need help with a Recording Setup

[anti_telephone]

Hi, right now I'm a complete newbie when it comes to home recording... so I need to know what kind of equipment I need to get, to start recording.

Basically, I think I just need something that has like 8 audio inputs. I'll just be recording a standard band setup: vocals, drums, guitars, bass, keyboard...

Where can I get this type of hardware? I've got a decent computer I can use, and I've got Cool Edit Pro. I've got a decent grasp on most of the main features of CEP. What other programs should I check out?

Are there any extensive tutorials I can get to start learning about home recording and mastering and whatnot? I am extremely interested in this, but I don't know where to start. ANY help you guys can give me would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[bucchild]

I'll start by saying that I'm a newbie myself, and much of what I say may be countered or improved upon by someone more knowledgable later, but I'm going to say a few things that I think may be helpful.

If you have Cool Edit Pro, play around with it a lot, record a few waves into it using your soundcard's line-in and/or mic-in and just fool around with CEP to learn what it does. I've read in this forum more than a few times that having one good software package and learning it well is much better than having a bunch of good software packages and not knowing much about any of them.

Next, I hope you have some cash or credit you're willing to blow....let's talk equipment.

You're going to need some means to digitally record, so find a mixing/digital recording console you like and have read good reviews on. It should have at least a couple preamps, so you won't NEED to invest in a preamp right away. You're gonna need mics. Shure SM57's are a great start, they can be used for almost anything. Get a bunch of them. You'll probably want to find a decent vocal condenser mic. I don't know what soundcard you have already, but you may or may not need a better one. This should give you a start, as well as lead you in a direction to find out what you need to get next.

 

[anti_telephone]

so you are saying I need all the mics to just set in front of the amps and record that way? Isn't there a more efficient way to record, maybe plugging the guitar through the effects pedals, then through an audio input, and back out to the amp?

isn't there a way I can use software for all the mixing, instead of buying a mixing console?

 

[guttadaj]

You can take your guitar direct (with effects if you like) into the Line In of your soundcard, but I think you'll need to use a DI (Direct Injection) Box or a mixer to bring it up to line level.

I think though the the general consensus is that you get the best sound when micing an amp (lots of tips here on how to do it - stick your ear right where you're gonna put the mic, try various mics, keep the distortion a bit lower than you might think, etc...).

There are also some "amp modelers" out there that try to simulate the sound of various amps miced in different ways - nice when you want to lay down a track at midnight and the wife and kids are sleeping . They're also nice, because you can try out various amp models with different virtual mics and mic techniques - a Fender Tweed 2x12 amp miced with an SM57 6 inches away positioned off-axis, for example. I have a PODxt which does this (and has some effects too), and I dig it.

HTH,
-Jeff

 

[minofifa]

ya you probably don't wanna be running your guitar straight from the amp to the sound card. The speakers of the amp give it that sound that you are used to. i won't say for 100 % because some may find direct imputs on guitar satisfying, but for ME, a distorted guitar that is direct sounds like junk.

So you want 8 imputs? if each is to require a preamp (you need preamps to boost the mic signal, if you didn't already know that) that may cost you a few bucks, depending on the quality you want. Man, now that i think about there is so much to say...
Do you want an internal sound card (PCI) or firewire/usb? what sound card do you have now? have you thought of recording one layer at a time? this way you wont' need so many imputs on your sound card

Finally, people recomend the mixer to give you those multiple imputs you want without having to get that feature on a soundcard. you can run multiple mics through the mixer, get the levels right, and run one line out on the mxer to your sound card.

Multiple in's on your sound card or on your mixer, it's your call. I like the idea of using the sound card as you can edit each track later with software. BUT... this will require a more powerful computer and a more expensive sound card.

 

[bucchild]

I almost said a bunch that basically would've just been a repeat of everything minofifa said. In general, buying a mixing console will probably set you off better than trying to upgrade your computer and/or soundcard, but if you have a GREAT computer and soundcard with 8 inputs, you're still gonna need a preamp for those, and what you're going to spend on a preamp will probably compete with the cost of a mixing console with built-in pres....

As far as going line-in with the guitars to save on mics, it can be done, but you'll be to actually get the guitars to sound decent, especially if you're recording distorted guitars....

If you're recording every instrument individually, you'll get off with just buying enough mics for the the drums and a vocal mic....I've been told it can be done with 3 mics on the drums, but I usually use more like 7 (2 overheads, kick, snare, each tom) but I've been known to go with 5 (kick, snare, top toms, floor tom/ride/crash, hats/crash). I prefer not to mic any toms and cymbals together, though. If you use a SM57 on the toms, you can use that later on the guitar amps. You can try to get away with one or 2 condensers to capture the drums, but you're probably not gonna be able to get that great of a sound.

If you're recarding everything simultaneously, add an SM 57 for each guitar amp, and you'll probably be able to pull off the bass going direct.