new to this, basic mic info

S

spooks-need-pa

New member
hey, im part of a garage band and we want to record some stuff digitaly, i have been browing around and learning the basics and i have a few questions...

we have a low budget and currently we are looking for a PA for our live sound, i was wondering if i can use the pa live and to record by hooking it up to my computer which has a soundblaster card and from their use cakewalk

currently we have two shure 58 microphones which i assume we can use one for vocals?

i want to record so that we can all play at the same time, i asked somebody at guitar center and this is what he told me.

get a pa that has phantom power and two condensor mics to pick up the drums and the band as a whole

then hook up the shure 58 to the xlr input on the pa directly, and then also hook up our two guitars and bass directly as well.

does this all sound relavent? and if so what are some medium range condensor mics that i could buy? or do i need seperate mics for my drum kit?

the only blurry parts to this whole scheme, is how do i hook up the pa to the small pc jacks of my soundcard? and when i get the sound to cakewalk it will already be mixed down and i cant do anything too it? and will i be able to hear the guitars through their amps somehow and record to the hardrive at the same time?

i just typed out like a page... so i will stop for now and reorganize my thoughts thanks to anyone who can help
 
The best advice I can give ya is to go to a place called prosoundweb.com. They have a place called the recpit, and I'm sure the guys there will be really hepful and accomodating. Ask for a guy named "slipperman." Also, be sure to tell them that a dude by the name of Jack Ortman sent you. That will almost guarantee that they will answer your question with even more seriousness.

Good Luck.
 
Gotta feed those lions in the arena sometime.

Hey, that's the big 500 for me. What's the prize?
 
Thry're teasing you. But here's the answer you're looking for:

Yes, you can use a small PA mixer as a recording console.

Plug your guitars, bass and mics into it, and use your PA monitors at very low levels to hear the stuff you're playing. Take the "line outputs" from your PA mixer and plug those into your soundcard's "line inputs".

If you set the levels right, it won't be a "great" recording of your band, but it'll be a "decent" recording.

Good, low cost, high quality condenser mics are available from companies such as MXL and Studio Projects, priced from $70 to $90.
 
I'd go with one condenser mic overhead - you don't always need stereo drums. You might need to beef it up with a mic on the kick and/or the snare. If you just want a demo to get gigs, keep the recording simple.
 
I thought Jack was funny about the first 10 times or so. Still, if you sift through enough of this stuff, you get some awfully priceless nuggets here and there:

Bomb Factory hides lots of things, their compressors have no presets, this makes it impossible to set the compressors.
 
so confused

i was reading this post and it sounds alot better in price range

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=73470

im getting so confused because there are sooo many things to choose from.

we have two shure 58's right now. we have two guitarists, a bass and a drummer.

what other mics would you reccomend for making a demo?

a 150$ or so drum mic kit? B1 to hang over the whole set?
can someone explain "micing the amp"

so, with these intruments and a vocalist what microphones would you reccomend to get everything covered...
 
Do you think you guys can scrounge up enough money for an afternoon in a studio, or to have someone else do it for you?

It would get you acclimated with things and learn a little before you blow your wad on mics and such.

Reason I'm asking is that it just sounds like you're at a stage where anything you try to do right now should be done just as a learning experience or for fun.

In other words, I wouldn't expect to produce a useful demo by yourself at this stage. That will come in another couple years down the line, perhaps. If on the other hand you're merely trying to get your feet wet in recording, learn a few things and have some fun, then what the hell? No better time to start than the present.

Just tyring to keep your expectations in line.
 
well, im somewhat of a geek, and when we started thinking of recording and i went into guitar center to check the stuff out it hit me that i was really interested in it and i may have found something to that i could do as a career when i get older.

So i suppose it is to get my feet wet, for the band, and because i enjoy it. Right now, i cant say we have many songs but it would be very useful to record jam sessions and what not to reflect upon ourselves. Plus, it would get the band motivated alot more. I just feel like having something recorded to listen to would like.. give some substance to what we are doing. Because then what we have wont only exist in our minds and on paper.

I see what you meen though, so maybe for now i will just expand my knowledge so that when the time comes i will know what to do.
 
chessrock said:
The best advice I can give ya is to go to a place called prosoundweb.com. They have a place called the recpit, and I'm sure the guys there will be really hepful and accomodating. Ask for a guy named "slipperman." Also, be sure to tell them that a dude by the name of Jack Ortman sent you. That will almost guarantee that they will answer your question with even more seriousness.

Good Luck.
Click to expand...

That is just EVIL. You should be banned for doing that.

:)

Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
spooks-need-pa said:
since im such a newb can someone explain why that was cruel and who slipperman is?
Click to expand...

Think of a goldfish being dropped in to an aquarium full of hungry pirahnas. Now imagine the biggest, meanest, hungriest one in the tank. That is slipperman. I'm not going to tell you who the goldfish is, because that might get me in to trouble. :D
 
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