How should I get started?

[thunderfvck]

Hello!

Well, new member here, you may proceed with the hazing.

So, maybe a little background information first. I started playing the guitat about a year and a half ago, mainly with the intent of one day being able to make my own music. Well, just over the past summer I've developped enough skills (changing chords was hard ) to be able to play my own acoustic-styled songs. Very fun!

But very lacking!

I've been carrying around a tape recorded to record any ideas I might have for a song whenever I'm working or what not. Sometimes I am unable to get to sleep because I keep thinking about something new. And then there's school in 3 hours...ahhh. Anyways, it's gotten to the point where the songs I think of rely on the use of other instruments aside from my guitar.

And today I was thinking of a song which I WANT to write/record, although my guitar can't handle all the effects I wish to produce!

So here I am.

Sorry for the excessiveness of my introduction.

Well, I've read a bit about mixing, and recording, and what not...And have briefly browsed through the forums on this board here. But, to be quite honest, it's all so much. I don't know where to start. So I decided to post here, and hopefully not upset any of you senior members with my newbie-asking-the-same-question-for-the-millionth-time kind of questions. So, I appologize in advance for my ignorance!

So, BASICALLY, what I want to do is record music.

I have a computer with mucho space and an Avance AC97...sound card? I don't know much about this kind of thing. But I checked in my audio properties and this is what it tells me. Unmodified and it's what came with the computer.

My computer is a HP Pavillon, Celeron 1.7 GHz, 128 MB of RAM and...okay! I don't know. I just figured I'd give the stats of my computer seeing as how they're most likely pertinent to your answering my questions.

Now. I've played with FruityLoops before, which is all the experience I have with computer music recording. This was quite poor and I expect there are superior products available. Which would be considered the best?

I want to be able to play guitar on the computer. Distorted/clean/whatever. I want to be able to use the program to make drum rythms, bass rythms, electronic sounds...etc. With FruityLoops I was able to create an assortment of sounds so I assume this property is found through most of the recording software available. However the guitar sounds on FruityLoops were poor and so I'd like to be able to use my own guitar and paste the other sounds I've mentioned over it. And I'll have vocals with that too, please.

The style of music I'll mostly be trying to play is industrial. Skinny Puppy is an influence I will try to reflect upon with certain songs. And for the more "upbeat" songs, KMFDM, 16 Volt, PIG, NIN will be other influences. This is why the electronic sounds will be of upmost importance! The guitar will always be the primary element though...But anyway.

So, what do I need to do!

I know I need good mics for the recording of my voice...and guitar? Similar to how the guitar is plugged into an amp, does the same apply to plugging it into the computer? Or is it recorded by the mic and then manipulated on the computer? If it is plugged into the computer, how is this done? I don't see my guitar wire fitting into any of the slots in the computer...But I don't know. I also have a keyboard, not a very good keyboard but it's a decent one that cost me a few hundred way back. Is it possible to plug this into the computer and play other effects with the keyboard? And then manage/mix them as I wish?

I'm not concerned with super quality. I just want something that works so I don't waste any of the ideas I have. Then, in the future, when I know a whole lot more than I do now, I'll be more concerned with quality. And hopefully I won't have to ask any of you again! haha. Normally I tend to avoid asking newbie questions and just do the reading on my own. But it is very overwhelming and I want to get started ASAP.

I just need a finger to point me in the direction I'm looking for!

Thank you all so much and again, please forgive my ignorance! I know questions like these may seem relentless...but we all have to start somewhere!

It's nice to see such a well developped site on such a topic. What a life saver this forum will be for me! Thanks to everyone who put it together!

Okay, I'll shut up now.

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

Get a direct device for guitar such as a Line6 POD, Johnson J-Station or (my fav) Vox Tonelab.

People will bash them, but to be honest it's the best you're going to achieve at your level. Also, you don't have to worry about miking a cabinet at deafening volumes, or the quality of mics you are using and so forth.

Chances are that even in a proper studio with proper equipment you yourself wouldn't be able to get as good a sound as a direct device for at least a year or two.

If you are just demoing songs... get a drum machine like a Roland R8 and learn how to use it. They are old, but GREAT, and capable of doing about whatever you need.

For bass also go direct.

For vocals.. a Shure SM58 should be sufficient.

At your level the two most important things are having a decent software DAW and soundcard/breakout box. You probably don't need that many bells and whistles or tracks... so look into Pro-Tools LE (which is free) and something like an Echo Gina.

Spend some money on decent monitors... at least 200-300 bucks. The Tannoy Passive Reveals are about in that price range. Honestly, for a cheap monitor the Alesis Monitor One series ain't half bad... although it is a little hard on the ears after a few hours.

Your goal should be to assemble your equipment to cost under 1000 bucks. You're too much of a novice musician to spend the big cash yet. Plus, you'll find out that recording is probably more difficult than playing guitar, and much more of a mystery.

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

Oh, and if you're trying to be industrial do us old school rivetheads a favor and lose the guitar. We want ANALOG SYNTHS and 8 BIT SAMPLERS... not another NIN/MINISTRY/RAMMSTEIN ripoff.

Sorry, couldn't resist the chance to be an elitist.

 

[manning1]

i disagree with other posters with respect.
i would start small and not be lazy and let the computer generate the guitar parts. you will never develope skills that way.
do like the beatles and many others did originally and mic an amp and plug a guitar in and just play and record . get your barre chords down against a backing.
check out powertracks and band in a box at pgmusic.com.
both cheap. and you can produce songs from basic noodling up to the exotic when you get adept and famous. they are all youll ever need.
or a freebie try audacity.

 

[RivetedOne]

industrial musicians

Why is it that Im online for 2 seconds and already find industrial musicians,yet I can't find one in this entire god-forsaken state of colorado?

 

[Dani Pace]

Start by downloading Audacity (already mentioned) for an easy to use multi track recorder, it's fairly decent, easy to learn and free. Gear to add should include another ram card (more ram, less latency{delay}) and some sort of preamp. A couple of good mics are a nessessity and will always be handy to have around. Start simple and learn how to use whatever you have, you can always add more as the need arises. Check out http://wwwtweakheads.com/guide.htm for some good info on gear and how to use it, takes a bit of reading but it is really usefull info. Ask questions, the more specific you are the better answers you will get. Welcome to the forum, don't forget, we bark a lot but we rarely bite.