Recording via computer

Elysian Blaze

Elysian Blaze

The Blade
Aug 1, 2002
1,156
0
36
40
Hagerstown, MD
Alright, guys, I've finally decided to jump to the next century and start recording via my computer. I don't have any prior recording experience, and essentially, this is just a way for me to dissect my playing to see if there is anything on which I'm truly fucking up. Anywho. What I'm asking you guys for is a list of what I'll need to record something onto my computer. I have a mic, and that's about it-- I'm assuming this will not suffice. So, I need a list of software -and- hardware that I'll need, plus any personal recommendation you guys can throw at me. Much obliged, friends!

NP: Lamb of God - As the Palaces Burn - [05] - Take You Away
 
As far as recording to a computer, I have an older sound card so I'm not overly concerned with top of the line stuff (as it lags like crazy), so for less intense things, I use:

Soundblaster PCI128 (soundcard)
Sonic Foundry Soundforge 5.0 (recording)
Sonic Foundry Acid Pro 4.0 (arranging)
Fruity Loops 3.?.? (drum loop creation)
And I do have Cakewalk Guitar Studio, but I'm yet to use it.

As far as equipment goes, a mic works well, but I myself get better results plugging directly into the amp/pedal/whatever and then from there straight into the computer. If doing this, use the Line In port, not the Mic port, as Line In can give you stereo (if you have the right plugs). It's also less noisy.
 
Yes....You can buy a 3.5 mini plug adapter that goes right over the 1/4" guitar cord size. If you have rca jacks on your computer, you can buy an adapter for that too, so you're set.
I can personally recommend the SansAmp GT2 pedal for direct recording. It's a direct box that has Mesa, Marshall & Fender amp simulation along with different mic placement and pick-up options. It's a great little box full of different sounds. You don't need an amp for direct recording that way either.
 
well, i'm not an expert on home recording. however, i have studied the subject and listened to other's finished products. you will need a few essential tools. one, you will need a good soundcard. you don't need a professional super expensive item, but something modern like the audigy or equivalent is necessary, if you want your recording to sound good. also you will need recording software. there are a few highly praised items on the market like protools, cool edit pro, and sonar cakewalk. i am currently running cool edit pro. your signal chain of effects is your business, but obviously there are gadgets designed specifically for home recording on your PC rather than input into an amplifier. line 6 pod is one example, though there are plethora of alternatives.

if you just want a bare bones recording, you could get away with plugging your guitar into your crappy 4 year old soundcard and hitting record on window's basic sound recorder and getting a one minute sample of your playing. basically how good your recording sounds is determined by how good all of the parts in the chain are.
 
Thank you guys very much for the suggestions-- I'll take it into consideration when I finally get the dough to purchase the needed equipment/software
 
i am currently recording my bands demo via my computer. i am using cakewalk home studio ( www.cakewalk.com ). its the best program i tried. its really easy and does a good job. it even has presets on EQ to help you get an idea of what does what. that way you can learn how to tweak things much easier. its very easy to record and it does a good job at recording. very good quality. it also comes with the above metioned fruity loops drum machine. although i have found the samples provided arent good for metal. but you can download good ones from the net.

a good soundcard is also important. i have a soundblaster audigy. since you are running through your soundcard while recording it is important to have a nice one
~gR~
 
Well, what you say guys is quite right but you'll never ever get any good production puting things the way you have suggested. To make a good record at home you need: a good mic, a good combo, a good guitar and a good distortion whatever you'd use for that (either non-linear charcteristics of you combo or digital processor editing). Then you will have to have a good soundcard, preferably something like Tascam Prod 24 bitand an external DA/AD transformer 24 bits 96 KHz sampling rate. As for software to use... Personally, I used CAKEWALK just for recordings things, WaveLab for sound effects (Soundforge ig great just for cleaning things and inserting silence, other effects just suck and that's not only my opinion, ask any profy guy) then for mastering and the final mizdown I advise to use Samplitude Director last versoins or at least Samplitude Studio. So then you'll end up with something nice. Success!
 
Sonm said:
Then you will have to have a good soundcard, preferably something like Tascam Prod 24 bitand an external DA/AD transformer 24 bits 96 KHz sampling rate. As for software to use... Personally, I used CAKEWALK just for recordings things, WaveLab for sound effects (Soundforge ig great just for cleaning things and inserting silence, other effects just suck and that's not only my opinion, ask any profy guy)
Click to expand...

I agree that a good soundcard is necessary, but on a budget a simple Soundblaster 512 will suffice, though the quality won't be too good. And though I have Cakewalk, I haven't tried it, but that seems to be an often used one, so go with that. And as for the effects in Soundforge? Don't even bother, you'll do better with a simple cheap effect pedal (even a $15 one).
 
What do you guys think of the Line 6 GuitarPort? I saw it at MusiciansFriend.com and thought it would be something that would come in handy for computer-based recording in regards to a small budget. Any of you guys have experience with one, yet?
 
well, i haven't tried recording with a guitarport, but i do know that the line 6 pod is superb for home recording via computer. i think that one of the biggest difference is that the guitar port is much more software oriented, where the pod is hardware based.
 
The M box Rules (protools at home)You can do manythings with it 32 tracks (two at one time) focusrite mic pre.s, phantom power, ect ect... and if your band is doing a recording in the studio(on protools) you can take a data disc home and record some stuff there not to mention the mix down and save a ton of money. And a sound card is unnessary.
Look it up at Digidesign.com
 
Personally I use Fruity loops to do the drum tracks then record guitar through my Mesa dual recto using a Shure sm57 mic previously I was using a digitech rp2000 but it has that digital sound so I used my real amp and I reckon it sounds pretty mean
 
Remember to put something between mic and card....!!!!!

you need a mixer (even cheap...look for behringer products) or a recording channel, due the fact that audio card pre amp stage is normally awful! =makes the recording to sound crappy.

By the way, some cards have a pre amp built in, but they're a few...and cost a lot.

I have a pro audio card (=expensive) but I've heard friends very happy with Terratec products.

For what concerns PC software, I suggest Cakewalk (for both audio/midi).
 
I have sound forge 6. It suits me because I got it for free, plus my band does mixing on the recorder itself. I use sound forge to add audio clips from movies or create a weird sound to put at the end or start of a song. It is quite fun.
 
ok man for a budget i got some good shit. All you need is a behringer mixer, cakewalk guitar tracks pro (itll record anything despite the name) and the souncard that came with my comp prolly a new soundblaster of some sort. ALso the otehr day i walked into guitar center and they had their Line 6 Flextone 200 watt amp heas on sell for $300 usually they go for $1,000 so i picked it up and it is basically an amped pod (dont use line 6 gtar port for recording it is horrid). As opposed to my usuall Randall amp head the sound was more digital like due to the fact that it is a digitally based effects unit and the outcome is great man for a demo of my band and an example of the products email me at XxjestermasquexX@yahoo.con ill send you some stuff. Dont spend alot of money man because you dont have to trust me.
 
OK looks like there are people who know what they're talking about here - I have Cakewalk home studio and I want to know how to start recording. I want to know the simplest way to plug my guitar into the computer and record onto Cakewalk. I understand that you can record a midi keyboard onto Cakewalk, but I assume you can't do this with a guitar? I have a crappy Zoom multi-effect pedal could that be used as some kind of pre-amp or something? I realise the first thing I need to get is a jack to convert 1/4 inch into the smaller one to plug in the comp.. Is that all I need? Thanks.
 
Ravenous Enemy said:
OK looks like there are people who know what they're talking about here - I have Cakewalk home studio and I want to know how to start recording. I want to know the simplest way to plug my guitar into the computer and record onto Cakewalk. I understand that you can record a midi keyboard onto Cakewalk, but I assume you can't do this with a guitar? I have a crappy Zoom multi-effect pedal could that be used as some kind of pre-amp or something? I realise the first thing I need to get is a jack to convert 1/4 inch into the smaller one to plug in the comp.. Is that all I need? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sorry Ravenous id like to say yes but there is no way i have the zoom multi effects processor as well but never use it. The best way to record your shit to the comp is through a mixer you can get a cheap ass one i bought my first one at radioshack for $45 bucks howerver know when i record drums i use a behringer 8 track. Behringer makes good quality cheap mixers that last. However if your not accustome to mixing via a mixer i would go wth a M-Audio product type thing like an interface which plugs you straight into the comp with a usb cable. People say these things dont wrk but however if you toy with them and figure them out god they make great quality music with any souncard on a new to three or four year old comp. I have the MobilePre USB got it about a week ago and kissed my guitar to mixer connection good bye forever I only use the mixer for mics but you do what you feel like if you have any questions about what i said or setting stuff up then pm me and ill give it to you more clearly also if you buy an maudio product you may have to download the driver from their site bc the cd drivers are old and crappy that is to say if the corrct drivetr is even on there at all. If you need a cheap mixer bc your on a budget just pm me there to you can get my old $45 dollar one foe mabey $10 and shipping prices but well talk that if you want it. Take it easy.
 
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