***questioin, cheap recording???***

[green242]

Our crew plays basically hardcore punk, some skapunk, and well just alot of scratch-e voice style fast paced music. We want to record a demo cd that sounds half decent for CHEAP, like under $100... I was thinking along the lines of recording each individual member's instrument (bass, guitar, vocals, and drums) and mixing it on a computer so that I could play with the levels of each instrument to balance it as good as possible for the best sound I could get for a demo cd. What would be a decent computer program I could get to do this?
Maby just give me some suggestions of the cheapest way you know or that you creative people out there could brew up. We got some mics and $hit of course and a computer (haha, stupid:smash: )... ignore the price I set, I just need some ideas. Even some recording techniques like sound quality tips and stuff...
Yur help is appreciated
peace

[thickasabrick]

If each of your bandmades pitches in $25 you can buy a Tascam 4-track recorder. It can record and mix four tracks right onto a tape cassette without having to worry about computer programs and seperate mixers and stuff. Once you buy the recorder, it's like having unlimited hours in a studio and all you have to keep buying are the cassette tapes to record onto. It's definitely the cheapest and most simple way of making quality music. You can either plug your guitar straight into it, or use a mic. You can plug a mic into it and record everyone live, or record everyone seperately and mix them together.

Go to tascam.com for more info

[delinquent]

you could just get a free program like audacity if you want to use a computer.

though a 4track isnt a bad idea either. if you wanted to make a cd you could just get an appropriate lead and plug it into your computer and record it with audacity or whatever program.

[pitchfork]

don't forget drum mics though, $100 isn't much to work with. You can do tri micing for that though (2 overhead condensers + bass mic) maybe spend $70 on mics (use one of the condensers for vocals and guitar amp), the remaining $30 on a mixer. Then plug the mixer line in on your pc record using audacity.
Record line out on the bass amp (if not use the bass drum mic) but guitar will probably sound better miced with a condenser.

Altenatively - buy fruityloops ($20 i think or download illegaly at your own risk) and program the drums in, then mic/line out the other things accordingly into line in.
That method will sound pretty bad but will cost about $25 max including 3.5mm adaptors for mic/ guitar leads.

[guitardave10]

Here's what you do...

Stereo pair on the drums.
1 mic for each guitar.
plug bass direct or if bass amp has a direct out, use that. (may need direct box)
1 mic for vocals, to overdub later.

Get a cheap berhinger mixer with 4 or more mic pre's. Run the four mics and bass direct into the mixer. Hook the main or tape outs (rca to 1/8") from the mixer up to your computer and record a stereo mix. For a cheap program you can use Audacity or Pro Tools free if you can run Windows 98/ME or Mac OS 9.

Record in your practice space. Hopefully you have some room to play with. Set the stereo pair on the drums in ORTF or XY. Face the back of the drum mics away from the guitar amps. Build some baffles out of wood or something to isolate the drums further. Point the mics on the guitar amps away from the drums. Maybe use some baffles there too. Try to keep all amps as far away from the drums as possible.

Depending on how much stuff you already have you could prabably get this done with around $200. That's cheap! Use trial and error to get the stereo mix on the mixer right. Once its set your good to go. Just hit record and play like your at practice. Will it sound awesome? probably not. but its cheap.

[KKKKKocaine]

What mics do you already have?

[green242]

yeh, not sure what type of mics they are.. probably their general use would be for vocals. I know a guy who tries to record stuff, but sucks horribly at doing it... example: We recorded onto a kariokie machine, and it sounded better than the jobs he did with a mic on all instruments, mixer, and a computer. But he's pretty stupid. He's got better gear than our crew has, for mics that is, but he don't have a damn clue what he's doin I don't think. All the instruments bleed into the other mics, and he just dosn't know what he's doin . plain dumb. So I wanted to take it upon myself and get something done.

[pitchfork]

Thing is if your demo is crap quality you have less chance of getting the gig or getting signed, save yourself greif and money and go to a recording studio for demos.
Now jam recording you can do on $100 and it will sound HALF decent this will sound pretty bad.

It least get an sm58 for vocals and guitar amps, much improvement there.

[delinquent]

Thing is if your demo is crap quality you have less chance of getting the gig or getting signed, save yourself greif and money and go to a recording studio for demos.
Now jam recording you can do on $100 and it will sound HALF decent this will sound pretty bad.

It least get an sm58 for vocals and guitar amps, much improvement there.

dunno, he said he plays punk... if anything a worse quality demo might get more gigs hahaah.

though theres nothing to say that self recording on the cheap will definately sound bad, sure it wouldnt be top quality polished studio stuff. but itd be cheaper. i just think going to a studio is a waste of money just to record a demo.

[pitchfork]

Hey i play punk nothing wrong with getting a good demo. I reckon $300 is the bare minimum for a half decent recording.

[10571z]

Hey i play punk nothing wrong with getting a good demo. I reckon $300 is the bare minimum for a half decent recording.
my band went to a studio for 8 hours which charged 30 bucks a hour.. (aus) and thats costed like. $240 its really good quality www.myspace.com/twoononeband

[pitchfork]

Fair enough depends how many songs and how many instruments need editing and recording though. Studios take an age to master anything i find.

[linred]

I've been made a demo for a fairly good price at http://www.trip-hop.com studio. Quality is excellent and the price is about $300 per song. Actually i paid about $300 for a song written for me using my lyrics. They will probably take less if you need mastering and mixing only, but i'm not sure.