Help selecting equipment

[ElTakko]

Hey,

You guys seem to know your stuff here...

I have several songs I've written that I'd like to record to CD to give to family friends, etc.

Since I'm sort of a one man band, I'd like to use multitrack recording software to record each track (guitar, vocals, drum machine) and compile it all together to a finished audio file...

I don't need anything high end or anything, but I don't want the music to sound completely cheap and crappy...

Right now I only have some real basic equipment: A pretty good computer with a SoundBlaster Live card, a $50 radioshack microphone, and a $40 peice of software Cakewalk Music Creator2002.

Any suggestions on what hardware/software I'll need to make non-crappified music? Looking for affordable stuff I can pick up second hand...

Also, for recording keyboard, which is better, MIDI or mic-ing the keyboard? I haven't used MIDI since around 1992, and back then it sounded like crap. Has it gotten any better?

Thanks a lot!
-ElTakko

 

[ChristopherDawn]

A quality recording consists of:

great musician > great instrument > great room > great microphone > great preamp > great ADC > great reverb/compression/eq [as needed] > great RE/ME



With all of that said, how much are you willing to spend?

 

[ElTakko]

A quality recording consists of:

great musician > great instrument > great room > great microphone > great preamp > great ADC > great reverb/compression/eq [as needed] > great RE/ME

With all of that said, how much are you willing to spend?

Well, I don't have an exact dollar amount in mind, but what kind of bang can I get for a few hundred? I already have the instruments and computer, from what I understand I'll need a mixer to use as a preamp, and maybe a better mic/software/soundcard? Ideas?

Thanks,
ElTakko

 

[FatDogStudios]

it seems to me that most folks on this LOVELY site will tell you that you wont get a good sound w a sound card input....ya need to use some sort of input/midi/ bus thing I guess?Beats me...Im a separate recorder kinda guy.I use my pc for mastering only.
I have minimal experience w recording direct to computer as the programs I have seem awfully hard to understand.But the following stands true no matter what medium your using.

I d say make sure ya get a cool mic, a 57 works great for instruments, a 58 works great for vox...like \someone else said, a good eq and a compressor will help ya alot....ya can probably get a couple good used mics, and eq and a comp for a few hun without much trouble.Buy used stuff...new just aint worth it.


and by the way....ya may have forgotten something in the "what makes a good recording "statement........

a good recording also requires a good SONG!!!!!

 

[Bulls Hit]

A good soundcard like an M-Audio Audophile will reduce the chances of crap, and sound better than your blatser. That's $150.

I'm not familiar with Music Creator, but Cakewalk make good stuff and if it does what you need then stick with it.

You'll also need a preamp or mixer to successfully record your mics. The Yamaha MG10/2 can be bought for $99 from musiciansfriend.com.

Keys can be recorded direct via the 1/4" output jack. Alternatively if you want to trigger synth sounds, the Audiophile card has a midi interface