Ok, so I have a decent computer, an MXL 990 condenser mic, several guitars and various cables. I want to start recording vocals, guitar, violin and piano (eventually) but the more I learn about recording the less I know. My mic doesn't work on my pc but works on the laptop; an issue I have put down to hardware as the PC is custom built. I am assuming that a decent sound card or audio interface will fix this but I don't know whether I need one or the other, or both. I also don't know whether to record using audio jacks, or get a card with MIDI inputs (I am currently using XLR). I also don't know what techniques I can use to get the best quality recordings. I'm at a complete loss.
Getting Started
- Thread starter gavinsco
- Start date
First of all, I would recommend you read through all the stickies in the forum, ESPECIALLY the newbie forum....
then when you have some questions about what you have already read, perhaps other users can help point you in the right direction.
A word of caution...jumping into this hobby without a little knowledge is a sure fire way to waste a lot of money and time. Don't rely on the people at local gear stores to know what you need. you need to research, ask questions, understand, then go buy the gear you want.
Now to perhaps get into your questions...
How did you manage to get the mic to work with you laptop? do you have an audio interface unit, or is the laptop setup for XLR inputs? did you use an adapter of some sorts? That mic requires phantom power....
second, research and figure out what midi is. It is not a way to connect your mics. Don't worry about getting midi unless you plan to interface your keyboard (if it is even capable) to drive virtual instruments.
Now, on you bike and head over to the newbie section to start learning...
then when you have some questions about what you have already read, perhaps other users can help point you in the right direction.
A word of caution...jumping into this hobby without a little knowledge is a sure fire way to waste a lot of money and time. Don't rely on the people at local gear stores to know what you need. you need to research, ask questions, understand, then go buy the gear you want.
Now to perhaps get into your questions...
How did you manage to get the mic to work with you laptop? do you have an audio interface unit, or is the laptop setup for XLR inputs? did you use an adapter of some sorts? That mic requires phantom power....
second, research and figure out what midi is. It is not a way to connect your mics. Don't worry about getting midi unless you plan to interface your keyboard (if it is even capable) to drive virtual instruments.
Now, on you bike and head over to the newbie section to start learning...
I believe my XLR to USB connection has some kind of interface in it but I asked all over the internet and at local shops and couldn't get any answers as to why it doesn't work on the PC. Also, I know what MIDI is, I'm a computer techie of sorts I've just never looked into the audio side of things. I just need to know, do I need a sound card or will my onboard sound work fine? Will it make much difference. Will an external audio interface do the same job as a sound card, or do I need both? will 48KHz do for fairly high quality recordings or do I need to go higher? Things like this.... The problem with forums is that they are too specific. I can't find any articles titled: Home recording - everything you need to know; or words to that effect.
XLR to USB - http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_35878_1.jpg
Motherboard - GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3+ - GA-990FXA-UD3 (rev. 1.0)
XLR to USB - http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_35878_1.jpg
Motherboard - GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket AM3+ - GA-990FXA-UD3 (rev. 1.0)
mjbphotos
Moderator
Well, see, you are giving us a little bit of information at a time! A 'XLR to USB connection' would indicate you have some type of A-D device - the picture you linked is just a picture, doesn't give us any specs on it, but it is acting as an outboard sound card (audio interface) for you.
Chances are, though, it doesn't pass through much power for the 48+V the MXL needs, maybe your laptop USB jack was able to supply a little more juice than your PC.
Anyway .... I'd recommend a dedicated USB audio interface to start out with. As Pegger already suggested, do some reading over in the Newbies section of the forum - lots of good info there. 48kHz is fine sample rate, but don't be concerned about numbers at this point - youve got a lot of things to learn about. read a lot, ask a few questions before buying any more gear.
Chances are, though, it doesn't pass through much power for the 48+V the MXL needs, maybe your laptop USB jack was able to supply a little more juice than your PC.
Anyway .... I'd recommend a dedicated USB audio interface to start out with. As Pegger already suggested, do some reading over in the Newbies section of the forum - lots of good info there. 48kHz is fine sample rate, but don't be concerned about numbers at this point - youve got a lot of things to learn about. read a lot, ask a few questions before buying any more gear.
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Oh if only life were so simple....
Me: "Siri...How do I become a famous rock star?"
Siri: "I can't find an answer for that. Would you like to try the internet?"
Me: "yes"
...and boom. Here we are at Home Recording dot com!
There is no easy answer for you gavin. The technology is vast and varied, with lots of new developments coming out daily. You really need to do the hard work on your own to learn. This forum is packed with good info and takes some time to pick through.
As already suggested, get yourself up to speed on dedicated usb audio interfaces. Then choose one that fits your needs and proceed. As you have already found out, the peeps at music and computer stores usually have very little knowledge to share with you. It's all on you to figure it out. It is actually part of the fun in this hobby.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Ok, read THIS THREAD then THIS THREAD.
There's some useful info HERE .
Again, do some reading, then come back and ask specific questions on what you don't understand.
There's some useful info HERE .
Again, do some reading, then come back and ask specific questions on what you don't understand.