Guitar- recording at home

[b8man]

Can't belive nobody has suggested the Line6 UX1 and UX2! Absolutely amazing USB guitar (and mic on UX2) interface which comes with gearbox software with a ton of great amp and FX models. There's pretty much no latency problem, it's easy, looks amazing on your computer, and is great for taking guitar notes. I've had mine (UX2) for about 1 year and still love it! Just connect good speakers to your PC or get some damn good cans.

Software wise - Ableton Live 6 is really easy and flexible. Within 10 minutes of starting the tutorials you'll have recorded something. There's lots to learn, but it's worth it. Still have issues with the beats though - but essentially all you have to do is download some hip-hop drum loops and start mixing and matching.

When you get all the software and hardware give yourself at least 2 days solid to get into it and familiarize yourself with the interface. Otherwise it'll just sit there on your computer and never get used.

Now - SMOKE! AND PLAY!

 

[Green W. Bush]

When it comes to songwriting, I used to subscribe to the early Jeff Tweedy (also Jay-z LOL) philosophy that if it doesn't stick in your head, and you can't write a song and remember it it isn't worth recording in the first place. There's certainly something to it, those will be the types of songs that will stick in other people's heads.

But there's also something to be said for the patchwork method, where all these little parts you record piecemeal are later brought and merged into something holistic. I do this more, seems to be denser and more cerebral. Harder to remember though!

Don't be like me and waste all your money on equipment you may or may not use. Just spend more time/money on basic starter guitar / lessons, etc etc AND PRACTICE! Don't just get stoney and convince you're the next Hendrix. Though I think this is an essential part of the equation. Everyone has that. Even hacks But its all about learning to hear and express your own unique inner voice.

Dude, my posts today have been mad lame. Sorry.

 

[fr33th3w33d]

^^ dude i can play and i can write.. its just a matter of how much shit i can fit into my head.. between bio-chem-soc-psych-guitar-chicks-work-and life.. its pretty hard to remember a badass riff i managed to piece together while jammin..

 

[oldpink]

depends on the level you want to take it to
I use 12 channel mixers a PC and Sonar software to do multi tracking
but I do it professionally, you can do it with a basic sound card if you just want to record a single track
all you need is a jack to mini jack into your soundcard

 

[Rastanfisk]

If you Want a cheap way is PLUG your jack (Just by a big stick to small )
in the hole that you use to put your head set in, use the hole with the in line. You have one for the
Out( Sound)
Cam.
In ( Where you speak)
Windows has a Recorder in there program. Plug and PLAY
Cheap Way

But I also have an Old sound card MAudio2496
Product Features & Specifications
• 4x4, 24-bit/96khz, full-duplex recording interface with MIDI I/O.
• Configured as a PCI adapter card with external break-out cable.
• 2x2 analog I/O accepts common unbalanced audio on RCA jacks.
• Break-out cable supports coaxial S/PDIF digital I/O and 1x1 (16
channel) MIDI operation.
• High analog dynamic range: D/A 104dB, A/D 100.4 dB (both A weighted).
• All data paths support up to 24bit/96kHz performance, no upgrades
necessary.
• Comprehensive digital mixing, routing, and monitoring capabilities
with included Delta Control Panel software.
• Hardware sample-accurate sync will allow linking of multiple
Audiophile and “Delta” series products.
• Windows 95/98 multi-card drivers with ASIO1 and ASIO2 multi-card,
GSIF and EASI drivers included; Windows NT multi-card and Mac OS
drivers with ASIO 1&2 also included.

Don´t know what it costs now a days!
But get your self
Propellerhead Reason 3,0 and some Loop download it from Torrents.
It´s easy too youse and record making your own Beat´s yha ist for NEW BEE´s.
GL

 

[sfritz]

Personally I'd pass on the mboxes and just get a little mixer. Protools has its pros and cons. The pros are its complexity, you could record studio quality stuff with it. It's VERY complicated, altho intuitive to use. There's things I don't like about mboxes, including:

-You REALLY need to tweak windows to make it work the best. After you have a few tracks down, recording another one crashes the program a lot, and often I don't realize it til I'm done playing the track, which wastes a lot of time, and is VERY frustrating if you really nailed that guitar solo or whatever, and now u gotta play it again.
-Only 2 inputs,
-NO aux, so you have to run guitar-> FX-> mbox, which means you can't adjust any hardware fx mix except on the fx unit itself, which sux.. Why should you have to? I have a nice dbx 266 compressor and a Rane 2 channel 31 band eq I couldn't even use!
-It's $449 on musiciansfriend.com prolly $350+ on ebay, and it's overpriced for what it does. I think you're paying more for the Protools, and they skimp on the hardware.
-The included compression, EQ, and most other modules suck. I haven't seen any plugins that I really really like. You will pay big bucks for good plugins.
-I'm also not a big fan of mbox preamps.. Even yamaha and mackie pre's (universally considered middle-lower end) are way better.
-I HATE the proprietary hw/sw interface betw. the mbox and protools. Protools ONLY works with digi hardware, you can't make protools record from the PC's mic/line in. Conversely, the mbox hardward isn't recognized by Sonar, Cakewalk, Cubase, etc.

There's a bunch of decent little mixers with USB outs on em, which is kewl cuz you dont have to mess with input gain on your PC at all. But even any little analog mixer can connect to the inputs on your sound card.

I prefer mixers because you can plug in your mics and instruments, amp line-out's, etc. and LEAVE em plugged in. I hate moving cords around. Mixers will allow fx loops, EQ'ing, direct/main/monitor outs, etc. They're just a LOT more flexible.

I've had a little yamaha mixer for years. This particular one is 10 channels, comes with Cubase, another very popular DAW, for $200 new shipped to your door.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-MW10-10Input-USB-Mixing-Studio?sku=630204&src=3WFRWXX

I've never tried this Alesis one, but I'd still use it over an mbox. It's practically the same thing as the yamaha one, except 2 less channels. $149 shipped.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-MultiMix-8USB-Mixer-with-USB-and-DSP?sku=630166

 

[Rastanfisk]

It´s a BIG World out there!! I Can mansion a lot of programs, but i won´t ....
You choose..
NEVER HAD any problems with the Mbox !!!

 

[Shmike]

I've done this before, a patch cord from the headphone jack on a pedal or amp to the microphone jack on the computer. The windows sound recorder does a pretty good job for a temporary, free, substitute for recording software.

 

[Jack D Ripper]

^ I use a rig like that with "Audacity" for the software, its free and open source. =)

 

[sfritz]

NEVER HAD any problems with the Mbox !!!

Maybe I am doggin on mboxes a little, but it's deserved imo.. It's nothing more than a 2 channel mixer with NO options whatsoever. Using software plugins for eq and other basic fx is ridiculous, especially when u pay all that $ for one.

 

[fr33th3w33d]

i went with this thing as mentioned by strain searcher..

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

cheap, read nothing but good about it and comes with some alright software. problem solved.. thanks everyone..

 

[Rastanfisk]

NO P

 

[D0nC0smic]

i have to agree with a few of the earlier posts, i'm not a fanboy, but this is the kind of thing Macs were made for

 

[Berry_Coughin']

Mbox2 firewire ProTools LE... and an EV RE-27 N/D and you'll be set...

 

[happyherb]

not having a decent pc over the years...ive found it hard to try out that many multi track programs...one i found..but really still need to read how to use it properly and get a better sound card.

KRISTAL is a free program and is usefull to get an idea down and probly more.

http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/index.php?section=details


nice thread ....i'll keep checking back for some usefull info.HH. =]-~

 

[Berry_Coughin']

get an apple, protools, and an ev mic.... you're gold

 

[Berry_Coughin']

 

[smoke1sun]

what kind of sound do you get from that ev mic? is it more high, or more of a tube warm like sound? Also what preamd do u use with it? im looking to add a mic, right now i have the rode ntk and omg its nice warm and smooth love it, but i wanna nice high sounding mic also.

 

[Berry_Coughin']

that mic is great for studio recording.... mic'ing instruments, and vocals both... industry standard for broadcast/recording... clean, warm, it is dynamic, and made of neodymium magnet structure... the pc filter board, has a low roll off, a mid, and a high... kind of like a crossover.... preamp? its an xlr connection and it'll plug into anything... no phantom power required.....

 

[happyherb]

BUMP...

just got my acoustic guitar back yesterday...bought a really shitty pair of head phones and a shitty mic today....

downloading what i suggested above > http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/ind...ection=details .....no real memory anymore of how good or bad it is...just want to get some songs down/ideas....and maybe let some ppl hear them and see what they think?

*** whats the best place/way to put them online or /somewhere/someway to share with ppl? other than putting in limewire ect for all to hear(not what i want to do really)...like i wouldnt mind say saying to ppl here in a thread"hey check out this"***

just got the itch...and forgot about my suggestion for this program until i just went searching for a program ...

bumped for more general info...and so others may find some info to help them .HH. =]-~