Basic Computer Setup?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kclark01
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Kclark01

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Hi, guys.

I'm yet another total newbie with a bunch of stupid questions.

Actually, I'm an older musician with little recording experience (had a Tascam PortaOne a couple centuries ago till a stoner friend took it on the road to record Phish concerts and I never saw him or it again).

I'd like to start using my computer strictly as a songwriting tool while I learn more about digital recording. I'd rather not make any purchases until my home's new addition is built and my wife's no longer scrutinizing every freaking penny spent on something other than home improvement.

Please let me know if I can do anything right now with the stuff I already own. Here's my stuff: 1. 1000 mhz Athlon with 512 RAM and SBLive; 2. Decent Mackie Mixer/PA; 3. Several Sure and E/V mics; 4. a good acoustic guitar with a nice pickup; 5. Electric guitars and amps; 6. sunglasses and half a pack of Camel Lights.

If it turns out that I can't get going with the stuff I already have, could you recommend a bare-minimum setup or some decent starter software?

I'd really appreciate some guidance.

Fanks!
 
For recording you should just need a cable going from the mixer to your soundcard, and some software. n-Track Studio is cheap and good. Lots of people here use it, enough for it to have it's own forum. You can read about it and buy it here: www.fasoft.com.

A CD burner would be a good idea if you don't already have one.
 
You got mics, a decent mixer with fairly good pre's, get (make) some cables to hook these up to your soundcard, and route it all back in, get a software package and you're set. Some heaphones could come in handy to to monitor while you're tracking.

And a drink. You need a drink. I think Lagavullin would go nicely with the sunglasses.
 
Thanks so much for your responses.

One last question: Will I be messing with the settings on my mixer at all, or will I just be using it as a "go-between," using the software to do everything including effects?
 
Depends on how you are recording.

If you are recording a submix already, then you will use these. Fo example, if you wanna record a drum on just 2 channels (stereo from yer soundcard) I'd go this way: mic up the kit, make a mix on headphones, record, listen back, do adjustements on the mix, try again, 'till you get something acceptable... I refer to this as the quick'n dirty method when recording a demo of an entire band this way... But that's just me. :rolleyes: :D

If you are recording one track at a time, then you are still free to use them. (if you got good ears, and some experience, you can pre-EQ the signal a bit before recording, if you like the EQ of your mixer better that is....) But here you can just as well use your software plugins to do that...

A compressor in between the micpre (the part of your mixer that you really need) and the soundcards input comes in handy too every now and then...
 
That's up to you. You can record with the mixer just as a "go between". i.e. no EQ or effects. Then add reverb etc. on the PC. This gives you more opportunity to tweak the effects etc. and get it right. But you can also record with effects and EQ if you're confident, for instance if you have an outboard reverb you really like the sound of and want to use.

As a third alternative, if your soundcard will let you do it, you can record tracks dry, then send them out individually to the mixer, where you add outboard EQ and effects, while recording the track as a new track on the PC complete with added effects, etc.
 
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