Intro: then some questions.

[KevnMar]

First let me introduce myself guys. im from southern california, love music and sports (i play play college football) and have been rappin since i was 12 years old. i have a passion for great music and only listen to the best. almost all the music on the radio right now is crap. there is a type of music i like to get drunk and go to a club to and there is a music i want to chill and listen to when im at the crib.

my friends have been tellin me to record some stuff for the past 5 years but iv been too lazy to spend the money and figure out how to do it on a computer so thats why im here. i have a cd of a bunch of instrumentals and i want to rap over them. i just want to know what i have to buy (programs, digital recording equipment, etc.) that is probably alot of questions to ask but iv seriously been wondering how to record from my computer for a long time but iv been lazy to ask.

any1 help me out??

[Trumpspade]

First of all, WELCOME DUKE!!!!!!
I'm no genious, but since nobody else responded yet...........Start from scratch if you are not too familiar with recording at all. You first must know if you want to take the software route or the hardware route. There are pros and cons with each, but it boils down to preference. Once that is established, you need to look at your budget and compare that against what you're trying to accomplish. I say that because, many aspiring musicians/artists, tend to overload with stuff they hear is a MUST HAVE, and hundred of dollars later you're trying to sell it.....I won't babble on much more, let us know what you're trying to accomplish and what type of budget you have, then you can get honest opinions from people here who have used various products and to what extent they have assisted in their recordings...

Welcome again, don't get your answer and just dip, stick around and don't be a stranger! There is a multitude of knowledge here bro', and it's FREE

[Fieva]

If you're looking to go the software route, I would recommend that you look into demos of some of the software that you want to use for audio recording before making any big purchases on software (it can get costly). Popular ones are Cubase, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Sonar, and Live. If you're looking to make beats using software (time and money as well) I can suggest looking into Fruity Loops (also known as FL Studio) or Reason 3. Those are the two most popular for beat making (software style)

BTW Welcome.

Fiev

[KevnMar]

im definitely looking into the software route to record my music. im pretty quick at pickin stuff up on the computer and i think it would be easier for me.

i really just want to take some beats that my friends have made and be able to record over them and make a CD or something. sorry for being so broad, i feel like an idiot in here haha.

im thinking of buying a lowpriced digital multitrack recorder (ZOOM MRS-4B) to record my voice and stuff. but i already have some instrumentals, would i be able to put the beats on one of the tracks and rap over the other ones??

what computer programs do i need?

[DesertEase]

don't buy a digital recorder if your going software cuz software programs are digital recorders ya mean? get yourself a nice condensor mic even a usb compatable mic if your in a real hurry to just throw something together get adobe audition a mic pre and some monitors and you can put the cd in the computer load up a beat in audition and record your vocals over it....oh yea get some headphones too (obviously) and that will prolly run you 200 bills for a basic setup like that if you wanna be legit or there are other ways people have mentioned to get certain things working without payin that i'm not going to get into.... hope that helps and post up some stuff when you do record so we can have a listen to these skills

[midwesttribune]

Get the industry standard Pro tools. The best package you can buy is the Mbox 2 protools LE factory plugins. Its all one package that will cost around $500. The Mbox is what you plug your microphone into via XLR cable. Protools is the industry standard editing software. and the factory plugins just gives you more options. Get a nice pair of headphones that dont leak sound, with a mic stand. a pop filter which is netting that goes in front of the mic to prevent air from distorting. and of course the mic. studio condensor preferred. If you wanna go all out find a closet and line it with foam padding to make a acousticlly sound room to prevent echo and sound distortion. you can spend less that $1000 for this. protools may be hard for a beginner to learn, but its the best. The pro's have the protools with every plugin there is which is why it costs up to $25,000 or more just to have it all.