Home recording or banging my head against a wall.

[Dom in Dorset]

A couple of years ago I bought a thing called Focusrite Scarlet.  It's a box with a couple of cables,  a mic , stand and headphones.  According to the blurb "Easy Start gets you set up in minutes. All the software you need is in the box. There’s no faster way to make studio quality recordings than Scarlett."

Utter sh1te , I spent hours registering things, downloading things, no software came with it. In frustration I downloaded a couple of different recording software packages,  couldn't get my head around it,  achieved nothing,  put it away and gave up. Two years later I've dug it all out again and watched the tutorial video provided by audacity ....utter gibberish.  So two more of my life that I won't get back and I've achieved slightly less than nothing. 

Theyshould have waited until all of the old people had died before introducing new things.

 

 

[Jakester]

Conversely I've had a Saffire and a Scarlett, and both worked fine out of the box for me.

 

It's not always the manufacturer's fault....

[Dom in Dorset]

1 minute ago, Jakester said:

Conversely I've had a Saffire and a Scarlett, and both worked fine out of the box for me.

 

It's not always the manufacturer's fault....

What actual recording software did you use?

[Jakester]

I've used Reaper and Logic Pro.

[SteveXFR]

I've got a Focusrite Scarlett. I remember it being pretty easy to install. It comes with a link to a free DAW which is terrible so I use Reaper instead. 

[Dom in Dorset]

3 minutes ago, Jakester said:

I've used Reaper and Logic Pro.

Did the device come with this software and what was your previous experience?

Edited January 5 by Dom in Dorset

[SteveXFR]

Just now, Dom in Dorset said:

Did the device come with this software and what was your previous experience?

 

It doesn't come with either. Reaper is available as a download. There's a 30 day free trial which never expires.

 

https://www.reaper.fm/

 

[fretmeister]

Reaper is dead easy to use with a Scarlett.

Loads of YouTube tutorials for it as well.

 

Then you either mic up your cab or use plugins to simulate amp tones and so on.

 

Should be recording something within 30 mins.

[miles'tone]

18 minutes ago, Dom in Dorset said:

A couple of years ago I bought a thing called Focusrite Scarlet.  It's a box with a couple of cables,  a mic , stand and headphones.  According to the blurb "Easy Start gets you set up in minutes. All the software you need is in the box. There’s no faster way to make studio quality recordings than Scarlett."

Utter sh1te , I spent hours registering things, downloading things, no software came with it. In frustration I downloaded a couple of different recording software packages,  couldn't get my head around it,  achieved nothing,  put it away and gave up. Two years later I've dug it all out again and watched the tutorial video provided by audacity ....utter gibberish.  So two more of my life that I won't get back and I've achieved slightly less than nothing. 

Theyshould have waited until all of the old people had died before introducing new things.

 

 

Totally with you there, and been there too. Like the Beach Boys said, "I just wasn't made for these times".

This made me laugh and sums up my own relationship with "Tech".

*mucho swearing alert*...

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15RSjfTYm3/

 

[AMV001]

I'm exactly the same as you. If something doesn't work within two minutes of opening the box, I start to lose interest. I also have zero patience for troubleshooting computer problems.

 

Having said that, I wanted to record ideas at home and realised I needed an interface so I too, bought the Focusrite Scarlett. I downloaded Reaper too, as I was advised that Audacity had limited functions for multitrack recording.

 

The Focusrite came without a full manual but the included paperwork had a link to a step by step video of how to set it up. The whole thing took me about 10 mins and I was recording straight away. It wasn't difficult or annoying.

 

If I can do it, so can you. Believe me.

[42Hz]

What doesn't work ?

[Dom in Dorset]

6 minutes ago, 42Hz said:

What doesn't work ?

The claim that it comes with everything you need and that you'll be recording in minutes.  Basically I  just can't get my head around digital recording.  I can't  even start . It's like trying to read a book in Chinese I can even work out how to start.

[Dom in Dorset]

A few years ago I  moved house and got this BT tv box thing. I spent two evenings plugging cables into things , following on screen instructions etc . At the end of which I could get a shopping channel with no sound and nothing else. I put the tv, box and cables in the loft and cancelled my licence the next day.

[upside downer]

I read this when I first started doing home recordings and it certainly helped. Might be a few bits and bobs that are out of date but well worth a look.

 

 

[odysseus]

39 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

I've got a Focusrite Scarlett. I remember it being pretty easy to install. It comes with a link to a free DAW which is terrible so I use Reaper instead. 

 

Yup. Me too. 

[spacecowboy]

I use Focusrite Scarlett gear and it’s fantastic I’ve never had any problems. 
 

I'm not sure what your actual problem with the interface is?

You will have everything you need to record your instrument… the Scarlett is just an interface giving you ins and outs. 

 

It then depends on your choice of computer, daw, cables etc

 

 

[Killerfridge]

25 minutes ago, Dom in Dorset said:

The claim that it comes with everything you need and that you'll be recording in minutes.  Basically I  just can't get my head around digital recording.  I can't  even start . It's like trying to read a book in Chinese I can even work out how to start.

I get that feeling. Unfortunately there is somewhat of an expectation that you can use as DAW (digital audio workstation, i.e. recording software) already, when in reality that's a whole extra skillset. It's not hard once you understand it, but it can be a bit like trying to read "How to Learn Greek: Greek edition".  As others mentioned, download a copy of Reaper and try and follow a tutorial from there 

[Dom in Dorset]

It might be useful to clarify...

Despite some of the claims made by the manufacturers being debatable the device itself probably works.

I just find digital recording impenetrable. 

[Dom in Dorset]

2 minutes ago, Killerfridge said:

I get that feeling. Unfortunately there is somewhat of an expectation that you can use as DAW (digital audio workstation, i.e. recording software) already, when in reality that's a whole extra skillset. It's not hard once you understand it, but it can be a bit like trying to read "How to Learn Greek: Greek edition".  As others mentioned, download a copy of Reaper and try and follow a tutorial from there 

This.

[Doctor J]

Start with the basics, is it the Focusrite showing up as a device in whatever system you're connecting it to with whatever operating system it's running, however you're connecting it?

[miles'tone]

7 minutes ago, Killerfridge said:

It can be a bit like trying to read "How to Learn Greek: Greek edition".  

Brilliant 😂

[Dom in Dorset]

3 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

Start with the basics, is it the Focusrite showing up as a device in whatever system you're connecting it to with whatever operating system it's running, however you're connecting it?

I've got that far.

[JapanAxe]

I’m pretty sorted with my Focusrite Scarlett & Reaper setup, but what makes me want to bang my head on the desk is MIDI. I’m no technophobe, it’s just a weird blind spot that means MIDI never seems to want to do what I want it to do - changing patches is about my limit.

 

You have my sympathy.

[Norris]

If you're struggling with the whole concept of recording and like to read books then this is quite a good one

 

Guerilla Home Recording: How to Get Great Sound from Any Studio - (No Matter How Weird or Cheap Your Gear Is) (Hal Leonard Music Pro Guides) https://amzn.eu/d/9beaxjr

 

As others have suggested Reaper is a great product, but you may need to watch a few videos to learn how to fly it

 

The Focusrite Scarlett is a great interface for the money but is really just that - an interface that lets you get your analogue signal into the computer. What you do with the signal is down to your other software i.e. such as Reaper, Ableton, etc.

[SteveXFR]

23 minutes ago, Dom in Dorset said:

It might be useful to clarify...

Despite some of the claims made by the manufacturers being debatable the device itself probably works.

I just find digital recording impenetrable. 

 

These Focusrite Scarlett interfaces are really popular, pretty much the standard for home recording. Everything you need is there. 

The interface is just a box to convert the signal from your instrument to something your computer understands. The Focusrite software is just a driver for that. What you then need to do your recording and processing is a DAW such as Reaper and using that is where things get complicated but just because it's a powerful piece of software that does a lot of things. It's important to set up the input details in the options to match your Scarlett interface otherwise you'll get nothing. You also need to setup up the input source in each track.