Record set-up for laptop

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Glidd
  • Start date Start date
T

The Glidd

New member
Please forgive some of my tech vocabulary, I'm in the dark on a lot of this stuff.

I'm looking to do some recording for my website. I'd prefer to do it all myself. I'm not particularly concerned with stellar quality but would like to get it done cheaply and have the chance to re-record several groups according to my own schedule.

I did this a little several years ago. A quick example are the mp3s on this page:

http://www.michaelreaveymusic.com/classical/String_Quartet/index.html

This was recorded with a cheap Sony condenser mic to mini-disc and then transferred to PC. Although not spectacular (by any stretch), I'm pleased with the product and get work from it.

I'd like to get a set-up though where I'm recording directly to PC. I use Audacity as my software, but was wondering about any thoughts for any kind of pre-mixer to run mics through before they hit the recording software? I currently have two SM58s (although I'm not sure they still work). Also, what kind of mics should I be looking for? Cheap and functional are what I'm looking at, I drive a Honda, so that kind of quality. A few configurations I'm looking to record:

Brass trio
Trumpet and piano
Brass quintet (maybe)
String trio
String duo
Violin and piano
Trumpet and bass
Trumpet piano and bass
Trumpet, piano, bass, and drums (jazz quartet)

I posted a similar message in the mics forum and didn't get much of a response.

Also, are there any shops anyone recommends in the Boston area that could help get me started?

Thanks!
 
OK you are going to need:
1. an interface for the PC via firewire, USB or or PCI card. See below
2. A preamp (with phantom pwer) for mic(s), many interfaces will have one built in. These combo'd with #3 below will probabaly be better than the mini disk recording.
3. Mic(s) the sm58 would work (might not be ideal) for the stuff youwant to record, if you want to record direct and in isolation, that is, a horn playing into the SM58 directly will sounds as good as the 58 can give you, but the 58 as a room mic will suck.
4. A decent sounding (or dead as you can make it) room

For each, more questions/suggestions.
1. How many tracks at once? I kind of get the feeling you are looking to record a live sounds form preformances, if that is the case i would say you wouldn't need more than a couple inputs and could focus on a stero recording of each of your options you posted. Get at least 24 bit, but don't worry about the sample rate too much. As far as connectivity, the firewire option is proabaly best, then USB, then PCI- but only becasue the first two give you some degree of protability if you want to change computers (PCI will probabaly fade out of existance soon). Interfaces get cheaper and better every 6 months, i would suggest you focus on the other items and go cheap here, with the plan to upgrade if/when you get used to recording and want to downt he road.

2. For now stick with the reamps in your interface, but make sure it has phantom power as well, otherwise there are a number of decent pres out there (MAudio DMP3 for instance).

3. Try out a couple LDCs (large diameter condensers) for stereo recordings, SDCs will work too, but most cheap SDCs are fairly hyped on the top end, and your brass stuff might come off harsh. ideally borrow or rent some mics and try them out- each micro[hone can hav its own color and some are well suited to some instrumentation and not to others. In lieu of that, consider mics described as "dark" or flat, a bright might might be good, but it might be harsh as well. The darker mics might being a bit more presence out in your brass recordings.
Note: this is total speculation, different kinds of mics will sounds good with your stuff, there is not categorical bets choice, experience hearig recordings needs to be your true guilde, short of that use my bullshit as a guide if you want.

4. this is huge, if you are recording a room (i.e. stero recording several feet from the source will pick up the natural reverb and/or bad reflections). As a rule the smaller and squarer (or rectangular-er) the room the more you will have harsh reflections and standing waves that will make your recordings (and playing) sound bad. A big room with no parralell surfaces (floor and ceiling too) is ideal. If your room sucks, treat it. read the studio building forum, you don't even need to search, there will be somehting about this in the first 10 posts, i promise. treatment can mean taming reflections with diffusion (bouncing sound NOT parallel to other surfaces) and with absorption. It might be preferrable to try to make a room dead (very little or no reflection think of a vocal booth with foam on every surface absorbing all the reflections) and add reverba nd effects to "liven" up the sound, rather than to deal with a bad room.


That should be a good start.
daav
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top