From the start....

[Chloe1]

Hi,

Very glad I found this website, really hope someone can help me....

I have decided to start doing my own recordings. I am a singer/songwriter and basically want to have control over my own songs.

I have a mac pro, Apogee Duet 2 (which I am afraid for what I am doing will not get used to it's full potential??), t.bone SC400 mic, my semi acoustic guitar, Logic Pro 9 and earphones.

I am a total beginner at recording and when I try to look at where I should start I already get confused with terminology and.... everything really !

Where should I start ???

A few specific questions that I'd really appreciate answers to are:

- Should I record my guitar through a lead or my mic?
- Do I need to invest in speakers?
- Levels?? Is it that I must ensure the input does not go past green (into yellow)?

 

[fat_fleet]

- Should I record my guitar through a lead or my mic?
- Do I need to invest in speakers?
- Levels?? Is it that I must ensure the input does not go past green (into yellow)?

-Depends on the guitar. If it's an acoustic use a mic. If electric, go with a mic'd amp or software sim. Since you said "singer/songwriter", I'm going to guess mic'd acoustic will be your path for now.

-Eventually, but track a little and do a few headphone mixes first to verify this is something you really enjoy and will stick with.

-Yeah, basically.

 

[gehauser]

Hi,

Very glad I found this website, really hope someone can help me....

I have decided to start doing my own recordings. I am a singer/songwriter and basically want to have control over my own songs.

I have a mac pro, Apogee Duet 2 (which I am afraid for what I am doing will not get used to it's full potential??), t.bone SC400 mic, my semi acoustic guitar, Logic Pro 9 and earphones.

I am a total beginner at recording and when I try to look at where I should start I already get confused with terminology and.... everything really !

Where should I start ???

A few specific questions that I'd really appreciate answers to are:

- Should I record my guitar through a lead or my mic?
- Do I need to invest in speakers?
- Levels?? Is it that I must ensure the input does not go past green (into yellow)?

This book will give you a good start and a good grasp of terminology, and it's a quick read:
Home Recording for Musicians for Dummies - by Jeff Strong

Where to start? Just start recording, make mistakes, learn from them. There are no shortcuts - you just need practice and experience.

Acoustic guitars usually sound better through a mic than through their own electronics. But it is your preference; there are no rules.

Good studio monitors will generally produce a better mix than headphones, but monitors can get expensive. Headphones are generally used for tracking and for checking details in your mix. I probably would not suggest anything less than Equator D5 ($300/pr) or Rokit RP6 G2 ($400/pr) to start out with; if you don't have that kind of money, stick with headphones for now.

Audio equipment works best at line level (about -18dbfs), so record at RMS level around -18dbfs, with peaks to -12db or -6db (adjust the input level on your Duet). Peaks should never go to 0 dbfs (digital clipping).

 

[somegeezer]

I can't comment on the Apogee, as i have no idea how they work. If they have mic inputs, then brilliant, you're half way there. As for plugging in or mic'ing the guitar, try both, and see which you like best. I'd imagine having it mic'd would suit a guitar/vocal set up best, but that is certainly not a rule. If you only have the one mic, but plan to do vocals and guitar at the same time, then obviously the vocals are going to get the mic. If you plan on recording separate, perhaps you could both mic and cable up the guitar and have a mix of both.
Speakers, or rather audio monitors. Same thing, but more specified to a particular job of working with audio, rather than just casual listening, are definitely reccomended. You can do it with headphones, but certainly not recommended. I do, but I cannot afford monitors at the moment! =P
The green, yellow, red is not really great. What you need is to keep each point in the chain at unity. Which basically means it doesn't make anything more loud or quiet on each device. Until the end of the chain, where you ideally want it to be between -18 and -12 [I forget which form of dB, but in your DAW, it should be about 2/3rds averaging on the output]. You can then turn thing up or down safely during mixing later on.
It's probably a lot to take in at once, but don't be afraid to just ask more questions if you need more specifics.

 

[kip4]

If i where you I'd stick with what i have and learn how to use what you have before investing in anything else.
I track most thing some where between half and 3/4 of the way up the led view meter (-18 to -12 db)
IMO acoustics always sound better mic'ed. Theres a sticky about recording acoutic guitars. Its long but a worthwhile read. cant remember what section its in but you'll soon find it.
Room treatment and monitors would be the next on the list if anything but i'd stick with what you have until you can use it properly.
Oh and the one thing everyone forgot to say is have fun, enjoy it and your recordings will sound better.
Good attitude can be heard in a recording.
Welcome to the forum .
There are no stupid questions and feel free to ask ,we are a friendly bunch only too willing to help and we were all once like you, a newbie

 

[Armistice]

Don't just try both, on the mic/pickup thing, use both. Unless you have stellar equipment, a great room and lots of knowledge, and I'm guessing you don't have all of these, then miking acoustic guitars, where the guitar is the main featured instrument in a mix, can be not the easiest thing to do. Well, easy to do, not so easy to get a good sound from.

So do both and mix them together to taste. And if you can't do it already, learn to play and sing separately.