Trying to get Setup

[jayjay76]

I am brand new to recording, but want to get setup in this. We have a band that has written our own tunes and thus far, everyone that has heard them say they're excellent. However, in order to do a proper demo CD, we want to ensure we get the right equipment. We don't want to have to go into a studio if we don't have to..

That said, we have an Alesis Studio 24 mixer and am wondering where we are better off ... purchasing something like a Tascam 16 channel home recording unit, or software for the PC to use that to record and mix. I am good with computers, so that part is easy ... just the learning curve for the software is the only real obstacle here.

I've heard a lot about Cakewalk but can't find it ... I can find addons on their site, but not the original Cakewalk software, unless something has changed with it?

SO ... I need some advice if I can get that.

Will my SB Live card be enough to begin, or should I get a better, more powerful card? (Money is not necessarily a problem so long as it's half-way reasonable)

What software would be recommended? We play country/crossover/alternative (all 3) if that makes a difference.
We do have a MIDI keyboard, although MIDI is brand new, as well, so there will be another learning curve.

What I'm wondering if I can do is put a plain cheap (but fast) computer in our studio (which happens to be our garage currently) to do the recording there, and then burn the .wav files onto CD, and then bring them indoors to my main computer where I could work with them, mix them, etc.

Any and all advice will be very graciously appreciated.

 

[AlChuck]

I've heard a lot about Cakewalk but can't find it ... I can find addons on their site, but not the original Cakewalk software, unless something has changed with it?

That's because Cakewalk-- the recording software itself, not the company -- is no longer sold. The Pro Audio line has evolved into SONAR.

Will my SB Live card be enough to begin, or should I get a better, more powerful card? (Money is not necessarily a problem so long as it's half-way reasonable)

It's a fine card to begin with. Eventually you will probably want something with better audio recording specs, but it's certainly capable of very decent results, and it has a very useable on-board synth/sampler and a MIDI interface.

What software would be recommended? We play country/crossover/alternative (all 3) if that makes a difference.
We do have a MIDI keyboard, although MIDI is brand new, as well, so there will be another learning curve.

If you plan to use MIDI (which I strongly recommend you do), SONAR is an excellent choice. But it's mostly a matter of personal preference. Off the top of my head, similar products are Cubase, Logic, and Samplitude. They all do essentially the same thing but in different ways. Note also that all of these products have different levels, one or more "lite" versions in addition to the top-of-the-line-$$$ flagship applications.

What I'm wondering if I can do is put a plain cheap (but fast) computer in our studio (which happens to be our garage currently) to do the recording there, and then burn the .wav files onto CD, and then bring them indoors to my main computer where I could work with them, mix them, etc.

Sure, you can certainly do that with any of these applications. This brings me back to the soundcard thing. If you have a SB Live, you will only be able to record two tracks at once. So if you want to record your band with at least one track per instrument (which of course is the most flexible way to record, letting you work on the tracks individually with EQ and volume adjustments and panning in the stereo mix and effects and such), you will need a soundcard with more inputs. That's going to add significantly to cost (an SB Live is about $75, while the cheapest 4-input card is at least twice that, and 8-input cards even more...). There's a new model in the M Audio Delta series that has 8 analog inputs, including a pair (I think) of mic preamps and a MIDI port, called the Delta 1010LT, that might be your most cost-effective alternative.

http://www.midiman.net/products/m-audio/1010lt.php

 

[jayjay76]

<Quote><B>Sure, you can certainly do that with any of these applications. This brings me back to the soundcard thing. If you have a SB Live, you will only be able to record two tracks at once. So if you want to record your band with at least one track per instrument (which of course is the most flexible way to record, letting you work on the tracks individually with EQ and volume adjustments and panning in the stereo mix and effects and such), you will need a soundcard with more inputs. That's going to add significantly to cost (an SB Live is about $75, while the cheapest 4-input card is at least twice that, and 8-input cards even more...). There's a new model in the M Audio Delta series that has 8 analog inputs, including a pair (I think) of mic preamps and a MIDI port, called the Delta 1010LT, that might be your most cost-effective alternative. </b></quote>

This is the part I don't quite understand: if you, for example, record 2 tracks simultaneously (and have a 5 piece band), could you not then record the next 2, and then the next 1 to get all tracks, and then start adding audio tracks? Then, take each track in its 'raw' format and begin panning, mixing, etc., to get the perfect mix... or am I missing something here?

Thanks.

 

[axehead]

You could do this. In an ideal world, you would want to create a cue mix, by having separate tracks for all the different instruments/vocals in the band, and then recording them all simultaneously in order to get the feeling of a live performance. You'd then overdub each track, one at a time, using the cue mix to set the structure of the song.

However, you could just do what you suggested, but it makes it more difficult without the cue mix. You'd have to lay down the rhythm track first, and then build up the rest of the tracks. You really want to be able to have each track recorded without any spillage from other tracks. Then you could get on with the process of mixing.

 

[AlChuck]

There's also the issue of the capturing the vibe of the band playing together as opposed to overdubbing each part.

 

[TexRoadkill]

If you want to record drums then you will definately want more than 2 tracks at a time. For guitar, vocals and bass 2 tracks will be limiting but probably enough.