws will allow you to simultaneously record multiple tracks at once -- A portostudio will usually let you record everything at once - like 8 tracks at once. But it's not as easy to edit the audio after the fact.

There are lots of ways to do this. Ideally, what way would you like to record?

Y'all playing together at once? Or you're not particular.

Squidgy Black

I'd go with Reaper over Ableton for a beginner to be honest, easier to use, more tracks, cheaper etc.

If you're going home recordings, you don't need 6 or so inputs, track everything seperately, so you'll need 2 inputs max. Unless you decide to track drums.

http://www.thomann.de/ie/focusrite_saffire_6_usb.htm This is a stellar interface for the price, good mic pre's in it.

Add that, the 40 euro for a Reaper license, pick up a decent Large Diaphragm Condensor that will be good for vocals and acoustic, I recommend this http://www.thomann.de/ie/rode_nt1a_complete_vocal_recording.htm and a set of these http://www.thomann.de/ie/the_tbone_em700_stereoset.htm are amazing if you're into finger picking and classical guitar.

You've got one heck of a setup there for your budget, and it'll sound a million times better than a portastudio.

Wailin

krd wrote: »

There are lots of ways to do this. Ideally, what way would you like to record?

Y'all playing together at once? Or you're not particular.

Not particular. At most it would be two acoustics with vocals and harmonies. Bass and drums not important at this stage. I dont mind recording everything seperately as stetyrrell suggested, but i do want a set up that will give decent quality recording and the ability to add some effects etc. Would the same mic be ok for both guitar and vocals? No pick up in guitar so decent mic important.

Squidgy Black

Wailin wrote: »

Not particular. At most it would be two acoustics with vocals and harmonies. Bass and drums not important at this stage. I dont mind recording everything seperately as stetyrrell suggested, but i do want a set up that will give decent quality recording and the ability to add some effects etc. Would the same mic be ok for both guitar and vocals? No pick up in guitar so decent mic important.

That mic's perfect for both vocals and guitars. A condensor well placed will always sounds a lot better than a guitar's pickup, they're more for live use.

krd

Yeah, those Thoman deals look really great.

The Saphire deal looks like a great place to start.

And by the way, this is a sh*t lot more you're getting for the money than you would have go a few years back.


I think there's even configurations people haven't tried. Like linking up Laptop DAWs and getting control of their own thing.

A drummer could have their DAW and mics. Singers theirs. Guitarist etc.

Wailin

Ok cheers guys. I have a good idea what I'm looking for now. Just one more question. Do I need to buy a seperate effects unit if I want to add chorus, reverb etc to my recordings or will that be possible with the daw?

krd

Wailin wrote: »

Ok cheers guys. I have a good idea what I'm looking for now. Just one more question. Do I need to buy a seperate effects unit if I want to add chorus, reverb etc to my recordings or will that be possible with the daw?

The effects are in the DAW. You can even down load free effects plug ins.

There is one draw back - using a DAW you generally can't use the sound effect plugins live - there's a time lag. If you were going through hardware you'd hear the effect live.