should i record using my computer?

[sean78]

Hello everyone... I am new to recording and would really appreciate some advice. I will be recording solo classical guitar and would like to know if i would get better results from recording through my computer ( i would probably get an audiophile 2496, a modestly priced mic and mixer) or would I get better quality using something like a Fostex VF80 with CD burner?


What I'm using now is VERY basic. I just have my internal soundcard that came with the computer and a little clip on stereo mic from Creative Labs.
I have a lot of white noise or fuzz in my recordings now and i would like to eliminate that.

I'm afriad that even if i upgrade to the audiophile card and a good mixer and mic, that the white noise (which i guess is maybe the computer's noise) will still be there. I really would like to try to get a much clearer sound.

Thanks

 

[Dr Biscuits]

You can get great results using a computer - going to a Fostex vf80 wont get you any better results, the main things to consider for recording clasical guitar are a) the mic b) the room and c) the preamps. To go directly to a soundcard (like the audiophile which I've had good results from) you need some sort of preamp, something a multitrack standalone recorder would have, but not very good ones. But you do need a decent mic (I would reccomend a condenser) and a decent space to record in. The only advantage of the standalone is the built in pre's.
An upgrade from your crappy soundcard will definitely improve the sound, and with a decent mic and pre, you won't get as bad "white noise" (by which I assume you mean general noise from recording with a poor soundcard and mic)

 

[Adam P]

Either one is an equally viable option, it just depends on your preferences and the learning curve you're willing to deal with. A computer affords more flexibility and upgradeability. The Fostex unit allows portability and quicker setup for capturing spur of the moment ideas.

You could even combine the two in a number of ways. Track to the Fostex and export digitally to computer for mixing. Mix down to the computer. Etc etc.

I wouldn't say that one is better or worse than the other, but that its merely an issue of personal preference and what better meets your needs.

 

[casualtyfigure]

Honestly...

I say go with PC.
You can get a 24bit enabled soundcard for about $30.
(Sound Blaster Audigy SE) I just bought one.

$30 vs. $400 - $600
you decide.

Its not a pro card...but 24bit is 24bit.

combine that with a decent condenser mic, and a decent preamp.
If you look in second hand shops...you can probably get everything
you need for a couple hundred bucks. (if that!)

after that...

You'll be in business.


Your setup now...(you probably already know.)
And besure that your recording through LINE IN, and not through the MICROPHONE input.

good luck.

 

[Dr Biscuits]

Its not a pro card...but 24bit is 24bit.

Well...
I agree you can get set up quite nicely on a PC for relatively little money, but if you are going to invest in a decent mic/pre, then I would definitely recommend a better card than the Soundblaster.... 24 bit is 24 bit, but there are other factors (like the D/A converters and the mini connections) which make this a far lesser card. (No offence to those who already have one )
Your original idea of an Audiophile 2496 will serve you far better, and for not that much more $ - plus it has digital I/O and MIDI wich you may want later down the road...

 

[treymonfauntre]

i don't think i've ever met anybody who has been using the audigy card for longer than 3 months, they all get fed up by then

 

[DonF]

... 24bit is 24bit. ...

This statement is not quite accurate. Technically it's true, but there are a couple of important concepts you seem to be missing.

Unlike digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, analog to digital (A/D) conversion is not a trivial task. CD players and other consumer digital playback equipment have created a mass market for D/A conversion, which has driven the cost per unit way down, while the quality is quite good. There is no such mass market for A/D conversion. This is why most consumer sound cards do not do A/D conversion very well.

The Audiophile 2496 is a "prosumer" sound card that many home recordists (myself included) find quite satisfactory. At about $100 now, it's not going to break too many banks. Be aware, though, that it's not a gamer card. There is no onboard synth, and it doesn't do soundfonts. What it does have is excellent audio quality.

Don

 

[cpl_crud]

I really think there should be more definition between soundcards and I/O cards
The soundblaster is a sound card. The audiophile, RMEs, etc are I/O cards.

Go with the computer. You'll have much more flexibility than a DAW in the long run. A cheap IO card can be replaced in the future, you can upgrade your pres/ADs/outboards when you get the chance, and you'll have a computer.
Seriosuly, everyone should have about 4 comptuers. Computers for everyone!

 

[tomincolorado]

About preamps and condenser mics

I'm in the same boat as the person who started the thread, relative novice to recording. I've been using Cakewalk guitar tracks and have been using a regular mic directly into my soundcard. Could someone explain more about the preamp - what type, etc. I have a direct box - Baggs (which I believe is a preamp) for my acoustic guitar pickup, would that do the trick? And what type of condenser mic, how much do they cost, etc. I'd like to start getting better quality sound, though I've been impressed with what I've gotten so far. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

 

[astoebe]

I would suggest a computer because of the multitude of free effects you can use to better your sound!

edit: for clarification, I mean even if you use a free program like Kristal, you can get alot of free VST effects (EQ, compressor, reverb, delay, etc etc) that are very decent

 

[kiwisdontdrinkt]

What everyone else said.

Also remember that the computer fans will make audio noise that the mics will pick up unless the computer is put far away from the mics. I have my PC in a closet which is carpeted.I close the closet door when I start recording.

 

[rayc]

What the nondrinking carpeted closet keeping kiwi said is right.
Record with the sounblaster as long as you're happy with it - but you don't sound happy now!
DAW recording is great, easy & flexible. Tape is better but hey!
Get a reasonable mic, a reasonable pre, a mixer if you can, a decent program - free or bought NOT RIPPED, & get into it. UPGRADE as you can afford it.
BUT think about it a GREAT MIC, a BRILLIANT Pre & a SUPER mixer won't sound like that through a gamers soundcard. They'll sound like a gamer doing home recording UNLESS you have great talent & skill at recording & compensating.
Some of the best music in the world has been recorded on turgid technology. It shines through it's intrinsic qualities not through Hi Fidelity. Oh, and it's rare, probably won't get you a deal and I think you get the picture by now.
Doing the best with what we have is what we do. But you should always aim a little higher.
There endeth the sermon.
Cheers
rayC

 

[DonF]

...

Well said!

Don

 

[lpdeluxe]

PCs have three, maybe more, advantages over DAWs.

First, as pointed out above, they are more flexible. You can do a lot more with a computer that has a recording suite, MIDI software, soft synths and whatnot. And, you can configure them for analog, S/PDIF, AES/EBU, ADAT Lightpipe, TDIF, Firewire, USB, and who knows what else to fit them into your existing studio gear.

Second, PCs are infinitely upgradeable. My recording PC, first put together 6 years ago, now has only the case left out of the original hardware. If I find a sound card that works better than what I have, I can get one; if a new optic drive comes out that I need, in it goes. I don't have to junk the whole box each time something improves.

Third, I don't think I could give up the 19" LCD display on my computer for a little screen on a DAW.

DAWs don't have the learning curve (again, as noted above) but that's because they can't do as much. They have the advantages of dedicated processors (no mysterious crashes in the middle of a session), predictability and optimized hardware for a given market niche.

What decided me to go with computers was when I looked around in my storage room and counted all the old tape decks, Portastudios, and adaptor boxes: I didn't want more landfill fodder, I wanted something I could use for the long term. Ironically enough, my other choice at the time was a Yamaha 8-track minidisc recorder...and where are they now?

It was tough learning about PCs the hard way (it was my first one) and dealing with crashes and odd noises and incompatibilities and the rest -- but once it was sorted out, and my education in PCs well begun, I had a stable and flexible platform that I can now record on as quickly as another person could on a DAW.