OK What should I do next

[Cerpin Taxt]

My name is Sean everyone. I'm 16 years old. I just started recording for the first time in January.
I have the following equipment:

E-mu 1212m Dual sound cards
Shure SM57
Patchmix DSP digital mixer
and a Behringer Ada8000 AD/DA converter using ADAT lightpipe into my sound card
I use cooledit because I'm having a hell of a time learning Cakewalk.

OK, what should I do next?
The guy at a music store around here who set me up with this package said that the AD/DA can handle 8 channels at once and send them all to different tracks, which is great, but I don't understand exactly how I should do it.

What should I do next with this studio? (besides a pair of monitors. I know. I need those bad) Mic suggestions? Should I move to a regular mixer instead of a digital one? Anywhere I can learn cakewalk? Next mic I should get? Ect ect.

Anything is really helpful. Thanks a lot guys

~ Sean

EDIT: Oh by the way, I think I should say that I am currently working out of my room (about 12x10) but might move to my basement, but I am not allowed to build walls or anything, so I have to work with one large open area.

Also, I play mostly acoustic guitar, but I soon want to record bass, a jazzy style electric guitar, and drums. (The drums can wait)

 

[Tifstorey]

You should really know what you need. When you buy equipment, you dont buy it necessarily because 'my friend who has a studio has one'. You buy it because you need it. Have you used your set up? Did you struggle with anything? What couldnt you do because you didnt have the equipment to do so? Thats the thing you need to bear in mind here. Have a think and come back to us, then we can recommend some hardware

Good luck!

 

[bigwillz24]

You have everything you need already to record decent stuff. You need to learn how to use it.

Only thing you might want to get is a condenser microphone and a preamp.

Don't ask which one to for _____ amount of money unless you want to be flamed for not using the search function.

 

[Rokket]

Start recording and see what you can come up with. I second the buying what you need idea. Are you going to record live drums? Are you trying to record a band at once? If not, 8 inputs is way more than you need. One or two would be about all. You can assign the inputs to different tracks as you go.

And buy some decent monitors when you get a chance. You'll thank me later.
You can probably track decent enough through headphones, but you don't want to mix on them...

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Well I have used this setup before, and found it works rather well, although vocals sound particularly low in volume and usually need a lot of equalization to get anything good. I'm assuming this is because I don't have a mic preamp and/or condenser mic?

'Don't ask which one to for _____ amount of money unless you want to be flamed for not using the search function' - Haha. I can figure that out on my own.

Rokket - I'd really like to keep the options open. I would like to record live drums, but I do not have the space avalible to do that at the moment. I would like to record maybe 1 or 2 things at once.

I figure, off of the top of my head, I need: Condenser mic, Mic preamp, and monitors. I just don't know which is of most importance and would need to be purchased first.

 

[Monkey Allen]

I'd opt for a condenser mic first. Having recently got one for myself, after a long time with 'Radio Shack' cheap throwaways, I am amazed by the quality and sensitivity. I just got the best one that I could afford, and that was available...CAD M177.

My next thing will be to get monitors. That'll be sweet.

 

[tubesrawsom]

learn how to use your equipment first, start recording, then as you learn you will know what you want and what you need.
peace