need advice for my specific needs

[mgton4444]

This is my first post here and it will of course be a question. I play music for myself and my friends/family. I'm not trying to play shows or be in a band or anything like that,..basically it's just a hobby. I do take it seriously though because I love doing it. I say that to give you an idea of what I need and what would be a waste of money for me to get. I play acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica and I have a keyboard that does the whole drum thing (although i still dont know how to program that thing). I also have one of those digitech effect pedals that has every guitar effect ever on it.
What I'm looking for is the ability to record multiple tracks without spending a ton of cash. My question is whether or not I should spend the money for digital, use my imac or just get an analogue recorder. Honestly, I would prefer the finished product to be on CD and being tied to a computer isnt a deal breaker but if its impossible to learn how to use the thing then I don't even want it. and what about ebay, i have seen some really cheap recorders on there??

 

[Tifstorey]

Well if you already have a computer, then thats the biggest part out of the way and it wont cost you that much to get the rest of the equipment to start recording. The only things you need now to get you recording is a soundcard and some software.

How about if you looked at the M Audio Delta 44: http://www.dv247.com/invt/4604
Thats £100, its not the cheapest, but its not the most expensive. You will get some quality recordings from that.

Next the software, now this differs and every one has their own taste. You might want to check something like Cubase out. This is a good programme which supports multiple recording, and gives you MIDI if you ever go down that road..

Cubase SE is around £85 which is the watered down version of the main SX (Which retails for around £450). Cubase VST is also available at around £55 but i would recommend if you do go for Cubase to get the SE.

So its going to cost you around £185 to get started. If your going to be singing on your tracks, obviously your going to need a mic. Hope that helps,

Good luck!

Peace

 

[reshp1]

See if you can download a demo or shareware version of each recording software you are looking at to see if you like the recording to computer thing. You can use your standard sound card to begin with and then buy the interface if you're sure it's what you want.

 

[mgton4444]

thanks for the replies, i will check out that software and look into soundcards. After I get the software and soundcard and a mic because I mostly play my acoustic,..is there anything else that I would need? (adaptors etc..)

by the way I already have a really good CD burner. and just out of curiousity how hard is it to learn how to use all this stuff. like if I decided to get a digital multitrack.

 

[Tifstorey]

How hard is it to learn? All depends how determined you are.

By simply using it to just record its easy. if you go more advanced and start using all the plug ins, effects etc, its a little more tricky, still not head scratching stuff though.

You will be fine, if you do run into any problems, thats where this wonderful site comes in handy

 

[Rokket]

thanks for the replies, i will check out that software and look into soundcards. After I get the software and soundcard and a mic because I mostly play my acoustic,..is there anything else that I would need? (adaptors etc..)

by the way I already have a really good CD burner. and just out of curiousity how hard is it to learn how to use all this stuff. like if I decided to get a digital multitrack.

Digital multitrackers can be really simple (Fostex MR-8) or complicated (Fostex VF160EX), it's all on how easily you pick up things. The manuals for some of them are more confusing than helpful. My experience has been with the MR-8, which is an 8-track, but actually is 4 mono tracks and two stereo tracks. It was designed to be as close to an analog machine as possible, and 99% of it's functions are accessible through knobs and buttons on the machine. You don't have to wade through a compicated menu on a screen that is too small to read in order to record on it. It retails for around $300 US, and is a good digital multitracker to learn on. The pre amps in it are not the best, however, and you will need an outboard pre amp if you record with a condensor mic, as it doesn't have phantom power.
But I would download some demo software and try that out first, to see if you like it. Then look into a multitracker if it doesn't suit you.

 

[mgton4444]

Well, i've been reading the archived posts for a couple of hours and I now no a thousand times more than I did when I first posted yesterday (took me a while to figure out that "soundcard" and "audio interface" are the same thing ). I do have a couple more specific questions though. Am I correct in saying that USB and firewire soundcards are external and PCI soundcards are internal? If so, I would prefer USB or Firewire cause I already use that with my CD burner and it's better if I could put it away if i'm not using it. Plus, I can't see myself taking my computer apart and sticking the soundcard in there (PCI). Another question I have is when they say "4 in and 4 out" or "4 in and 6 out" etc.. From what I can gather this is how many instruments or mics that you can record simultaneously but with that being said I still don't understand the "in, out" part of it. (I also noticed some are balanced and some are unbalanced,..and whats up with this latency word I keep seeing?)

Last thing, am I correct in saying that a soundcard is basically just a roundabout way of pluging a guitar or mic into a computer, and that the software (along with the computer) then acts as the multitrack recorder? If I am right about that,..what is it that makes one soundcard better than the other?

I know this is a lot of questions but I just want to be able to make an informed decision ya know.

 

[Tifstorey]

Am I correct in saying that USB and firewire soundcards are external and PCI soundcards are internal?

Yes, PCI cards are fitted within the computer, USB and Firewire are just plugged in externally via the USB or Firewire slots. (suprisingly )

when they say "4 in and 4 out" or "4 in and 6 out" etc.. From what I can gather this is how many instruments or mics that you can record simultaneously but with that being said I still don't understand the "in, out" part of it.

Using the 4 in 4 out example, that would mean the soundcard can record up to 4 tracks at a time (Input). Output is where you would connect your speakers and other bits of 'output' equipment.

whats up with this latency word I keep seeing?

Latency is basically a term reffered to how long it takes for the sound your recording to travel into your computer. You wouldnt notice it if you are using a PCI soundcard because these are very fast. Latency is higher in external soundcards like USB and Firewire because these cant transport the audio as fast as PCI. Dont worry about getting a USB or firewire though, latency 'can' be a problem, but it can all be sorted out

what is it that makes one soundcard better than the other?

Well its up to alot of things really, how good the Digital Audio Converters are, how many inputs and outputs there are. Again, the latency word, how fast it travels to your computer through the soundcard. What connections they have, what quality the audio records at (16bit, 24 bit) etc. Its like anything really, the quality of how its made is also a big issue.

I think thats all the questions you asked...

Hope that solves it for you!

 

[drpfeffer]

Hi there..

Another way to get started and see if homerecording is your new hobby or not is this.. And the best part of it is that it it FREE and you can get started RIGHT AWAY.. ok here goes..:

Your computer has a soundcard, it's not a good soundcard, as it is not designed for recording music, but it is a soundcard, and the soundcard probably has a mic in/line in input, so there you can plug in your guitar/keyboard, and now the computer can record what you are playing it wont be a good recording, but its a recording right..?

You need some software, a sequenser, but these are quite expensive, and before going down to the shiop and spend hundreds of dollars, there are other sequensers out there, they are not superb, but they work.. With your new sequenser installed on the computer you can record your guitars/keyboards/keyboard drums..! It wont be a very good recording, but its a recording, and you can see how audio sequensers work basically and it wont cost you anything..! Here are the url's for the download of sequensers:

Audacity, a good audio sequenser
Kristal Audio Engine - Another good audio sequenser
Pro Tools Free - a bit more difficult, but this is the real thing!

Of course, this is not a perfect solution in any way, but its a step into the world of homerecording, and theres no harm in trying out som semicrappy things first, as long as its FREE..!

Oh yeah.. almost forgot, when you have done a bit of recording.. you can try to make it a bit better.. some reverb on the guitars.. compression on the vocals.. abit of master limiting etc.. it's all out there and its all.. FREE!
All the effects you need..

 

[mgton4444]

Thanks Tifstorey for answering my questions and drpfeffer i'm checkin out those links,..strangely enough I already had audacity but was only using it as an mp3 editor.