Hey everyone...amateur here

[Ryan Power]

Hey everyone, my name's Ryan and I just happened to pass by this board doing some searches on home recording, multitracking etc etc. I'm 15 and have for about 4 years played a bit of guitar (VERY amateur) on my dad's mid-'70s Gibson J45 he picked up from a colleague at work a few years ago...not a bad instrument from what I've heard from the prominent music shop here in London and others.

A couple of my friends and I have for the past while had fun just recording simple tunes on a 1970ish Teac A4010s.....believe me, SIMPLE because even playing bar chords are hard for me :-P especially on that Gibson. However, I'm learning....slowly but surely....and just picked up a Fostex Model 280 multitracker so hopefully I'll be able to expand the recording possibilities some more there.

Anyways, it's great to meet everyone....this looks like a really popular board with tons of info!

[Son of Mixerman]

Welcome Ryan


SoMm

[JesusFreak]

This is only my opinion so take it with a grain of salt, but you may just want to focus your time and energy at learning the play the guitar well, before you get into recording.

Home recording can take a ton of your time and you may not find time to really learn your instrument. And believe me when I say that later on down the road, you will wish that you took the time to get really good at guitar before you record.

I'm really not trying to discourage you from recording but knowing your instrument is very important. Heck, you could spend 6 months of really intense practice and lessons and be as good or better than most of the musicians on the radio now adays.

All I'm trying to say is that if you don't know your instrument very well, and you try to record, you MAY get frustrated and want to quit. That's all I'm thinking.

Anyway, like I said, take it with a grain of salt. I'm sure you will get a ton of different opinions here.

Oh yeah...and welcome to the board.

God Bless!

[teknomike]

It's always fun to record yourself, then play back with it to practice.
When I was just starting out, my friends and I used to do this (on an 8 track !! - kerklunk - hey maybe you don't know what that is.... ), and found it really helped improve our technique. We'd pass the tapes around.
Also, you can try playing leads or alternate voicings of chords over what you have recorded.

Just an idea.

Welcome,
mike

[SPINSTERWUN]

R P, welcome to our site.

[SPINSTERWUN]

More info for you...

http://www.studiocovers.com/

[A Reel Person]

It's really useful to use the recorder as a practice platform for your instruments and playing, and vice versa, by rolling tape on practice sessions, it will enable you to learn about how to capture a good recorded sound, and recording technique in general.

My recommendation for the absolute beginner, is to find the simplest 4 or 8-track machine, doesn't matter if it's digital or analog, but get the one you're going to be most comfortable with, and KEEP IT SIMPLE, at least at first. I don't think it pays for someone to come right out of the box and try to build a gigantic mutitracking DAW on their computer. I say keep recording equipment as simple as possible at first, when you're learning your chops. I'm prone to lean away from digital gizmos and toward the analog cassette 4-track Portastudio, or reel 8-track, preferrably a Tascam. There are many good used analog machines out there to be had inexpensively on auction, so check Ebay/Tascam. I'm not too keen on Fostex, but you may search on Fostex to get the other half of the picture.

Oh, so sorry, I reread your post, and you've picked up a Fostex 280! Well, you're already in the door of portastudio-type multitracking! Cool man. Well, tune up, pop in a tape, and go to it!

Learning is half the fun. Home recording is just plain fun.

[eyeslikefire]

Welcome Mr. Powers.

Make yourself at home.

15 years old,.. Stay out of the cave young man!

Really!

[knightfly]

I'd just add that JesusFreak may not have considered what Reelperson made a start on -

The most convincing way to show yourself WHAT you need the most practice on, is to RECORD yourself and then listen to it while cringing piteously in the corner :=)

Our ears/minds tend to (gratefully) forget 8 of the 10 mistakes we made in playing a particular part, unless we have the brutal proof in the form of a recording - The recording will remind you, and force you to concentrate on ALL the areas you need to improve.

Bottom line - if you're gonna play, roll tape. Period.

You'll be so much farther ahead a year from now you won't believe it... Steve

[Christine K]

I'm real new here as well, but I'll echo Steve's suggestion. If you're playing, you should be recording. Record everything you do if possible. I just started recording myself a couple of weeks ago and in that time I cannot believe the leap I have taken in playing skill (acoustic fingerstyle). Plus your motivation level increases as well. Hey, I started at the absolute bottom with an el-cheapo mic that comes with your sound card, and downloaded freeware from the web. You don't need to spend big bucks if you don't have them. But get yourself recorded and play it back. Then go cringe in the corner (I did)! You will get over that, and it'll make you a more polished musician.

CK

[eyeslikefire]

Um, yes Christine and knightfly are right.........

.......HEY! I told you to stay out of the cave!........

[Ryan Power]

Thanks a lot for the replies, everybody.........yes I know it's the practising and the playing I should be focusing on for progress, as JesusFreak noted, but listening to myself and making improvements from listening to myself on tape like a lot of people have said is definitely the strong point of why I picked up the unit.......well, that and it was cheap :-P

I appreciate the welcome...thanks again ;-D