we have the most basic tools on the planet. (there is no doubt you are going to laugh but here it goes) we have a laptop with all the necesarry memory and RAM needed to record anything comfortably, Audacity, and a simple usb mic. i just want to know how to record the sound we are making so it plays back close to what it sounds like live. thanx again
I was where you were 4 year ago. It took me about $5000 in gear and about 2 years of learning and messing around to record and mix this album:
http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/mod...me=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=3693
If you want to press and release a CD I would say go to a studio.
If you want to learn about recording, make some CD's to sell at shows and put songs on myspace I think you could do it like the B-rig guy said. I think you could actually do it cheaper.
Presonus Firestudio $400 (used)
Reaper software $50
Some SM57 Mics $300 (used)
1 Beta 52 mic $80 (used)
Throw in a set of headphones and some mic cables and you are off and running. I like this set up because you will likely keep the mics forever and could use them live too. The Reaper Software is great. The Presonus may be something you replace at some point, but it is usable.
Get that stuff. Set the mics in front of the instruments and hit record then play your songs. When you are done you will have is each mic's sound on a different channel that you can then eq and pan and change the volume on.
It is not rocket science to get stuff recorded... but it can take a long long time to make it sound even close to professional.
For me, doing it myself was the right way. I have a lot of patience, I learned a lot, I met some great people, I bought some cool books, I got great info from guys like Fletcher, Warren, Ethan Winer, Charles Dye, J. Hall, Rip Rowan and others.... then I just kept at it and wound up with a product I liked.
Be warned though, you will likely spend more money for a product that does not sound as good as a studio project.
You know, one other thought... If you really want to just do it up cheap. Buy a Toneport UX2, 2 SM57 mics, and then download the free version of reaper... Set up in a room that sounds pretty good and put the mics in locations in the room that sound good. This could take a whole weekend... just finding the right places for the mics. Play a song... listen, repeat ad-nauseum.
Once it is sounding decent, then play your songs without any singing or guitar solos. Then go back and overdub the solos and vocals.
IF'n you wanted to get all super fancy you could even do drums alone with 2 mics, then over dub bass, then overdub guitars and so on.
You could do worse. The velvet underground album Live at Max's Kansas City was done with one mic in the back of a loud room and that album rocks.
Whatever you do, try to have fun and continue to work on making the songs good. Bad Songs recorded well = shite... Great songs recorded decently = possibly genius.
good luck.