Recording help please?

[KarinaBerry88]

Hi there!

I'm a singer/songwriter and would like to start home recording. It wouldn't need to be a completely polished sound... I'm just looking to create a rough demo recordings on the cheap preferably.

But I have no idea how!!

What kind of equipment, programmes etc etc could I possibly need?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Karina Berry

 

[santiu]

If you've never really played with multi-track recording at all, I would suggest you grab a standalone unit. Maybe something like the TASCAM DP-02CF. Then you just need a mic, and your set to go!

If you want to go cheaper, and don't mind used. I'd look into a used Tascam Portastudio.

If you really want to go computer based, you'll need an audio interface (most come bundled with software), and a mic. You a Mac person or a PC person? What's your budget?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

What are you making the demos for? Are they meant to be real demos for radio stations, record labels, club circuits, etc.? Or are you just looking for something for family and friends?

If you are looking at making demos for the purpose of advancing your career or making money, don't buy any equipment at all; use your money instead for a producer/manager and studio time. A couple of days in the studio will be cheaper than any starter gear you could buy, the results will usually be far better (assuming you're going to a real studio with an experienced engineer), and you'll save yourself the headache of taking several months of reading, studying, shopping gear, learning how to use it, etc. just to come back here in the fall and ask why your stuff doesn't sound as good as you wanted/expected it to.

For a roundtable discussion on this very subject, check out this page.

If you still want to try it on your own, I'd suggest saving up a minimum of $500 and probably more like $1000 just to get started (and that's on the cheap side.). Spend your first $20-$35 on a book like this one or this one and read up on the basics. Then armed with that knowledge, get yourelf a decent room set up for good-sounding recording, a decent audio interface for your computer, a good microphone or two, and some servicable studio speakers todo you mixing on.

Then it's all uphill from there .

G.