Help me build a simple home studio =)

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xraidedariez

New member
Hello To The Music Community

I Have Plans To Make My Own Music With Some Friends, Which For Right Now Is More Fun Than For Anything Else. I Have Been Doing Very Little Research On What A Home Studio Is Comprised Of And What The Necessary Elements Are. Also, My Musical Vocabulary Is Limited. I Have A 6 Month New Pc With Xp Home And Want To Buy A Mac Mini So I Can Use Garageband Which I Think Is Great. As Far As I Am Concerned, Garageband Is Everything You Need To Create And Record Music. So Basically, What Hardware And/or Software Is Necessary To Create And Record Music Or Beats With Lyrics Over It And So Forth? What Are The Absolute Basics That I Need? What Should I Want? I Do Not Know Music Or Equipment Lingo, So Please Give Me A Simple Defenition Of The Terms You Include If You Reply To My Thread. Thank You So Much For Reading Or Responding.
Your Help Or Comments Are Greatly Appreciated.
 
If you're so wedded to garagband, yet haven't any gear or experience, you seem to have made up your mind very, (too), soon. That's rather out of step with the rest of your post.
What's with the capitalisation of all word?
Go to the thread or two above you & see what's been recommended there.
"...Very Little Research..." means you need to do LOTS more.
Cheers
rayC
 
Oh here we go again! :(
xraidedariez,
First off garageband as friendly as it may seem falls short of a worth while recording program. People like it cause its pretty.

Could you give us some specs on your new PC? Processor speed, Ram amount ect ect. Desktop or laptop?

Second thing is how many thing do you want to record at once? Would it be just you? or a whole band? two guitars or multipul mics?
That will help in your choice of a Audio interface or a sound card?

Next what sort of music are you doing? (Just my couriostiy)

Whats your budget?

Questions like these will help you make very very VERY important choices.
And as I think I and others have said, "Listen more than argue".

If given advice that disapoints dont think were wrong, Deal with it and ask more questions.
Thats huge. It will save you time and money.

Trust me I've been wrong before and paid the price.

Later

-Blaze
 
blazingstrings said:
Oh here we go again! :(
xraidedariez,
First off garageband as friendly as it may seem falls short of a worth while recording program. People like it cause its pretty.

Could you give us some specs on your new PC? Processor speed, Ram amount ect ect. Desktop or laptop?

Second thing is how many thing do you want to record at once? Would it be just you? or a whole band? two guitars or multipul mics?
That will help in your choice of a Audio interface or a sound card?

Next what sort of music are you doing? (Just my couriostiy)

Whats your budget?

Questions like these will help you make very very VERY important choices.
And as I think I and others have said, "Listen more than argue".

If given advice that disapoints dont think were wrong, Deal with it and ask more questions.
Thats huge. It will save you time and money.

Trust me I've been wrong before and paid the price.

Later

-Blaze
Click to expand...

i tried to copy and paste some specs but here is the link if i did not include mroe important specs

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dimen_9100?c=us&l=en&s=gen#tabtop

stock dell dimension 9100

OS: windows XP home ed.

Processor: NEW Intel® Pentium® 4 dual core Processor with Hyper-Threading Technology up to 840 (3.2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB).

Graphics: NEW PCI Express Graphics up to 256MB ATITM RadeonTM X850 XT Platinum Edition graphics card

Storage: Up to 800 GB1 (2 drives x 400GB) SATA hard drive internal storage.

512 MB Dual channel DDR2-533MHz SDRAM

Networking: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet. Broadband ready.

USB Ports: USB 2.0 (7 ports - 2 front, 5 back).

Two 5.25" for CD-RW/ DVD combination drive

Externally accessible Video: One VGA connector

USB: 7 USB 2.0 ports - 2 front/5 back

Headphone: 1 front headphone jack

7.1 Channel Audio: 5 miniature jacks for line in, line out (front, rear and center) and microphone

Network: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet

Integrated 7.1 Intel High Definition Audio


NEXT-->
i do not plan at all to record any instruments other than like say a
keyboard, 1 or more mics? and maybe if it is possible because i know nothing about compatability, a drum or beat machine/sampler?

i would like to create an underground/bay area rap sound, if you will .
local rap type of thing. we have a lot of that in the san francisco bay area.
anyone and everyone contributes their own independent rap and it mostly all sounds good.
i would like to try too. a many of my friends/cuzins do it....but not professionally.

i can plan to spend 2000.00 but not as a whole amount.....little by little pychk-pychk

im willing to save a pychk or 2 to get something worth doing so
 
xraidedariez
It's REALLY BAD FORM to post the same thread/Q across a variety of forums.
It's REALLY annoying to keep coming across them.
You REALLY ought to have a little more patience & SEARCH the forum with the search tool etc to find what's already been done/said/offered & filter it to suit your circumstances.
Cheers
rayC
 
Seriously, work on learning your musical vocabulary first - I mean actually learning an instrument and playing it fairly well. Then tackle recording. Recording is just as challenging as learning an instrument, but you really should be pretty proficient with music before learning recording - IN MY OPINION (others may disagree)

It's just I see too many folks who want to dive into recording, but can't play at all.

In all your repetitive posts, I don't see you mention what instruments you are learning, OR are you learning any at all? Do you just want to get your PC to record "beatz" for your buddies?

Recording/Engineering is great, but you really do need to have a working knowledge of music (and be decent at an instrument or two) before you can really make any headway.

Oh, I see you do want to do "beatz". Oh well, most of my music/recording background is picking up an actual instrument and learning how to play it well without any computer trickery/wizardry. It took me studying my instruments (guitar and piano) for 15 and 20 years, respectively, to get where I am now in my playing and I'm far from a virtuoso. So good luck, but please for the sake of the art of music, work on getting the music aspects down before throwing money at Fruity Loops and then coming here and asking what the difference between 4/4 and 3/4 time is....
 
gordone said:
Seriously, work on learning your musical vocabulary first - I mean actually learning an instrument and playing it fairly well. Then tackle recording. Recording is just as challenging as learning an instrument, but you really should be pretty proficient with music before learning recording - IN MY OPINION (others may disagree)

It's just I see too many folks who want to dive into recording, but can't play at all.

In all your repetitive posts, I don't see you mention what instruments you are learning, OR are you learning any at all? Do you just want to get your PC to record "beatz" for your buddies?

Recording/Engineering is great, but you really do need to have a working knowledge of music (and be decent at an instrument or two) before you can really make any headway.

Oh, I see you do want to do "beatz". Oh well, most of my music/recording background is picking up an actual instrument and learning how to play it well without any computer trickery/wizardry. It took me studying my instruments (guitar and piano) for 15 and 20 years, respectively, to get where I am now in my playing and I'm far from a virtuoso. So good luck, but please for the sake of the art of music, work on getting the music aspects down before throwing money at Fruity Loops and then coming here and asking what the difference between 4/4 and 3/4 time is....
Click to expand...

Excellent post man...I dont know much music theory myself. But i can assure the thread opener that you aint gonna go no where without an average music theory knowledge. and even if you do, you wouldn't be making music. I have been playing violin for about 2-3 years and now i also play keyboard. But its not like i make music by playing random keys on the keyboard either.

just learn some theory first cuz if you dont, you will probably come back to this board posting about your "beatz" not sound right or something related..
 
Thanks for your advice. i would just like to clarify a few things:

1 - i dont know why when i post my thread all the letters sometimes seem to capatalize.....i think becase i was typing with caps locked

2 - i am not a complete bonehead....i know thoses arent your words but i have past experience playing piano...i love music i know what 3/4 beat is and a 4/4 beat is. im not a pro but i do know how to play piano/keyboard

3 - finally, i just want to make some simple beats and add lyrics over it with my friends. this is not going to be something serious (unless i get sucked in)
just for fun.......a hobbie if you will

thanks - feedback is appreciated =)
 
you might want to get more ram eventualy, and garage band isnt that great all the music programs are pretty good so i would use the mac money for recording equipment and just use any program. if your using instrumnents get a good mixer with at least 10 channels, and you will need a interface. alot of equipment comes in bundles thats probaly your best bet. whats your budget?

M-Audio Refurb OmniStudio and Delta 66 sound card and the Omni I/O Integrated Desktop Audio Station.

this isnt bad for 179

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Recording/Computer/Hardware?sku=701343V
 
Also good for guys who are new to this stuff are the "Basic" books by Paul WHite. (I own alot of them)........

They speak fairly well...... BASIC!

-Blaze
 
how do you craft your beats? i just did a sessionw ith a friend who makes his on an mpc, and if that's the case (or some other similar sampler) you'll need an interface (something to go between your analogue sampler outputs and your digital computer) that has at least 2 inputs. it would probably be easier to buy an interface that has preamps on it, like the M-audio link posted above, rather than having an interface which'll require you to also buy a seperate preamp.

if you're thinking of recording any "live" instruments, you need to decide how many mics you want to use at once, and have an interface which can accomodate that many.

i also think that garageband is a fairly weak program and that you'd be better off getting something else.

your PC looks like it'll be fast enough to handle recording, you may want to upgrade to 1gig of RAM in the futur, but right now that's not really important.
 
GREAT!!!

thanks for all the advice....

since the beginnings of my threads ive been researching online and other forums. i have a better understanding now of a few elements.
i know now that you NEED either multitrack recorder or the software version of that would be a sequencer/program....like garageband (which i thought was great). but all the recording programs are the same as garageband just PC format. i saw the mixing windows or screenshots online and thought "hey that loooks like GB". and so i know that an interface is what is used to enable a person to play live instruments and that the interface transmitts if you will the notes/keys into like a computer language and the computers recieves the notes on the program. i guess the pre-amp is also for playing instruments....so i know that i need at least thoses components off hand (besides mic(S) and keyboards or anything MIDI for that matter....does this include beat machines/drum machines, samplers?) (if that is the case, all i need is an interface/preamp bundle, recording program/sequencer, and a drum machine/sampler, and a good keyboard and mic.....RIGHT?)

feedback is greatly appreciated
 
(if that is the case, all i need is an interface/preamp bundle, recording program/sequencer, and a drum machine/sampler, and a good keyboard and mic.....RIGHT?)

yes thats why i posted the link with the preamp/interface bundled with the soundcard. the preamps boost your signal too if you just plug a mic into it you will get no sound. you can find mics bundled with the pres too, and if your getting a good keyboard it might have a drum machine sampler in it. mixers have ores too and more for instruments but you will still need a interfac. also theres some mic,monitor,and headphone bundles that will take care of the rest. with mine i skipped the monitors and now im paying with 4 it with a bunch of shitty mixes
 
dirtyp said:
yes thats why i posted the link with the preamp/interface bundled with the soundcard.
Click to expand...

i was planning to get this right here--->
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MAudioOzone-main.html

retail is 299.99
i saw the same m-audio ozone yesterday at guitar center is San Franciscio
for 79.99

also....what is the mixer for?

isnt the multitrack or sequencer capable of mixing?

what exactly is the mixer used for?

Thanks
-Lisardo
 
Was that an Ozone for sure or was it the Ozones little bother the Oxygen 8?

$79 for a Oxygen 8 Is about right but not for a Ozone. Theres a big diference between them, Ozone has audio and midi and the Oxygen is just a Midi controller.

Second of all I had a Ozone and have to say I wasnt thrilled with it. Lack of enough Ins and outs was a pain in the butt. Ozone has Two ins and the Ozonic has 4.

If a Audio interface/Midi controler is up your alley then check out the Ozonic.
A bit more but very very worth it in terms of expandability (Thats very important and that we all contract a desease called gear lust).
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Ozonic-main.html

Mixers take on so many roles its crazy, From simply combining a few sources(guitar bass whatever) to full on mixes.

If your getting a interface like the Ozonic and using a recording program you realy dont need a mixer but a small format mixer may be a saving thing in some situations.

MessianicDreams said:
Ialso think that garageband is a fairly weak program and that you'd be better off getting something else.
Click to expand...

I agree Garage Band is sort of week for sound and power.
Cakewalk makes some great programs (I use Sonar 3 soon to be Sonar 5 I hope). They have alot of programs that range from lower priced ($100) to the full blown stuff.

I also use Reason 3.0 for my soft synths and stuff. Along with a M-Audio Trigger finger and a Oxygen 49 to controll it all.
And I have a M-Audio Delta 1010 in my main PC and a Delta 44 in my Synth machine(yes I use multipul PC's) and a AudioPhile 24/96 in my ACID/Soundforge/BeatBox/blah blah blah machine(its for older software stuff).

I like M-Audio stuff and recomend it.

-Blaze
 
BLAZE,

yes if the two m-audio interfaces look the same then it may have been a refurb ozonic reather than ozone....

i also have been paying attention to m-audio product and seem to like them.

i even saw that trigger finger at the apple store in SF and thought about that...it looks pretty cool

i have a question.....is there a device (im guessing mixer is there is one)
that will enable me to import other sounds/samples from other audio sources
(duh....maybe a sampler....but im still learning)

thanks,
-xraidedariez
 
xraidedariez said:
yes if the two m-audio interfaces look the same then it may have been a refurb ozonic reather than ozone....
Click to expand...

Ummm I'm still lost with ya there. The Ozonic(Audio Midi) is still even more than a Ozone(audio/midi) or Oxygen 8(just midi).
I Assume you mean it was a Used or Refurb Oxygen 8(no audio), theres no way you could buy a Ozone Or Ozonic for $79..... If it is a Ozone theres gotta be something wrong with it or they ripped someone off on a trade.

xraidedariez said:
i also have been paying attention to m-audio product and seem to like them.
Click to expand...

I know a couple of folks that work for them, M-Audio is a nice group of folks and make great products and no I dont work for them.

xraidedariez said:
i even saw that trigger finger at the apple store in SF and thought about that...it looks pretty cool
Click to expand...

A Trigger finger at the Apple store? WOW!

xraidedariez said:
i have a question.....is there a device (im guessing mixer is there is one)
that will enable me to import other sounds/samples from other audio sources
(duh....maybe a sampler....but im still learning)
Click to expand...

How do you mean import? You mean record from say and instrument or do you mean to use for example a sampled loop?

-Blaze
 
How do you mean import? You mean record from say and instrument or do you mean to use for example a sampled loop? -Blaze[/QUOTE said:
i mean from say and audio samples/sounds, not necessarily loops (although i may like to sample a loop or beat from another song).
either way....is this possible?

and again, what is the use for a mixer and in your opinion is it necessasry in order to record?

-xraidedariez
Click to expand...
 
Ok its like this.

There are sample librarys that you can buy that have .wav's of a drum loop or bass or pretty much anything.
Most of them have loop points or a time stamp that when dragged or imported into your program(GB, Cakewalk ect.) will automaticly fit the tempo and time of the song. Those are easy and Royalty free so you wont need to clear then for release.

Now there is samples that can be made by way of plugging a turn table, cd player whatever into your sound card or a mixer and recorded into a program or a sampler program and then played or looped. this is a more dificult way of using samples and if you use something from a recorded peice you may need to pay the original artist for the use of it.

A mixer is not needed but is good to have.
If you have a sound card with mic pre's built in you dont need one, unless you wish to record more than two instruments at once.
BUT! A two output mixer wont record everything into separate tracks.

Do your self a Favore go to barnesandnobile.com and look up Paul WHite's basic books. Get one called Basic Mixers. And then buy a buch of his others(there like $7.00 each and fit into your pocket).
They make for easy reading and are very very helpfull when learning.

-Blaze
 
If you really like garage band, and still want to get that mac mini - check out "logic express". If you are a student, it is extremely affordable and would be sufficient for what you are looking to do (its still inexpensive if you arent a student too). Mac mini is now dual core - so you would be set...just upgrade the ram to as much as you can get.
 
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