Starting My Own Recording

[Loxley]

Hello!

 

I am looking to start recording my own solo stuff. I'm a starving artist, so I need something cheap. I'm new to this whole recording thing, so I need some guidance here.

 

I'm looking to get something that can record at least 4-8 tracks and has at least two XLR connections. Digital recorders are cool, but I'm totally down with dabbling with tape too, as I'm kind of an analog, lo-fi dork, but I'll probably want to send that to digital anyway afterward. If there's an easy way to do that, I'd love that. If not, direct digital recording works fine too.

 

Anyhow, I'd like some suggestions and advice here. Help me out!

[TeeDupree]

Err.. I would go for Zynewave Podium 2.33 http://www.addonx.com/Windows/audio-...m-1316196.html Pretty simple to use buttons (which is good for dudes like me who knows how to rock a strat but has zero experience with computers). Ive been recording with it on my solo thing for a long time now, Ive recorded a decent amount of songs on it, a few has made it to the local radio, ..I have to say, the clarity is superb. Go cheap, wont weep

[TimOBrien]

My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad so this is just a paste (I don't want to re-type this all the time):

 

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:

Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $16

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-Musicians-Dummies-Strong/dp/0470385421/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273169612&sr=1-1

 

PC Recording Studios for Dummies - $16

http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Studios-Dummies-Jeff-Strong/dp/0764577077/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273169612&sr=1-2

(Wish I'd had those when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)

You can also pick up this book in most any Borders or Barnes&Noble in the Music Books section!

 

Another good one is: Recording Guitar and Bass by Huw Price

http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Guitar-Bass-Getting-Record/dp/0879307307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215734124&sr=1-1

(I got my copy at a place called Half-Price Books for $6!!)

 

Home Recording for Beginners by Geoffrey Francis

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Recording-Beginners-Geoffrey-Francis/dp/1598638815

 

When you get a bit into it, I highly recomend The Art of Mixing by David Gibson

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Mixing-Recording-Engineering-Production/dp/1931140456

 

And you can get a FREE subscription to TapeOp magazine at www.tapeop.com

 

Barnes&Noble or Borders are great places to start --- they have recording books and you can go get a snack or coffee and read them for FREE! Don't pass by a good recording book --- this is a VERY technical hobby and you REALLY want to start a reference library!!!

 

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics and have good tips:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=free_beginner_pdfs

http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/tips-techniques/168409-tips-techniques.html

 

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig: http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

 

Other recording books: http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html

 

Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) and NOT quality music production.

#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.

Here's a good guide and tested suggestions that WORK: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm

(you'll want to bookmark and read through all of Tweak's Guide while you're there...)

 

Plenty of software around to record for FREE to start out on:

Sony ACID Xpress 10-track sequencer: http://www.acidplanet.com/downloads/xpress/

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net (multi-track with VST support)

Wavosaur: http://www.wavosaur.com/ (a stereo audio file editor with VST support)\nKristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com/smm

 

Another great option is REAPER at http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ (It's $60 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)

I use Reaper and highly reccomend it...

 

Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($25) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages...

http://myriad-online.com

Demo you can try on the website.

 

And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full FREE studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (November 2006 they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150, November 2007-on the racks Dec in the US- they gave away SamplitudeV9SE and July 2009 issue they put out Samplitude10SE. FREE. It pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)

[uab9253]

There are a number of digital standalone machines by Zoom, Fostex, Tascam, Boss/Roland and others that do 8 tracks and are uber cheap. Also, tons of people who have switched to PC recording, like myself, are dumping their old digital recorders cheap on ebay and craigslist too.