I want to start in on a little home recording studio...

Right now I have a comp... with onboard sound.... I use cool edit pro 2.0

I bought a 1/4 - 1/8 converter and am using that to record instruments with...

I have about a 200$ budget... Whats my main priority to buy that will really help my recording...? I read your posts but im confused as to what I really really need to get decent recording... What can't I get by without?

Oh yeah... is it ok to line out from my guitar amp into the computer??? I think you said it was ok for bass... but why not for guitar?

well your budget is small...i sugest a sm-57. A small mixer and a mic pre-amp

do I need a line out slot? on my soundcard?

well....if you want to hear whats coming out of the computer you need a lineout. Every comp has them. Its where you plug the speakers

What Would You Do In My Situation?
 

Well I finally have a decent job and have some cash to put down on new equipment, such as a new electric guitar, probably the Ravelle, as well as a Casio WK-3000. My computer is 2.8GHz, 512MB RAM... I want to be able to record the guitar and keyboard and mix it, as cheaply as possible, for I have a buddy who has ProTools and a mixer and the whole shebang when I wanna make it count. I may buy a microphone (cheap but somewhat decent) in a few months if I wanna lay down vocals... My soundcard is what came with it, no 1/4" jacks... Will I need a new card? How much would this cost? I don't need a mixer or drums or whatever, because these would be more or less rough drafts and experimental stuff. Thanks in advance to whoever can help. Take it easy.

^^ a shure sm57 will work if you mic it up in front of your amp, it picks up well on guitar, supposedly. [url]http://www.hr-faq.org/[/url]

[QUOTE]I live in australia...I'd be happy to...but chances are you dont live any where near me...I guess i could knock down the price if you had to travel. Dont forget i'm only 15...Some people are put off by that.[/QUOTE]

May I ask how you got that much money to make a studio?

^^^^3 jobs

^^^^also buying one thing at a time

how do you manage 3 jobs?

[url]http://www.behringer.com/UB1204FX/index.cfm?lang=ENG[/url]

does the 4 mic thing mean that you can only hook 4 drum mics up? or 4 vocal mics?? :confused: it says it has 12 inputs

^ That Behringer has got 4 in built Mic preamps. You can run 4 mics directally into it. Regardless of if they are for volcals or instruments.

If you want to run more mics into it, you should proabbly look for a larger mixer. Or perhaps a seperate mulitple input mic preamp, which you would run ito one of the line level inputs of that mixer.

[QUOTE]Or perhaps a seperate mulitple input mic preamp, which you would run ito one of the line level inputs of that mixer.[/QUOTE]

im a total noob to this stuff, so i didnt get that last part. i'd like a mixer that i can hook up 10-12 mics. how can i go about this not spending 500plus?

Mics work their best when they've got a preamp. That mixer has got inbuilt preamps for up to 4 microphones.

If you want 10-12 mic inputs. You could either get the one mixer with enough provisions for that: [url]http://www.behringer.com/UB2442FX/index.cfm?lang=ENG[/url]
Which could be expensive...

Or it may be cheaper to join up a couple of smaller mixers. As in, get one 4 input mixer and use it just for the drums. Then run it's main outputs into a spare channel on the other mixer.

alright thanks, i just want to be reassured on this, the ub2442FX, can it record drums, bass, and guitar at the same time because it has all the mics? or does it need a seperate recording console/doohickey? or can a program like cool edit pro 2.1 mix and record these all at once, or seperately to save money on the mixer?

The mixer doesnt record. You'll need to plug it into something that can record.
A computer would be ideal.

Plug everything that that you want to record into the mixer. Mix it with the mixer. Run the mixer into what you are using to record with. Record.

The mixer has got tape outputs. Which are those little Red and White RCA outputs. If you run them into your line in one your soundcard using a 5 dollar adaptor and cable from Radioshack. You could then use a program such as Cool Edit to record with.
And as long as you set all your levels correctly. The results wont sound half bad either.

3 jobs = PA setup at night
guitar shop work/recording bands at day
Electical labouror weekends

= no spare time lol

is this a good mixer that could be used to record a band, or drum tracks? and how do you record one instrument at a time, then put them all together?

[url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41472&item=3742084613&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW[/url]


also, is there a lesson somewhere on the net about this so I can learn all bout mixers? is any recording system/mixer under 1500 not worth it

Yes, that is a good mixer for use with a band. Plenty of mic inputs. And of course several line level inputs also.

To record one instrument at a time you'd use a program such as Cakewalk or Protools to record individual tracks. You can then layer those tracks ontop of each other and arrage their respective levels.

what exactly do line level inputs do? guessing they divide the L/R ?

I bought a Behringer UB802, and I'm also planning on getting a Shure SM-57 to record vocals and amplifiers. Also a M-Audio Audiophile 2496 Recording Interface, and some good headphones seeing we'd recording 1 instrument at a time. And use like Cakewalk or something. What results can I expect for this setup?

ok so now.... My money is a bit lower than I thought...

I only have enough for one of the following... new small mixer or... audigy2 zs...

which would be better for now?

Im using onboard sound.

[QUOTE=cKy_heartagram]what exactly do line level inputs do? guessing they divide the L/R ?[/QUOTE]

line level is just like guitar jack.

whats a guitar jack then? again, is there a website i can learn all this from?

[QUOTE=cKy_heartagram]what exactly do line level inputs do? guessing they divide the L/R ?[/QUOTE]
A line level input is an input into the mixer that is at a 'line' level. As in it won't need a preamp.
Plug an electric guitar or a microphone direct into a line level input and it will be very quiet, it'll ideally need a preamp to get it up to line level.
If you plug a line level device (such as the outputs of a CD player, or a line-out on the back of an amp) into a line level input it'll be clear and loud.

Line level is basically an input for things that have already been (or dont need to be) preamped.

Okay, due to my low funds I tried to get a really basic setup. I read on a site and I bought a 1/4'' to 1.8'' adaptor so my patch cord can plug into the input in the back of my PC. There's one problem... it doesn't make a sound... what's wrong? Do I need a special program to make any initial sound at all? I'm so confused right now...

Oh wait... now I have a buzzing sound in the speakers... that's it. Could there be something wrong with my guitar? That be just ****ing great...

what is required to run a v-amp or pod ?

i need to record quality guitar sound only,
do i need a mixer up to it, i have a old 2.1 soundblaster card,

[QUOTE]A line level input is an input into the mixer that is at a 'line' level. As in it won't need a preamp.
Plug an electric guitar or a microphone direct into a line level input and it will be very quiet, it'll ideally need a preamp to get it up to line level.
If you plug a line level device (such as the outputs of a CD player, or a line-out on the back of an amp) into a line level input it'll be clear and loud.

Line level is basically an input for things that have already been (or dont need to be) preamped.[/QUOTE]

so you could plug plenty of un amped guitars into that, but theyd all be quiet? and do drum mics need to be pre amped? vocal mics? etc.

I'm thinking about starting recording at home. I have read through the guide (the parts I need). I'm pretty confident I don't want to buy a mixer. So what I'm planning on doing is just micing my amp and running into my computer. Something seems to be missing from my equation. I'm probably going to play acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, so I'm definitely going to amp it. But I'm wondering how I should go... Guitar to Amp, then Mic to computer? or should I go directly into the comp via the amp output?

^^^^mic it

So Guitar > Amp > Mic > Mic In, right?

And for recommended software, I'm probably going to have my cousin get my AcidPro or SoundForge and FruityLoops for me (He's a DJ). Good start up or no?

Edit: By the way, for acoustic, I don't have an acoustic amp. Should I get a mic stand and just mic the acoustic or run that DI?

And another question, for bass, as a money saving measure, can I mic my amp from just a little more distance than I normally would, as opposed to buying a separate mic?