Yo TomFX! Welcome to the board!
OK-boys and girls, prepare yourselves for one of those "War and Peace" posts. You see, I've been working for some time on what I hope will be the basis of yet another "Home Recording for the Clueless" books, and TomFX , you are a perfect test subject. Why? Because you are clueless, and you know it. Also, though your English is very good, it probably isn't your first language. If I use specialized terms (jargon) without explaining them, I'll probably lose you completely.
First, understand that recording is a profession, like being a doctor or a plumber. If you asked me, "what do I need to perform a good coronary bypass?" I could tell you (I'm a nurse), but it wouldn't do you that much good. There's a lot of learning curve before you, so be patient, and expect hard work to be required.
From your first posts, it is clear that you have a computer, and the good news is- you don't need a great computer to get started. But- that's almost the end of the signal chain. To make the best recordings possible, you need to think about the signal chain from the beginning, not the end. What you are recording is far more important than what you are recording it *with*. Think of the signal chain like this:
The song > The instrument > The performance > the amp (maybe) > the room > the microphone/pickup > the mic preamp or processor > the recorder > the effects processor(s).
All of this is controlled by the engineer (you), who can make things better or worse, but can't make something into what it isn't. If the song sucks, the instrument sucks, the performance sucks, and the room sucks, no engineer on Earth can make it sound good. OK, you have an instrument and an amp, a song, and a performance that you are going to use, for better or worse. My purpose here is not to judge or criticize them. All I'm saying is that the better they are, the easier this is going to be.
Most people overlook the effect of the room (which is *HUGE*), until they've actually been recording for a while. Everybody is going to tell you that you need to do everything you can to improve your room's sound, and you'll ignore them-for now. A year down the road, you'll understand what they were trying to tell you. This is why I try to recommend portable systems for beginners, so they can try to find better rooms. Music practice rooms in universities can often be employed late at night, because that is quiet time, when very few people are practicing. You can often rent the "B" or "C" room of a real studio for recording critical tracks cheaply, if you aren't using their equipment or engineers. But- this is *home* recording.com, so for right now, I'll pretend your room is OK. I assure you, it isn't, and it *will* come back to bite you in the ass.
Like most beginners, you are unlikely to deal with your room when you have nothing to record with, so I'm going to go there first, even though it is the middle, not the beginning, of the signal chain. So first, lets talk about recording electric guitar. You asked about recording direct (also called DI, for direct injection or direct insertion). In the last few years, this has gone from basically impossible to sort-of possible, by the development of amplifier and cabinet modeling. The best known units are the various models of the Line 6 POD. Other cheaper ones are out there, such as
the Behringer VAMP. This can also be done by software programs, such as Amplitube, Amp Farm, Revalver, etc. Most, but not all, engineers prefer the old fashioned way- sticking a mic in front of a good sounding amp. There are some variations on these options, including:
1. an isolation box (iso box for short)- this is putting the amp or an extension cabinet inside a heavy box with a mic, to reduce the sound level.
2. re-amping- This is recording a basic signal from the guitar, and plugging it into a real amp later, somewhere where you *can* make noise. If you don't like the sound, you can try a different amp. Sometimes a mic is used, and a line out is taken off the amp, for re-amping later if the mic'd track didn't come out so well.
3. Using an amp modeler, but plugging it into a power amp and speaker, or a powered speaker, and using a mic on that. This can be useful if you can't afford really good amps, but- it still makes noise.
The good news is- on a recording, no one knows how big the amp was, so studio recording is often done with very small amps, sometimes as small as 3-5 watts. Then you can crank the hell out of it without making that much noise, and with an iso box, you may not even wake up the cat.
The equipment I will recommend has modeling and microphone capabilities so you can experiment with both until you find the method that works best for you.
Acoustic guitar-You can record an acoustic with a pickup direct, but it will almost never sound like an acoustic guitar. With very good pickups, very good preamps, and possibly acoustic modeling (do a search on Fishman Aura), you *can* get a decent direct recorded sound from an acoustic, but why? It's an expensive pain in the ass, and it won't make the guitar any quieter. My best advice- recording acoustic guitar requires one or more microphones.
Vocals: This really, really, requires a microphone. Vocal mics are like shoes, they either fit, or they don't. The hard part will be finding a vocal mic that works well for *you*, and no one can tell you what that will be. We can only recommend mics that work for us, or someone else. Some are cheap, some are hellish expensive. The object is to find the *right* mic, not the *best* mic. For that reason, never pass up an opportunity to try out a vocal mic you've never used. It could turn out to be the holy grail, the shoe that fits *you*.
Microphones: In general, there are 2 major types: Condenser mics (also called capacitor mics), and dynamic mics. These are further subdivided. Ribbon mics are a form of dynamic that uses a thin strip of metal instead of a diaphragm. Some mics (usually, but not quite always, condensers) have vacuum tubes in them (also known as "valves"). Condenser mics, and a few dynamics, require "phantom power", which is power sent back up the cable from whatever it is plugged into to polarize the mic. Some mics intended for remote use power themselves with an internal battery. Tube mics need more power than phantom power can provide, to power the tube, so they usually come with separate power supplies and use specialized multi-pin cables. Mics are also categorized by the size of the diaphragm, generally "large diaphragm" (about 1"/2.54cm) and "small diaphragms (about 1/2"). There are a few that fall in between. Small diaphragms tend to be a little more sensitive, as the small diaphagm is lighter, requiring less sound pressure to move it, and they respond well to "fast transients", things that go from quiet to loud and then back again very quickly, like drums. Vocals are usually recorded with large diaphragm mics. Note that the best dynamic mics are a lot cheaper than the best condensers, which can cost thousands of dollars. Fortunately, there are some pretty good entry-level condensers that aren't that expensive. Are they as good as the ones that cost thousands? No.
Mic preamps- All mics produce a very weak signal, which must be boosted to "line level" in order to be recorded. Some mic signals are weaker than others. A mic preamp can be a standalone unit, or included as part of a standalone recorder, a computer interface, or some (not all) mixers. What is a mixer? basically a lot of (usually cheap) preamps with multiple routing solutions, so you can send signals to different places, and combine them in different combinations. Standalone recorders usually have some mixing capabilities. Computer recording software usually includes mixing capabilities, so you can do the mixing in the computer.
Effects (FX)- these are ways the sound is changed. This can be done before or after the sound is recorded. Some are time based, such as compression/limiting, reverb/delay, and some are frequency based, such as equalization (EQ). Basic recording equipment should contain basic FX capabilities, so you can start learning how to use the tools.
Monitor chain- This is how you will listen to the music. The most basic items are headphones, with a headphone distribution amp, if multiple people need to listen simultaneously. It also includes studio monitors, specialized speakers that are designed to tell the truth, rather than just sounding good. The price of good studio monitors will give you what we Americans call "sticker shock", and if you are going to do home recording, you really can't escape it. This is often the single biggest expense that people planning their first studio overlook. Some are "powered" or "active", meaning they contain their own power amp. Some are "unpowered" or "passive", meaning that they require a separate power amp to drive them.
So what basic system do you want to use to record? Here are the main options:
Analog: This can run the spectrum from 4 track cassette based technology to 2" open reel tape running at 30"/second. The first, I think, is a dying and limited technology. The second is really cool, and really expensive. I wouldn't recommend either to a beginner. You are talking about drum software, so I'll assume you're going digital.
The standalone recorder: This is a machine designed to do it all. It has preamps, mic and direct inputs, probably mixing capabilities, FX, and possibly some amp modeling. Some have built in CD burners, and more recent models have some ability to export data to a computer for CD burning, or further processing. Some have internal hard drives, and others record to removable media, such as SD cards. There are some standalone hard drive recorders that simply *record*, and require outboard preamps. These can download to a computer, but are not intended to control it. These are usually found in higher end studios that have a lot of boutique preamps. These machines tend to have very good quality analog to digital (A-D) convertors. They don't do much, but what they do, they often do *very well*. The advantages of the standalone: It is very portable, and gets you started recording very quickly. Disadvantages: You can't upgrade it, and they often limit you in ways you don't know until you buy one. (Like it's an 8-track recorder, but you can only record 2 tracks at a time). They usually contain entry level preamps, and you may not be able to bypass the preamps in them.
The computer recording interface: This gives you mic and direct inputs, and accesses recording software in a separate computer, usually by USB or firewire. A related option is a digital mixer, which does what a mixer does, but can send its output to a computer. This can be a good thing if you need a lot of channels, usually for drums, but usually sends the signals to the computer in groups, called "busses", so that the individual channels can't be individually processed later. Just because it has 16 channels *in*, doesn't mean it has 16 channels *out*. Advantages of the interface: It uses the computer you already own, and is a relatively affordable option. Because there is a separate computer, it is easier to upgrade computer software, either the recording software itself, or FX plugins. Disadvantages: They are less portable, even if you use a laptop. They don't usually contain great preamps, either. As they are often bus-powered, they may provide less than the nominal 48 volts of phantom power. Some mics don't like that. And-computer fans make noise, often requiring you to figure out how to put the CPU in a different room.
So, how do you choose? That decision is based on your budget and your needs. The real key is- How many channels do you need, and how many need to be recorded *simultaneously*? Secondly- what do you intend to be doing *in the future*? Thirdly, what's your real budget? We all want things we can't afford.
OK, we're down to actual advice about gear/kit. For what you want to do right now, you only need 2 simultaneous channels Or even one, recording the guitar and vocals separately). In the future, though, you may wish to try recording real drums, which will require more channels, and more mics, cables (leads), mic stands, etc. I am going to recommend a couple of machines that are standalone recorders *and* computer interfaces. That way, you can record anywhere you want, and you can use all the plugins and processing power of whatever computer you have. They both come with Cubase recording software, but can use other software if you prefer. I have no idea what they cost in Lithuania, but they are the most affordable, versatile recorders I've seen.
Both machines record on SD cards or straight to the computer. Both contain FX and basic modeling software with direct instrument inputs, as well as mic inputs, and built in stereo condenser mics. The first is a 4 track unit. You can record up to 4 tracks simultaneously, but only if 2 of them are the built in mics or an external stereo microphone. The only limit to the total number of tracks is the computer software. In Cubase, that's 16:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=32943&Category=Recorders
The second is 8 simultaneous tracks. It has 8 mic inputs, 2 of them with phantom power:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60335&Category=Recorders
The cool part is- it doesn't cost that much more than the smaller handheld unit.
If you just want a basic 2 channel interface, I would recommend this. You might like it, as it is somewhat specialized for use with electric guitar:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces
For more channels, I like this:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=43340&Category=Audio_Interfaces
Mics: I think you should start with a couple of proven inexpensive mics, so you can start learning to use the tools. First, a basic dynamic for that guitar amp. It may also work for vocals, if it's the shoe that fits your foot. The standard one in the USA is:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=1361&Category=Microphones
But you may find one of these German mics at a lower price in Lithuania:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=3202&Category=Microphones
For an entry level condenser (good for vocals and acoustic guitar), I usually recommend this:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=6458&Category=Microphones
But- they can be hard to find in Europe, where one of these may be more practical:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=44365&Category=Microphones
or better:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=24183&Category=Microphones
Of course, you'll also need a couple of mic stands, including a short one, like they use for kick drum, and a couple of mic cables, the 3-pin type called XLR.
To start, you'll need a set of closed-back headphones. I like these:
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=10952&Category=Monitoring
In many ways, the worst of it is the monitors. I warned you about this. These aren't too bad as cheap ones go (yeah these are cheap-really):
http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=41071&Category=Monitoring
I hope all of this helps you in some way. Best of luck, and don't give up. You are about to embark on one of the most confusing and rewarding journeys of your life. We're all there for you. My one disclaimer- there are thousands of other gear combinations that will work. My suggestions are just the result of my opinions, and my experiences. You'll get enough opinions and enough suggestions on this board to give you a headache.-Richie
