Getting ready to record

[Botfly]

Hey there you guys, first time poster at this particular forum. Anyways, I wanted to get some recording tips from you guys so I can have the best sound possible. Ok, so here is what I've got to work with:

At this point, I'm not sure whether to go with Steinberg Cubase SL3 Hybrid version, or a BOSS 1600CD Multitrack Digital Recorder for Recording, Mixing, and Mastering, so what do you guys reccomend?

I have these really nice sounds on my Crate XT120R 120 Watt that I am very satisfied with, and I'd like to use them for recording, so how would I go about doing that? In the back I have a "Speaker out" jack. Would that work? I've also heard about mic'ing up the amp... How does this work? It seems apparent that you put a mic up to it.. but how far away should it be and how loud should the amp be? And what about bass? (I'll be using the same amp). If so, which of the following mics would you guys reccomend me using?

---Mics I've ordered---

3 Shure SM57's
2 MXL 990's
Shure Beta 52A Kickdrum Mic
Nady CM-88 condensor mic

I plan on using these the SM57's for mic'ing my toms, the 2 MXL 990's as overheads... now tell me if it is a good idea to put one 990 in between two crashes which are about 5 inches apart and the other 990 in between a crash ride and a regular ride which are about 7 inches apart. Also, should I use the Nady to mic both the snare and hi-hate simataneously (the Hi Hat and snare are about 8-10 inches apart, so I'd be putting in between)? And of course the Beta 52A for the kick drum.

I'd also be using the 990's for vocals and acoustic guitar.

Thx in advance!

 

[Razorjack]

Use a 57 for the guitar amp, usually just off the center of the speaker cone about 1-2" away from the grille is a good starting point.

 

[Botfly]

I'd also like to know something about Steinberg Cubase SX3...

My question is if it has a MIDI sequencer that allows you to, for example, record a Roland XP 50 as midi so you can edit, quantize, etc... in Cubase and yet still use the sounds in the Roland, such as the awesome mellotron and grand pianos, as opposed to the internal sounds SX3 has, because I doubt it has melloton, B3's, hammond organ, moogs, cheesy rotary organs, grand piano, etc...

Plus I wouldn't want to spend extra money on a sound card with these effects if there are any available

thx for the help thus far.

 

[Ermz]

If the Roland XP 50 has 'Midi out' then you should be able to use it to sequence all the actual playing in Cubase SX3. Cubase has decent MIDI functionality.

But if you want the actual sounds from the Roland being triggered by sequenced MIDI off Cubase then you'll need to hook your actual Roland up as a module, which I believe would mean going MIDI OUT from the PC, MIDI IN into the Roland and then somehow getting those projected sounds back into Cubase (via a stereo out on the Roland or something? I don't know much about synths/samplers).

 

[Impy]

Yup, just hook the MIDI OUT on the roland to your MIDI interface IN to record the MIDI, then your MIDI OUT on the interface back to the roland and your line out from the roland into your interface to record the actual sounds...
I think you're gonna have to tell cubase to send the MIDI to an external source as well, i haven't used SX so i'm not sure but that's how you did it in the old days with cubase VST.

 

[Ermz]

Yeah, each track in Cubase has 'In' and 'Out' routing options. You'll probably be fiddling for a while until you find the right 'Out' path.

 

[Impy]

Just choose whatever the name of the MIDI interface is, should be present in the list.