digital recording studio

T

TA814

New member
So I wanted to start getting into recording and all that good stuff =)

First off, my question is, what is a pretty good/cheap digital recording studio?

I had bought a Boss BR-900CD on ebay for $255 but the item never shipped to my house unfortunately and i got my money refunded and now im clueless as to whats good and whats not.

I will be recording mostly vocals and maybe some electric/acoustic guitar. So if anyone can recommend something that they know is good, thatd be great..

I appreciate any help..

Thank you
 
What's yer budget?

Do you have a reasonable PC that you could use to record on as a starting point instead of a standalone SIAB solution?

Or... why don't you just buy a BR-900CD if that's what you were going to get before... I'm sure they're not hard to come by?

Do you have microphones already? If so, what?
 
well i was hoping to spend around $250-$300 most the Boss BR-900CDs that im finding are more expensive then that but im still looking to see if i can one. Which is why I am not wondering if there is anything better than the Boss for the $250-$300 used price range.

Im using a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop (if that helps lol)

I have a GLS ES-58 mic.
 
using those would be better than just using the standalone then? If I just want to record vox and guitars?

Thats all im worried about, getting the best/clearest sounding vocals I can. Then guitar would be the second thing im worried about.
 
If you don't feel like you're gonna want to have the ease of use of a digital editing/mixing program on your computer (and you don't necessarily need it, especially for just a couple tracks), then by all means get a unit like that Boss. Just bear in mind that what you buy is what you get, where as a computer based audio recording setup is generally a bunch more robust/expandable.

Then again, arguments can be made for the creative impetus given by the strict restrictions of an all in one box.
Computer based recording is certainly not necessary for making great music (you can probably think of a couple artists you respect and admire who didn't have one around when they were recording:D), and having to think around problems of convenience can often lead to new and interesting approaches.

All that being said, there is absolutely nothing about one of those USB interfaces that will sound better than an all in one unit like the Boss.
Whatever you get, just read the manual, learn it inside and out, and use it to its fullest potential. That's the only thing that will guarantee you get the best sound out of your recordings.
 
ok thank you very much.

I will be using a computer as well as what i buy to record, I want to record vocals/guitars easily and I will most likely then transfer them on to my computer to mix and edit them into the full track. I am using superior drummer as a drumset and I have a stealthplug for guitar recording but I dont really like the feedback it gives at times.

Im mainly just messing around right now to just get into recording. Of course I want the best sound I can get, but I know it wont be "studio" sounding material on a low budget. I just want to start building experience in what to do.

thank you a lot for the help though, Im really glad people are willing to give advice.
 
OK, in that case, go with one of the cheaper USB interfaces. You're only gonna be using the studio in the box for it's preamps and as a recording medium. You can do the same thing with an interface, using the computer's hard drive as the recording medium, and you'll get the same quality sound.
I've been that route, and it gets really annoying having to transfer crap from the external unit to the computer, then other stuff back from the computer to the external unit when you realize you wanna do this or that overdub, then back to the computer to mix, etc...

Since you're using a laptop, there isn't really even an argument for the portability of the all in one box. You ought to just save some money and go with the interface.
Use that money you don't spend to start saving for some good studio monitors.
 
ok thank you very much I will look into the usb interfaces then. Im glad I have someone like you to set me in the right path. Thanks again.
 
As someone who's a firm supporter of the studio in a box for some of the reasons already mentioned, I'd be recommending you head straight for the PC via a USB interface as various other posters have said.

The recording medium is the least of your concerns, money would be better spent on preamps / mics / interface..

Good luck
 
alright, thank you I will for sure look into this and see whats best for me...I appreciate the help guys =)
 
Yo TA814! Here's a radical suggestion that's gaining a little local popularity. I picked up this link right off the annoying sidebar next to your post:

http://www.gosale.com/4980667/zoom-h4n-handy-recorder-h4next?gclid=CLGeobWYj6ACFQ8Vawod2j8beA

My suggestion is Zoom H4n

What is it? It's a standalone 4 track flash recorder *and* it's a USB interface, right in your price range. A little glossary here- Many people here bristle a little at the idea of a standalone recorder being called a "studio". We understand that a studio is a facility, with acoustically prepared space, and all the major pain in the butt that goes with that. We often use the acronym SIAB (studio-in-a-box) or just standalone. That said, I believe that there is no better machine in your price range for your purposes than the H4n.

OK- some background- I am a small time recording artist and I own a studio that is on the dividing line between a pretty kickass project studio and fly-by-night pro. I'm no engineer, but I've got about $35,000-40,000 sunk into gear. One of those pieces of gear is the H4n, which I bought about 9 months ago to upgrade an older micro-recorder that had become obsolete. So here's what it does:

First, it's a standalone 4 track recorder with 2 built in small diaphragm condenser mics. It has 2 XLR/1/4" combijacks that are switchable from mic to line level input, and the XLR's have available 24V or 48V phantom power to power condenser mics. It also has a 3.5mm mini-jack for stereo mics designed for minidiscs, camcorders, etc. This disables the onboard mics. It records on SD cards, like a camera card, and supports up to 32 gig cards. It comes with a 1 gig card, which is fairly useless. 32 gigs will give you 11 hours or so in stereo at 24bit/96kHz, which is more than any sane person will ever need. It is powered by 2 AA batteries or a supplied AC/DC converter. It can record 4 separate tracks, either by using the 2 combijacks and the onboard mics, or by overdubbing the tracks one or two at a time.

It records in MP3 from waaay stupid compressed to high resolution (as MP3's go), or as WAV. files, which is what most computer recording software wants. It will do up to 24bit/96kHz in stereo, or 16bit/44.1kHz (same as a CD) in 4 track mode. In 4 track, it has a whole bunch of effects-reverbs, compression with adjustable parameters, metronome, guitar tuner, and some rudimentary guitar and bass amp modeling. It also comes with Cubase recording software, which is handy, because...

At the flick of a switch, it becomes a USB powered recording interface. So- you can dump stuff that you've recorded into the computer for processing with Cubase or almost any other recording software, or- you can record straight to the computer, using the computer's memory and processing power.

OK, that's what it does. Here's why I think it meets your needs:

1. It fits in the palm of your hand, or in a guitar case, so it's ideal for taking wherever you want to go to record something. It is the PDA of a recording artist. So when you upgrade to that 64 track Pro Tools HD rig, it won't become useless. It follows me wherever I go, for a headphone amp, a musical thinkpad, or to capture that steel band on the beach. It's small enough to be there when I want it to be.

2. Right off the bat, it adds 2 mics to your collection. So you could play acoustic into the onboard mics, and simultaneously sing into your 57 on track 3, or lots of other combinations.

3. It does everything that a standalone recorder does, everything that an interface does, runs on batteries,and has a couple of mics thrown in.

It's fair for me to point out the downsides- You only get 4 tracks at a time, and only 2 of them let you plug in whatever you want. In your price range, that's about what any other interface will do. For about $350, the M-Audio fast track ultra would get you 4 mic inputs, but it's just an interface- no recorder, no mics., more money. Secondly, the preamps are not that great. Neither are the preamps in any interface or standalone recorder in your price range. Last, it is made by Zoom, owned by Samson, which is known for building cheap bottom feeder gear. Its predecessor, the H4, had serious "issues" and I wouldn't buy one at any price. This machine has given almost nobody any of the problems that the older units had. It looks like they really went to work to make the H4n work the way they had originally planned for the H4.

I learned multitrack recording on a pocket recorder, and I wish they'd had a machine like the H4n when I started. In conclusion, for the record, I don't work for Zoom, I don't sell recording gear, and I don't really care if you buy one or not. It just seems like it meets all of your immediate needs in one handheld device. Best of luck with whatever you wind up with.-Richie
 
thank you Richie that was really great advice and a very well in-depth outlook on that machine haha... I appreciate the help and I will look into that machine because it does sound like it fits my needs..

Thank you.
 
You're welcome. And for the hardcore folks here, I apologize for the "War and Peace" length post. Sometimes, late at night, I just start typing something, and I can't stop until it's done. In the case of the H4n, just describing its capabilities takes quite a bit. I'm not the only person on this board who uses the H4n- I know Moresound has got one also, and there are others. The pocket recorder is coming of age, and I think it has reached the point where there is no reason to buy a 2-channel USB interface that can't record by itself. Yeah, when you start getting into the area of 8+ simultaneous inputs, there are a lot of different ways you can go with it.
Your first recording rig will be a learning tool, to learn the basics of multitrack recording. The H4n allows you to also learn the basics of computer recording at the same time. Best of luck.-Richie
 
Never apologize for the length of a well thought out and well written post.
All too often a newbie will post a question who's answer depends entirely on context and is fully subjective once the context is understood, and instead of discussing said context, or at least pointing the poster in the direction of an already established discussion of same, people will just post up "I use the NuToobz G12, it's great, you should buy that."

If you don't have the time to read a thoughtful answer to your question, you don't have the time to have recording as a hobby.
 
Thanks for your kind words, Cancers. I tend to write short posts to experts and long posts to noobs, because I don't know what they don't know, or what they may not have considered. It would be easy for a noob to look at all of the handheld recorders out there and not realize that most of them don't have XLR inputs or phantom power, and the limitations that that represents down the line. I also gave him some background on me, not because I want to impress him with my cool gear, but because I want to make the point that even a person with what most folks would consider a pretty serious studio has uses for the affordable device I'm recommending. When we are starting out, not only do we need things that do a bunch of different stuff, but we need things that will help us to learn the basics. The best thing is when even after you have all that cool gear, the affordable device still does something all that other stuff won't do, In this case- fit in a guitar case.-Richie
 
Yeah,
I've found myself recommending "the cheap usb interface" in situations similar to this, mostly because the few I've used were all about the same sound quality and functionality-wise.
I've been hesitant to recommend the Zoom, simply because I haven't used it myself, and don't love recommending anything I haven't used.

Maybe I'll just save this post, though, and quote it next time the situation comes up.;)
 
I very much appreciate the longer, more detailed posts. I like to read up on everything before I make a decision and the more information, the better. The fact that you took the time to write that to give me your input means enough to me to consider it, and for that i thank you. I also agree that if someone wants advice about something and does not want to take the time to learn or read other peoples feedback/input then they shouldnt have asked in the first place..


thank you everyone
 
TA814 said:
using those would be better than just using the standalone then? If I just want to record vox and guitars?

Thats all im worried about, getting the best/clearest sounding vocals I can. Then guitar would be the second thing im worried about.
Click to expand...

ZOOM (I swear they don't employ me) has some great all-in-one recorders... look at the HD8 or HD16, you can often find them in packages with speakers and a mic setup and such for fairly cheap. The other one I can think of is the new tascam thingy that has 4 tracks of volume and pan and 2 nice built-in mics and a retarded toddler could figure it out. Tascam also has a stepup version with 8 tracks and adds EQ and revenb if you want it. Best one I have seen though so far (and I have a recorder addiction), that you might want to look into is a "micro-BR" which does essentially everything, is tiny, and has a great mic built in... then USBs it out to your computer. bam game set match sort of recording.
---edit---
i forgot to mention that Boss one is around 200 or less and has a mic built in, the zoom ones cost a bit more but have CD burners build in, more knobs, but both of those brands have built in effects for mixing down and mastering stuff... the tascam one has the best clearest mics, but it's kind of short on extra knicknacks. For a vocal and accoustic guitar though, I would go with a tascam... they're new, they're petite, but they're very easy to undestand because they didn't bother with much special features like the other brands. For a seriously good investment I would think the Boss model, or the Zoom one, because they are both laden with 'stuff' (the zoom has a built-in drum machine and sampler for instance) but just for a plain ol' recording, a simple volume/pan setup on the tascam with some nice built-in mics can't do you wrong. tHey're all around the same price though.
---last edit (I swear)---
the zoom one can function as a control surface for your computer, while the other ones kind of just have to plug in and you have to use your mouse and DAW software - which I hate. But a BR could do the same stuff too, just not on your computer.... it can export files but it has to be mixed and mastered in the actual recorder, then you dump it as an mp3 or a .WAV to your computer via usb.
 
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ok thank you those also sound good haha, ive been given many ideas and its great. I think Ive decided to get something that will plug into my computer via usb. Im not too worried about effects built in and such (although its a bonus) and also not too worried about built in mics (but another plus) Im just focused on recording clear/clean vocals and recording clear sounding electric/acoustic guitar. I dont need to record drums at all for now.

So something I can plug my microphone and guitar into, and then record/save and edit them on my computer.

Thanks for the info guys im really starting to open my eyes to all these ideas and learn a lot.

=)
 
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