Newbie With No Recording Experience

[Iscah]

Hey all!

I am an absolute beginner when it comes to recording. I only know the basics of the basics (how to click the record button).

I have Mixcraft on my laptop and have recorded some things on it. The problem is I only have the built-in laptop mic to work with. I want to record vocals (singing) and piano to start with. My budget for a mic is small ($100-$200).
I'd be recording in my bedroom with my laptop and headphones.

What mics do you all recommend? I am looking to make quality sounding music that I can upload on the Internet for others to hear and eventually record my own CD. Only instruments I plan on using (as of now) are my voice, piano, and perhaps other extraneous percussive sounds (ex. clapping my hands, hitting a small drum I have, etc).

I've been reading around on the net about mics and home recording studios and there are so many options I don't even know where to start.

It would be fantastically awesome if someone could help me out.

 

[Minion]

Try useing the seach feature and read the stickies at the top of each forum .....

Basicly you are going to need to buy an audio interface because you can"t record quality music on what comes with the sound card in your computer and you can"t plug a quality mic into you computer without an audio interface ......

also don"t expect to get any quality recordings with just $200 to spend , Quality recordings need quality equipment which costs lots of cash .....

anyways , just read lots .....

Good luck

 

[CFox]

Ok, Hi

Now a gentleman is probably going to come along shortly and copy paste a huge primer on getting started with home recording. You will have a lot of reading to do

Let me give some quick pointers and some gear recommendations.

The first thing you want to do is learn your definitions so you dont become overwhelmed. Here are the basics

Pre amp
Audio Interface ( usually contains preamp of varying quality )
XLR connectors
Dynamic microphone
Condenser microphone
Monitors ( Headphones and studio style monitors )


How do you want to record your piano ? Is it a real piano or electric ?

Your cheapest audio option is a USB Audio Interface. Now you want one with XLR inputs and MIDI connectors if you can.

For microphones you have the choice of dynamic ( non powered ) and condenser ( powered ). Condenser mic's are very sensitive and tend to pick up room noise and ambience. Dynamic mics offer some rejection of external sound and ambience.

For monitoring its best to get some flat frequency "critical listening" headphones if you are not going to use studio style monitors.

For interfaces. Check out eBay and elsewhere on this site.

You have:
M-audio Fast Track
Presonus Firestudio
Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1

Loads of others.

 

[PDP]

I am looking to make quality sounding music that I can upload on the Internet for others to hear and eventually record my own CD.

Avoid spending money on stuff thats very cheap because you will only need to replace it. Like listed above, buy a decent product of the necessary gear even if it takes a little time. Its probably best to get an interface, up and working first.

 

[Armistice]

Iscah

A mic isn't all you need, as others have/will point out.

#1 question is what the piano is - I'm assuming seeing you're talking about doing this in your bedroom with headphones that it's a plug in electric, not an actual real piano? Is this correct?

This will give the official newbie advisers more to work with.

CFox is right though... as well as a mic you're going to need an interface and various other bits and bobs.

Check out previous similar posts for the Tim O'Brien post... or he'll rock along soon enough and cut and paste it here for you.

First thing to do is read that information and understand the pieces of the puzzle so you can ask more detailed questions.

Good luck.

 

[Iscah]

I'd be recording an acoustic piano. I was playing around with the Acoustic Piano sound in Mixcraft, but it sounds too fake to me. I want a nice, rich piano sound. Of course, I may not even be aware of ways to make it sound like it's a real piano.

Thanks for such speedy replies. Looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me which is fine .

 

[guitaristic]

I'd be recording an acoustic piano. I was playing around with the Acoustic Piano sound in Mixcraft, but it sounds too fake to me. I want a nice, rich piano sound. Of course, I may not even be aware of ways to make it sound like it's a real piano.

Thanks for such speedy replies. Looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me which is fine .

Well, most pianos are recorded using two mics, one for the higher notes and one for the lower. You could use one and probably end up with something pretty good, but if you wanted "quality," like you say, you'll probably need two!

 

[Bristol Posse]

My budget for a mic is small ($100-$200).

I am looking to make quality sounding music that I can upload on the Internet for others to hear and eventually record my own CD.

These two statement are kind of the contradiction. It's kinda like saying I want to win the Monaco Grand Prix or the Daytona 500 but I can only afford a 1984 Civic Si with no engine, how do I do it. If this were possible this is what we would all be doing.

Amazingly all advertizing is not true and statements like "sound like a pro" are not quite what they seem

I'd suggest taking a look here http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

This is probably the best all inclusive recording primers for everyone that I have been able to find

Good luck and if you figure that $200 thing out please let us know, you'll change recoding as we know it

 

[Iscah]

Yeah, from what little reading I've done so far, I'm beginning to realize I'm going to need more equipment than I originally thought.

 

[moresound]

Yeah, from what little reading I've done so far, I'm beginning to realize I'm going to need more equipment than I originally thought.

Not to much. The recordings can be done cheaply but it will take more than what you first stated with a $200. budget for a microphone.
Which is fine you can down load Reaper as your DAW for free and if you like it, it will only cost you about $60. then all you'll need is an interface.
Then your home free ..... I mean then your addicted and it's an expensive addiction.

 

[Armistice]

it's an expensive addiction.

Say goodbye to overseas travel, home ownership and expensive clothes for the next 10 years or so...

 

[Iscah]

Yeah, I've been reading Tweak's Guide, and everything except for the arranging/composing sections is way over my head. MIDI's? What? Lol I feel like I need to go even more basic than that. It's all the technical/gear stuff I know nothing about.

I know it's just a learning curve but I feel very overwhelmed. I'm also a visual learner, so only reading without being shown anything is making it tough. But I know that if I really want to do this I'm going to have to find a way to understand all of this.

 

[Armistice]

I've successfully avoided MIDI for 30 years... it's not mandatory. Save it for later, especially if you're playing a "real" piano..

Don't stress too much... keep reading, some will make sense, some won't. You don't have much of a frame of reference at the moment.

The thing is to step boldly into the unknown and begin - so when you think you know what you need (mics + interface) go get them, hook them up and do a recording.

Once you have that, it's just an iterative process to improve.

Sometimes this involves $/gear, sometimes, and especially at the start, it just involves knowledge and its application.

There are lots of people who've been there before you, and who recognise how daunting it can be, who'll be happy to answer your questions here as they arise.

So just get started, and join the community and all will be well.

And when it gets too frustrating, you can always go and insult people in The Cave.

 

[moresound]

Yeah, I've been reading Tweak's Guide, and everything except for the arranging/composing sections is way over my head. MIDI's? What? Lol I feel like I need to go even more basic than that. It's all the technical/gear stuff I know nothing about.

I know it's just a learning curve but I feel very overwhelmed. I'm also a visual learner, so only reading without being shown anything is making it tough. But I know that if I really want to do this I'm going to have to find a way to understand all of this.

Then you should look at the manuals of the gear online .... they are full of info and pretty pictures to help you.

 

[dintymoore]

Yeah, from what little reading I've done so far, I'm beginning to realize I'm going to need more equipment than I originally thought.

You mainly need two things: an interface and a mic. You have both now (built into your computer) but you've outgrown them.

The thing that will make the most difference is your mic so I'd make that the major portion of whatever money you spend. I'd look at condenser mics and realize you have to have an interface that has phantom power to use a condenser mic. It will say that in the specs. Or if the interface has a switch on it that says "+48v " that would mean it has phantom power. Condenser mics need power is all that is.

I tend to buy used off of Craigslist and eBay.

 

[moresound]

Just what is the amount of used gear on the Islands like Dinty?

 

[dintymoore]

Just what is the amount of used gear on the Islands like Dinty?... :

I'd say pretty good, especially when you consider the population of the whole state is around a million. Here's the Honolulu Craigslist: http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/msg/

There's lots of music here because of different factors - tourists, lots of military guys buying Strats, big mix of cultures, there's just a lot of musicians here.

Plus there is no storage in anybody's house - no basements so nobody has any room for stuff. People are constantly moving and ditching stuff.

It's a great place to buy used cars. No one has space to park a car when they get a new one so they are cheap if you know how to buy.

 

[dintymoore]

Here's the Hong Kong Craigslist (population 7 million) for musical instruments:
http://hongkong.craigslist.hk/msg/

 

[grimtraveller]

I was going to say

Cue Tim O'


but then I thought the better of it. Art cannot be confined. You can't say 'today, I create MEISTERWORK !'. Of course, the artist that recognizes craft can say that and do it ! So it can be confined. You can control it.

I've forgotten what the thread's about...


Oh yeah....

Avoid spending money on stuff thats very cheap because you will only need to replace it. Like listed above, buy a decent product of the necessary gear even if it takes a little time.

I understand this view and appreciate it and when newbies ask questions about starting out, it's a good thing that it comes up most of the time. But it's too absolute for me. If there's one thing that really binds us together on HR, it's not love of music or even music ~ it's upgrading and adding to our arsenal ! Regardless of what kind of music we like or play or record or mix or engineer live, it seems that we all add to what we start with, whether it was cheap perfume or high end stuff that even the everyday professionals drool at. And I'm ever conscious that someone starting out with only a couple of hundred quid/bucks/cheroots or whatever needs to walk before they can run. I would go as far as to say that upgrading and adding equipment is almost inevitable. It has been said many times {words to this effect, anyway} that if you can't cut the mustard with shit, you're hardly going to do it with diamonds.
I'm not advocating that this is a cheap little hobby and therefore, any old crap will do, no no no. But I personally think that it makes sense to start small and affordable and get to grips with the recording process. Unless you end up hating recording, it is almost as inevitable as thursday coming after tuesday that you will, if not outgrow your start point, become curious about the hundreds of different bits and pieces you hear about and try out different things. Even if you don't particularly 'progress', that'll still be the case.
When people say they want high quality or pro quality or some such epithet, I'm glad that there are lots of people on this forum that will point out that it does not come overnight. For what it's worth, even some of the 'greats' of the last 70 years would like to revisit and re~record/remix their stuff that the rest of the world has been digging for longer than most of us have been around. And the time it takes to get useful may increase depending on what's going on in your life.
So I wouldn't be fazed by stuff that's cheap {I'm aware the phrase was 'very cheap} because you're most likely going to be replacing/upgrading/adding to anyway. That said, listen to and weigh up everyone's advice because by and large, people want to help. An argumentative bunch we are at times, but you're nonetheless in the right place {South~east Cyberspace}

 

[mgjr73]

The trouble with getting too much stuff is that you tend to get overwhelmed with all the gear and technical stuff before even getting to know how things work. The creativity gets squashed in the process, then you get frustrated, then you eventually give up.

I might be going against some great advice here but if you're really really really green on home recording, I think you should get comfortable with recording with what you already have. Don't expect too much though and, I'd dare say, don't shoot for "CD quality" just yet, especially if you say that you're on a budget because you can easily blow $1000 on a mic. Even then, you can have state-of-the-art equipment but if you don't know how to maximize its use, your sound will be just as good as the average home-recordist who only spent $500 on gear.

I started out recording using Audacity and a 4-track tape recorder as an interface into an old DELL sound card. I only had a $5 mic. Yeah, it may not sound as CD quality but I did record 7 songs within a month and enjoyed the process. I learned multi-tracking, micing an amp, using the drum machine, over-dubbing, etc, etc... When I figured I really want to get into this hobby, my next goal was to get better at it by reading lots and lots of books and joining online forums such as this one and getting better gear, not an all out spending spree because I'm on a budget too. But I could tell the difference from the old recording and the later versions. I could tell it got better and I know I can still improve on it as time goes by.

So the key is take baby steps on technical aspects of the recording side but don't let that get in the way of your creative process. If you have an idea and you still don't know how to get it into your DAW, just grab a tape recorder and get your ideas down before it escapes you. Finally and more importantly, have fun learning.