Recording my first ep (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, cello and 2 voices).

Fanton

New member
I've been working to my ep (5 songs) since last November and now it is the moment to record; so, here I am.
The ep is above all an acoustic one, just guitar and voice, except for two songs, where there are an electric solo and a cello.
I need to produce my work, 'cause i need to express my music and my lyrics, but I haven't got money, at all, but I've lots of friends and they believe in me, in my work, in my ideas, so they gave to me some stuff to record.

I know that to record an acoustic guitar I would need a mic, but I haven't got it, I've just an external audio device (guitar link ucg102, Behringer) and I'll use it to record my acoustic. I'll lose a little tone, but this is the best compromise.

Then, I've downloaded Reaper and it seems have all what I need.

Summing up:
1. I have to record al my acoustic themes and I think I can do It with the external audio device and with reaper.
- It is better to set treble, middle and bass after or before the rec? I can do it trough the pre-amp of my guitar.
- Have I to modify with effects my recording?
2. I have to record my voice and I haven't a mic, so i have to find a friend with a good one (I hope) xD
3. I don't think that an electrified cello exists, so can i use the hypothetical (xD) mic for voice to record it?
4. Reaper is a good to mix instruments and voices?


Do i need to know something more?

Thank you for your help and excuse for the grammatical mistakes :)
 
Reaper is a good program. If I were you I would set my tone at the recording stage. I highly advise getting a mic. You are going to need one for cello and guitar as you stated and you will get a better tone using one on vocals. Think about how much you can spend on a mic. Home recording can initially be more expensive than going to a studio. But in return you get infinite hours of recording time. There are plenty of good mics that could be had for less than 100 dollars. Also Cello and voice have very similar ranges so yes if a mic is good for one it should be good for the other.
 
Besides a mic, you need an interface. If you buy a USB mic, you are making a bad compromise that will cost you more money in the end.
Go make some money to buy some recording equipment. Mic, (with stand and pop filter), audio interface, closed-back headphones (for monitoring previously recorded tracks while recording with a mic), monitors.
Doing it half-assed (like DI guitar and a borrowed USB mic) is going to give you half-assed sound.
 
It's true that starting out home recording can be expensive but as they say 'necessity is the mother of invention'
When i started out I got some money together with some friends and pooled our resources, meaning we could afford a decent desk and some outboard. Things have changed a little now but the principles are the same - do the best with what you've got because it's the ideas that matter!
 
You need to know a lot more, to answer your last question, but starting something is always a good way to learn what you need to know.

Minimum, you'll need a decent mic, an interface, a PC and enough wire to hook it all together. I don't think your guitar link thing will do anything for a microphone, even a dynamic.

Sorry, but these cost money, but not a huge amount for a starter set up - unless you have a benefactor. Welcome to our world, and to the forum. Reaper is fine, BTW...
 
I'm just gonna say buy once cry once. For my first album, I bought an RME Fireface UCX, a fairly expensive interface, as well as a couple decent LDC and SDC condenser mics. All the gear payed for itself (and then some) in album sales, and I now have a functioning studio that I can use to make even more money.

There's just not much you can do with poor equipment. Best of luck to you!
 
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