How to record electric guitar on pc and burning to cd?

michaelsg

New member
My boyfriend has several guitars and he is building his own now. I am wanting to get him like the software and whatever I need for him to connect his guitar to his pc. I know nothing about guitars or how to go about any of this. I thought it was going to be a lot easier than it has been. I have read some other stuff online and it has not been much help. Partly because I don't know all these technical terms of the gear and such. I just know that he has a lot of guitars and he has little amp thing and a big one. And as I was looking at some of the software, I am not sure that he would be all into what they do. I was just wanting something that he can record what he plays and then put it on a cd. I don't know that he would be into all the other stuff like adding drums and whatever else to it. I just want something simple and would like to know what I need for him to actually be able to plug the guitar into the computer to record it.
 
You need to do a lot of research on this.
What are the specs of his computer? This will definitely have an impact on what software he can run. Things like the sound card, RAM, etc. will have a large impact on what he can do.
He'll need mikes, an interface, cables, headphones/monitors(speakers), etc.
Definitely not a quick and easy task.

Is this a Christmas present that you don't want him to know about? Kind of a "surprise! now you can record your guitar!"
That might not be the best idea - especially if he does have some kind of idea as to what he has and what he needs.
You may want to involve him in this process because it is such a process and a lot of factors go into making these decisions.
 
since recording with a computer is so involved you might want to go a different route. you can buy standalone recorders that will be able to export their tracks to computer after being recorded for burning. it's not necessarily the best solution, but it's a simpler entry level situation. i got myself a tascam dp 01 fx, a mic, ( shure sm57) cable, mic stand, and a usb wire for transferring files to the pc. that was all i needed to record my sounds at the start.
 
My setup was cheap and easy.

1. Buy a usb interface (you can get them at Guitar center for under 100 bucks or up to hundreds. I have an M-Audio that was under 100. I love it (but don't recommend it for recording acoustic guitars with condensor mics).

2. Buy the software Guitar Tracks Pro 3 (99 dollars).

With these two products he can record guitar to his heart's content. Both products come with all the guitar effects he'll need, including distortion, delay, chorus, echo, phaser, wah, and more. All he needs is a guitar and a guitar chord (which he already has).

You can get this setup for 200 bucks.

You might also want to get the cheapest version of Fruity Loops (a sequencing program) that he can use from drums.

That's my setup, and for my level of skill it's perfect. I'm thrilled with what I have. And, by the way, anything can be plugged into the usb interface. Keyboards, guitars, bass, and any kind of electronic drum set or machine.

Studio in a box (or in my case, in my walk-in closet).
 
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