New to recording

[sergel02]

Hi all. I'm a singer and I've wanted to record with equipment for some time, but I really have no clue where to start. I have a recorder and I use Audacity, but my recorder is really old and I can't get the recordings onto the computer. Its a Panasonic RR-US430. Also, I'm still trying to understand how to use Audacity. I also need to find a good mic. I was wondering if anyone has any general recording and production tips?

 

[mjbphotos]

Just read all the starting up threads here. For a start you need a good mic and an audio interface.

 

[AbuseTheMuses]

Change the setting on audacity for where it looks for its input source. Normally this would be a USB port. That's what you would need an interface for. Switch it to 'line' or 'mic in' or something like that (I forget, its been a long time for audacity). Next step is to get 5 bucks and go to radio shack. Get a 1/8" stereo cable to plug into your soundcard directly from your recorder (that little jack next to the USB input that never gets used and probably has an icon of a microphone next to it). The recorder probably has RCA outputs, so you will need an appropriate cord. That should at least get sound into your computer.
As far as mics go, even just a medium quality condenser pair and a dynamic will be enough to cover most needs. I won't go into suggesting 'best' mic because that's just a matter of taste.