Dad3353

Many of the answers to your questions, and others to come, are here, on this very Forum ... Beginner's Guide To Home Recording...

My mini keyboard is an M-Audio 32-key Keystation, bought for very little. It plugs into a USB port. Most of these items can be bought used for about half the list price. I got both of my audio interfaces this way. Most of my Vst instruments were free.

There are interfaces with MIDI ports.

An interface will plug into a USB port. They cost, second-hand, from £10 to whatever, or new from around £50 or so. Just a second and I'll bring up a short list. It's better to get one with a MIDI port, for future use, I'd say. Back in a jiffy... Here you go... Thomann USB Audio Interfaces ... Have a look through that lot, then ask more questions.

To me, that seems quite obvious. For my sins, I spent much of my career in IT. This involved much perusal of technical tomes on subjects such as Operating Systems, Production Management, Statistics, Programming In Cobol and more. I can't honestly say that these would have been my choice for bed-time relaxation and getting off to sleep. So yes, my 'learning' stuff (on drums, but, whatever...) has been Joe Morello method books, Max Abrams Drum Rudiments and many more of similar ilk. Slight difference; I listen to Joe Morello for pleasure, too. It's not the same 'listening', though when I'm 'working' on stuff. To me, that seems quite obvious.

How are your bass and the PC connected..? Are you using the 'mic' input socket..?

What latency..? I use the built-in metronome when putting down a first track, then add more tracks using this same metronome. If necessary, I listen to a previous track, and if it turns out to be mis-aligned, I just move the track along slightly to line it up. For simple stuff (basic chords, a bass line, a drum track, some singing...) there's no issue at all. It's true that in a major studio, the equipment is better spec'ed, certainly, and needs to be, but for writing a basic song, you've all you need to get going, I'd say. Don't forget a good headset, too, though, for monitoring and mixing.

I think there's a bit of confusion creeping in, here. 'Lest we forget' is one thing, but 'We were 40,000 short' is quite another, and not connected. Remember, and respect, if you will, but equating the victory against all odds in other, different, circumstances doesn't cut it, in my view. The 'WWII' spirit is not useful in present times; a 'present times' spirit might be more appropriate. Just sayin'.

This will do nicely for quite a while, and will get you started; my PC was much lower spec than that in the beginning. I use Reaper as a DAW, which will work fine on such a machine, and costs nothing to trial. Pay for a license when you're ready, if you've found nothing better since. You'll need an interface, though, to plug the bass into. The Focusrite entry-level stuff has a very good reputation on this forum; there are others, but that one is a sure-fire bet. A guitar is an option, but you may want to consider a mini keyboard, which offers many possibilities for composing backing stuff, with piano, organ or synth sounds from Vst instruments (there are many free ones that are more than useful...). Yes, such a keyboard plugs into a MIDI socket of an interface, but it's very easy to set up, so no fear of getting sucked down a rabbit hole. Just my tuppence-worth; hope this helps.

I don't think that that bass has been 'reliced'; it's been worn that way through use.

Apprehending and 'falling down stairs' are quite different, I'd say. I'm glad you never make mistakes, though, and 'apprehend' the wrong person.

I had to learn how to inject myself with daily insulin doses, as a life saver. It took me all of five minutes, a few years ago now, given the right equipment, and I've been doing it ever since with no problems, despite onset of old age. I reckon most ornery folks could get trained up for vaccinating quickly and easily. Here in France, it's the pharmacists that carry out flu shots. Are there no pharmacists in the UK able to assist..?

Send a link to Lurks to use, please..? Pretty please..?

No stands for the basses and guitars..? I know that they're Yamahas, and won't break easily, but I wouldn't want to lay any instrument against a wall or bench in such a fashion.

Indeed, it's a refreshing change to read this overflowing 'half-full' glass. There's doubtless more 'stuff' to come, down the road, but Shirley even a little light at the end of this tunnel is a Good Thing..?

I'd like to see him playing that same song in twenty year's time. And maybe those that need some 'special' bass because they have 'small hands' could learn something from watching this..? (It's still sad to see the 'frightened rabbit' look flash by when he makes those tiny mistakes. )

MIDI signals are what connects my keyboards and electronic drum kit to my PC, to trigger Vst instruments and Fx. I also use, occasionally, a MIDI converter to record MIDI signals from my bass and/or guitars, to play brass or woodwind lines that I'd struggle with on keys, for instance. They allow me to play, recording the MIDI, and, if required (quite often, as it happens..!), edit the recorded MIDI signals to remove duff notes, tidy up the timing, adjust velocities and other Fx parameters. It's not difficult to do easy stuff; it only requires the PC to know on which MIDI channel to expect the signals to come in on, and this is done in my Reaper DAW. If you've no need, ignore it, but I have found the MIDI connections to be of great utility.

Good afternoon, RBB, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, Bastien, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

@codhead : Go, go, go..! No time to waste...

And this is symmetrical..?

Stop it..! I'm almost exactly halfway through The Complete Fiction Of H P Lovecraft, and, true to my policy of not reading several books at once, need to finish this before embarking on Alfie's journey. I don't think I could cope with alternating chapters of these two. No spoilers, then, please ("I especially liked the bit where his amp suddenly..." No, no; just shut up..! ).

Intrigued by your, apparently knowledgeable, description, I actually went to see what's at the other end of the kind invitation to world stardom. I see a quite different persona as an avatar (I wasn't enamoured by the chest I saw...), and the latest posting on offer is, it would seem, a lengthy monologue from a world-famous astrologue, to judge from the description. I'd have listened through it, but I have some paint that needs attention whilst it dries, so I'll forego the pleasure. Feel free, though, but I think the chest will disappoint.