things i need...

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megadethsatch11

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well to start off...
-my computer has 768 mb ram
-I'm getting a Shure SM57 mic soon
-I have a Realtek AC'97 Audio soundcard (im pretty sure this is a piece of shit?)
-I'm just micing an amp.. single tracks at a time i guess
-my brother is getting Cubase recording program soon

and here's a bunch of questions i have:
1)is a very good soundcard needed to make good recordings? if so can you recommend some good ones to check out?

2)do i need a specific mic cable to work w/ a soundcard and the SM57, or are they universal?

3)with these gear (and a new soundcard if needed) will i be able to make good/crystal clear recordings and be able to layer a bunch of tracks together and make it sound good? (make covers/originals) or do i need a mixer or something?

thanks :p ;) :D :) (im a noob)
 
It all depends on what quality you will be satisfied with....there are several other things you need to invest in...tell us what you are lookin at in terms of your budget and we can help you a little better.
 
1)is a very good soundcard needed to make good recordings? if so can you recommend some good ones to check out?
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Yes.
Check out the M-audio line, a bunch of good ones to choose from.
2)do i need a specific mic cable to work w/ a soundcard and the SM57, or are they universal?
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Depends on the soundcard. Either 1/4inch or XLR inputs.
3)with these gear (and a new soundcard if needed) will i be able to make good/crystal clear recordings and be able to layer a bunch of tracks together and make it sound good? (make covers/originals) or do i need a mixer or something?
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A. you wont need a mixer for simple, one at a time tracks.

B. Will YOU make a good sounding recording? I have no clue. Can ONE make a good sounding recording with that setup? Certainly, if one knows what they are doing.

Dont "misunderestimate" ( George W. Bush) the learning curve in Cubase and in recording in general; it takes years to learn this stuff. Its like learning an instrumentL If I give you a great trumpet, first you have to learn how to master it before it sounds good :)

That said; yes, with cubase, a decent m-audio card ( with preamp integrated) and an SM57 can make a pretty decent recording. Best of luck :cool:
 
DavidK said:
Depends on the soundcard. Either 1/4inch or XLR inputs.
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the M-audio delta cards say the inputs are 1/8" on there website.. is that correct?

DavidK said:
Dont "misunderestimate" ( George W. Bush) the learning curve in Cubase and in recording in general; it takes years to learn this stuff. Its like learning an instrumentL If I give you a great trumpet, first you have to learn how to master it before it sounds good
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I understand :)
 
thajeremy said:
It all depends on what quality you will be satisfied with....there are several other things you need to invest in...tell us what you are lookin at in terms of your budget and we can help you a little better.
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hmm right about now all I can probably afford is a sound card (still not completely sure which, but I'm looking at M-audio cards) and the SM57 mic... but can you tell me what other things you're talking about so I can look into them? im interested :p
 
the M-audio delta cards say the inputs are 1/8" on there website.. is that correct?
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No.

1/8th inch is like a lil plug that a walkman would use, pro/prosumer sound interfaces will have a 1/4 inch or XLR input.

I have a M-audio firewire solo. It has one XLR and one 1/4 inch input on the front, 2 1/4 inch line inputs on back, and a spidf connection for connecting things that have a digital output. Mine was 199 bucks and I am happy with it.
 
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Oops, you are correct in that those first 2 are indeed 1/8 inch. :o

Most of us here ( I assume) dont use the first two cards because we arent doing surround stuff. You will probably need some kind of preamp to use those first two.

The third one (Delta) is popular, i didnt know the first two existed. Maybe ask again with "surround sound" in the title if thats what you are looking for. You will need a preamp for the delta I assume.

I would suggest getting an audio interface with phantom power built in so you can ( someday) use mics that need it. Some of the M-audios (like my firewire solo) have built in preamps and phantom power. Do a search for mine on the m-audio site and you will see what I mean. :)
 
megadethsatch11 said:
o... so these wouldn't work with an SM57 mic?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Revolution51-main.html

http://m-audio.com/products/en_us/Revolution71-main.html

this is the right kind?

http://m-audio.com/products/en_us/Delta44-main.html
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The revolution cards are pretty much high end audiophile gamer cards (think SoundBlaster Audigy... or really any SB card). Definitely not a good choice. The Delta series is decent for recording.

You'd be better off w/ external in the long run, IMHO. The Delta 44 is fine. I wouldn't buy any of the more expensive Delta PCI cards like the 1010, though, as PCI is being phased out over the next few years. Eventually you'll probably end up with a machine that won't support the Delta 44 (and standard, parallel PCI in general). However, the Delta 44 is small enough and inexpensive enough that you'll probably be ready to upgrade it to something bigger by then anyway.
 
This is mine, notice on the front it has Xlr input (for mics) on the left, 1/4" (for guitar or mic) in the middle, phones at right. It has a button for phantom power, and two knobs to adjust the gain/level, something the Delta44 does not have.

Warning: a card like mine is good for ONE person doing one thing at a time. For recording a band or drums it would be a bad choice.
 

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so I don't need a preamp for the Delta 44? how exactly does it work? can i still use it with computer speakers??
 
megadethsatch11 said:
so I don't need a preamp for the Delta 44? how exactly does it work? can i still use it with computer speakers??
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If you get a Delta44, you will need something like this audio buddy preamp

Computer speakers? It depends on if they have inputs. I would use a stereo receiver and speakers before I used computer speakers.

As dgatwood said, consider using a usb or firewire interface. Easy to use, portable, and since you dont wanna spend much you can get one with preamps, phantom power etc all included for under 200. Tascam 122 and maybe a presonus you should look at, I think the Tascam even has midi ( which will come in handy if you ever get a synth, drum machine etc
 
I think you are missing something. You NEED a preamp for that card. Most preamps will have XLR and 1/4 inputs, ad well as XLR and 1/4 outputs. So if you get a preamp, then you can use an XLR to XLR cable to plug your sm57 into the preamps XLR input, then you would use the preamps 1/4 output to plug into the delta 44 with a 1/4 to 1/4 cable you dig?



Simon
 
Ok, here we go, i am not going into details, just a basic idea. Microphones put out a very LOW level signal, this is useless for recording. A preamp "pre-amplifies" that signal before it gets to the soundcard, which brings the signal up to a suitable volume for recording. Also, some microphones require a source voltage to operate, this is called phantom power. Many preamps have the option of adding phantom power if it is needed.

In your case, phantom power is not needed, as an SM57 does not require it. However you still need to preamp to bring your signal up to an appropriate level.


Also, I would suggest doing a LOT more reading before you get too far into recording, there are many books and online sources on the subject. Just judging by the questions you are asking, I think it would be more beneifcial for you to learn more before you start recording, then to start right now and be generally unhappy with the results.


Simon
 
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