Beginners recording kit

[fretmeister]

Right - I've done plenty of recording - in other words standing in a room playing while someone else does the mics, levels, mixing etc, but not really done any of the techie stuff.

Last time I tried it was with a Line 6 UX2 and whatever free software came with it, and as my band mates had much better kit I didn't really use it


I'd like to give it another try. My PC is pretty basic and getting old - Win7 64bit, i3 3.20Ghz with 4GB Ram.


So I need software, an interface of some kind, and maybe more Ram?

Interface would need to do plug-in-able instruments as well as mics, and I suppose ideally cope with several inputs at once.


Total noob at this - so all advice is welcome

ta

[51m0n]

Reaper for the DAW is the best bang for the buck.

8 channel interfaces go for a Steinberg UR824 - gets a lot of love for good pres, decent software, decent converters for the money. Not top of the tip top kit, but good enough fo rmost home applications easily. You could happily record an album with it for sure.

2 channel (expandable via adat) then you are looking at an RME Babyface or Audient iD22 (which doesnt do midi so you would need a midi interface too - more infor on their site), with the option to get whatever 8 channel device you want later (Audient ASP008 is the best out there).

If thats too much outlay to start then Focusrite Scarlet series gets a lot of love n the budget range of kit. But you really do get what you pay for in recording I'm afraid.

[fretmeister]

Thank you.

I think I'll have to look at the Focusrite stuff. The other bits are a bit expensive for fun use at home!

Reaper seems dirt cheap though! Wow. I thought that was going to be the expensive bit.

[Skol303]

+1 to what 51m0n says!

We're posting up a sticky on this sort of stuff fairly soon. Watch this space, etc. Well not literally... go do something useful in the meantime

[fretmeister]

Ace!

I shall await the sticky with anticipation!

I've written tons of songs of the years and I reckon at least 3% of them deserve recording properly!!

[lurksalot]

I am a noob at this too , and I have a Focusrite scarlet interface and use Reaper . one of the big problems I had before this setup was getting the pieces of kit to talk to each other , but this setup works really well , and just as important , relatively simply .

[51m0n]

Pulled the trigger on an Audient asp008 today....


Its still not here (twiddles thumbs), still not here.......



Gaaaaaaaarghhhh!

[Skol303]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1383347289' post='2263576']Pulled the trigger on an Audient asp008 today....[/quote]

[i]Niiiice[/i] bit of kit there mate! The reviews sound excellent.

Have fun when it arrives

[Grangur]

I'm probably as noob as tbey come and looking forward to the sticky too, but my knowledge is that basic that I don't even understand tbis thread. Thanks all the same though, I'm getting ideas of where to look.

All I want to do is record my bass playing. I've got a pc and a Zoom B3. So far I've been plugging tbe bass into the B3 and using the usb to connect to the pc. I've been using Audacity. But I guess Reaper is better. Ideally it would also be good to record the drum rhythms from the B3 too.

Its working ok, but the levels I'm getting are low and a fair bit of white noise. Can anyone make any suggestions?

If this is hijacking someone s thread, then I would like to apologise.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Grangur

[lurksalot]

I know what you mean about not understanding what we are saying , It all sounds greek to me half the time , and even when people try to simplify it , it is sometimes difficult for them to recall what a PITA it can be on a self learn basis. the simplest connections don't work , you cant find the option to switch the input devices, you cant find the location of the devices either, when do do tell it to change , it defaults back to something else , then no volumes come through , or to much and you can't get the balance right

There are so many little things that get in the way that sometimes it just hurts , HOWEVER , with a fair bit of research , asking the questions here , some googling and you-tubing , it WILL become a lot clearer .

Keep it simple though , I would follow a path that uses proper kit for the job , use the Zoom for your tone , or even the drum loops, but then go through an interface into your computer , if you start buy using shortcuts (even though it can do the job in a fashion) you will end up chasing a workflow that doesnt work for all your instruments and inputs . but with the correct , but simple kit , you can make the recording process much simpler as it will be consistent and you will have the confidence to know that you will be able to record the sounds you are trying to .

Hope that helps a bit

[Si600]

Silly question, can you get multi track mixers that also have a recording function so that we can use the same desk to record ourselves and deal with a PA?

[Bigjas]

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1383569579' post='2265904']
Silly question, can you get multi track mixers that also have a recording function so that we can use the same desk to record ourselves and deal with a PA?
[/quote]

Have a look at something like this

[url="http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/X2442USB.aspx"]http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/X2442USB.aspx[/url]

You still need a PC with DAW. I have never used one so cannot comment on how good it is? They also do smaller ones with less inputs.

Jas

[Si600]

Thank you

[51m0n]

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1383569579' post='2265904'] Silly question, can you get multi track mixers that also have a recording function so that we can use the same desk to record ourselves and deal with a PA? [/quote]

Problem with that is that what goes through the PA is not all that is heard in the room, and so you cant really get a fantastic mix off just the PA inputs as a rule, and as with all rules in sound engineering someone has managed to break it under special circumstances but its generally accurate, certainly in smaller venues.

Of course if you have mega cash then you can do it with an RME UFX and a pair of the new RME 8 channel pres or a pair of the audient ASP008s giving you 20 inputs on stage, and crucially the RME TotalMix software. You wouldnt use a mixing desk at all, and the way the TotalMix software works you can capture everything to disk at sensible levels, but only put what you need to through the PA. Thats the Germans for you, utter genius bit of software!

In fact with the UFX you can record directly to an SD drive at the same time as a backup incase you get a disk write fail or an OS error. Seriously clever stuff. Of course you are looking at spending the better part of 4 grand (not including laptop, mics and leads etc) but what does that matter!

Edited November 4, 2013 by 51m0n

[Si600]

While that sounds tremendously cool, what I actually meant was could we get a desk that would allow us to record our practice sessions as well as being able to mix a PA when necessary. Something like a mixer with a built in HDD or a USB interface for connecting a PC to.

[Skol303]

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1383382919' post='2263777']I know what you mean about not understanding what we are saying , It all sounds greek to me half the time[/quote]

Δεν ξέρω τι πράγμα μιλάς! Κάνει όλα τέλεια νόημα για μένα

[Si600]

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1383315877' post='2263076']
+1 to what 51m0n says!

We're posting up a sticky on this sort of stuff fairly soon. Watch this space, etc. Well not literally... go do something useful in the meantime
[/quote]

Wot no sticky?