Help Me Please!

[Montez1992]

can anybody tell me where to start with my home studio what equipment i will need to record vocals,instruments (drums etc...) etc...,

what should i get first? mixer,monitor speakers, mics?? for the first order i have £700 to spend

i already have a computer, but i really do not want to use a interfaces i wanna use a mixing desk to record onthe computer is that possible if so what software do you use? (something simple)

should i use genral PA speakers or Monitor speakers for my studio.

anyone got some pics to get an idea of a setup? (basic)

 

[pangalactic]

As far a software, I might as well be the first to suggest Reaper. It's free, and damn good. Google is your friend as far as finding it goes.

 

[Montez1992]

i tried that its not mmy fried cos it wont give me anything , can someone just give me some info please

 

[TimOBrien]

My obligatory standard reply that I keep in Wordpad:

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...ce&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance
(Wish I'd had that when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=free_beginner_pdfs

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

Also Good Info:
http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm

Other recording books:
http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html


Plenty of software around to record for free to start out on:

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net

Kristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com

Another great option is REAPER at http://www.cockos.com/reaper/
(It's $40 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)

Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($20) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages - http://myriad-online.com
Demo you can try on the website.

And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (Last November, they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150 - pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)

 

[Randy Yell]

A decent soundcard would be a good start, I've used the M-Audio Audiophile for years without a problem. The audiophile will only record two tracks at a time though, so first thing you need to do is figure out how many tracks you need to record at a time and get something that meets your needs. Then a software program for recording although if I remermber right the soundcard usually comes with basic software so you could use that to learn with. You could get a cheap mixer like a behringer or a good cheap mic/ line pre like the M-Audio audio buddy to get your tracks into the soundcard. For mics you can't really go wrong picking up a Shure SM 57 which will always find use in your studio but if you want a condensor mic a Studio Projects B1 goes for about a hundred bucks I think. Throw in a pair of inexpensive powered monitors and a some headphones and you're good to go.

 

[Montez1992]

i don't understand , has anyone got a diagram of the sorta layout that it is?

would thing work?

Computer > Mixing Desks > Interface > Other Equipment

if so how would you set it out

 

[Dani Pace]

I suggest starting by deciding what instruments you want to record then take the necessary steps to make your room sound as good as possible. Good sounding instruments in a good sounding room will make the rest of the recording process much easier and enjoyable. Even minimal room treatment will greatly improve the sounds you will record. Buy the best (not necessarily the most expensive) gear you can, it will serve you better and will be easier to upgrade later if you need too. As already mentioned, read all you can about recording and gear before spending your money for things you don't really need. Start simple, recording is confusing and often frustrating, try to understand one process before moving on to something more complicated. Most recording software has a trial version, download and try several before deciding which you prefer to use. No one can tell you what will work best for you or for all situations. Much of what you will learn will be through experimentation, we can point you in the right direction but there aren't many situations where we can tell you exactly how to do things to get your desired results. The one thing you are sure to need is patience... and lots of it.