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BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO HOME RECORDING


Skol303

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I've found that the easiest way to get of latency is not to use software monitoring, but get a basic but good quality small mixer to record and monitor through.


Me too - in fact the more functions I can cover with hardware, the easier it is for the computer. I think software based solutions are convenient but they also become redundant after a couple of years. Edited by Dad3353
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Kiwi said:

Me too - in fact the more functions I can cover with hardware, the easier it is for the computer. I think software based solutions are convenient but they also become redundant after a couple of years.



True. Hardware definitely takes the strain off your computer's CPU. If you're running a newish computer however (which I'm not!), then it becomes much less of an issue.

The snag with software is more around longevity in my opinion. Will your DAW of choice still be supported in future? There was certainly a lot of hullabaloo when Logic switched to being Mac-only, after being bought by Apple. I suppose that applies to any software, but it can be an issue if you've invested substantially in platform-specific plug-ins, only to discover that your DAW of choice is no longer viable.

I've personally been using Reason on and off since 2000 and I can still open the files I created using Reason version 1 (not that I'd want to... my production skills were even worse back then!). So software redundancy has never been an issue I've encountered. Yet ;)

Edited by Dad3353
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  • 4 months later...

Hi Folks

I've just decided to venture into the DAW world and have an 2010 iMac with El Capitan as the OS, and which has Garageband on it. So far so good, and as a next step, I've bought a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB here on BC to use with it..

Having downloaded the drivers for it, it seems to be working, the lights are on etc, etc..and I can hear my bass when it's plugged into it via a pair of headphones.

But no matter what I do, I can't get Garageband to recognise the signal from my bass, even though I think I've set up the relevant settings in Garageband in order for that to happen.

Has anyone got any useful tips/advice on what i need to do to make this work??

Thanks

Nik

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  • 4 weeks later...


Hi Folks

I've just decided to venture into the DAW world and have an 2010 iMac with El Capitan as the OS, and which has Garageband on it. So far so good, and as a next step, I've bought a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB here on BC to use with it..

Having downloaded the drivers for it, it seems to be working, the lights are on etc, etc..and I can hear my bass when it's plugged into it via a pair of headphones.

But no matter what I do, I can't get Garageband to recognise the signal from my bass, even though I think I've set up the relevant settings in Garageband in order for that to happen.

Has anyone got any useful tips/advice on what i need to do to make this work??

Thanks

Nik



I've no experience with garage band.Did you make sure you selected the correct input in Garage band ie the same you plugged your bass in.Also on Focusrite interface box you can flick between instrument or line input depending if you use guitar or microphone.
Have you tried options menu in garage band and in preferences selected the correct audio.
I once phoned focusrite tech and they were helpfull. Edited by Dad3353
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  • 5 weeks later...

Housekeeping alert!

I'm going to review and generally tidy up this thread next chance I get... this is going to involve deleting some posts just to keep it all 'on topic' and geared up to beginners.

So please don't be offended if your post(s) disappear! It's not because I hate you; it's simply because I believe your contributions are worthless :D

I'm also going to subsume the existing How To Make A Good Looking And Sounding Youtube Video topic within this thread. The current thread hasn't been updated since 2015, so I think it's time to give it a new home here.

That is all. As you were.

Edited by Dad3353
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Skol303 said:


So please don't be offended if your post(s) disappear! It's not because I hate you; it's simply because I believe your contributions are worthless :D

 


Blimey, Paul. That is sad, people remembering what they have posted on Basschat. xD
Sorry mate, ignore me and carry on.

 

Edited by Dad3353
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lowdown said:


Blimey, Paul. That is sad, people remembering what they have posted on Basschat. xD

 


Haha! Well, most people here are probably drunk anyway, so little chance of them remembering anything:D

 

Edited by Dad3353
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  • 3 months later...

I use a Sony Vaio from about four years ago, i7 processor, 8Gb RAM, with a western digital caviar black 750Gb hd.

I regularly mix tunes with up to 100 tracks, and record 16 channels simultaneously with ease using Reaper. Hence the very fast hard drive.

I use an eSata external drive for backups never needed it for direct work.

Any mid to upper spec laptop from the last four or five years will be fine for starters and simpler work imo.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

YouTube: ''Brixton - Closer'' -this song was recorded with a German made '99 Warwick Streamer Standard clean/direct (no pre-amp, compression, nothing) to the desk. Without question, the best bass I've ever played (studio or live). My Rickenbacker 4003, Music Man Stingray & Fender Jazz no longer leave their bespoke cases. The Warwick has the best traits of all 3 and none of their downsides. The only problem is finding another Streamer just like it as a backup. Please, do have a listen.

Edited by Dad3353
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  • 1 month later...

Just caught up with this thread, cheers SKOL (pun intended). See you at the Chester bass bash hopefully.

ERROR pun not found.

I'll just add to this - borrowed a gen2 Focusrite 2i2s versus my gen1 2i4. Latency drops from about 14ms down to 4ms (in total). Big difference when playing into Ableton using the built in effects. I don't find 14ms a huge problem but it's enough for me to want to upgrade before there's a glut of gen1's on ebay!

Edited by Dad3353
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I'll just add to this - borrowed a gen2 Focusrite 2i2s versus my gen1 2i4. Latency drops from about 14ms down to 4ms (in total). Big difference when playing into Ableton using the built in effects. I don't find 14ms a huge problem but it's enough for me to want to upgrade before there's a glut of gen1's on ebay!



I've got a Focusrite Forte which they stopped supporting a few years ago so no more driver updates. Lag and general stability are the main issues (although I can't rule out other factors causing instability). So anyway, I've been thinking about the Scarlett gen2 as they seem to have pretty nice latency and shouldn't get dropped shortly after release by Focusrite. The Forte does sound beautiful though. Edited by Dad3353
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  • 1 month later...

It has been around 2 years ago I thought about recording my stuff that I try to play. I have saved up the money and ordered a pair of Yamaha HS8 monitors, which I hope to receive soon. I have the kit that I need I think, as I have a laptop, a Scarlett 2i2, and obviously a bass. I have been looking at Reaper, as the $60 seems reasonable. Really looking forward to hearing how bad I sound.

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timmo said:


It has been around 2 years ago I thought about recording my stuff that I try to play.... Really looking forward to hearing how bad I sound.

 


You've got everything you need right there and a lot of fun ahead of you :) (plus some frustration... but rest assured that rapidly subsides once you're over the immediate hurdles).

Use YouTube for tutorials and work your way through things methodically, one step at a time. A good 70% of whatever recording software you use will be irrelevant to begin with, so don't worry about all of the 'bells and whistles' and concentrate on the basics: how to record; how to edit your recordings; how to use MIDI instruments; the basics of EQ and compression.

And ask questions here if you get stuck! Plenty of people in the 'Rec forum use Reaper, so you're in good company.

 

Edited by Dad3353
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Skol303 said:

... (plus some frustration... but rest assured that rapidly subsides once you're over the immediate hurdles)....

 


Yes indeed. It's only the first forty years or so that are the worst, after which things tend to get (slightly...) better. :|

 

Edited by Dad3353
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  • 2 months later...

I notice a lot of good things being said about these Focusrite interfaces, and our guitarist has had good results from using them. Looking to upgrade my home setup myself, so just wondering whether anybody's tried getting one to work in Ubuntu/Ardour? I see that there's a lot of material online, including from the Focusrite developers' blog, suggesting that a 2i2 "could/should" work with Linux - can anyone confirm or deny these rumours?

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Try googling "focusrite scarlett unbuntu" - plenty of information available on various linux forums, definately worth having a read as there seems to be a few caveats - notably on some interfaces you can only access certain features by using the proprietary driver as they are not controlled from hardware switches/knobs - this could be a major annoyance depending on how you intend to use the interface, and there are quite a few choices at the same price point.

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