Necessary equipment/hardware

  • Thread starter Thread starter itsmetruthy
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itsmetruthy

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After being abruptly removed from music, (story later), in "91", I suddenly find myself falling in love all over again. It seems that I have wakened to a whole strange new world, (mind you I have literally not as much as touched anything musically for 10 years plus).

Anyway, I heard a recording made from a man that said the finished process was recorded on a home hard drive studio costing less than $4,000.00 total. The sound was so awesome that I went out and began blindly buying.

I got to thinking that I should take inventory and be put in touch with someone that knows what's up, and can tell me where I stand. Here is a list of what I have so far. So just how far off am I from a simple HARD DRIVE studio I can create some decent demos?

A PC with a 20.5 gig Hard Drive
A Sound Blaster Value Sound Card
A Hewlett Packard CD-CRW Rom Drive
a Cakewalk Pro 9 Software
A Behringer portable 16 channel Stereo Mixer
A Roland JV-90 Keyboard
A Peavey Electric Guitar
A shure SM-58 Microphone

Other than maybe more effects, is this enough to get started recording and making demos? I am at this point old school and can't seem to grasp the concept of recording vocals and guitar onto the Hard Drive of my PC. Am I on the right track?

Thank you,
Gary
 
Yup, thats all you need.

A fast hard drive for audio only would be cool,
maybe another mis and a decent preamp, and you are
set. If you get into it, a fancy pants sound card is
wise, but wait til you get into it, the Soundblaster
will work fine for now.

You will need a midi interface or joystick midi
cable for the synth. Cheers David
 
You need some powered monitors and stands that will put them at the right height/level. I recommend taking a few CD's that you know really well to the music store, and buy the ones that you like. I would recommend the Event PS-6 monitors but only because that's what I own.

Outboard preamps are a good thing but not neccessary to make good demos. Hardware or software reverbs are pretty essential if you don't have a good one. Lexicon, TC Electronics, Yamaha, and Alesis are the usual suspects.
 
You will also need a Flux Capicitor.

Oh wait, that's for time travel, not home recording,
my mistake, Sorry.
 
Yes, you have enough equipment to start your home recording adventure. :)

Again, like DavidK mentioned,you will need to purchase a MIDI interface (I have the Midsort 2X2). It has 2 MIDI INS and 2 MIDI OUTS, and it connects through my USB port it cost about $70.00. (I bought it @ http://www.guitarcenter.com)

Most importantly, you will need to purchase some GOOD reference monitors. I have the EVENTS 20/20's (IMHO they are great).

Post us back with some more info...:)

Peace

SPIN
 
Midi Interface?

Ok, now on the back of my sound card there is a port for a cable that turns into midi in/out. is this differnt from a midi interface you say I need?
 
itsmetruthy,
The midi i/o you are refering to could be used for one midi
controller such as your keyboard. What spinsterwun is talking about would be for multiple midi applications. I was considering a multi-port midi thing soes I could use the midi transport controls on my VM digital mixer - never quite followed through on that one though.
 
Oh ok!

So technically if I am going to use just my JV-90, the control port on the back of the Sound Blaster is fine right? Again, if I wanted to I could run midi-thru to a second midi device couldn't I?

I don't have too much problem with the figuring out of the midi part. What is tripping me out about the whole hard drive recording thing is the guitar and vocals.

Do I just run them through the mixer and into the mic jack on the Sound Blaster?
 
Yeah that's about it. Use your midi thru the port and your audio goes thru your mixer into the card. You may need some adapters , from 1/4" on the berhinger out to the 1/8" (stereo?)on the sblive in. Maybe a Y-cable also. Refer to the sblive manual for more specifics. Your almost there man, a little more fiddlen' and your off to the races.
 
After you get some good moniters,a quality reverb, and a fast hd then youll need...
1. a better soundcard- theres so much floating around thats low cost from the ego systems wave terminal to the midiman cards etc...
2.a few more mics-maybe another sm-57, and then look at things like the rode nt-2, rode nt-1, audio technica at 4033, audio technica at 4050, shure ksm 32, shure ksm 44(or whatever it is),neuman tlm 103
the nt-1 and at4033 are reasonably priced...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
so...
1.good moniters(or even mediocre ones)
2.reverb box(lexicon all the way)-for plug ins kind of loud realverb is good
3.fast hard drive, at least 7200rpm(this really should be # 1 on the list)
4.another mic or 2
5. a sligtly better soundcard..
6. maybe an art mp, or presonus bluetube to have a different angle on things
7. if your having trouble in your current situation capturing a good guitar tone the pod or yamaha dg can help.

Add water or groupies and watch grow.....
P.s.- have fun.....
 
Thanx!

Thanx Everyone!

I'm going to attempt to get started with this whole thing, but I do reserve the right to stop in and bug the hell out of ya with a million more questions in the future, hahaha.
 
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