***Newbie Needs Vocal Recording Help***

[knucklebone04]

Okay I am looking for equipment that will right now serve me to do some home vocal recording of demos and etc., and then i can integrate into live shows maybe six months from now. I just need someone to list for me everything that is basic that I will need to start recording my vocals from my house.

I am looking to spend between $50-$100 on a mic,

I just bought a used Boss BR-532 digital recorder (hope it is something i need)

ANd I have a guy with a mixer that I am interested in buying if I need it.

What else do I need to record, and what will I need for live?

Thanks so much, I know I am clueless so any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Stealthtech]

A shure sm57 is a pretty universal, durable, reliable mic and good quality.
I digital recorder is great to have....your going to record right
The mixer will come in handy as well....you will need the preamp for the mic.
For live....a PA system if singing is all your doing.

 

[knucklebone04]

Yes I am going to be recording.

The mixer is a Behringer EURORACK MX602A. WIll that do?

Also, what do you guys reccomend as far as preamps go?

And when I perform live, it will be with a band. WHat will I need personally to perform live with a group?

Thanks!

 

[knucklebone04]

BTW just realized the preamp is the mixer

 

[Stealthtech]

BTW just realized the preamp is the mixer

Yeah....I shoulda reworded that...the mixer will provide multiple preamps...not the best out there but wil suffice.
As far as live vocals...as I said, a PA system including amp...the sm57 will work well...and a long cable of course.

 

[Moonrider]

You can get some pretty decent results with just the BR-532 and an SM-57. This link takes you to our bass player's site.

http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Ricky_Wild/

All tracks were done with an SM-57 plugged direct into the BR-532. Mixed on the BR-532 using it's internal DSP for effects.

 

[CMEZ]

I'd skip the mixer. I used to have one of those Boss 532's, and they're neato little four tracks.

Keep in mind, it's only gonna sound demo-quality, pretty much no matter what you put into it. Get a decent mic, the '57 is pretty much an industry standard mic that you'll always find uses for as your gear grows. I think you can only record 1 or 2 tracks at a time on that thing, so keep that in mind.

Chris

 

[craig2197]

like everybody is saying, the SHURE SM-57 is pretty much essential for any musician. You might want to go for the 58 though, because it comes with a pop filter (the only difference in the mics). you can take the pop filter off if you want to pick up a lot of the higher frequencies (say on drum cymbals).

these mics are good for live shows, but i pretty much despise them for recording vocals. i NEVER use an SM-57 for vocal recordings, only for drums and guitars. i find that unless you use a REALLY good compressor for the vocals they come out sounding flat and heavily mid-ranged. you can't really get breathing sounds (if you want them) and basically all the highs and lows are cut off.

so you might want to look into getting an inexpensive capacitor (or condenser) microphone. i bought a GAD mic (i'd never even heard of the brand before) for a little under 300 bucks, and it's AWESOME. i'm sure you could find a decent used one similar to that for a little over a hundred.

do you have a compressor? as far as recordings today go, EVERYTHING is heavily compressed, so if you're looking for a relatively good sound, pick one up. Alesis makes a small compressor called NanoCompressor which is under 100 dollars. it's not the best one in the world, but as far as i'm concerened it's GREAT for small budget vocal recordings.

oh, and i wouldn't buy the mixer unless it has an amp in it so you can play live with it. if you buy a mixer without an amp, you'll have to pick up one of those too, so you might as well just spring for a combination amp/mixer for live stuff.