Recording live vocals and acoustic guitar... Help!

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peelipsue

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Hey guys, I'm a complete noobie in this field and I have been reading some posts on this forum and I am just completely confused. Sorry :(

All I want to do is record myself (think YouTube) singing with an acoustic guitar accompanying. Should I record it in a large room? (living room) or a more closed area like a bedroom? From what I have been able to understand is that SM57s or SM58s are good starter mics for beginners but what do I need to use it? Do I hook it up to my laptop or... what? And is a microphone all that I need? Do I need to buy one for my vocal AND guitar? I'm sorry this is all probably common sense stuff for you seasoned pros..

For now all I have is my laptop's built-in webcam and its crappy built-in mic. My laptop has Windows 7. Should I invest in a really good webcam or should I give in to my urges and opt for a DSLR camera?
 
Hey peelipsue. I'm pretty new at this stuff too, but I think I can help you out with what little I know.

Based on your post, I'm assuming all you have at this point is a computer and maybe an sm57 and sm58?

What you get completely depends on how much you want to expand later. Obviously, the cheapest solution is to just use your camera's mic to record, but apparently you want higher quality recordings than that.
Advantages: Free. simple
Disadvantages: Everything else

The next cheapest solution is getting a usb condenser mic (you can get a decent one for about $100) and sticking it wherever it sounds best.
Advantages: Relatively cheap, Decent quality audio, simple
Disadvantages: Not great quality, Can only record one track at a time, useless if you decide to expand your setup

What most people here will recommend is getting an audio interface. These have preamps and AD converters that allow you to hook up your sm57 and sm58 (and other professional quality quality mics) to your computer. From what you described, you probably don't need more than 4 channels. I started with a Lexicon Lambda (about $150), which worked fine for me until my bandmates got me a Focusrite to record drums for us. There's a bunch of quality ones though, so look around and figure what's best for you. If you have more specific questions, come to this board and someone is sure to help you out.
Advantages: High quality recordings, Multiple tracks, Ability to expand
Disadvantages: Can get pricey, There's a bit of a learning curve


In regards to which room to record in: just use whichever room sounds best. A lot of youtubers record in their bathrooms. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that, but the point is, just experiment until you get a good result.

Hope that helped. Good luck!
 
Thank you for your post Lazyfishstix! Really appreciate it mate. :)

I've been doing a bit more reading/studying and I think I'm just going to go with a USB Condenser Mic. Would you recommend the Blue Yeti or the Audio Technica AT2020? From what I hear the Yeti edges out the AT2020 with its additional features, but it lacks reliable shock mount support. If (and I probably will) decide to be more serious about this little hobby of mine then I will opt for a more professional and quality medium to record but for now I think this small investment will keep me satisfied. :)

Thank you again for the information, I'll definitely keep it in mind when I upgrade!

Cheers.

Edit: I listened to the links and it's definitely clear how your equipment really makes a difference in the way your voice/music is interpreted. Darn, now I'm really going to invest heavily into this little hobby of mine. >:)
 
I'm guessing the majority of the people in this community do not like USB Mics..
 
Posters here view USB mics in the same way that posters in a racing forum would view go karts: pretty decent if you just want to go from point A to point B, but it's not pretty or effective.

Heckuvalot cheaper than a Ferrari though.
 
peelipsue said:
Should I invest in a really good webcam or should I give in to my urges and opt for a DSLR camera?
Click to expand...

I don't think a DSLR is totally necessary at this point, but I also don't think a "really good webcam" will give you the video quality you're looking for. Maybe you could go for something in between. Take a look at the SD/HDD HD cameras from companies like Canon, Sony, Panasonic, and JVC. I'm guessing you can find something that will work for you in the $250-$400 price range.
 
Jeezz...

1. Record in the largest room... it will sound better and, can I be honest, I generally don't watch YouToob videos if I can see a toilet in the background... so it will look better too

2. If you want it to look like a "real video" then record the video and music separately... the music will thank you, as will your legions of fans and viewers - use your editing software (you do have editing software?) to sync them together. That way you don't have a microphone in the shot and you can, you know, move a bit.... get all creative with angles etc...

3. If you do want to record everything at the one time, then you'll need a mic and an interface - an SM57/58 is not a good choice for recording, at a distance, both a voice and an acoustic guitar at the same time... you'd be better off with a cheapish LD condenser... there are many recommendations...

Good luck...
 
PS. Don't buy a f'cking USB mic... buy a real one and an interface... unless this single video is the sum total of your musical aspirations...
 
peelipsue said:
Hey guys, I'm a complete noobie in this field and I have been reading some posts on this forum and I am just completely confused. Sorry :(

All I want to do is record myself (think YouTube) singing with an acoustic guitar accompanying. Should I record it in a large room? (living room) or a more closed area like a bedroom? From what I have been able to understand is that SM57s or SM58s are good starter mics for beginners but what do I need to use it? Do I hook it up to my laptop or... what? And is a microphone all that I need? Do I need to buy one for my vocal AND guitar? I'm sorry this is all probably common sense stuff for you seasoned pros..

For now all I have is my laptop's built-in webcam and its crappy built-in mic. My laptop has Windows 7. Should I invest in a really good webcam or should I give in to my urges and opt for a DSLR camera?
Click to expand...
Try this forum out for awhile:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/newbies/

For specific help with your quest there is a sticky in this forum that answers your audio recording concerns: https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...iques/acoustic-guitar-recording-101-a-290919/

For home video training try this link, Khaliq is awesome and has much for you to learn:
Home Recording Tutorial Training Video DVD and Music Tips - "Hypnotic Audio Secrets" Seminar and Workshop
 
Thank you so much for all the input everyone! Sorry, but I'm going to double post in order to post some urls in my next reply. Sorry!
 
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the input you've given me. Unfortunately I bought the USB Mic haha, it's all I can afford for now and the urges to sing were too overwhelming for me to save up.

Here are some well-known youtubers and their videos. Could you give me a quick rundown of what you think they are using in their video?

1) The Lazy Song
YouTube - ‪Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song (Cover) - JRA, Victor Kim, & Chester See‬‏

2) Rocketeer
YouTube - ‪Clara C - Rocketeer (Cover)‬‏

I am sure their voices do not sound this amazing live, is it autotune? Is this where the "interface" or "MIDI" thingamajiggers come into the picture? Sorry I am so eager to learn but I know hardly anything about the subject that I'm trying to get into haha.

I still have no clue what I need to get a more polished sound.. Cause the mic I have now is, as you guys said, "decent at best."
I'm hearing all these different terms like MIDI, interface, 4 track/8 track, etc. etc. and I am just so confused..
Enlighten me oh wise ones.

Thank you again for all the input although it's somewhat confusing haha.
 
If you want to record just acoutsic and vocals I would do one recording of you playing guitar and singing (to a click track)...I would then record two rhythm guitars to the original vocal/guitar track to get a stereo sound for the guitars...then re record vocals...you may not even use the original vocal/guitar track in the end however you will have a more polished sound...depending on who mixes it.

Im available to try a mix if you need help...I know lots of other mixers that will do a mix as well untill you have enough experience to do it yourself.

Can you post an mp3 example of what your doing...I always enjoy listening to just guitar and vocals.
 
Heres the deal. Let's remember the old days when everything was done on tape with prehistoric mics and amps. Quality then was acceptable by the standards of the day, but now we would shun such primitive techniques in recording (unless you're going for THAT sound). My point? Whatever you can get your hands on will get the job done if you give it a little love. Spend time experimenting until you are satisfied.

And for the record (no pun intended;-) a USB mic is no more than a REAL mic AND an interface all bundled into one thing. Sure, you can get better, more professional sounds with REAL mics and expensive interfaces, but go with these words: START WITH WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD AND WORK YOUR WAY UP AS YOU GET BETTER.

I guarantee that if you put in the effort, you can make something that you're proud of!

Good luck!
 
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