Creating my home recording studio.. NOOB ALERT

  • Thread starter Thread starter AlexNorman
  • Start date Start date
A

AlexNorman

New member
Hello everybody, first post on here of hopefully many!

My name is Alex and I am attempting to create my first home recording studio and I really would appreciate any help/advice I can get in the process. Please be aware that I have no experience what-so-ever in musical recording.

After doing some research I have decided to use a Studio-in-a-Box system, as follows:

- Connect the Guitar or Bass to a Direct Box which connects to the S.I.A.B
- Connect the Keyboard Synth to the S.I.A.B with the Keyboard Synth connected to a MIDI Interface, which is connected to the Computer /w DAW
- Connect the S.I.A.B to a Power Amp and Speakers

Does this set up sound like it would produce good quality music and enable me to effectively record?

Also, would I be able to connect the S.I.A.B to the MIDI interface which can then connect to my Computer and DAW so that I can simultaneously record guitar or bass through the S.I.A.B whilst it comes up on the DAW track?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Alex
 
I assume that what you're calling a "studio in a box" is what we normally call an audio interface.

There are several good quality entry-level interfaces that have both audio and MIDI inputs/outputs on them. Examples would be the Steinberg UR22 and the Native Instruments KA6, amongst others.

Are you planning on recording vocals? Don't forget to factor in a microphone...

It sounds like you're planning on recording guitar/bass direct. You'll need some sort of amp modeling software to dress up the direct signal into something more interesting (Guitar Rig, Amplitube, etc). There are demos available for all of the major modeling software, download a few and give them a try.

Which DAW are you planning on using? Most interfaces come bundled with stripped-down versions of one major DAW or another (Cubase, Ableton, Studio One, etc). I'm a shameless fanboy of Reaper, I can't help but recommend giving it a try as you're making your decision.

Once you get everything plugged in and start making your first mixes, you'll start to get an idea of additional things you'll need. Mic stands, cables, pop filter, VST plugins, virtual instruments, etc. Eventually you're going to want to think about some acoustic treatment for your room and some dedicated studio monitors, which will do wonders for your ability to produce tracks that translate well to other playback systems.
 
Thanks for the reply.

In regards to the Studio In A Box I am referring to products such as the BOSS BR-600, BR-900 and BR-1600 which allows you to record, playback and edit your music on the standalone device (BOSS - BR-1600CD | Digital Recorder) and then export these onto the computer for editing on a DAW (I assume the latter is possible?). Here is a video of the product https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q61d6r3fM90

I am currently not planning on recording vocals so can leave out the microphone for the meantime.

Sorry but what do you mean by recording guitar/bass direct? I am planning on using a DI (Direct Box) as a medium between my guitar/bass and the SIAB. I have Amplitube already because I currently use the Stealth audio interface but the quality is terrible.

I am currently researching with DAW would be best for a beginner like me (whilst also being economic). I'll have a look into Reaper though, thankyou.
 
Oh, I see. OK I had the wrong idea about what you were after.

Personally I think that going into a standalone device and then exporting onto a computer is a pain in the butt, but some people prefer to do it that way. Heck, I just learned yesterday that one of my all-time favorite albums was recorded like that. Personally I would do it as I described above, with an audio interface doing the heavy lifting and the DAW doing all of the mixing. But that's not to stop you from doing it however you're most comfortable.

If the standalone device that you choose has instrument (hi-z) inputs, you probably won't need an additional direct box. But that'll depend on the particular recorder that you choose. Looks like the Boss units have built-in guitar modeling so that's good.

One thing to keep in mind is that the selection of stand-alone recorders is dwindling. Those Boss models that you mentioned have been discontinued for a while (as well as their Roland counterparts), but they do offer newer models. Tascam and Zoom are also contenders in this market.

My friend used a Roland V-Studio for a while but it was difficult to export audio to the computer, and the general operation of the thing was always confusing. Maybe the newer models offer USB connectivity to simplify audio exports, that'd be a feature to look for. Heck, they may even be able to double as an audio interface so you could record directly to a computer if you choose.
 
Yeah it does sound like a nuisance so i'll look into the audio interface option, especially if I want to learn how to edit through DAW's. With this option would I simply connect my guitar to a Direct Box (DI) and then connect that to the audio interface which then connects to the computer to directly record with a DAW? This method sounds a hell of a lot simpler than using the standalone, if it's possible that is...

I think what I read somewhere that you can record directly into the computer from the standalone here: Synchronizing a Sequencer and an Audio Recorder - For Dummies

This did confuse me abit because I am not good with the technicals, but does the guide on this link suggest that you can record guitar directly to computer DAW from the standable SIAB?
 
I think that if you're planning on doing any on-location recording, a standalone recorder is a good option for its all-in-one functionality and its portability. But if you're planning on a stationary studio that'll live in your bedroom or basement, an audio interface makes more sense.

Most modern interfaces will have microphone preamps, instrument-level and line-level inputs, and multiple outputs. That covers the requirements for recording from most microphones, as well as direct input from guitars/basses, the ability to connect external hardware, and to route the signal to a pair of monitors and headphones. MIDI inputs/outputs are a little more scarce but still fairly common on interfaces (both of the ones I mentioned above have MIDI connectivity).

One thing to consider is whether or not your computer is up to the task. It doesn't take a supercomputer to put together a basic mix (or even a somewhat complex mix), but once you start adding several effects like reverbs, or virtual instruments with large sample libraries, or large numbers of tracks, then it can put a pretty hefty burden on your CPU and RAM. Just something to keep in mind in case you're still using the modern equivalent of a TI-85 graphing calculator as your personal computer :)

For the Boss units that you mentioned above, it does appear that the inputs do have a guitar/bass mode that assumes that you've plugged your instrument directly into the device.
 
I don't know which DAW is "best" but I do know that learning most any DAW will be a lot like learning a new instrument. Reaper can be very simple or it can be very complex. Learning to make it do what you want may take some time. (just the vocabulary can be intimidating)

I record into a Tascam DR-40 via a mixer. Then I take the tracks to Reaper and damage them further there. (or not - it's hard to be sure)
 
For location recording, I use an interface and a laptop. Laptop is lowend for tracking only. Interface is a Tascam 1800. The downside to this is that you need a couple of wall plugs (I racked mounted mine in Gator Case with a Power Strip, so I only need one). Track on location, when done, port tracks to my mixing computer, go from there.

I Reaper on the laptop as it requires very little resources. It is a little heavy, but full contained and I get a lot of flexibility.
 
If you want the 'portability' of a stand-alone recorder, look at the Zoom models, which also can function as direct audio interfaces.
 
Thanks for the help/advice guys! Had a look at the Zoom models and they look perfect, although there isn't many on the market..

What are people's views on Tracktion? It looks relatively cheap.. would you say that Reaper is the better option?
 
AlexNorman said:
.

What are people's views on Tracktion? It looks relatively cheap.. would you say that Reaper is the better option?
Click to expand...

a lot of guys recommend reaper,its a nice looking daw,but i have to put forward studio one ... it imo is the easiest daw to learn ... its does most of the hard work for you. still waiting for the free version but there's a 30 day demo to try .. if its for you the cheapest option is £69.00

Home - PreSonus Studio One | PreSonus Studio One

when you have some free time take a look at some of the video tutorials to see how easy it is

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK0pITrfzEC36x6ttyaXUXA


and no i don't work for them ;)
 
Hi Alex.
mention was made of the Native Instruments KA6. Get one, you will be able to plug in a bass and a guitar, any MIDI kit you might have/get and, because the AI has very low latency, run emulated and "effected" sound out to monitor whilst recording (can the standalones do that?).

The KA6 comes with a light version of Cubase which is nonetheless quite powerful enough to keep you busy for some time. The combination of Cubase, the KA's ASIO drivers and MIDI is a hard one to beat! Reaper is also excellent and cheap enough to have as well.
If perchance you fall out of love with the hobby the interface should still fetch a decent S/H price, can't say the same for the portastudios?

Dave.
 
You'll find many people here, me amongst them, who learnt to record on your "SIAB" type machine and have since migrated to DAW/interface/computer. Typically our reaction, once we got to grips with our new system, is "I don't believe I completely, deliberately, hamstrung my recording for so long.... why didn't anybody tell me????"

Truth is, people told us all the time, we were just mired in our personal prejudices, and didn't listen.

I can see instances where portable "SIAB" recorders might be handy, but you're not describing one of them. Don't do it.
 
Armistice said:
You'll find many people here, me amongst them, who learnt to record on your "SIAB" type machine and have since migrated to DAW/interface/computer. Typically our reaction, once we got to grips with our new system, is "I don't believe I completely, deliberately, hamstrung my recording for so long.... why didn't anybody tell me????"
Click to expand...

Yep, that's the truth of it. Once you start using an interface (typically will get rid of the multitrack recording/monitoring latency issues) and a DAW, you never look back (except for the 'why did I wait' moments).
 
Armistice said:
You'll find many people here, me amongst them, who learnt to record on your "SIAB" type machine and have since migrated to DAW/interface/computer. Typically our reaction, once we got to grips with our new system, is "I don't believe I completely, deliberately, hamstrung my recording for so long.... why didn't anybody tell me????"

Truth is, people told us all the time, we were just mired in our personal prejudices, and didn't listen.

I can see instances where portable "SIAB" recorders might be handy, but you're not describing one of them. Don't do it.
Click to expand...

mjbphotos said:
Yep, that's the truth of it. Once you start using an interface (typically will get rid of the multitrack recording/monitoring latency issues) and a DAW, you never look back (except for the 'why did I wait' moments).
Click to expand...
Yes! This describes my situation to a tee. I resisted and resisted, then went the "Record in my TASCAM 2488 and transfer the files to REAPER", until I finally took the full plunge, bought an interface, and started doing everything in the computer, and couldn't believe I waited so long to do something so obviously better.
 
I'm still in that boat.
I use an Akai DPS24, which is/was a very good board...do my mixes there and then take my 2 track to the pooter.
Everything I do to my mixes in the computer is so much easier and quicker than what I'd have to do to get something similar in my Akai. And, truth be known, it just sounds better.

Why am I still doing it this way? Cuz Ima boob and bought a second DPS and now I'm broke. :o

Listen to these guys. :)
 
I will add this to the mix. While I use a laptop, I think the next generation tablets (Surface Pro for example and what ever Apple comes in with, maybe even Google/Linux) will probably make portable tracking even easier with an attached interface.

Just something to think about as technology moves forward.
 
Dogbreath said:
I'm still in that boat.
I use an Akai DPS24, which is/was a very good board...do my mixes there and then take my 2 track to the pooter.
Everything I do to my mixes in the computer is so much easier and quicker than what I'd have to do to get something similar in my Akai. And, truth be known, it just sounds better.

Why am I still doing it this way? Cuz Ima boob and bought a second DPS and now I'm broke. :o

Listen to these guys. :)
Click to expand...
:D

Yeah, the thing that got me to make the total switch to computers was the fact that the buttons on my 2488 were starting to go. So, I knew that I would need to either buy a new one soon, or make the change to computer. If the 2488 worked perfectly, it probably would have taken me longer to make that change. It's hard to get yourself to put away a machine you spent money on that still works fine.
 
RAMI said:
:D

Yeah, the thing that got me to make the total switch to computers was the fact that the buttons on my 2488 were starting to go. So, I knew that I would need to either buy a new one soon, or make the change to computer. If the 2488 worked perfectly, it probably would have taken me longer to make that change. It's hard to get yourself to put away a machine you spent money on that still works fine.
Click to expand...

And then there is this, I still have computers I spent 2-3K on 20 years ago I can't seem to throw away. They are worthless and I still can't junk them.
 
DM60 said:
And then there is this, I still have computers I spent 2-3K on 20 years ago I can't seem to throw away. They are worthless and I still can't junk them.
Click to expand...

This is why so many people stay in shitty relationships. It's like "Well....she's there. And I really don't feel like trying to figure out a new one". :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top