How Do I Start Recording?

G

gbrandonn

New member
Hi guys! Its brandon here and currently I have
-Focusrite 2i2 (audio interface)
-2 Shure SM58 (microphones)
-2 xlr cable (input/output- i use these to connect my mics and guitar)

With the above equipments hooked up to a laptop I use audacity to record myself.
Is there any tips on recording because my guitar being in-line sounds too dry and using an external mic to record it dims the sound too much ( maybe positioning tips could solve this)
also regarding vocals, using audacity im recording stereo tracks first which are then mixed into a mono track ( not sure if this affect anything)

Please offer any tips or advice if anyone here has any experience on making recording easier and sound better.
Thank you!
 
Instrument cable is different than MIC cable. If your guitar is a acoustic/electric, move around the MIC while wearing headphones, to hear what distance, angle of attack, and resistance to boomy bass you want to record. You can position two MICs, or, record the MIC and the electric pickup, etc..

You may want to experiment recording only MONO tracks
 
Well, I'm not sure how complicated guitar and vocals need to be when one is just trying to get a MIC setup. The mixer in Audacity might be a limiting ? There is, also, that FREE Music Maker from Magix that Shack posted about a few weeks ago. The MMM is a bit limited, too, but there is most of the stuff you might want for 3-4 tracks;
Download Music Maker for free, including free sounds.
 
Maybe while going line-in experiment with dialing in your sound a little using some standard effects, either using the plugins in the DAW or hardware. (Amps or amp sims, reverbs, etc.)
 
I agree with lineland. If you really want to record than get a good DAW.
But this is not needed to get your current problem set. If your input signals ain't right it will also not work with a DAW.
Audacity should work too.

gbrandonn said:
and using an external mic to record it dims the sound too much ( maybe positioning tips could solve this)
Thank you!
Click to expand...

Cause you say you have the same problem with vocals i think you should look within the connections.

First.
Did you set your input signal right? What do the VU's give in Audacity?
The input of your audacity has to be set, so your audacity VU's give the same readings as those on your gear do. And perhaps your DI input has to be callibrated too (but that's not my speciality).

And what kind of guitar are you recording? The mic needs to be quit near.
 
gbrandonn said:
Is there any tips on recording because my guitar being in-line sounds too dry and using an external mic to record it dims the sound too much ( maybe positioning tips could solve this)
Click to expand...
I confess I'm not quite sure what "too dry" or "dims the sounds" means-?

also regarding vocals, using audacity im recording stereo tracks first which are then mixed into a mono track ( not sure if this affect anything)
Click to expand...
Yeah that's kinda backwards from most recording techniques I know/heard of. As suggested above, record mono, mix/master stereo as appropriate.

Also using the 58 with it's "omni style" grill could make a diff, esp if you're not really close to the mic.....
 
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