Recording Guitar w/ PC

[Agnoztic]

Hi. Though I've been playing guitar for a good while, I've just recently become interested in using my PC to record my playing, to practice (and record) my improvisation, and to organize any songs I might come up with.

Anyway, since I'm on a relatively short budget, I recently purchased Cakewalk's Guitar Studio 2 (by the way, I just checked Cakewalk's web site and could no longer find 'Guitar Studio 2' in their product list... what's up with that? Have they discontinued it? If so, why?). I also plan to get a new computer that will be much more conducive to digital recording (currently I'm using a 1997 PC with limited hard drive space, memory, and processing speed).

My question is this: If my goals are to record multiple guitar tracks with Guitar Studio 2, and to collaborate with other guitar players via the internet using the files I create, what sound card in the $100-$300 range is best for me?

As far as what gear I have at my disposal: an electric guitar, an amplifier, a digitech RP6 effects processor/pedal board/preamp, and a Shure SM57 mic.
Any advice on using what I have to get a decent recording setup, as well as what sound card I should buy, would be greatly appreciated.

Steve W.

[UnkleSlam]

If it were me(and I'm basically doing the same thing), I would just get as familiar as possible with the software that you have, experimenting with recording your guitar for a while before you invest a lot of money in a soundcard.

Just scour the boards, and see what everybody has to say about the particular card that they're using.Who's happy,who's not.

Another thing that I would check into if your big on the whole collaboration thing is Quartz AudioMaster, it's a cool little program for basic recording.And they have a deal where you can find other people to work on songs with, and swap ideas,etc.

[Lifeblood]

Well...recording guitar with your computer is quite complicated thing. There is so much options how you can do it. soundcard doesn't have to be very good. Something with a full-duplex support and and at least one line-in. then you are going to need an audio interface if you are planning to get a good sound. So I suggest you go and buy a package which includes all of them. They are nowadays pretty cheap and then you can be sure they all work together. Good luck with your career... and remember...by improvisation you can achieve a lot!

[VesuviusJay]

I am a tascam man myself. Go with the us122 at about $150 the AD converters are pristine for the price.

[tamias]

If you're going to throw a signal into a sound card I would run it through a board first. I have a Peavey 12 channel live board I picked up in a pawn shop for around $100 bucks. It makes a world of difference. Once you start computer recording you'll want to add stuff, lol. Being able to control just a few aspects of the signal going into the sound card I believe you will be able to have a better polished sound. But then again I'm just a musician, not a sound engineer. I Just trust my hears...go figure. Best of Luck!!! I'm going to be running a Linux based audio program for audio recording. I hope to lower the latency that windows and mac create.....

[aaroncomp]

Used PODxt. Period. It's a soundcard itself (USB), and will give you more tone that you can handle. Oh, and go ahead and sell the Digitech after you get the Pod - unless you want it for live use.

[VesuviusJay]

Originally Posted by aaroncomp

Used PODxt. Period. It's a soundcard itself (USB), and will give you more tone that you can handle. Oh, and go ahead and sell the Digitech after you get the Pod - unless you want it for live use.

I am not a fan of POD XT. The AD converters are shotty at best. The tascam sound card has the same AD converters used in the Tascam MX 24-24(48 Tracks) hard drive recorder at Desert Moon Recording in Anaheim California. This retails for $3,999.99. Go ahead and try the pod if you want to attempt to get pro quality. :P But if you want to approach pro quality with cheap gear go TASCAM.

[aaroncomp]

Originally Posted by VesuviusJay

I am not a fan of POD XT. The AD converters are shotty at best. The tascam sound card has the same AD converters used in the Tascam MX 24-24(48 Tracks) hard drive recorder at Desert Moon Recording in Anaheim California. This retails for $3,999.99. Go ahead and try the pod if you want to attempt to get pro quality. :P But if you want to approach pro quality with cheap gear go TASCAM.

Just curious if you've tried the XT since the 2.0+ updates, the model packs, etc.? For Agnoztic, who sounds like he's never done much if any recording, I'd think plugging a USB cable in the computer and adjusting the knobs of an endless number of amp setups to get whatever sound you want, is easier and better than, say, taking one amp and micing it (which requires patience, skill, more mics, etc.) I have no doubt, especially from actual things I've heard, that an XT can give professional sound. I hear CDs daily that have tone that the XT could emmulate and destroy.

I have no problem with the Tascam item you listed, but for guitar only purpose, I just see the XT as a win-win situation.

[Kevin Deschwazi]

*anti-spam Bump*

[VesuviusJay]

Originally Posted by aaroncomp

Just curious if you've tried the XT since the 2.0+ updates, the model packs, etc.? For Agnoztic, who sounds like he's never done much if any recording, I'd think plugging a USB cable in the computer and adjusting the knobs of an endless number of amp setups to get whatever sound you want, is easier and better than, say, taking one amp and micing it (which requires patience, skill, more mics, etc.) I have no doubt, especially from actual things I've heard, that an XT can give professional sound. I hear CDs daily that have tone that the XT could emmulate and destroy.

I have no problem with the Tascam item you listed, but for guitar only purpose, I just see the XT as a win-win situation.

I suppose beauty would be in the eye of the beholder in this case. In fact I have used POD products myself in the studio. Piped through a decent direct recording tube pre, it sounds killer, so I bought one for myself. I did like the versatility, but without that $1200 tube pre I was unable to achive the same fat tone. I think the pod is a wonderful ametur device. For myself, the tone from the pod fell just short of the quality I desired. For me, I was able to come closer to the quality in the million dollar studio I worked in with the Tascam product. Of course be aware that my signal chain is from a Carvin tube amp with similar voiced output that the Line-6 products offer, save one vital spec, tubes. I loved the idea of the AIR circuit in the POD, but my carvin bel air 2X12 combo uses identical technology yet uses true tube archetecture. I was able to pick up the bel air bran new for $500. $200 more than the POD, yet 1000 times the tone. \m/\m/