J
jengle
New member
Brand new at this and want to do some recording huh? Well there are tons of people out there that want to take all your money. Not only that, they want to sell you all the latest stuff, let you find out that it doesn't work with what you are doing and get you to buy even MORE new stuff.
First off LATENCY is BULL. I don't know what the deal is in this industry but I never had a problem until recently when I tried to upgrade.
My original situation is that I am a guitarist in a classic rock and original copy band in Tempe, Arizona. My perfect rig for more than ten years was a strong PC with Windows XP Pro, Syntrillium's COOL EDIT PRO software for audio recording and editing, and a basic mixing board.
Since I only record one to two tracks at a time I simply plug my Roland GT6 straight into the Peavey FX mixer. A mike goes in as well but I usually only do one track at a time.
The first thing that I do is to make a scratch drum track with a program called RHYTHM RASCAL (II) with a nice eight click count-in. Next I make a .wav file out of that from within the program and store that drum track in a file folder where I will save all the song data.
Next I fire up the system and open a new session with Cool Edit Pro and insert the drum track in the first field. Now I can record a scratch track usually guitar and vocals. This track will be trashed later when I record several other guitar tracks and vocals.
Next I put on a bass track with a bass plugged straight into the board. You can use a direct box but I never do.
After recording a good number of tracks, say a lead vocal and two backing vocals, 1-3 guitars (sometimes I record two rhythm guitars identical and pan one left and one right), a bass guitar and maybe some keyboards.
Now I can sit down with a beer and do a little mixing and make the bed all pretty. I set the rhythm guitars back, pull the lead guitar up front. put in some effects that are in the Cool Edit program.
Now I will take my crappy Shure SM59...kidding, my SM 58 and put it on the kick drum in the middle of the head and at about a 30 degree angle to the head. Then I take a Audix and put it up between the 16" and 20" cymbals as one is higher than the other and it picks up both nicely. Next I put a Shure SM57 on the hi-hat and another on the snare. I put these as far away as possible from each other. Finally I put a couple of condensers overhead to get the room sound.
I then do a drum take. Since I am a guitarist, I will do many drum takes so the first is just a scratch track. I can take a listen to the drums that have been mixed down to two tracks for recording and make any adjustments that I want. I can also ghost a track. Ny that I mean I can do another single drum only and blend that into the drum mix if I need say a righteous kick drum.
Then comes the final drum track, sort of. I get the drums how I want mostly and now I have a complete song in individual .wav files except for the drums. From there I put the headphones on and make all the adjustments to tone, effects, pan and volume and mix it down to a stereo track.
Then I can have the drummer come over and do a real drum track is he isn't being a dick about things. He is usaly pretty cool.
Last month I got a Tom Petty song in my head so I found a backing track online at GUITARBACKINGTRACKS.COM and that became my drum scratch track. Next I put in some organ and guitar then bass and drums. These also make real nice jam tracks if you leave out the tracks that you want to perform live.
THEN TROUBLE CAME TO TOWN. I bought my dear old mother a new computer with Windows 8 on it for Christmas. (*&^*&^&^%$#) Within a month I had reloaded her old computer and taken ownership of the Windows 8 desktop.
NOTICE: With old computers you were able to go into the BIOS and format a hard disk and also BOOT FROM CD in order to load another operating system. With the new machines with a UEFI BIOS, you can no longer do that. What you got is what you got. what I got is hosed like a stinking dog.
I decided to see about making it my studio recording computer since it was a dual 330 Mhx and a Tb of memory. I downloaded trial versions of a mess of audio editing programs; Audacity, Reaper, Live, Cubase, etc. I want to record and not make loops. Some programs are better for one or another. Let me point out that I saw these boards that looked like a lighted up checkerboard and I have no idea what they are. I suspect that you just assign a sound or action or whatever to these buttons and just go to pushing buttons...I am old.
Not only does Wndows 8 reign supreme on your computer, if it does not like a program (app), it will remove it while you are not looking. Windows 8 really sucks.
Just as I was about to commit suicide I gave my old bass player a call in Baltimore for no particular reason. He is a recording musician too. He mentioned that COOL EDIT PRO was bought many years ago by ADOBE. it just so happens that on the ADOBE SITE there was the latest release of AUDITION which is what ADOBE named COOL EDIT PRO. I got a file downloaded with a serial number needed to open the program and it works!
It works just fine like COOL EDIT PRO works. Simple, High-quality recording software for free. I don't know why but pretty cool.
I bought a Focusrite SCARLETT 2i2 in/out box that goes between the Peavey FX and the computer. I plug XLRs from the main out on the mixer to the INs on the SCARLETT and then use those fancy TRS 1/4" cables to go into the effects/amp chain that power the main speakers in the jamm room. It also has a USB connection between the I/O box and the computer. I believe that this is where the computer gets the digital recording signal.
Go online and take a look at some recording software and wee what the system requirements are. I you have a decent computer, then download the free trial version of the software and see if you can figure it out. I had trouble with many because I am old. If you have a young mind, you might be better equipped for the stuff.
Make friends with a salesperson at one of the online sites like Sweetwater. This relationship can last years and they will know where you started and what you doing. This is not to say that they will not try to sell you stuff but hey.
So get out there and teach yourself from scratch. Oh hey, learn to play some instruments too! After all, it is music and not data entry.
Cheers, Jeff
First off LATENCY is BULL. I don't know what the deal is in this industry but I never had a problem until recently when I tried to upgrade.
My original situation is that I am a guitarist in a classic rock and original copy band in Tempe, Arizona. My perfect rig for more than ten years was a strong PC with Windows XP Pro, Syntrillium's COOL EDIT PRO software for audio recording and editing, and a basic mixing board.
Since I only record one to two tracks at a time I simply plug my Roland GT6 straight into the Peavey FX mixer. A mike goes in as well but I usually only do one track at a time.
The first thing that I do is to make a scratch drum track with a program called RHYTHM RASCAL (II) with a nice eight click count-in. Next I make a .wav file out of that from within the program and store that drum track in a file folder where I will save all the song data.
Next I fire up the system and open a new session with Cool Edit Pro and insert the drum track in the first field. Now I can record a scratch track usually guitar and vocals. This track will be trashed later when I record several other guitar tracks and vocals.
Next I put on a bass track with a bass plugged straight into the board. You can use a direct box but I never do.
After recording a good number of tracks, say a lead vocal and two backing vocals, 1-3 guitars (sometimes I record two rhythm guitars identical and pan one left and one right), a bass guitar and maybe some keyboards.
Now I can sit down with a beer and do a little mixing and make the bed all pretty. I set the rhythm guitars back, pull the lead guitar up front. put in some effects that are in the Cool Edit program.
Now I will take my crappy Shure SM59...kidding, my SM 58 and put it on the kick drum in the middle of the head and at about a 30 degree angle to the head. Then I take a Audix and put it up between the 16" and 20" cymbals as one is higher than the other and it picks up both nicely. Next I put a Shure SM57 on the hi-hat and another on the snare. I put these as far away as possible from each other. Finally I put a couple of condensers overhead to get the room sound.
I then do a drum take. Since I am a guitarist, I will do many drum takes so the first is just a scratch track. I can take a listen to the drums that have been mixed down to two tracks for recording and make any adjustments that I want. I can also ghost a track. Ny that I mean I can do another single drum only and blend that into the drum mix if I need say a righteous kick drum.
Then comes the final drum track, sort of. I get the drums how I want mostly and now I have a complete song in individual .wav files except for the drums. From there I put the headphones on and make all the adjustments to tone, effects, pan and volume and mix it down to a stereo track.
Then I can have the drummer come over and do a real drum track is he isn't being a dick about things. He is usaly pretty cool.
Last month I got a Tom Petty song in my head so I found a backing track online at GUITARBACKINGTRACKS.COM and that became my drum scratch track. Next I put in some organ and guitar then bass and drums. These also make real nice jam tracks if you leave out the tracks that you want to perform live.
THEN TROUBLE CAME TO TOWN. I bought my dear old mother a new computer with Windows 8 on it for Christmas. (*&^*&^&^%$#) Within a month I had reloaded her old computer and taken ownership of the Windows 8 desktop.
NOTICE: With old computers you were able to go into the BIOS and format a hard disk and also BOOT FROM CD in order to load another operating system. With the new machines with a UEFI BIOS, you can no longer do that. What you got is what you got. what I got is hosed like a stinking dog.
I decided to see about making it my studio recording computer since it was a dual 330 Mhx and a Tb of memory. I downloaded trial versions of a mess of audio editing programs; Audacity, Reaper, Live, Cubase, etc. I want to record and not make loops. Some programs are better for one or another. Let me point out that I saw these boards that looked like a lighted up checkerboard and I have no idea what they are. I suspect that you just assign a sound or action or whatever to these buttons and just go to pushing buttons...I am old.
Not only does Wndows 8 reign supreme on your computer, if it does not like a program (app), it will remove it while you are not looking. Windows 8 really sucks.
Just as I was about to commit suicide I gave my old bass player a call in Baltimore for no particular reason. He is a recording musician too. He mentioned that COOL EDIT PRO was bought many years ago by ADOBE. it just so happens that on the ADOBE SITE there was the latest release of AUDITION which is what ADOBE named COOL EDIT PRO. I got a file downloaded with a serial number needed to open the program and it works!
It works just fine like COOL EDIT PRO works. Simple, High-quality recording software for free. I don't know why but pretty cool.
I bought a Focusrite SCARLETT 2i2 in/out box that goes between the Peavey FX and the computer. I plug XLRs from the main out on the mixer to the INs on the SCARLETT and then use those fancy TRS 1/4" cables to go into the effects/amp chain that power the main speakers in the jamm room. It also has a USB connection between the I/O box and the computer. I believe that this is where the computer gets the digital recording signal.
Go online and take a look at some recording software and wee what the system requirements are. I you have a decent computer, then download the free trial version of the software and see if you can figure it out. I had trouble with many because I am old. If you have a young mind, you might be better equipped for the stuff.
Make friends with a salesperson at one of the online sites like Sweetwater. This relationship can last years and they will know where you started and what you doing. This is not to say that they will not try to sell you stuff but hey.
So get out there and teach yourself from scratch. Oh hey, learn to play some instruments too! After all, it is music and not data entry.
Cheers, Jeff
