Tight Budget - Need Cheapest Solution

[robnkatz]

Tight Budget - Need a Cheap Solution

Great Site! Lots of great ideas and sugestions. But I don't have time to search all the threads.So let's get down to the real question.

What's the Cheapest way to make a CDs to hand out and find that gig?

Here is what I want to do:
I want to make some Demo/Audition CD's to pass out to local bars/clubs.
I used earn extra income performing live with groups and other people had recording equipment.

Here is what I do:
I play acustic music. Folk, bluegrass, country, some rock,

Here is what I have:
Peavey XR-600 power mixer and good speakers for a PA.
1 Sure SM-57 mic and 1 Sure SM-58. DeArmond Sound hole pickup and Boss pedal EQ.

I have 1/4in connections and can use effects out or monitor or even tape out (which is and RCA jack). I have usb ports and mic input on my computer.

I understand that maybe several solutions, and I will sacrifice quality, but I Really need a place to start.

Again What is the Cheapest way to do this?
Can I use this with some interface to my desktop PC?
I need to start making extra income.

Thanks. Looking forward to reading the suggestions

 

[kaelinsanity]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not trying to say this is the best way to get what you want, just that it's a free way to get something recorded to your computer, edit it a bit, and put it on a cd. It happens to be the very first way I recorded. I wasn't making a demo, just trying to capture a close friends songs for posterity (turned out ok though). It worked but other ways cost at least some $. Hopefully this will prompt someone to post a better idea, though I doubt you'll find a cheaper one.

So, I'm pretty new to all this as well, and you're right, there seem to be 5000 different ways to do this, but if you want to start recording/mixing something in a pretty cheap way using what you already own, you could download a program called Kristal Audio Engine (freeware recorder/mixer) with free VST plugins (these are things like EQ's and Effects). And download ASIO4All (freeware--low latency sound card drivers). Plug in your mixer or mic output to your soundcard input and go. I've since moved on to slightly bigger and better hardware/software, but this may help you find out what you don't like/can't do, so you will know what you want/need out of your set up.

This assumes that your sound card is ASIO compatible. If it is not, you will be unable to use those drivers (they fix latency--time delay for signal processing). Not a problem if you want to do a live mix single track going from you mixer to you computer one shot, vocals and all. But if you want to lay down a guitar track and then record separate vocals, your singing will end up out of time with your guitar track, making it very tough to record, though if you can force your way through it you could later re-sync the tracks in Kristal. Big PIA but no upgrades required.

This also assumes that your mic/mixer and sound card are the same impedance (if I remember correctly the ShureSM is HiZ (don't know your mixer) and most non specialty sound card inputs are HiZ too.) So you'd only need a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter for the sound card's mic input. If you don't match the impedance, you get lots of extra noise. Almost all 1/4 inch should be HiZ from what I've read.

Ultimately, you might find that you need to get a better sound card or a mixer that will interface directly with your PC. About the sound card-don't run out and upgrade without advice from others--I'm not sure a better sound card would be the best/most flexible item to buy. There are types of "front-end" items that I don't know about. This may or may not give you the quality you are looking for but you can't beat free.

In a nutshell, you should be able to at least test out recording on your PC with the freeware above and a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter. It may not work perfectly on the first try, but nothing should blow up in your face either. Hope this helps.

Oh yea, you'll also need a program to burn the files you create to a CD, I'm betting you already have at least one on your PC and you may find a program called Audacity useful for editing.

 

[mjbphotos]

If you want to make demo CDs to get work, then they better be good listening quality and be good examples of your live work. Skimping at the start probably won't help - if the CD sounds lousy, then it will result in no offer.
You say "cheapest", but what is your real target $$ expenditure?

 

[robnkatz]

Thanks for the Information

Hey Thanks for the information.

I will look for the software. Obviously there is some experimentationation required. I need a place to start.

Thanks again.

 

[robnkatz]

Target Expenditure.

If you want to make demo CDs to get work, then they better be good listening quality and be good examples of your live work. Skimping at the start probably won't help - if the CD sounds lousy, then it will result in no offer.
You say "cheapest", but what is your real target $$ expenditure?

I understand that I need to make a good demo, or the offers won't come.

I don't know at this what my target expendature is. I am looking for input so I can figure that out. Do some comparison shopping, new vs used that sort of thing.

Thats why I am here looking for help so I can suppliment my income.

I also didn't want to just plug my mixer into my computer and have it blow up.

Looking forward to more suggestions.

 

[solo2racr]

Don't take this the wrong way but what your asking has been answered so many times already. This is the reason why you haven't gotten much of an answer. Search the forums and the web

 

[VSpaceBoy]

I don't know at this what my target expendature is. I am looking for input so I can figure that out.

How can we tell you what your budget is? I'm sure you know if its $100, $1,000, or $10,000.

The best we can do is tell you how *best* to spend your budget.



The quick answer is this:
Are you looking to A) make this (recording) a hobby, or B) is your goal to get the music out? If your answer is B, then stop reading in the forum now and look for a cheap local studio. Most of them anymore have very cheap rates for bands starting out and a demo. Whatever it is you want, they can do it better and probably cheaper. If your answer is A, then use the Search feature up top while planning your budget.

Best of luck!!

 

[Randy Yell]

I think that you'll get better quality if you use a small mixer or mic preamp with your software rather than trying to plug a mic directly in your soundcard. You should forget about the soundhole pickup, if you want decent sound you'll have to mic your acoustic. The shure might be decent mics and very good for live use but to better results you should get a condensor. Actually Musicians Friend has a deal going that might be perfect for you, for $100 you get an Audio Buddy two channel preamp and both a small diameter and a large diameter condensor mic. Just plug the line outs of the Audio Buddy into the line in on your soundcard (you'll need a cable that'll go from two 1/4 inch plugs to whatever your lins input is). The small diameter is very useful for recording acoustic instruements and the LD will work good on vocals. Of course you should have something to monitor with but a inexpensive pair of headphones will at least get you up and rolling.

 

[jdier]

Great Site! Lots of great ideas and sugestions. But I don't have time to search all the threads.So let's get down to the real question.

What's the Cheapest way to make a CDs to hand out and find that gig?

Here is what I want to do:
I want to make some Demo/Audition CD's to pass out to local bars/clubs.
I used earn extra income performing live with groups and other people had recording equipment.

Here is what I do:
I play acustic music. Folk, bluegrass, country, some rock,

Here is what I have:
Peavey XR-600 power mixer and good speakers for a PA.
1 Sure SM-57 mic and 1 Sure SM-58. DeArmond Sound hole pickup and Boss pedal EQ.

I have 1/4in connections and can use effects out or monitor or even tape out (which is and RCA jack). I have usb ports and mic input on my computer.

I understand that maybe several solutions, and I will sacrifice quality, but I Really need a place to start.

Again What is the Cheapest way to do this?
Can I use this with some interface to my desktop PC?
I need to start making extra income.

Thanks. Looking forward to reading the suggestions

I just helped a buddy with the same deal.

He wound up buying a Toneport UX2 (I think that is the right model) an SM57 and Reaper software (www.reaper.fm)

I think his total spent was under $250 and he is making fine demo recordings now.

He said it took him all of a weekend to get it set up and to get comfortable with everything and he has never recorded before.

Hope that helps.

Jim