SO new at this IN NEED OF HELP....

dadubwa

dadubwa

New member
Guys I'm in desperate need of help!

The long and short of it is I've been recording with different studios for awhile, but I want to make my own near-to-professional home studio, I'm trying to establish myself as an independent artist.

Now I DO have a set-up at home... I've been recording on my computer (is this considered digitally?) for about 6 years now. All acoustic, all off the floor, 1-take, into a $2.50 mic and onto a $70 recording software (2004 MAGiX music studios). My problem is that my computer's fan is pretty loud and my mic picks it up awfully well. I need a new way of going about things. The quality of my home recordings aren't showcasing the merit of my music, people are distracted by the windy sound (I know I am).

I'm working with voice and acoustic guitar. I'm thinking 1 condenser mic for vocals, 1 condenser mic for my guitar? But how the heck do I hook condenser mics up to a computer? XLR to USB cable? Do I get one of those mixer thingys? Do they hook up to USB? Will MAGiX identify the mics if they're not plugged directly into USB?

Example: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-XENYX-1204USB-USB-Mixer?sku=485369


What's best/cheapest? But also what will produce the best sound quality, no fuzz or hum or windy sounds? Also as far as mics go.... phantom power? What to look out for? I really need help on all fronts :confused:.

My computer is home built, 3gigs of power, I mean it's not a power machine but I think it'll do the job.

Lastly, since I'm going all independent my $ flow is tight, it's being spent on marketing, website, guitar strings, gas for shows, etc. so the budget is tiiiight.

THANKS SO MUCH
-D
 
You are a prime candidate for reading Tweakheadz.
I don't particularly like his style but he imparts a lot of good information and provides you with a solid foundation.
Go here. http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
Magix (provided you are comfortable with it) is an excellent choice.
I have Magix Music Studio 12, sitting around.
Which version do you have?
and Welcome Aboard, by the way. :)
 
dadubwa said:
Guys I'm in desperate need of help!

The long and short of it is I've been recording with different studios for awhile, but I want to make my own near-to-professional home studio, I'm trying to establish myself as an independent artist.

Now I DO have a set-up at home... I've been recording on my computer (is this considered digitally?) for about 6 years now. All acoustic, all off the floor, 1-take, into a $2.50 mic and onto a $70 recording software (2004 MAGiX music studios). My problem is that my computer's fan is pretty loud and my mic picks it up awfully well. I need a new way of going about things. The quality of my home recordings aren't showcasing the merit of my music, people are distracted by the windy sound (I know I am).

I'm working with voice and acoustic guitar. I'm thinking 1 condenser mic for vocals, 1 condenser mic for my guitar? But how the heck do I hook condenser mics up to a computer? XLR to USB cable? Do I get one of those mixer thingys? Do they hook up to USB? Will MAGiX identify the mics if they're not plugged directly into USB?

Example: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-XENYX-1204USB-USB-Mixer?sku=485369


What's best/cheapest? But also what will produce the best sound quality, no fuzz or hum or windy sounds? Also as far as mics go.... phantom power? What to look out for? I really need help on all fronts :confused:.

My computer is home built, 3gigs of power, I mean it's not a power machine but I think it'll do the job.

Lastly, since I'm going all independent my $ flow is tight, it's being spent on marketing, website, guitar strings, gas for shows, etc. so the budget is tiiiight.

THANKS SO MUCH
-D
Click to expand...

What you just asked:

For recording vocal and acoustic guitar:

Which interface?
What mics?
What DAW?
Computer/specs?

etc. etc.

This question has been answered to death on this forum.

I recommend this extremely handy tool - this should solve all your recording problems :D

And I apologise if you don't like my attitude (well, no I don't), but the first thing it tells you when you come to this site is to use the search function.
 
Thanks!

Oh guys I really appreciate it,
Attitude or not :D!

I'm going to read both links in a bit.
I had a feeling people ask this very same question a million times over.
Just hoping to establish some nuggets of information pertaining to my own personal set-up, these links should be perfect, thanks so much again!
 
dadubwa said:
Oh guys I really appreciate it,
Attitude or not :D!

I'm going to read both links in a bit.
I had a feeling people ask this very same question a million times over.
Just hoping to establish some nuggets of information pertaining to my own personal set-up, these links should be perfect, thanks so much again!
Click to expand...

My link is fantastic ;)

You're in the right place anyway!
 
Qq!!

So reading through Tweak's extremely informative website I feel like I'm losing my mind.

Show casing how little I know/learned...
I feel like I'm going to use this cheap starter kit.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/ART-V63MART-Tube-MP-Studio-Package?sku=581915

Now, to have this thing hook up to my computer I need a sound card which supports an XLR input, correct? Those exist right :p?!

What if I used an XLR to USB converter? Would it ruin the sound quality? Would I save $ in the long run instead of buying a $100 sound card, buy a $40 converter?

Again my main goal is to get a professional sounding mic to show up inside my MAGiX (Music studio 2004/Music maker) and make sounds! I just need those sounds >.<!
 
Pro studios the world over have ditched all that expensive AD/DA outboard crap for those $40 converters and $100 Soundblaster cards.

:laughings::laughings::laughings:
 
Hahaha! I really really did, but like I said...this is my first venture into the professional audio world, so most of it went over my little head. I am learning SO much, and I'm getting really motivated to do this...but I'm in no rush to buy quite yet, until I'm educated.


How many of you would tell me to get the f*ck out if I bought--

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Nady-USB1C-USB-Condenser-Microphone?sku=277180

?? HAHAH
Also...why is a condenser USB a thing?...just out of wonder :).


Thank you again for the links! I'll have to go with a garbage department mics this time around...ca$h slow is muy tight.


Another question...how about using 1 mic for guitar AND vocals? 1 take..off the floor? Is this impossible with a condenser mic? Would I have to lay 2 separate tracks to do that?

Thanks again!
 
I don't know anything about that mic. It got good reviews, although some of the reviewers would be questionable. It would be a very simple and inexpensive way to get into recording. Basically the AD converter is built into the microphone.

And yes...you can use that one mic to record guitar and vocals at the same time.

You're very wise to study and educate yourself before spending the cash. :D
 
biggest problem first

dadubwa said:
Guys I'm in desperate need of help!

The long and short of it is I've been recording with different studios for awhile, but I want to make my own near-to-professional home studio, I'm trying to establish myself as an independent artist.

Now I DO have a set-up at home... I've been recording on my computer (is this considered digitally?) for about 6 years now. All acoustic, all off the floor, 1-take, into a $2.50 mic and onto a $70 recording software (2004 MAGiX music studios). My problem is that my computer's fan is pretty loud and my mic picks it up awfully well. I need a new way of going about things. The quality of my home recordings aren't showcasing the merit of my music, people are distracted by the windy sound (I know I am).

I'm working with voice and acoustic guitar. I'm thinking 1 condenser mic for vocals, 1 condenser mic for my guitar? But how the heck do I hook condenser mics up to a computer? XLR to USB cable? Do I get one of those mixer thingys? Do they hook up to USB? Will MAGiX identify the mics if they're not plugged directly into USB?

Example: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-XENYX-1204USB-USB-Mixer?sku=485369


What's best/cheapest? But also what will produce the best sound quality, no fuzz or hum or windy sounds? Also as far as mics go.... phantom power? What to look out for? I really need help on all fronts :confused:.

My computer is home built, 3gigs of power, I mean it's not a power machine but I think it'll do the job.

Lastly, since I'm going all independent my $ flow is tight, it's being spent on marketing, website, guitar strings, gas for shows, etc. so the budget is tiiiight.

THANKS SO MUCH
-D
Click to expand...

you need to get the pc into the other room with a longer cable so you dont pick up the fan noise
or
you could use a cardiod condensor mike to help hide the fan sound . maybe put some sound absorbing material around the pc to block sound but not ventilation. you do not need a mixer thingy. use either one mike for both or two for stereo. trying to close mike voice and guitar separately is nearly impossible.

the mike(s) would need an outboard interface that hooks to the usb with the preamp built in and phantom power. pretty standard , not that expensive for one or two mikes.

software to record is fine.
you may want more later to edit mix and master

usb mike not recommended. you will be stuck close to the pc and cannot move farther away to avoid fan noise.
 
Getting it together!

Okay so these last 2 or so weeks have been pretty informative!

-I know now that I need some sort of audio interface to hook my mics up to the PC.
-I know I need an XLR condenser mic (I'm gonna get 2, one for acoustic guitar one for vocals).
-I think I'm gonna get the computer in a different room to get rid of this awful fan sound.
-I've learned a TON about setting my room up for acoustic play.

Onto breaking my piggy bank open :o

Here's what I'm looking at, if anyone has had any experience with these do share!


Mics:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/M-Audio-MXL-990-991-and-Audio-Buddy-Package-773412-i1173655.gc

This is a 2-set mic kit. Exactly what I'm looking for, it has decent reviews, I'm pretty sold on it.


XLR Cables:
With that I'm gonna get these cables:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Musician-s-Gear-Lo-Z-Mic-Cable-20-Feet-2-Pack-870782-i1445814.gc

Now are these cable lower end? Will they produce a lot of sound if they are? Does it really matter?


Now the little Audio Buddy preamp that comes with the 2 mic kit ...I still need an Audio interface, correct? That's NOT gonna get me hooked up to the computer. (Am I getting this right?)

So for my audio interface I'm thinking of going with:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha-AUDIOGRAM-6-COMPUTER-RECORDING-SYSTEM-105172928-i1423714.gc

Alright seeing as I spend my hard earned cash on all this...I've got a preamp and an audio interface...can I use these guys together? Would it be useless to even buy a preamp this early in the game?

Your help is highly highly highly appreciated, can't wait to start recording and doing what I'm GOOD at...playing the music :laughings:
 
Yo Dadubwa. Welcome to the board! Define a budget. Once you internalize the idea that better sound is going to cost money, it will get easier. *Don't* buy a USB mic. Why? Because it is not versatile, and ties you to a very cheap built-in analog to digital convertor. Go figure- the Nady mic you referenced retails for $90. So- it probably cost $20 max to build. How much of that is the A-D Convertor? $3 maybe. Good A-D convertors cost thousands. If you want to do a podcast, fine. For recording music, you need better monitoring and routing options. You need to plug in headphones without a bunch of latency. You need an interface. I think that's been said a few times here. You need one with at least two channels, phantom power, meters would be good. You need at least one good mic. You need to learn how to play and sing separately, so you can get good, discrete, separate guitar and vocal tracks, so they can be processed separately. That is part of the work of learning to be a recording artist. Deal with it.

Here are a couple of applicable interfaces:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=40819&Category=Audio_Interfaces

The Line6 comes with Ableton and Reason software. The M-Audio unit you can just download Reaper.

For a cheap vox/guitar mic, I like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=6458&Category=Microphones

And- Put the damned CPU in another room! You can easily extend the mouse, the monitor, and the USB cable to 20', which is usually enough to get the computer somewhere else.

Good luck-Richie
 
Last edited:
Richard Monroe said:
Yo Dadubwa. Welcome to the board! Define a budget. Once you internalize the idea that better sound is going to cost money, it will get easier. *Don't* buy a USB mic. Why? Because it is not versatile, and ties you to a very cheap built-in analog to digital convertor. Go figure- the Nady mic you referenced retails for $90. So- it probably cost $20 max to build. How much of that is the A-D Convertor? $3 maybe. Good A-D convertors cost thousands. If you want to do a podcast, fine. For recording music, you need better monitoring and routing optopns. You need to plug in headphones without a bunch of latency. You need an interface. I think that's been said a few times here. You need one with at least two channels, phantom power, meters would be good. You need at least one good mic. You need to learn how to play and sing separately, so you can get good, discrete, separate guitar and vocal tracks, so they can be processed separately. That is part of the work of learning to be a recording artist. Deal with it.

Here are a couple of applicable interfaces:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=60669&Category=Audio_Interfaces

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=40819&Category=Audio_Interfaces

The Line6 comes with Ableton and Reason software. The M-Audio unit you can just download Reaper.

For a cheap vox/guitar mic, I like this:

http://www.8thstreet.com/product.asp?ProductCode=6458&Category=Microphones

And- Put the damned CPU in another room! You can easily extend the mouse, the monitor, and the USB cable to 20', which is usually enough to get the computer somewhere else.

Good luck-Richie
Click to expand...

Richie! Thanks for all the help!
I've scratched the idea of a USB mic. When I went into this I had my heart set on an XLR condenser. I'm pretty familiar with the recording process, but when buying the equipment-- I'm a total newbie. I'm going to try to stay in the $300-$400 range. I'd love to stay under $400.

So you're the second person to point me in the direction of the M-Audio interface. I read some reviews where it was only getting 2 outta 5 stars and that it produced a lot of hiss and buzz. Then I read on guitarcenter.com that it's SOLID and a great buy! I'm kind of back and fourth about it. Any personal experience with one?

The Line 6 looks great! I do already have recording software install, so I'm all set on that.

What are your thoughts about the kit I put together above your last response? Yamaha compared to the M-Audio interface? How about that cheap mic kit I found as opposed to the Marshall mic you sent me? Is there gonna be a huge difference?

Coming from a place where the music quality I had been creating was just horrible, I think ANYTHING is gonna be an upgrade. I just don't want to break the bank, if saving $40 or $50 won't produce a large difference than I'm well on my way.

Thank you again!
 
The Yamaha interface should work OK, but I'd pay the extra $50 for the meters on the UX2. Just peak indicator lights is a real pain. Also, the concept of a compressor that you adjust with one knob is inherently bogus. The Line6 unit has a better compressor in it, although of course, that problem can also be addressed with software plugins. Anyway, the UX2 comes with a ton of FX and modeling software and firmware. As far as that mic package, I think the best thing in it is the Audio Buddy, which you won't need. Mics are only a matter of opinion, but when they create packages like that, it's to sell things that people don't want to buy. I'd just get one good mic for right now, and never look back. That doesn't mean the 990/991 combo won't work. Like you say, it *will* be better than what you are using right now.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
You need at least one good mic. You need to learn how to play and sing separately, so you can get good, discrete, separate guitar and vocal tracks, so they can be processed separately. That is part of the work of learning to be a recording artist. Deal with it.

Good luck-Richie
Click to expand...

That's just not true. Complete isolation is not ALWAYS the way to go. With a singer/songwriter type the performance will most likely suffer by recording the guitar then recording the vocals. There are various mic techniques to help out.


I do agree about not getting the USB mic. Very limiting.

And you do not need a preamp AND an audio interface. The Line 6 would do everything that you need it to do and more. It got great amp modeling and effects. I have a Line 6 GX with PODFarm and I love it.

And get yourself some long cables to get the computer in another room. You'll be glad you did.
 
Richard Monroe said:
The Yamaha interface should work OK, but I'd pay the extra $50 for the meters on the UX2. Just peak indicator lights is a real pain. Also, the concept of a compressor that you adjust with one knob is inherently bogus. The Line6 unit has a better compressor in it, although of course, that problem can also be addressed with software plugins. Anyway, the UX2 comes with a ton of FX and modeling software and firmware. As far as that mic package, I think the best thing in it is the Audio Buddy, which you won't need. Mics are only a matter of opinion, but when they create packages like that, it's to sell things that people don't want to buy. I'd just get one good mic for right now, and never look back. That doesn't mean the 990/991 combo won't work. Like you say, it *will* be better than what you are using right now.-Richie
Click to expand...

Richie! Thanks for the speedy response. I can already see the use of meters in my future. And I'm falling for that mic! Sure, I'll be down 1 mic but I'll have better sound if I opt out of the kit, which seems like a perfect compromise.

Let's talk latency issues? The Line-6 + the Marshall mic will it exclude all latency? Or will the XLR chords that go from the mic to the Line-6 cause latency? Is it a good investment to spend more cash on the microphone cables?
 
dastrick said:
That's just not true. Complete isolation is not ALWAYS the way to go. With a singer/songwriter type the performance will most likely suffer by recording the guitar then recording the vocals. There are various mic techniques to help out.


I do agree about not getting the USB mic. Very limiting.

And you do not need a preamp AND an audio interface. The Line 6 would do everything that you need it to do and more. It got great amp modeling and effects. I have a Line 6 GX with PODFarm and I love it.

And get yourself some long cables to get the computer in another room. You'll be glad you did.
Click to expand...

dastrick, welcome back to my personal war of cash vs sound :laughings:.

I'm looking into putting wheels on the bottom of my computer stand so I can wheel that terrible wind machine out of here before recording, I just have to find some extending cables for my keyboard, mouse, and monitors (I'm working off dual wide screens). Luckily my Boston speakers don't need any extension!


dastrick said:
Complete isolation is not ALWAYS the way to go. With a singer/songwriter type the performance will most likely suffer by recording the guitar then recording the vocals. There are various mic techniques to help out.
Click to expand...

^ This is exactly what I'm doing, could you elaborate on those mic tips and why it's not always the best way to go?

THANKS DASTRICK! :)
 
Well the mic cables won't cause the latency. The latency is caused by the the conversion from analog to digital and from digital back to analog. It also depends on your computer also. I use the Line 6 GX, which is the lowest model and I don't have a problem with latency. My computer is a 2.33 Core2Duo, 4 GB RAM, 7200 rpm hdd, etc, etc.
 
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