Newbie trying to setup home recording.

[SRREYNOLDS2003]

ok I am sure this question has been asked a 100 times. But I would like your recommendation.

I am trying to set up a small home studio on my PC for a few hundred bucks. I just want to record my vocals and my acoustic guitar, then eventually add more too it.

I was thinking about buying something like a Behringer Podcast Studio Firewire Podcasting Kit to start with.



shop.com/Behringer_Podcast_Studio_Firewire_Podcasting_Kit-39286922-p!.shtml#pop_pcd_tabs0

 

[guitar zero]

If you really only have a few hundred bucks I'd just spend about $99 on a blue snoball USB mic, download Reaper software and start recording. It will sound fine, and you can start saving for decent studio gear that you won't want to get rid of in three months.

Once you have enough money, get a decent interface or sound card and a good budget LDC mic. Then start saving for a good pre-amp. Don't buy junk to begin with, you'll regret it.

ok I am sure this question has been asked a 100 times. But I would like your recommendation.

I am trying to set up a small home studio on my PC for a few hundred bucks. I just want to record my vocals and my acoustic guitar, then eventually add more too it.

I was thinking about buying something like a Behringer Podcast Studio Firewire Podcasting Kit to start with.



shop.com/Behringer_Podcast_Studio_Firewire_Podcasting_Kit-39286922-p!.shtml#pop_pcd_tabs0

 

[SRREYNOLDS2003]

Thanks....That's the info I was looking to hear. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[TimOBrien]

My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad:

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...ce&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance
(Wish I'd had that when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)
You can also pick up this book in most any Borders or Barnes&Noble in the Music Books section!

Another good one is: Recording Guitar and Bass by Huw Price
http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Gui...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215734124&sr=1-1
(I got my copy at a place called Half-Price Books for $6!!)

Barnes&Noble or Borders are great places to start --- they have recording books and you can go get a snack or coffee and read them for FREE! Don't pass by a good recording book --- this is a VERY technical hobby and you REALLY want to start a reference library!!!

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics and have good tips:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=free_beginner_pdfs
http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig: http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

Also Good Info: http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm

Other recording books: http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html

Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) not quality music production.
#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.
Here's a good guide and suggestions: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm


Plenty of software around to record for FREE to start out on:

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net (multi-track with VST support)
Wavosaur: http://www.wavosaur.com/ (a stereo audio file editor with VST support)\
Kristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/
Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com/smm

Another great option is REAPER at http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ (It's $50 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)
I use Reaper and highly reccomend it...

Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($25) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages - http://myriad-online.com
Demo you can try on the website.

And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full FREE studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (November 2006 they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150, November 2007-on the racks Dec in the US- they gave away SamplitudeV9SE. It pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)