Help please: what do I do?

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triviumjamie

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Ok, So I wanna record an EP for my band, but we dont want the troubles of going to a studio..

At the minute I am in the process of buying equipment. THe microphones arent the trouble. It's the method of recording.

What do I need? And how do I do it?

Originally, I thought all I needed to do was get a mixing desk and plug it into the computer, and record.. but I dunno if that is the case now :S (obv. not as simple as I described but you know what I mean)

I was thinking of buying the BEHRINGER UB2442FX-PRO EURORACK from thomann.de

But after reading some posts it seems I need a recorder too? Do I need one even though I want to record onto computer??

ALSO, How do I connect the mixing desk to the computer?


Please help, Im lost and I need to start ordering equipment soon.

haha sorry for being SUCH a noob.


EDIT:

Ok thanks for the replies guys. I know it would make more sense going to a studio, but I really want to get into recording ..

1) My band has a singer, 2 guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer - your typical line up.

2) Im from the UK so in pounds I have about £400 to spend on a mixing desk / whatever I need to record.

3) I currently Have one Shure sm57 mic, I am going to get a few more Shure Mics and an AKG D112 for Bass.

4) The software I use is Cakewalk SONAR 6. Previously I have used audicity and had a good bit of experience in it, but I'm quite new to SONAR but I know the basics.

More questions:
1)Ok so I want to record each track seperatly. I take it that means I need some "kind of interface" ... Can someone please expand on this? And do I still need a mixing desk to to record If I have this?

2)Ok I checked out the "PreSonus FirePod" And I'm really confused? Isnt that just the same as the mixer. To be honest I thought I was just gonna use the mixer to send multiple mics into the computer? I want to do my mixing/ editing digitally mostly..

3)I really like the look of the PreSonus FirePod... Do I even need a mixer? Does it allow me to record with several mics , but all into different tracks (for drums?)

Thanks so much for tolerating such a noob lol
 
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How much money do you have, what are the instruments in your band, do you want to multi-track or record everyone live, and do yo have any experience with recording software at all?

Answering these questions helps us give you better suggestions.

Pete
 
...oh, and what equipment (mics/mixer/computer/monitors) do you currently have?

Pete
 
Yea... if you want to be able to mix the individual instruments (even if you record everything live together, but through separate mics), and you want to record to the PC (or whatever you have), you will need some sort of interface. The Presonus Firepod has 8 mic inputs that will record in any multitrack software as separate tracks.

As for the software, the version of Cube (LE) that comes with the Firepod only allows you to record two tracks at a time, so you would also need to look into another piece of software - REAPER is a commonly used free multitrack software solution.

Just thoughts dumping to page - there are lots of other options out there. It just so happens I just bought the Firepod and am currently playing with Cubase LE on my Mac :D
 
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...)
 
(snip)
<<<Originally, I thought all I needed to do was get a mixing desk and plug it into the computer, and record.. but I dunno if that is the case now :S (obv. not as simple as I described but you know what I mean)>>>

Well, it could be that simple. If all of the various instruments and voices are going to be recorded simultaneously, you can mix them all in the mixer, and send the resulting stereo mix to the computer to be recorded. It could be done this way. However, most folks don't record this way. Drums usually need to be mixed before recording, but other instruments and voices can be recorded first, individually, then mixed in the computer.

(snip)
<<<But after reading some posts it seems I need a recorder too? Do I need one even though I want to record onto computer??>>>

If you have the proper software in the computer, and a proper audio interface connected to the computer, then the computer *IS* the recorder, and you don't need a separate recorder.

Don't get in a hurry to get your equipment. Be certain of what you need first. Get all of your questions answered first. Be certain that the equipment you buy will meet your needs, first.
 
Ok, So I wanna record an EP for my band, but we dont want the troubles of going to a studio.. Get the equipment to learn on, and once you know what to do, then you could record your EP.

At the minute I am in the process of buying equipment. THe microphones arent the trouble. It's the method of recording.

What do I need? And how do I do it?

Originally, I thought all I needed to do was get a mixing desk and plug it into the computer, and record.. but I dunno if that is the case now :S (obv. not as simple as I described but you know what I mean)

I was thinking of buying the BEHRINGER UB2442FX-PRO EURORACK from thomann.de

But after reading some posts it seems I need a recorder too? Do I need one even though I want to record onto computer??

ALSO, How do I connect the mixing desk to the computer?


Please help, Im lost and I need to start ordering equipment soon.

haha sorry for being SUCH a noob.

You would probably save time, money, and get better quality just going ahead and hitting the studio if you really want to record your EP.
 
As for the software, the version of Cube (LE) that comes with the Firepod only allows you to record two tracks at a time, so you would also need to look into another piece of software - REAPER is a commonly used free multitrack software solution.

Oh man, that´s not true... You can record up to 8 tracks at the same time on Cubase LE.
Cheers!
J.
 
Ok, So I wanna record an EP for my band, but we dont want the troubles of going to a studio..
Just throwing in a healthy dose of reality -

(1) You're going to spend more on even the most craptastic home studio than what it would cost to go to a reasonably equipped studio (even a reasonably equipped home studio with a decent engineer) to record your E.P.

(2) If you were to go purchase the greatest recording rig in the entire world, it could be *years* (if *ever*) before you have the ability to make "somewhat listenable" recordings. Whereas, if you go to a decent studio with a decent engineer, the biggest thing you need to worry about are your core sounds.

There are a LOT more "troubles" going the DIY route than ust wandering into a studio where everything is already there with an engineer who already knows what he's doing. A LOT more.

I'm not trying to discourage you from setting up a recording rig - But don't expect to make decent recordings with it for quite some time - It doesn't happen overnight. It usually doesn't happen over-months or over-years. With some, it doesn't happen over-ever.
 
Just throwing in a healthy dose of reality -

(1) You're going to spend more on even the most craptastic home studio than what it would cost to go to a reasonably equipped studio (even a reasonably equipped home studio with a decent engineer) to record your E.P.

(2) If you were to go purchase the greatest recording rig in the entire world, it could be *years* (if *ever*) before you have the ability to make "somewhat listenable" recordings. Whereas, if you go to a decent studio with a decent engineer, the biggest thing you need to worry about are your core sounds.

There are a LOT more "troubles" going the DIY route than ust wandering into a studio where everything is already there with an engineer who already knows what he's doing. A LOT more.

I'm not trying to discourage you from setting up a recording rig - But don't expect to make decent recordings with it for quite some time - It doesn't happen overnight. It usually doesn't happen over-months or over-years. With some, it doesn't happen over-ever.



This is GREAT advice... I've been at this for a couple years now and only now am I starting to get "ok" results.. I've dropped alot of money on gear that is satisfactory at best.. Don't get into recording because you think you're going to save time and money.. DON'T DO IT.... I REPEAT DON'T DO IT..


if you're only interested on getting your ep going please go to a proper studio.. you will thank me in the end on this one...

HOWEVER, if you have a deep passion for music....if you're creative and enjoy the whole recording process... if you prefer having complete control over your projects and finally if you can put your ego aside and learn everything you can and take critism from people that know their shit (like on this forum) then getting into recording is what you want to do.

I love recording... and i'm getting more and more into it.. my skills are getting better and my band is finally releasing our first ep/demo... we're still planning on going to a proper studio to work on our first full length soon though... why?> because after all i've learnt i know I won't be able to produce a really high quality product with out a few more years of experience/an acoustically treated room/ and maybe a little more gear.
 
I EDITED MY ORIGINAL POST with the answers to your questions and some questions from me. Thanks...
 
The firepod is a great choice...

you'll be able to record 8 tracks at once and no you won't need a mixer...

make sure you're computer is well over the specs for it though.. mine wasn't and it was flacky sometimes.


the other way is to go with what I have right now.

delta 1010 and a mixer with either 8 direct out or an 8 channel preamp..

for starting out there's absolutely nothing wrong with the firepod.. i actually think it just went down in price (around 399$ now and that's us dollars i dont' know how to convert that hehe)

then you should have some money left over to buy some mics and chords... don't forget the stands.. it adds up really quick but it sounds like you're in it for the right reason so welcome to the world of recording


just a warning once you get into this it's like a drug... you'll be dreaming about new gear and mic placements.. you'll be slackin off at work to talk about your latest project and seeking advice here on the bbs it's just too good :D
 
I did a metal album on a firepod

myspace.com\koama

not my usual gear, but thats what they had and it worked
 
Sweet thanks guys. I've been recording myseld playing guitar for a while now over backing tracks, but I finally want to get into recording a full band :P I know its addictive and it sucks because I have very little money right now!

So I think I'm gonna check out this firepod somemore... How do I connect it to the computer?

I've been looking at the 1010... Will that work with the firepod?

And it says its a recording system.. Does that mean It wont replace my soundcard I have at the moment? I have a creative x-fi , Im not liking the recording on it, But I LOVE the Audip play back when I listen to music etc...
 
Oh man, that´s not true... You can record up to 8 tracks at the same time on Cubase LE.
Cheers!
J.

But in Cubase LE, when I try to enable a third channel to record, the first channel switches off of record mode.

I'll try again later...
 
The firepod hooks up to your computer via a firewire port, which is similar to a USB port. They are different, of course, but the idea is the same - standardized digital transfer bus.

It would give you 8 individual mic/line inputs to record to 8 different tracks in your multitrack software at the same time. I recently bought one, and it orked with my Mac straight away - I was basically up and running, playing with Cubase LE (which came with the hardware), in about 30 minutes.

Now comes the 90 degree sloped learning curve :D

I would agree with others, however, that if you are looking to put out a reasonable product immediately, the studio is still the way to go. Not to discourage anyone from trying out homerecording, but it does take a long time to start generating a good product. Just things to consider :)
 
So I think I'm gonna check out this firepod somemore... How do I connect it to the computer?

I've been looking at the 1010... Will that work with the firepod?

No... they are serving the same purpose... it is one or the other...

If you have firewire on your computer, you plug the firepod into the firewire port and plug mics/cables/etc into the firepod, and use the gain knobs to adjust input level, and you won't need a mixer. If you go with the Delta 1010, you install it inside your computer in an available pci slot. The firepod is probably a better option right away (even though I like the delta for long term) because it has phantom power and mic preamps built in. With the delta you get a unit with possibly better converters, but no mic preamps, so you would need a mixer or a standalone preamplification unit.

Pete
 
"If you have firewire on your computer, you plug the firepod into the firewire port and plug mics/cables/etc into the firepod"

Yeah I understand now, but I'm not sure what u mean by if I have "firewire" on the computer?
 
a firewire port is something like a usb port (where you plug your mouse and keyboard in) If you bought your computer in the last 2 years new, i can almost assure you that you have it... but best to be sure..

it'll look like this
http://www.initini.com/glenview/img/firewire-diagram.jpg

if you don't have this... and if you're computer is a little older then I would highly recomment getting the 1010 (if you don't want to upgrade to a new computer) make sure you have as much ram as possible too. (for either)
 
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