Basic Studio/ Equipment

Andriko

New member
Hi all,

I'd like to start recording music again, which I haven't done since I was a teenager on an 8-track which recorded to a zip drive (!), and have no idea where to start!

It's mostly for fun and personal interest, and I plan to record in my living room, and am not expecting great results (just a a great time... maybe), recording more or less entirely with acoustic and electric guitars.

I have an MGXU12 mixer, though I am not sure if this is the best thing for what I intend to do - essentially recording several guitar parts, and using myself as a backing track - I tried to do this with the MGXU, but had an issue that when I went to record a new part, it would let me hear the thing previously recorded. I am not sure if that's a mixer issue or a software issue though!

So, essentially what I am asking is if anyone can recommend some decent recording software, and any equipment that in my ignorance I don't know I should get (or even, a place to start looking for information).

Alternativley, if there is a cheaper/easier way to set something like this up that doesn't require using a computer, that would also be great (the old 8-track mentioned before was great for me, it wasn't easy to transfer it from the zip drives though).

This is my first time posting here, so apologies if this was the wrong forum, and also apologies for asking dumb questions.

Thanks,

A
 
The key is to be able to record yourself adding a new part while listening to parts you've already recorded.

It's easy enough to get sound into a computer, and also to get sound out of a computer. But it's more difficult, because of the way the computer does its audio processing, to get them to play nicely together.

The most effective way to get round this is to use an audio interface. This is a bit of hardware that replaces the internal sound of your computer, and is designed specifically for duplex audio, i.e. recording while playing back.

You can plug a mike or a guitar directly into the interface, so you don't necessarily need the mixe (though it may come in handy). You also plug headphones and speakers into the interface.

You need a program (a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)) to manage the recording process. It fulfils the function of a tape recorder.

There are heaps of options available, but as a starting point, these give an idea of what you can look at:

Interface:
PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 USB Audio Interface | Sweetwater

DAW:

REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits
 
Thanks! That's a big help, and the issue with the PC doing two things at once makes a lot of sense!

I feel like I know where to start now!

A
 
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