Complete Newb, can anyone help me build my home studio and give me some pointers?

[Fenrisulfr]

Ok, so I have never recorded anything seriously by myself, but I want to save a few bucks this year for the RPM Challenge (see: their website for details, I cannot post link at this point >.<) and I want to record myself (i.e., guitars, bass, vocals, drums etc.)

I am looking for something software-wise that you don't need a friggin' degree in Audio Engineering to use. I am not an idiot (in fact, I just built the PC that I will use for this process, and yes, it has an AMD chipset), I just find that the learning curve is rather broad for these endeavors and would like to limit the amount of BS that I got through to learn the software.

SO...

Basically, I am looking for a small mixing board that I can use, some software and some small studio mics, everything that I will need for a small home studio. Money is not really a problem, but I have a kid on the way, so justifying an expenditure for a new hobby to my fiancee is well...you know the drill.

Anyone have any pointers on what I should buy to get the job done? I don't need a 24 track recording studio, just something adequate with a decent resale value.

Thanks,

Fen

 

[Bobbsy]

I hate to be the "burster of bubbles" but what you want doesn't exist. Even the most basic computer recording software relies on the skill and ability of the user. You don't need a degree in audio engineering but, by the same token, there's no software out there that lets you put the computer in the room and push a "record a professional sounding track" button.

The FAQs at the top of this page provide an excellent introduction to the world of home recording, the gear you need and the techniques for using it. Making a cup of coffee and spending a half an hour reading will pay huge dividends.

Now, for what you need to buy, you're going to have to think about your needs. For 90% of what you want to do, one or two mics will be perfectly adequate--but you mentioned drums. You CAN record drums with a single mic as long as you're in a nice sounding space--but to get the typical commercial drum sound you need a lot more--typically at least 4 and most of the stuff done professionally has a mic per drum. It all depends on your expectations on the quality. The bad news is that there's a huge jump in complexity (and cost) between recording basic instruments and vocals and trying to record a full kit in real time.

Anyway, once you've read the FAQs, you can decide if you want to go ahead. If you do, there's lots of good help available here to answer specific questions. If you don't, maybe you should consider putting an ad on Craigs List or something to see if there's a home recording enthusiast near you who would be willing to help.

Bob