Re: Home Recording??

"Steve L" <surfer@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:cY6dnV89NYFBNwbenZ2dnUVZ_tydnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> There are many different configurations that work. A good sound card is
> one route. Probably a better way to go is to get an external interface box
> that connects to your PC via Firewire or USB 2.0 (although you may end up
> paying more for one of these). There are also some USB 1.1 devices out
> there - I'd avoid those because they don't have enough bandwidth. Take a
> look at vendors like M-AUDIO and Presonus (of course there are others).
>
> Then, you'll also need a sequencer. This is a software package that
> simulates a multi-track mixer and recorder. There are several popular
> packages, and you'll have to pick the one that suites your needs the best.
> Since you are asking in aga, I am guessing you play guitar. S, one
> possible choice is Cakewalk's Guitar Tracks. If you plan to use any MIDI
> stuff, then you might be better off with Cakewalk Home Studio. You'll
> notice that I am mentioning Cakewalk products - thats because I am
> familiar with them, but there are certainly other companies that make
> popular sequencers as well.
>
> If you plan to mike your amp or guitar, you'll need a good mike or two. if
> you plan to record direct by plugging into your interface directly, then
> you'll either need some outboard effects, like a POD to simulate an amp,
> or you'll need some software effects, like Amplitube which also simulates
> various amps.
>
All good advice from Steve, pretty much what I'd say all the way down to
M-Audio cards etc. For software, Cubase versions are also worth a look,
and - I don't know if they're available at your location - Magix Music
Studio is hard to beat pricewise and is easy to use and has a wide array of
FX and stuff all for well under a hundred dollars. It's not a 'pro' piece of
software and I have moved from it to Cubase myself, but it's very good to
start with and excellent price/quality ratio. Whatever you get, make sure
both the card and the software are fully ASIO supporting.

Line 6 also has a new recording preamp/soundcard out, might be worth a
look...kind of like a POD and a mic preamp all in one and might be very
handy to start with, only about 200;- and seems to have most of the things
you'd need to start with. It even has a separate headphone monitoring
system, which is really good, since one problem you will be having is that
once you record stuff on many tracks, it becomes hard to hear what you are
adding later as you play, and a separate monitoring system like a mixer etc.
is good to have.

There are also freeware softies available, Krystal Audio Engine is worth a
look before you buy stuff, and a few others. Start by looking at those - you
CAN use your existing soundcard to try recording but it will me much
inferior in many respects.

A year ago I recorded an oldskool heavy-inspired album with the cheapest
possible gear on my computer, basically nothing but a cheapo Behringer mixer
and a few microphones and a compressor, a Marshall JMP-1 and a good
soundcard, and the rest was done in software with drum machines and all.
It's here:
http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/deeaa/

The sounds aren't perhaps the best possible, especially vocals were very
hard to do sitting in front of my computer with all the noise and crap
mikes...this winter I'm starting a bluesy rock-whatever album with much
better gear, i.e. a good mic preamp and a real studio mic plus cubase and a
good drum sequencer program, and it should sound much much better and the
vocals should also be more natural since now I have a popscreen and a
large-diaphragm mic and all.



.

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