Cheapest Overall setup- semi emergency

[BlanKinK*6]

OK, my birthday (feb 22) is comin up and my band (BlanKinK, we will prolly start postin songs on the internet in the middle of march) has finished the writing of our 1st album. My parents say that if my band can keep the total cost of a recording/mixing setup under 300 they will buy it for me. When i say a setup, i mean everything a recorder, a mixer (i don't care if its a machine a a computermixer) and a microphone. All we really want out of a mixer is somthin that can improive sound wuality. effcts and stuff don't matter much AT ALL. basically we wanna give it that fuller, clearer sound you hear on cds as opposed to live.

our music is similar to chevelle's, taproot's, and sorta disturbed. Basically we re new metal band. if anyone could give me some suggestions as to what to buy, i would be SO thankful. oh, and we need sumthin that cn record 2 guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. not sure if that matters or not but...

alright thanks a TON

by the way--i am tired so sorry if i repeated the same thing over and over again in different ways. plus i am new to this site/reording, i am not sure where to post what, so sorry if this in the wrong area

[Hard2Hear]

300/$40 an hour = 7.5 hrs studio time.

Practice up and spend a day in a recording studio, if you can find a decent one for $40 an hour. For $300 you can't buy squat for recording, not to mention it will take you years to learn how to record. There's not even a mixer alone for $300 that I would recommend anyone buying.

Sorry to rain on the parade.

H2H

[tdukex]

If you have a computer, the list below will get you going. It won't sound "pro" but I've heard some pretty decent recordings using this equipment. As you get more money, you can upgrade one piece at a time:

Use N-Track Studio to record $50

Soundblaster Live Value 5.1 $35

Studio Projects B1 microphone $80 http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp...ry=Microphones

Shure SM 57 microphone $80 http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp...ry=Microphones

Behringer Mixer $100
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp...ategory=Mixers

Find an old stereo receiver and speakers for monitoring $0

Total cost: $345

You'll have to scrape together some mic stands and cables.

Have fun...because that's what it's all about.

[Buck62]

Originally posted by Hard2Hear
300/$40 an hour = 7.5 hrs studio time.

That should be like 4 hours of recording time and the rest for mixing.

I hope you guys are tight enough to do each song in less than 3 takes!

[Hard2Hear]

Originally posted by BlanKinK*6
we will prolly start postin songs on the internet in the middle of march
basically we wanna give it that fuller, clearer sound you hear on cds

Sometimes it's not all about fun... sometimes it's about the best finished product for the amount of money you have. Not everyone who has a band should be the one recording the band. It all just depends on your goals and what you are planning to do.

If you're wanting to make songs for your girlfriends to hear, cool...do it with dukes list above, its perfect. If you want to get CD's made, and promote your group and such things...have someone who knows what they're doing record your band.

H2H

[sonarstar]

hey dude, i know what your going through with this. i too have limited funds but i keep adding to my setup and i humbly think that i cant get a really good sound with what i have. well what i have is, a computer of course, cakewalks sonar 1.0, which i got on ebay for 115$, a roland ua-30 interface on ebay for 150$, an akg c3000b studio condenser mic also on ebay for 200$. that brings everything to 465$ plus whatever shipping i paid. i know thats more than youve got, but if your band can come up with 165$ that would be nothing for a recording setup. of course you need headphones and such things, but the quality of your headphones wont affect the overall sound quality. and of course the record will only sound as good as your gear, i.e. guitars, amps, drum kit. i use pa amp for the mics preamp and that goes to the interface which goes into the usb port. and as far as mixing goes, you record one track at a time and mix it all as you go. but i have gotten some really good recordings with this stuff. so see what you think.

[regebro]

Originally posted by BlanKinK*6
basically we wanna give it that fuller, clearer sound you hear on cds as opposed to live.

I have to agree, that if that's what you want, go to a studio. Buying/creating a setup that can give you this will not only cost you quite a lot, but it will take you years to learn how to use it so get the best possible sound out if it.

Homerecording is about fun, at least for the first few years. If you want quality, fast, you need to go to a pro studio.

$300 won't give you a pro CD, not even if you can record all the songs in 4 hours, but it may give you a good demo, good enough to give to your friends, sell at concerts, and sent to record companies.

But this, of course, all assumes that you not only have the songs, but that you actually can play them, too. Otherwise, go with the homerecording equipment.

[pundit]

Budget for say a least $500. Rehearse until you wanna puke... make sure ALL your instruments are in top condition ie strings, drum heads, in tune etc and then book time in a pro studio.
Go for no more than four songs... in fact three songs pulled off well is probably the best bet. Be prepared so you don't waste valuable recording time.
Get in do your stuff, try and get resonable mixes at the end of the recording session and get out. Make sure you get not only the mixed tracks, but see if you can obtain the unmixed individual tracks on a couple of CD's. These can then be loaded back into a computer later on for remixing if required when you have more time and/or money.

The bottom line is if you don't have the experience and need a decent recording quickly, then let someone more experienced do the job and just concentrate on your playing. Learn about recording afterwards in your own time when you don't have deadlines to worry about!

BTW... Reality is $1000 and two days in a studio would probably get you closer to what you want!!