What do... I .. do?

[Brooks11]

What do... I .. do?

*Note: I did know the proper board for this.

Note: This could be drenched with fluff and extra length, as I am quite a expatiator when it comes to the realm of explanation~ aka, I always say more than needed in every category, especially when it comes to asking questions.

2nd Note: I know in reality probably Jack about recording, the only recording experience I have is with my handheld digital recorder because before recording music with it as more of a note, I used it to jot down all my notes, ideas, and other for my writing (non musical related).


Background: Loved music since I was.. 14-16. When I started to adore it even more I actually thought I was simply to old to start playing an instrument... then one day I was listening to music and I decided "I want to play so..... why not?"

I picked up the guitar and havn't looked back, 20 now, started 3 months ago, I play and involve myself with music 10-15 hours a day. I've gotten to the point where I do have enough songs to probably consider recording, though I could easily just hoard them and wait. Plus I feel like when songs are fresh you really need to record them, everyday you don't you become further severed from the original intent, the original emotion. But yeah I have about 10 real songs that I actually think are worthy- varying in style, genre, and I'm sure needs for recording technique.


Here's my question: The older I get the more I realize simple is better, and to have 200 pairs of jeans to buy is worse than 5 pairs of jeans to buy. What I'm getting at, is I want to know what I really should do for my 'recording setup'.
Very simply put my music is no more complicated than Beck's [One Foot in the Grave] early stuff and John's (Frusciante's) [Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt] early stuff. Very very simple stuff- well in terms of recording needs. {I am guessing that though}
I know John used nothing but a 4 track I do believe.
And I know Beck used 4 trakcs and then a basement studio with Calvin for One Foot~

My biggest question is: Analog or Digital.


To base your advice... my music as stated is very similar to the aforementioned.

As well my musical equipment included an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, an amp, Harmonica, my voice, cymbals, Bongo Drums, other household items. I really don't think there could be anything else, not for my solo stuff.
-
My music will consist as well with many Double Voice Overs and Second Voice overs both by me and other people. I'm planning to of course record this all seperately in terms of seperate tracks and then combining them (ofc).

Also my current recording equipment if any is a Digitial Handheld recorder which actually records my guitar quite decent I think, Recording software that actually came with it. A laptop computer 2007~ Audacity I suppose?

Probably where it gets itchy, different songs do require different stuff, I have some songs where it would be anywhere from 1-4 tracks needed and then others where it could be anywhere from 4-24.


So I suppose after "I" choose digital or analog, I then need to ask what do equipment do I need?

If I do analog: What equipment do I need in terms of recording the type of music I've described. Items, software, hardware?

If I do digital: What equipment do I need in terms of recording the type of music I've described. Items, software, hardware?

I guess what I'm asking is do I just need a 4 track / 8 track and a mic with what I got. Or do I need more, what do I need?


Really as I ramble, digital or analog if which then what do I need to aquire to get along the results I've described for one of the above.


So which school of recording, then the items for the school, specific items or guidelines for WOULD BE GREAT. As well price, tell me whatever in terms of price for said item, though really the lowest possible I need to provide a sound satisfactory. I mean theres no question I project and envision lo-fi recording, in fact it's what I want. You can't beat solo work with an intimate feel~



Note: I will say as well if your not biased I really seem to be a fan of analog over digital as long as it's not holding me back in any way really, and please tell me if it does.



Finally I know this is most likely incredibly stupid to ask but should I actually just go and find someone who has a studio/recording setup. I have some friends here and there that I think could hook me up. So I probably should do that because they have experience with recording and making music as well as they'll streamline it, help me, teach me, supply the necessaries, and it will be more fun and organic most likely. Hell as I typed this I kept thinking, why don't I do that, but snice my brain is fried from the tackles of the day I figure I'll just post this to you gurus and see what the ones with knowledge have to say~


Thanks to all, any amount, quality or quanity of information, help, advice is greatly appreciated.



P.S. Yes I am praying someone tells me go crazy with a 4 track and whatever... but only if that's really all I need~

 

[moresound]

What do... I .. do?

*Note: I did know the proper board for this.

Note: This could be drenched with fluff and extra length, as I am quite a expatiator when it comes to the realm of explanation~ aka, I always say more than needed in every category, especially when it comes to asking questions.

2nd Note: I know in reality probably Jack about recording, the only recording experience I have is with my handheld digital recorder because before recording music with it as more of a note, I used it to jot down all my notes, ideas, and other for my writing (non musical related).


Background: Loved music since I was.. 14-16. When I started to adore it even more I actually thought I was simply to old to start playing an instrument... then one day I was listening to music and I decided "I want to play so..... why not?"

I picked up the guitar and havn't looked back, 20 now, started 3 months ago, I play and involve myself with music 10-15 hours a day. I've gotten to the point where I do have enough songs to probably consider recording, though I could easily just hoard them and wait. Plus I feel like when songs are fresh you really need to record them, everyday you don't you become further severed from the original intent, the original emotion. But yeah I have about 10 real songs that I actually think are worthy- varying in style, genre, and I'm sure needs for recording technique.


Here's my question: The older I get the more I realize simple is better, and to have 200 pairs of jeans to buy is worse than 5 pairs of jeans to buy. What I'm getting at, is I want to know what I really should do for my 'recording setup'.
Very simply put my music is no more complicated than Beck's [One Foot in the Grave] early stuff and John's (Frusciante's) [Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt] early stuff. Very very simple stuff- well in terms of recording needs. {I am guessing that though}
I know John used nothing but a 4 track I do believe.
And I know Beck used 4 trakcs and then a basement studio with Calvin for One Foot~

My biggest question is: Analog or Digital.


To base your advice... my music as stated is very similar to the aforementioned.

As well my musical equipment included an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, an amp, Harmonica, my voice, cymbals, Bongo Drums, other household items. I really don't think there could be anything else, not for my solo stuff.
-
My music will consist as well with many Double Voice Overs and Second Voice overs both by me and other people. I'm planning to of course record this all seperately in terms of seperate tracks and then combining them (ofc).

Also my current recording equipment if any is a Digitial Handheld recorder which actually records my guitar quite decent I think, Recording software that actually came with it. A laptop computer 2007~ Audacity I suppose?

Probably where it gets itchy, different songs do require different stuff, I have some songs where it would be anywhere from 1-4 tracks needed and then others where it could be anywhere from 4-24.


So I suppose after "I" choose digital or analog, I then need to ask what do equipment do I need?

If I do analog: What equipment do I need in terms of recording the type of music I've described. Items, software, hardware?

If I do digital: What equipment do I need in terms of recording the type of music I've described. Items, software, hardware?

I guess what I'm asking is do I just need a 4 track / 8 track and a mic with what I got. Or do I need more, what do I need?


Really as I ramble, digital or analog if which then what do I need to aquire to get along the results I've described for one of the above.


So which school of recording, then the items for the school, specific items or guidelines for WOULD BE GREAT. As well price, tell me whatever in terms of price for said item, though really the lowest possible I need to provide a sound satisfactory. I mean theres no question I project and envision lo-fi recording, in fact it's what I want. You can't beat solo work with an intimate feel~



Note: I will say as well if your not biased I really seem to be a fan of analog over digital as long as it's not holding me back in any way really, and please tell me if it does.



Finally I know this is most likely incredibly stupid to ask but should I actually just go and find someone who has a studio/recording setup. I have some friends here and there that I think could hook me up. So I probably should do that because they have experience with recording and making music as well as they'll streamline it, help me, teach me, supply the necessaries, and it will be more fun and organic most likely. Hell as I typed this I kept thinking, why don't I do that, but snice my brain is fried from the tackles of the day I figure I'll just post this to you gurus and see what the ones with knowledge have to say~


Thanks to all, any amount, quality or quanity of information, help, advice is greatly appreciated.



P.S. Yes I am praying someone tells me go crazy with a 4 track and whatever... but only if that's really all I need~

.Digital is funner, easier and less expensive than Analog imho .

 

[gecko zzed]

For your purposes, I would go digital.

If you want simple, low tech, lo-fi* and easy, then analog is probably easier ~ you can still get four track cassette decks around the place.

But you will get better quality more easily with digital. That's not to say that analog can't provide exceptional quality . . . it's just that to achieve it you have to go to considerable lengths in sourcing and acquiring higher-end gear, and then coupling it all together.

If you already have a laptop, then going digital is part-way done.

Have a search for:

* USB interfaces
* A pair of respectable speakers for monitoring
* A couple of reasonable mikes

And make use of one of a variety of free downloadable music programs. You mentioned Audacity, which is fine. Many of the interfaces come bundled with a program. All the programs do similar things and can deliver satisfying results.

*Lo-fi is not an equivalent to "intimate", nor does it guarantee intimacy. A sonically degraded recording is something that you can aspire to once you can achieve reasonable quality recordings first.

 

[Armistice]

so, just curious, how many verses do your songs have, on average?

20? 30?

Digital.

How much $ are you committing to the cause? Possibly you may have mentioned that already but I phased out about halfway, sorry..

 

[Brooks11]

Could you explain monitoring? And speakers for such?

*Lo-fi is not an equivalent to "intimate", nor does it guarantee intimacy. A sonically degraded recording is something that you can aspire to once you can achieve reasonable quality recordings first.

I didn't mean to imply that lo-fi automatically ensures an intimate enviroment, I only just do like the lo-fi sound which can at times surly help an inimate enviroment.

A sonically degraded recording is something that you can aspire to once you can achieve reasonable quality recordings first.

Could you elaborate on this further.



Thanks gecko~

peace~


and moresound~

 

[Brooks11]

For money commital, enough to get me a satisfactory sound that is worthy of lo-fi. So for example enough to get an early John or Beck sound, as stated from what I've said a basic I think they were along the lines 4 / 8 track type setup. Whatever that costs in whole to be satisfactory.


For my music it depends how you slice it.

At the very most I probably have 15 songs that I could finish and record in 8-12hrs recording a day for 3 days give or take. Simply by taking into account I have no experience with real recording.

Now of those 15 I say I think 10 are 'worthy' to me means a friend or someone would say is this track worth listening to, I would say "for me it is, defintally". And of those 10 I would say there are 1-3 under a minute. 3-7 between 2-5 minutes and 1-2 5:30 minutes plus.

Cause when you said versus, I took that meant lyrics and that just doesn't sum up how much the songs pack. Though I was a writer long long before I was 'musician', so lyrics hold a very dear part with me.


Does that answer your question and if it doesn't please do ask again ^^


peace~

 

[mustangboy]

Help please

can somebody please tell me hot to post a new tread? I'm having some troubles...

 

[Brooks11]

Go to whatever board you want, ITS WHERE you can see all the threads.

Then just go to the top of all the threads and find (believe me it's there) new thread. Click it, then type your post. and your good to go~

cheers and good luck~

 

[mustangboy]

gotcha. thanks

 

[nave]

The thing about the number of verses was a joke. Like haha, get it?

Anyway, forget analog. I can't believe people are still asking this question. Digital or analog, really?

Get a firewire or USB card or something. Record using the card's built in preamps and a cheap mic. Then pay no attention to how you set anything up. Definitely do not read anything about recording. I guarantee you will produce something lo-fi.

If, by some miracle of digital, you make something of "commercial" quality, then screw it. Toss the sound card interface and break the rules - just plug that guitar straight into the 1/8 jack microphone input that came on your computer. Got a pair of any old headphones? You might be able to use them as your microphone if you're clever. ha. I'm only half joking, of course.

In fact, why wait. Don't buy anything. Download Audacity or Reaper, start recording now and see what happens.

Of course, this is all terrible advice. But, people who make lo-fi records don't give much of a hoot about recording or they are just broke and use whatever they have at their disposal and little more. The truth is that you don't need much gear if lo-fi is your goal and you don't need to pay much attention to any of the rules. Just go to radio shack, get some adapters 1/4" to 1/8" adapters, plug in and go. If you are unhappy with the results, then start thinking about buying some gear.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Do you have $100,000? If yes, go analog. If no, go digital.

We all have to remember that analog is not a Tascam Portastudio. At least not the analog we remember listening to on our favorite albums. These days, even the tapes are going to run you about $100 each for "real" analog.

 

[Supercreep]

................Digital.