I just strait up need knowledge

[Ben P Music]

alright, so i do some home recording of some usually acoustic and vocal tracks of myself and friends, i recently purchaced to go with my fender electric acoustic an bbe acoustimax pre-amp, akg perception 200 condenser mic, a presonus tube pre, and a lexicon omega usb interface, i am completely new to this level of recording equiptment, and theres many things i dont understand, probably simple level information someone can explain to me in simple terms, first, what else do i need, if i was adding drums and bass to the music aloung with the acoustic guitar and vocals, what do direct boxes do, and what else do people record into if they dont have a computer, these simple things confuse me, please whoever explains this to me just use the simplest terminology possible, thank you so very much!
-Ben P.

[The Black Circl]

First of all - if your recording anything acoustic you need a sound proofed room (with the anti reflective walls and iso booths.) Or you need to record in a room or environment where the ambience generates the sought after reverb. Other wise its going to sound like crap.

The other things you need depend on the quality that your going for.

You can get an analog 4 track for like $50 dollars. But its a small consumer level tape, and therefore crappy audio quality.

If your going to use a "porta-studio," or digital 4 track, or 8 track, or however many you'd be better off...

However, if you use one of those - it will either need a built in CD Burner (which if it breaks your fucked (and it will im sure)) or an external CD burn thats compatable with your recorder (if your 4 track exports mp3 then the CD burner needs to import or read mp3.)

I don't really recommend either of these methods but they are viable. The second option being better then the first. With the second option you will not be able to mix and master (mixing is critical to understanding how to write modern rock music.) Now, on a larger scale I prefer a set up similar to the second, but of course it is much more elaborate.

1) Now the best option your gonna have is to get a cheap ass PC with a .7 Ghz processor (this anit shit but its fast enought to run about 14-18 tracks with heavy effects on a few tracks.)

2) Multi tracking software (if your a student Pro Tools is $300) and then theres really crappy free ones.

3) an external mixer (could be a two channel - it doesn't matter.) You need this inorder to feed the analog signal (coming from the guitar cable (high impedance)) to the PC. The mixer should feed RCAs out and those can be adapted to a 1/8" connector - which even a PC that crappy should have a sound card that has an 1/8" input.

4) You need a microphone for the guitar. I forgot that you said it was an acoutic electric right? So if you use a Mic on it this would be low impedance. Anyway you need a nice dynamic mic (only if your mixer supplies phantom power, if it doesn't then get some shitty condenser mic.) The freq response should be nice in 200-250 and 700-1k and above 5k. Probabily want uni directional with bass roll off.

5) You need a direct box for a high imped out from the guitar into the mixer. This results in a One take where there is a track on the mic and a track on a line (really you should have 2-3 mics on the acoustic and use spatial pairing.)

6) You need a kick ass mic for vox - a good prosumer mic is the C 3 (I forgot who made it, sorry)

7) You need either a drummer and a drum micing kit and a room with good ambience, or a pro tools and drum a gog, or a drum machine

8) You need a bass guitar

9) You need your PC to have a CD burner in it

10) You need CD Burning software, and possibilty an mp3 converter (if your mixing software doesn't export mp3s)

11) You need to get drunk and buy a whore

[rayc]

4 track analogue/tape isn't crappy quality - it can be but it doesn't have to be. I LOVE my Yamaha MT100 bought in C'86 & it's still runnning beautifully and is still part of my set up.
There are some great free & shareware software multitrack recorders.
What you have would work great with a porta studio tape machine or a standalone 8 track digital recorder OR even bigger & better stuff.
Get something to record into & get started. With what you have and a tape machine or simple "in the computer" recording software you can record excellent stuff. You don't need all the bells and whistles to get going.
If you want to add bass guitar borrow one & invest in a bass DI - the Behri BDI21 is GREAT for the money & will do the job with guitars as well (these boxes raise the signal from what comes out of the instrument to something usable by the machines - the BDI21 gives some tweaks as well. Adding drums - well if you mic a kit you'd best go to the drum forum. If you are going to use a drum machine or software drums that's a lot easier though not as flash.
If you go the tape rout look in the analoue only forum for help. If going comp then there's a forum for that too.
I did a good recording earlier this year with a PIII running less than 1/2 a gig RAM using cakewalk 9.3 - all old stuff but the recording was pretty good - suss it out it's called sewer song. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...&content=music
While you're there try Gimli's Lament (w vox) which is a whole bunch of acoustic instruments & bass on the same machine.
Get new stuff as you need it/can afford it but for now GET RECORDING.

[Ben P Music]

first of all thank you very much Black Circle, i've got 1-4 but have a question about five, i still dont really get what a di box does and if i should get it, any recomendations, and finally should i really have that many mics on the guitar and whats spatial pacing? thanks again
-Ben P