I need help!

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ggaryy1

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Hi,
I want to get some demos down here on my pc. All i need to record is vocals and electric guitar. The software i have is Ableton Live 8 and i have a Samson USB Condesor Mic.
Really what i am looking for is a list of everything i would need to get a decent recorded sound. I know absolutely nothing, so what would i need? (as regards what mics, what interfaces, leads, would i need them even, computer requirements, i need everything)

Thanks in advance,
Gary
 
My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad so this is just a paste (I don't want to re-type this all the time):

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/04...mp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0470385421
(Wish I'd had that when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)
You can also pick up this book in most any Borders or Barnes&Noble in the Music Books section!

Another good one is: Recording Guitar and Bass by Huw Price
http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Gui...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215734124&sr=1-1
(I got my copy at a place called Half-Price Books for $6!!)

And you can get a FREE subscription to TapeOp magazine at www.tapeop.com

Barnes&Noble or Borders are great places to start --- they have recording books and you can go get a snack or coffee and read them for FREE! Don't pass by a good recording book --- this is a VERY technical hobby and you REALLY want to start a reference library!!!

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics and have good tips:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=free_beginner_pdfs
http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/tips-techniques/168409-tips-techniques.html

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig: http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

Also Good Info: http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm

Other recording books: http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html

Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) and NOT quality music production.
#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.
Here's a good guide and tested suggestions that WORK: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm
(you'll want to bookmark and read through all of Tweak's Guide while you're there...)
Another good article: Choosing an audio interface - http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep08/articles/audiointerfaces.htm


Plenty of software around to record for FREE to start out on:

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net (multi-track with VST support)
Wavosaur: http://www.wavosaur.com/ (a stereo audio file editor with VST support)\
Kristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/
Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com/smm

Another great option is REAPER at http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ (It's $50 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)
I use Reaper and highly reccomend it...

Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($25) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages - http://myriad-online.com
Demo you can try on the website.

And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full FREE studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (November 2006 they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150, November 2007-on the racks Dec in the US- they gave away SamplitudeV9SE and July 2009 issue they put out Samplitude10SE. FREE. It pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)
 
After reading all the links above, the first thing you need is an interface (with phantom power for the mic.)
 
Note to self. Read the question dummy.
 
Last edited:
What I think may have been overlooked here is that your use of the word "lead", instead of "cable" makes it seem likely to me that you hail from Merrie Olde England or Australia, South African, or maybe a few Canadians. Most USA people can't give good advice on gear in the UK, etc. So where you from? I'll bet on the long shot horses- the Netherlands or Denmark.-Richie
 
ggaryy1 said:
Hi,
I want to get some demos down here on my pc. All i need to record is vocals and electric guitar. The software i have is Ableton Live 8 and i have a Samson USB Condesor Mic.
Really what i am looking for is a list of everything i would need to get a decent recorded sound. I know absolutely nothing, so what would i need? (as regards what mics, what interfaces, leads, would i need them even, computer requirements, i need everything)

Thanks in advance,
Gary
Click to expand...

You could conceivable get started with what you've already listed although, you will need to come up with a way to listen back (monitor) to what you are recording / mixing. You'd get steps up in quality by getting an interface and different mics to choose from. Treating the accoustics of your home studio space is an often over looked and very worthwhile investment. Aside from that, you'll need to decide how serious you are / how much money you want to spend and you'll need to do research to figure out what your options are.
 
Richard Monroe said:
What I think may have been overlooked here is that your use of the word "lead", instead of "cable" makes it seem likely to me that you hail from Merrie Olde England or Australia, South African, or maybe a few Canadians. Most USA people can't give good advice on gear in the UK, etc. So where you from? I'll bet on the long shot horses- the Netherlands or Denmark.-Richie
Click to expand...

I'm Irish. I just have no idea what the correct names are.

As regards money, i just want to find out what i need and we'll work it out from there.
 
Don't misunderstand me. "Lead" is a perfectly correct term- where you are. We say "cable" in the USA. You aren't wrong. It just gave you away as not from the USA, and often we have no clue what things cost where you are. It seems that, for instance, Europeans will often choose AKG mics for the same applications where Americans choose Shure, and Australians Rode. When someone's on a budget, we have to know where they are. Things that we think of as inexpensive may be much more dear where you are. As far as your question goes, we can now start working on it.-Richie
 
Very well. I think you need a 2 channel USB interface, at least one basic dynamic mic, 2 if you plan on playing and singing simultaneously, a straight mic stand for the vocal mic, and a short boom stand for the amp mic. While recording electric directly is good for practice and brainstorming, I strongly recommend recording electric with real microphones. I'm assuming you already have an amp you like. If not, that's the first thing you need. Your current software is adequate for your simple needs.

Then you will need a good set of closed back headphones, 2 XLR to XLR mic leads, a headphone extension lead, and a USB lead. Now comes the painful part- monitor speakers. People try every possible excuse and substitution to get out of this, but in the end, they wind up buying monitors, and probably a pair of speaker stands. Unlike home stereo speakers, monitors are not made to sound good. They are made to tell the truth. You are asking for "good sound". Without monitors, you wouldn't know if you had it. Hopefully, some of the board members in Ireland and England will jump in and recommend kit that is commonly used where you are. Some of it may be the same as us. I'll show you examples of what I might recommend. Regarding monitors, I'll show you inexpensive ones, but really good ones are dear indeed.

First the interface. For an electric guitarist, I like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces

It has a lot of available guitar effects for the practice and brainstorming I mentioned above, and the preamps are pretty good as they go. I also like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=40819&Category=Audio_Interfaces

Microphones: You need a good basic dynamic mice to start, at least for the amp. They work well for vocals on some people, not so well on others. Many folks in the USA swear by this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=1361&Category=Microphones

I like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=3202&Category=Microphones

If you have any chance of finding one, look around for an old, used AKG D320A, B, or C (all good). I prefer it to either of the above, and they can often be found for cheap on ebay, etc.

If you find that the dynamic isn't giving you the vocal sound you want, and you are looking for alternatives for the guitar amp, especially for cleaner sounds, you may want to invest in a condenser mic (you call them capacitor mics, I think). I like this, because it is a good vocal mic, and it rocks on guitar cabinets:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24183&Category=Microphones

This may be a less expensive alternative:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60656&Category=Microphones

I'd start with the dynamic, and see if you are happy with the sound you get.

Mic stands: any straight stand is fine for the vocal mic, although you may want a boom if you are playing guitar simultaneously. Here's a short boom for the amp:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=1911&Category=Stands

Headphones: I'd just get a set of these, and never look back:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10952&Category=Monitoring

Moniitors: This is always tough, because good ones are the price of a pretty good motorcycle. I can only offer entry-level models. I feel your pain:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=43453&Category=Monitoring

They are weak on bass, due to small drivers, but work rather well with this:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SBX10

That's basically the setup I use, and it has served me very well. If you have to go cheaper, these can be used to start, and later on, when you get better monitors, they make great computer speakers:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=42788&Category=Monitoring

I don't often recommend Behringer gear, except for a few pieces, but in the dirt-cheap monitor group, these aren't too bad:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24096&Category=Monitoring.

Speaker stands- I prefer adjustable height:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24413&Category=Recording_Accessories

I hope any of this turns out to be helpful to you. As I said, other folks from across the pond may offer choices that make more sense in the world of tariffs and duties. Best of luck-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
Very well. I think you need a 2 channel USB interface, at least one basic dynamic mic, 2 if you plan on playing and singing simultaneously, a straight mic stand for the vocal mic, and a short boom stand for the amp mic. While recording electric directly is good for practice and brainstorming, I strongly recommend recording electric with real microphones. I'm assuming you already have an amp you like. If not, that's the first thing you need. Your current software is adequate for your simple needs.

Then you will need a good set of closed back headphones, 2 XLR to XLR mic leads, a headphone extension lead, and a USB lead. Now comes the painful part- monitor speakers. People try every possible excuse and substitution to get out of this, but in the end, they wind up buying monitors, and probably a pair of speaker stands. Unlike home stereo speakers, monitors are not made to sound good. They are made to tell the truth. You are asking for "good sound". Without monitors, you wouldn't know if you had it. Hopefully, some of the board members in Ireland and England will jump in and recommend kit that is commonly used where you are. Some of it may be the same as us. I'll show you examples of what I might recommend. Regarding monitors, I'll show you inexpensive ones, but really good ones are dear indeed.

First the interface. For an electric guitarist, I like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces

It has a lot of available guitar effects for the practice and brainstorming I mentioned above, and the preamps are pretty good as they go. I also like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=40819&Category=Audio_Interfaces

Microphones: You need a good basic dynamic mice to start, at least for the amp. They work well for vocals on some people, not so well on others. Many folks in the USA swear by this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=1361&Category=Microphones

I like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=3202&Category=Microphones

If you have any chance of finding one, look around for an old, used AKG D320A, B, or C (all good). I prefer it to either of the above, and they can often be found for cheap on ebay, etc.

If you find that the dynamic isn't giving you the vocal sound you want, and you are looking for alternatives for the guitar amp, especially for cleaner sounds, you may want to invest in a condenser mic (you call them capacitor mics, I think). I like this, because it is a good vocal mic, and it rocks on guitar cabinets:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24183&Category=Microphones

This may be a less expensive alternative:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60656&Category=Microphones

I'd start with the dynamic, and see if you are happy with the sound you get.

Mic stands: any straight stand is fine for the vocal mic, although you may want a boom if you are playing guitar simultaneously. Here's a short boom for the amp:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=1911&Category=Stands

Headphones: I'd just get a set of these, and never look back:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10952&Category=Monitoring

Moniitors: This is always tough, because good ones are the price of a pretty good motorcycle. I can only offer entry-level models. I feel your pain:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=43453&Category=Monitoring

They are weak on bass, due to small drivers, but work rather well with this:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SBX10

That's basically the setup I use, and it has served me very well. If you have to go cheaper, these can be used to start, and later on, when you get better monitors, they make great computer speakers:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=42788&Category=Monitoring

I don't often recommend Behringer gear, except for a few pieces, but in the dirt-cheap monitor group, these aren't too bad:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24096&Category=Monitoring.

Speaker stands- I prefer adjustable height:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24413&Category=Recording_Accessories

I hope any of this turns out to be helpful to you. As I said, other folks from across the pond may offer choices that make more sense in the world of tariffs and duties. Best of luck-Richie
Click to expand...

That is absolutely perfect :)
I couldn't of asked for better advice. Thanks so much. I'll loko at each one now and see how cheap i can make it :)
 
Just so you understand, you now have a duty. I have typed in an hour a chunk of what
took me 3 years to figure out, helped by the good folks on this board, and every day trial and error. Now your part. You come back here and share what gear worked for you, or not, and in what way. It is a joy when a poster comes back and says, "I used the gizmo and it does just what you said it would. It rocks!."

On the other hand, I'm no guru, so I need you as a check on me. It is a scary thing to recommend that someone spend money. If someone here takes the time to type advice, you need to tell them if you agreed, after you spent hard-earned money. If I am dead wrong, it can be painful for both of us.

Enough for now. Just this- No one ever takes my advice (OK, *almost* never) on one thing. Two less commonly used mics I mentioned above.- AKG D320 and C2000B. The first is old and discontinued. $35-50 or so on dweebay. An excellent all-purpose dynamic mic.The C2000b is about $330 new, but they can be commonly found used for $150 with the shockmount, which you want, because they are good shockmounts, and pricey. With luck, they can be had for less than $100 used. I wish I had had a pair of each of them when I was starting out. Most folks will advise you to start with condensers by Shure, Audio-Technica, MXL, Rode, CAD, SE, Studio Projects, and a few others, but the two mics above have survived the test of time in my humble little studio. They are both great cheap Swiss-Army mics.-Richie
 
Richard you just gave away the store!!!!!


Just kidding....ggaryy1, everything that Richard has given to you is great advice and facts that does take time to get, but most of all .....his suggestion to help out newbies when they ask for help.

Great work Richard:D



(:cool:)
 
"I need help!"




must..............resist...............obvious................dig.................:D



(welcome ggaryy1Dude:D)
 
:mad:

mine said I'm fooked. :mad:

He also said to leave the peanut butter and kazoo's alone. :mad:

bastid...


:D
 
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