Need help! Total noob!

[xplosion]

Hey guys!

As per title, I'm wanting to start out on BUDGET home recording but have been procrastinating because I dunno what equipment to get and find that DAWs are not that intuititve. need help for lots of things for creating good quality music/jingles with guitars and wanting to create real-sounding beats with computer:

These are the things I already have:
1) Guitars (Electric and acoustic)
2) MacBook Pro 13" (with only ONE I/O )
3) Scarlett 2i2
4) Loaned mic - Dynamics (Sennheiser E825S) or Condenser (Rode NT2a)
5) Beyer Dynamic DT770 Pro

Please help with the following:

1) Hardware to use for recording - Mac vs ipad?
- I'm leaning towards an Ipad seems more instinctive for recording since you can touch the virtual knobs and controls vs trackpad on macbook. am willing to purchase an ipad to make learning more intuitive
- iPad apps seem cheaper than mac softwares (eg amplitube)
- I read that my Scarlett 2i2 can't work with an ipad unless I buy a powered usb plug. true? still

2) Monitor speakers
- do I still need them since I have good headphones? If yes, why?
- any good budget ones to recommend?

3) Creating beats
- I'm a drummer but would wanna learn how to make beats on computers. What should I start with and work towards?

4) Recording 'room'?
- I'm on a budget and wld preferably not wanna spend on treating my recording room. Is this possible if I have monitor speakers and am going to record vocals/guitars through mics?
- is it plausible to do recording in upstairs common hall/area vs rooms and still achieve good sound?

5) Ease of setup
- something which is easy to setup would be great, again why I'm leaning towards the iPad

many thanks in advance for the advice and even a 3-6 month plan on how to get going with equipment and recording. cheers guys!

 

[RJrules64]

1. Mac, its much more powerful and will give you better quality and programs such as Logic and ProTools. The programs on ipad aren't very good. Having that equipment and using an ipad is pointless.

2. Use a decent pair of MIXING headphones when you are starting out.

3. Look at some tutorials on youtube, there are some great ones out there!

4. When you want to monitor anything you should use headphones anyway. There is no point treating your room unless you have high end equipment anyway.

5. The ipad wont work very well when you need to set up your session, and will make it no easier to connect the hardware.

Hope I helped!

 

[mjbphotos]

Even if you don't have some decent monitors, when you mix, doing it on headphones alone is not going to give you a good mix, unless you can listen to it in other ways - burn a CD and put it on a stereo player, for example. The stereo separation and frequency bias of headphones will typically not translate well to other playback systems.

You can somewhat bypass the effects of an untreated recording room (DI and close-miking), but any treatment will help a lot, even if it is only moving blankets hanging on the walls. Proper bass traps can be constructed cheaply and moved when you move to a different place.

As far as 'easy set-up - it's pretty much all the same:

Instrument/mike > interface > device (computer, pad) with DAW

headphone, monitors < interface

 

[John Smiff]

1. Mac, its much more powerful and will give you better quality and programs such as Logic and ProTools. The programs on ipad aren't very good. Having that equipment and using an ipad is pointless.

2. Use a decent pair of MIXING headphones when you are starting out.

3. Look at some tutorials on youtube, there are some great ones out there!

4. When you want to monitor anything you should use headphones anyway. There is no point treating your room unless you have high end equipment anyway.

5. The ipad wont work very well when you need to set up your session, and will make it no easier to connect the hardware.

Hope I helped!

OP......Just so you can get perspective on this, I feel a need to say that I disagree with pretty much everything in this post.

"MIXING" Headphones??? No such thing. You should not be mixing with headphones.

"No point in treating your room unless you have high-end equipment"? That might be one of the dumbest things I've read in a long time.

Carry on......

 

[pegger]

... I'm wanting to start out on BUDGET home recording...

Well let's be sure we take this into consideration right? I am new to the hobby too, and it can be a pretty lofty idea to just run out and get all the hardware, software, and peripheral stuff right off the hop.

So your points...
1)Don't waste your money on an iPad. If you can't get by with your mac book, and you are willing to purchase a new computer, then just get a new mac or pc that will suit your needs. The iPad just does have the interfaces and processing power you will need.

2) Monitor speakers...yes you should get some if you can. If not, and all you have are the headphones, then that's what you have to work with. But do keep in mind the advise that mjb gave you...

"Even if you don't have some decent monitors, when you mix, doing it on headphones alone is not going to give you a good mix, unless you can listen to it in othe rways - burn a CD and put it on a stereo player, for example. The stereo separation and frequency bias of headphones will typically not translate well to other playback systems."

Mixing with headphones alone is going to result in punchouts that sound absolutely terrible on any sound system. I definitely speak form experience here. I am saving up for monitors at the moment, and all I have is headphones to work with. But I punchout my results while I work to figure out where my mix is flawed. Mixes sound great in the headphones, but no so much through the stereo...

3) Creating beats.
Most DAWs have a pretty good method for working with drum loops and/or midi tracks with virtual drums. This is certainly an option for you. Consider getting a virtual drum kit like Toontracks EZdrummer (version 2 jut came out). I've messed around with EZ drummer and the loops/instruments packaged in Studio One 2 (the DAW I use) and have had fun making some virtual drum grooves to work with.

4) Recording Room.
Do what you can to stop adverse reflections in your room. Even furniture like couches, beds, bookcases, etc. all help control the nasty echos and flutters you might hear in your tracks while recording. Close mic your instruments or use DI if required to keep it clean. As time goes, get to know how your room sounds and how to treat it properly.

5) Ease of setup.
I can only speak for the DAW I use (Studio One 2). It is stupid simple to get working. Plug in the fire wire, watch the light turn blue, set the inputs to whatever channel you want, hit the record button. I love it personally. But this is from a PC. I wouldn't expect the same ease of setup with an iPad. Just make sure your device and computer can hook up together (I/O ports are compatible), make sure you have drivers that you may need (ASIO, or other), and let 'er rip.

You will come across many little technical glitches along the way, but from what I've seen so far here at Home Recording Forums, there's gonna be some one who can lend good advise to keep you moving forward!

Enjoy!

OP......Just so you can get perspective on this, I feel a need to say that I disagree with pretty much everything in this post.

"MIXING" Headphones??? No such thing. You should not be mixing with headphones.

"No point in treating your room unless you have high-end equipment"? That might be one of the dumbest things I've read in a long time.

Carry on......

That's it? Carry on? That kind of advice doesn't really encourage anyone does it?

 

[mark1971a]

- is it plausible to do recording in upstairs common hall/area vs rooms and still achieve good sound?
Yes you can set up anywhere and capture that sound. You might like your tile bathroom. Fine.


What are you trying to sound like? My problem is recreating the sound to a DAW. My 1/4" analog studio is awesome, but not exhibit able. How am I supposed to make a audio clip, showing the coloration of my ribbon with a RCA cinemag versus blumlien Lundahl transformer? Send someone the reel.

Youtube is hit or miss. Most are guys clicking plug ins throwing around an empty bag of Dorito's. Having no idea what they are doing.

I did find this gem of a performance. It makes me want to cry.
Teen3some "Don't Bring Me Down" - YouTube

 

[John Smiff]

That's it? Carry on? That kind of advice doesn't really encourage anyone does it?

What the hell are you talking about? Encourage someone? This isn't kindergarten. I just gave an opposing view so that he doesn't read the other guy's post and think it's gospel truth. I wanted him to know that someone (most people) would disagree with that "advice". Who are you? Do you decide how long a post has to be around here? I think I helped him quite a bit by telling not to mix with headphones and by also letting him know that he SHOULD treat his room. So....

Carry on.........

 

[pegger]

What the hell are you talking about? Encourage someone? This isn't kindergarten

It is a good place for people new to the whole home recording thing to ask their questions though. I just offered my "opposing view" that your post was not much help in terms of the very direct questions the OP had asked. Sorry to have ruffled your feathers sir.

Carry on.........

Carrying on as suggested.

 

[Xntryk1]

Just make sure your hallway isn't filled with echos and mid bass boost and reflections. Work with what you have. Do not even begin to try to use the i-pad. They are certainly overrated on many counts.
Mic closely to the vocalist. Use a gate properly. Whats a gate? get reading and googling... Use good quality headphones. And "Studio One 2 by Presonus is a fantastic program, maybe the ultimate for new enthusiasts and pro alike, especially in a budget home studio. It's free for the basic version and less that 300 bucks for the pro version.. And very easy to set up. Yes, You-Tube IS a great place to learn and watch but if you are interested in it all seriously, then get reading the basics of recording from the library or online e-books about acoustics and the way we hear sound. It will help a lotta stuff make sense later... from signal flow, room acoustics, what compression is, there is so much to learn. Probably a good thing we can't all make rockets in our homes. No matter what the smart creative individuals will make those home studios work. Read about it. They don't call them ENGINEERS for nothing.
And forums can be very useful but also very confusing. They are quick snappy answers that sometimes diverge to arguments and flame wars quickly. They wander off topic and are much weighted by opinion and personal taste. Get some of the major books on the whole thing from the net. Get the real answers you need by arming yourself with basic and then advanced knowledge. Use a search engine on the internet properly.
You need... your laptop. Good sounding headphones. An audio INTERFACE. Your mics and cables. A DI box for the guitar maybe... And download the free Studio One version 2.6 from Presonus. And press record. Your in there. You can now make music that possibly make you rich or happy, or just get you status with your friends... Have fun!

 

[Armistice]

1. Mac, its much more powerful and will give you better quality and programs such as Logic and ProTools. The programs on ipad aren't very good. Having that equipment and using an ipad is pointless.

I'd go with Mac on this one, over an iPad for a newbie. I suspect the answer could be different in a couple of years time though.

2. Use a decent pair of MIXING headphones when you are starting out.

You need to learn to mix on monitors, not headphones. Headphones are useful for tracking and editing but few people have the skills to actually mix on them, and you won't be one of them, just yet. You need both if you're serious. If you just want to impress your girlfriend, stick with headphones.

3. Look at some tutorials on youtube, there are some great ones out there!

True, and there's also a shitload of misinformation. Having a YouTube channel and a desire to educate is a dfferent thing from having the knowledge to pass on. So try to verify what you learn via You Tube from somewhere if it involves spending $ - you'll most likely come to no harm trying stuff, and will learn lots along the way. It's useful to know what doesn't work.

4. When you want to monitor anything you should use headphones anyway. There is no point treating your room unless you have high end equipment anyway.

And here's where you just outed yourself as a complete noob yourself, without a clue. Ignore this advice.

5. The ipad wont work very well when you need to set up your session, and will make it no easier to connect the hardware.

True dat...

Hope I helped!

As a noob yourself, you need to be wary of offering advice to other noobs.

 

[Armistice]

What the hell are you talking about? Encourage someone? This isn't kindergarten. I just gave an opposing view so that he doesn't read the other guy's post and think it's gospel truth. I wanted him to know that someone (most people) would disagree with that "advice". Who are you? Do you decide how long a post has to be around here? I think I helped him quite a bit by telling not to mix with headphones and by also letting him know that he SHOULD treat his room. So....

Carry on.........

So curious mods, why banned? Are you suspecting a RAMI alias?

 

[JLondon]

Carry on.

 

[ecc83]

" Encourage someone? This isn't kindergarten."

Yes it is. The newbie section is, IMO JUST that. Many people, mostly young people have ready access to instruments, mainly guitars and keyboards often at schools. They ALL have computers! It will not take a youngster with a musical bent, very long to pickup some decent playing skills. They then hear the "simple" pap pumped out on The Tube and think "I reckon I could do that!"

But they find it ain't that easy. They are suddenly immersed in a world of electronics,acoustics, decibels, levels, AIs, DAWs and totally conflicting information from all sides.

I was building simple valve mic pre amps and amps forty years ago and recording to tape plus some small scale PA work (point 2 points, AGMs etc). I also have a technical background but when I started looking into computer sound recording I was totally baffled and it took me a good 6 months before I dare open my mouth on a forum!

The principle MUST remain in a noob section that ANYTHING can be asked and NOBODY will be ridiculed no matter how "daft" the question.


Dave.

 

[JLondon]

I also have a (2 year) electronics degree and it has nothing to do with audio. Audio is a totally different language although it shares some things like an understanding of impedance and voltage... Takes ALOT of studying to really start to understand the how mixers and instruments and DAWs work together...