Can I even do this?

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spinballa

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I want to make music using only my big mouth, a mic, and my ol' ladies pc. I would love to sound like I had Dre as a producer but expect less, hoping to sound at least half decent. Is it possible? How? Maybe as a non-musician, I'm looking for something more like a toy or game. Don't get me wrong, real mixing and tracking look pretty cool, but I am having no success. Not surprising, seeing as I don't know what I'm doing. Please help... crazy rhymer in my head... need to GO OFF!!!...stuck surfing.
Thanks ,
SPINBALLA
 
I guess you could do this, a la Rahzel. You'd need a mic preamp, or you may be able to use the one on the sound card (if it has one, that is). I guess you could take various sounds and tweak the hell of of them with Sound Forge (or your wave editor of choice), and then sequence those sounds with something like Acid or Fruity Loops. It'll obviously take more time and effort to make your voice sound like a phat synth, but I'm pretty sure you could achieve some fairly positive results.
 
Maybe I should clarify. I'm all for using any synths, drum machines, or other methods for making tunes. I am just saying that I have no other hardware, instruments, recording equip, etc., and want to use whatever software will work for me as a virtual recording studio. My real problem is not understanding how to set this up in my pc. Please steer me toward good resource, besides, of course, this AWESOME website, to learn these (and other) basics, at a total beginners level.
Thanks again,
SPINBALLA
 
OK, lets start with what you DO have. Do you have a mic? A preamp? What make and model are they? A computer that you can use for recording? Do you have a synth? Is it a MIDI synth? What are the specs on your computer?

Tell us what you have and we'll do our best to point you to the resources that will help you fill in the gaps.

Recording really isn't difficult or complex. Like any skill worth learning, it does take some time to get down, though. Its time WELL spent, though, as long as you have the patience to get through the somewhat frustrating process of learning the basics. I certainly never regret all the time that I've spent getting the recording process down. I love it! :)

Take care- and welcome aboard!
Chris

PS- I'll be outta town for a few days, but I'll get back to ya when I get back to the computer. There are others around who will probably hop in and help, too. :)
 
Thank you for your willingness to help, Chris. I really appreciate it. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, been stuck in reality for a while. Will have information on my hardware today. Again, thank you very much for your help.
Truly,
Spinballa
P.S. Check out my other thread( musical idiot/computer illiterate )if you haven't already, it may help you to see where I'm at.
 
OK, here goes nothing. Hopefully this is the info requested.
MIC: Model:DM-205L2 Specs: 600 Ohm impedance, uni-directional.
I believe this mic came from Sierra On-Line. It was made in the P
hillipines, and sounds OK(into the sound recorder, at least).

Preamp:?

Computer:
Model: Gateway Essential 866
Processor: 866MHz Pentium III (Jabil)
Motherboard: 866MHz Pentium III and motherboard (Jabil)
Sound card: Integrated Sound Blaster compatible audio
O/S: Windows ME
System Resources: 61% free
RAM: 128MB
Hard Disk: 2.2GB free

Synthesizer: Circa early 90's
Manufacturer: The Software Toolsmith
Model: The Miracle Piano Teaching System
:49 full size, velocity sensitive keys
:128 digital instrument sounds and effects
MIDI :standard MIDI IN and OUT jacks(one of each)
:16 note polyphonic
:8 MIDI channels-multitimbral
This synth is part of a teaching system intended for use with the old Nintendo Entertainment System. I have never used it, but it does work. Still looking for its manual, but the packaging says it is PC compatible. I don't play but I still think it may be of use.

THANK YOU, CHRIS!!!
THANKS TO ALL!!!
YOU PEOPLE ROCK!!!

Anxiously,
SPINBALLA
 
OK! We're in business!!

Sounds like you've got a running start on the equiptment you will need to get started- hopefully.

First things first- does your soundcard have a joystick port? Most Soundblaster compatible cards use the joystick port as a MIDI port as well, though you'll have to buy a little adapter cable to give you the MIDI plugs. The first thing you'll want to do is double check to make sure you can get MIDI into and out of that soundcard that way.

If that works, you'll be able to record MIDI with your keyboard. That may or may not come in handy, depending on how you decide to create your music.

You will likely outgrow your microphone pretty quickly, but lets focus on the basics of recording first and worry about sound quality later. For now, as long as your mic works when it is plugged into the mic input on your soundcard you are in business.

Now then, this is where I am going to run out of gas. I record mostly rock and folk music. I am familiar with the recording process, but I have a feeling that your music is better suited to tools that I don't normally use. I record guitars and some MIDI sounds, but I think you may have an easier time working with loops. (Loops are cool, pre-recorded sounds that you just arrange like building blocks- its REALLY easy.)

Have you looked at Acid software? Here's a link to their entry level software:

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/Products/NewShowProduct.asp?PID=511

And I think this one is free! : http://www.sonicfoundry.com/products/NewShowProduct.asp?PID=268

And that leads me to warning number 1: don't spend much money on software until you know what you are spending your money on. Try demos, play with as much as you can, learn what software is good for what. Spending money on the wrong program is very frustrating, so its best to spend the time to get to know what you need.

My guess is that the folks in the rap/hip-hop/dj forum will have MUCH better advice for you on how to go about recording your ideas.

Your computer is more than capable of recording. If you end up recording much audio (either with your mic or by plugging your keyboards audio output into the soundcard) you'll run out of harddrive space pretty quickly. Using loops and MIDI will avoid that problem. I'm a little concerned about that 61% resources free- that computer is pretty loaded with background stuff. Did you get that figure with email and web programs running?

Anyway- to answer you question: yes, you can do this. It will take some patience and time, but it really isn't horribly hard. New, yes, but not hard.

Take care,
Chris
 
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