I Need Help!!!

R

roachguitar

New member
I am brand new at all this recording stuff. Ive done alot (and i mean a TON) of research on home recording. I now have a better knowledge than at first, but still a little foggy.
I have read in several paces the Cake Walk Sonar 6XL software is great for my PC. But does this mean i need a multitrack recorder also?
I really need someone to just tell me some pretty decent equipment to get. But I hear me when i say decent. But i would also like to keep my budget below $700, although i feel uncomfortable saying that.
I am a newbie at all this so please give me some pointers!!!
Thanx
 
Sonar is great software.
With Sonar home studio you have the ability to multi track record. However, you don't have to.

I would suggest just buying the software (or even cheaper software) and recording with your computers built in "Line input." You can dub over as many tracks as you want in the software. Sonar is great because you can use your line in and then when you do get an interface you don't need to upgrade.

A multi track interface will allow you to record more tracks simultaneously.
ex. A drum set with 8 mic's on it.
However, even if you get a cheap multi track recorder, you will have to spend a lot of money in things like cables, mic's and stands. These may not be expensive if you need one or two, but for 8 mic cables you can easily already be paying $100, before mic's and stands.

I would say start with your line in and record through a small cheap mixer.(Behringer actually makes some really cheap boards that come with a USB interface, known as the XENYX mixers.) Don't buy an interface until you know exactly what you want to do, and make sure you have the money to not only purchase the interface but also the mic's, cables, stands etc. that are often overlooked when your tallying prices.

Don't feel rushed to spend your money on expensive stuff that people say you need! Believe it or not you can make great recordings with some cheap software and a line input.

And most of all good luck and have fun!
 
Thanks, But still Confused

Thanks alot
I believe i will invest my money into cakewalk sonar
but remember that i am completely new to this and im just learning the lingo

Can someone provide a low budget shopping list or maybe some directions on how to set up or what i need to do
I will accept any information haha
 
If you've done a "ton" of research, you already know there is no right or wrong answer - like any computer hardware/software decision, you must first decide what you want to achieve and then purchase the hardware/software that will help you achieve it.

Sonar will allow you to record multiple tracks of audio and MIDI - but you need an analog/digital interface of some sort. Do you need to record several tracks at once (ie: a drum kit - or a full band) or will you be recording one track at a time? Do you only record electric guitar/bass - if so you may only need some type of amp sim or or perhaps a DI/preamp. If you plan to record accoustic guitar, or mic guitar cabs or record vocals - then you need some type of mic pre (either one built in to your A/D interface or a stand alone).

Do you plan to mix in the computer or use a mixing console? This will determine how many D/A outs you need on your interface.

As you can see - no one can answer your questions - other than you - and to do that you need to know what you want to achieve!
 
Mike and Light are right on many levels.
I'd be a little warey of the line in though - I know there's a lot of discussion lately about quality etc & how many soundcards are as good as dedicated recording jobbies but you'll want to start out with something you can build on. I started out on the inbuilt soundcard & worked with it for a year or more.
Cakewalk is great - all multitracking software progs are VERY complicated and expensive & therefore make extremem starting points. If you're really just experimenting you might use audacity or even the trial reaper.
You will need an input that could go from a little mixer as mentioned straight into the line in or one step further and use the mixer into a USB interface (I use a little behri UCA20 on the rare occasions I use my laptop; it's does the AD/DA conversions and has stereo RCA in/out + H/phone socket) to bypass internal sound card issues. Quite a few little mixers come with USB also.
You'll need to be clear about what type of music, MIDI, Audio or both, how many tracks you intend to record simultaneously, your budget over time (you may say $700 BUT if the bug bites...and it will), working from a laptop or Desktop and lots, I mean LOTS of consideration to the space you'll be working in if it's audio.
 
Sonar would soak up about half you budget..? Not to say 'don't buy right the first time' either'..
 
ive got it

im afraid that i might waste my mone on something useless but i finally think i know what i need to purchase


I am using this to do some solo acoustic stuff and to record my band also

to me this sounds fairly reasonable but idk?
 
sm58's are better for vox, not on instruments (go for the 57 on instruments like acoustic guitars, drums, guitar amps, and many other stuff -- some even say they've gotten good vocal results with them)
 
Behringer PX300 ULTRAPATCH PRO
I am guessing you meant the PX3000... and why do you need a patch bay?

I agree with tojo- SM58's are good live vocal mic's, thats about it.

If you are looking at solo acoustic stuff, look into a cheap pair of condensers. Then research some stereo mic'ing techniques.
I do not know what kind of band your in so as for the usefulness of these mic's goes for that I don't know.

SM58's and SM57's are the "industry standard."
To me, this basically means they are overpriced and overrated.
However, you can put a 57 on anything and it will at least provide a usable sound.
There are several cheap pairs of condensers out there, for acoustic guitar it is definitely worth looking into.
 
i thought i would need a patchbay to run the rest of my band through my system
do i not?

okay then so now i will go for the 57's

i play rythym in a contemporary christian band
but i do solo acoustic stuff also
like jack johnsona and ben harper covers

i will also look into some condensers now
 
light40 said:
Behringer PX300 ULTRAPATCH PRO
I am guessing you meant the PX3000... and why do you need a patch bay?

I agree with tojo- SM58's are good live vocal mic's, thats about it.

If you are looking at solo acoustic stuff, look into a cheap pair of condensers. Then research some stereo mic'ing techniques.
I do not know what kind of band your in so as for the usefulness of these mic's goes for that I don't know.
Click to expand...
Plus one on that. One 'gotcha on the 'solo acoustic/recording vs live' mic thing is there are many fairly nice and inexpensive condensors out there but that won't fair too well in a live/stage setting -ie. rugged, breath/pop filter, too much low end response.
You might pair it down to some that fair well in both uses.
I was going to say Heil PR22 -dynamic with a very fine tone, more consistant tone at various working distances than the typical directional live mic (not so big up close but thin out at 4"), but it runs about $150. There may be others cheaper that fit.
 
well i dont need to worry about mics for any acoustic instruments
my acoustic is electric so i just need to mic amps for a rythym,lead,bass,and drums...plus vocals
 
roachguitar said:
i thought i would need a patchbay to run the rest of my band through my system
do i not?
Click to expand...
You'll only have so much 'patching to do. The Onyx (Oops .. ;) 'B') only has 8 in's, 6 of those are two each on one volume knob.
So what a patch bay would do for you is if you had lots of things to route/at different times, and it was sort of semi-permanent. Ie, when it would make it easier not have to just pull them in and out of the mixer. At this size level -well you see..
 
roachguitar said:
well i dont need to worry about mics for any acoustic instruments
my acoustic is electric so i just need to mic amps for a rythym,lead,bass,and drums...plus vocals
Click to expand...
Already it's closing in on the true picture. This is a good thing.
57's (except for no pop filter for vocals) or the Heils are back in.
 
so i should get me some 57s for my instruments but i want a good quality for vocals should i use the 57 also or get something else?
 
57's are nice on lots of things. There's those add-on foam filters too far as that goes.
Other that that -so many mic's, so many choices- I'll pass the torch here. :D

..You know you only got two mic-ins' on that thing.
 
That depends on how you want to record. You might consider starting with a fairly simple USB interface and a modest collection of inexpensive mics. A 57 will be useful on a wide variety of sources, and a pair of inexpensive small diaphram condensers for drum overheads and acoustic instruments would be really useful and not break the bank. A large diaphram condenser is preferrable for recording vocals, and can be had for under $100 ("decent" is such a relative term). Many USB and firewire interfaces come with some kind of software bundle, so I would hold off on the software until you've decided what kind of harware you'll be getting. Do you need to record everything at once, or could you lay down a basic bed and redo parts individually?
 
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