newbie with a few questions

[blogandc]

I have a laptop with plenty of space , power and etc.
I installed n-track studio, recently purchased condenser mic and mixer preamp. I'm going home tonight to play around with this stuff for the first time. Any suggestions. Mainly recording unplugged acoustic , mando with some vocals. I guess I'm looking for some things to look out for before I get started. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

Brian

 

[Stealthtech]

If your using the stock soundcard dont use the mic in, use line in.
I would recommend a new soundcard interface for better quality and connectivity.

 

[invisiblemute]

There are a lot of good threads on recording techniques and mic placement. Do a little search and you'll find lots to keep you busy. In the future you may want to specify the model pre and mic you have so people can custom tailor answers better.

For acoustic guitar most people around here really like the small diaphram mics below.

Budget:
Oktava MC012 (or MK012) ~$50
MXL 603 ~$80 or $200 for matched pair with shockmounts and case)

Mid Level:
Studio Projects C4 ~$380 (only comes as matched pair AFAIK but has shockmounts and interchangable capsules)

Higher end I shouldn't really be talking about but you'll see names like Audio Technica, T.H.E., and Earthworks mentioned.