Studio Setup

[lynchd440]

Hi there.

I'm in the process of building up a studio to record a demo or two on by myself, and possibly with a band sometime in the future. I don't need (nor can I afford) anything big or expensive, but I do need quality. This whole thing is still new to me, and I'm trying to get my bearings on what I need and what I don't before I drop any money. I do have an SM57 and recently downloaded Audacity, which I hear is pretty good for free software. Now from what I understand, I need a USB interface. I've been looking at some Tascam interfaces, and I think I'll be able to find a good one. Do I need a mixer as well? I've been thinking of getting a low-end mixer just for some extra control; is this a good idea? Also, I'm unsure how the mixer will influence how many tracks I can end up with. For instance, suppose I get a four-track mixer. Will I be able to have more than four tracks on a song?

So, from what I gather, I'll be needing a condenser mic (feel free to give me some input on this as well), an interface, and a low-end mixer. And a pop screen, cables and whatnot. Does this sound right?

Thank you guys, I appreciate it!

 

[lynchd440]

And looking around on this site it looks like I am in fact the biggest n00b on Earth when it comes to this stuff. So thank you for being patient if I have no idea what the hell you're talking about at first.

 

[mjbphotos]

Do some serious reading before buying anything.

Audacity is ok if you just want to get comfortable with computer-based recording. Try downloading Reaper (also free).
A USB interface will only let you record 2 tracks, at most, at a time. GO for firewire - and before you buy decide how many channels you DO want to be able to record at once.
A mixer is not what you need for recording multiple channels at the same time unless you want to combine them all into 2 tracks (or however many outputs the mixer has).

 

[lifelyrics]

I would think mixers are primarily to manage live sound. Mixers usually have many inputs to manage mic's, instruments, etc., and a couple of different ways to output the sound, most likely to amplify the sound for an audience.

Recording is a whole different world, where you want each voice and instrument on its own track so that you can work with each one separately. The beauty of recording with multiple tracks is that if you are inputting say, a keyboard, guitar, bass, and vocal at the same time, and there is a hiccup on the guitar track, you can have the guitarist "punch in" to fix that problem, instead of having the whole group do the song over again. Also, after the recording session, you are able to adjust the mix (soften someone too loud, etc.), which you cannot do in a whole room recording, or if you just have the stereo output from a mixer. There is a whole world of education about mixing after the recording process on this forum (cruise around MIXING/MASTERING). There is a LOT to learn about that in itself.

Also, with multiple track recording, you can build your own band, and multiple part harmony, one track at a time. I think I have one of the most simplistic setups around, and it is way better than what I used to work with when all I had was audacity and a couple of dynamic mic's. Audacity is great for getting a basic understanding of how to work with multiple tracks, but if you want to apply anything more than very basic effects, such as amplification or very basic compression, you will be very disadvantaged. A lot of people on this forum have experience with/use Reaper, as mentioned before, so you may find better results and better help with that.

Definitely, when you are ready to get an interface, choose firewire if you want to monitor what's going on (on your computer) as you are recording. In other words, if you go with a little portastudio, 2 tracks at a time, then transfer your wav files to a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Reaper or audacity, USB works fine, because it doesn't matter how fast the data is commuting to your computer hard drive.

However, if you want to use your computer in the original recording chain, you will find that there is a severe echo (latency) that makes it nearly impossible to record additional tracks after the first run-through. That is why firewire is necessary. With some education of how all of this works, you can get, basically, zero latency and decent (enough for demo's or personal use) recordings with a condenser mic (definitely for vocals & acoustic instruments), inexpensive firewire interface, and friendly (I mean, laid out in a way that you can understand) DAW. Many of the entry level firewire interfaces come with a DAW by the same manufacturer, so don't purchase a DAW before you decide on your interface. Deciding on an interface is going to be primarily about a) how many inputs you require at one time, and b) (from what you said about affordability) how much it costs.

I hope this helps. I thought you might benefit from hearing from someone who has just gone through a lot of this recently. There is a wealth of information in these forums, and there are a LOT of very helpful, knowledgeable, and experienced people who are very good about guiding "newbies" through the learning curve.

Good luck with your future projects!