newbie to home recording

[0175westwood29]

hi guys,

im gettin feed up with coming up with stuff for my band and only recording it on my crappy sony dictaphone, you can't hear it properly and it sounds crap! therefore never gets shown to the band in a song context just as a riff on its own.

im gettin a laptop soon and im gonna try and get hold of some recording software thats good enough? any you guys would reckomend?

also will these work on a normal vista laptop?

and sorry for being such a newbie hear but wats the best way for getting my bass on to the computer?

thanks for any help you can give me.

andy

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by 0175westwood29

hi guys,

im gettin feed up with coming up with stuff for my band and only recording it on my crappy sony dictaphone, you can't hear it properly and it sounds crap! therefore never gets shown to the band in a song context just as a riff on its own.

im gettin a laptop soon and im gonna try and get hold of some recording software thats good enough? any you guys would reckomend?

also will these work on a normal vista laptop?

and sorry for being such a newbie hear but wats the best way for getting my bass on to the computer?

thanks for any help you can give me.

andy

Before you buy anything first research and decide what software you want to use. That will determine what OS and computer config you need. Knowing the software will help decide the interface you need.

[locolobo85]

IMO, the best way to start out is download Audacity (Freeware) and learn how to accomplish simple recordings this way.

It will force you to understand the Volume Control panel in Windows and how it relates to recording.

It will also teach the relationship between recording & playback through a standard soundcard and the limitations that it presents.

But, a little practice with this basic setup will produce some very acceptable results.

[0175westwood29]

Originally Posted by locolobo85

IMO, the best way to start out is download Audacity (Freeware) and learn how to accomplish simple recordings this way.

It will force you to understand the Volume Control panel in Windows and how it relates to recording.

It will also teach the relationship between recording & playback through a standard soundcard and the limitations that it presents.

But, a little practice with this basic setup will produce some very acceptable results.

thanks ive heard of that!

ill check it out, but what do you guys use to get the sound to your pc?

andy

[locolobo85]

Depends on the soundcard.

For a standard sound card, a 1/8" plug and a variety of adapters (1/4 to 1/8, RCA to 1/4, etc.).

In my situation (if I were using a simple soundcard), for a simple bass line: bass-SA BDDI-(1/4 out, 1/4 to 1/8, 1/8 into the mic input on the soundcard.

***OR (most likely)***

Use a mixer and get a 2 plug rca stereo to 1/8" stereo cable and plug into the line in on the soundcard.

You've got options.

[FronTowardEnemy]

Go here. http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm This will help you out. I suggest reading it all the way through. It helped me out and still does.

[FronTowardEnemy]

Originally Posted by 0175westwood29

thanks ive heard of that!

ill check it out, but what do you guys use to get the sound to your pc?

andy

I use a Tascam 1082 FireWire DAW with Cubase SX3 and Waves, Sonar, Sony, and Cakewalk Plugins. I have a version of Guitar Rig but I like my amp better. I also record bands with 10+ tracks, however you can use a DI out of a amp or pedal to your line in of your sound card.

[gregh]

Originally Posted by 0175westwood29

thanks ive heard of that!

ill check it out, but what do you guys use to get the sound to your pc?

andy

How many imputs do you want to have come into your machine? If you are only wanting stereo then I would recommend one of the presonus usb2 interfaces (if your laptop has usb2 )
This one is quite good and cheap
http://www.presonus.com/products/Det...x?ProductId=53
It comes with cubaseLE software which will give you all that you need to get started. In fact you probably don't want anything more complex.

There are other soundcard manufacturers around, and most will probably bundle some software as well

[0175westwood29]

Originally Posted by gregh

How many imputs do you want to have come into your machine? If you are only wanting stereo then I would recommend one of the presonus usb2 interfaces (if your laptop has usb2 )
This one is quite good and cheap
http://www.presonus.com/products/Det...x?ProductId=53
It comes with cubaseLE software which will give you all that you need to get started. In fact you probably don't want anything more complex.

There are other soundcard manufacturers around, and most will probably bundle some software as well

im gonna be getting a laptop in the next few months, so i check them out.

[51m0n]

Best bang for your buck software today without going opensource (ie linux) is Reaper.

Its got a free trial period with full features, then buying it when you want to use it in anger is small beer in the world of DAWs (sub $100 for the non-commercial).

I love me freeware and linux open source stuff but in truth it aint easy to get working. Audacity is a toy compared to Reaper IMO & IME.

[locolobo85]

I agree that Audacity is a toy, but it's a good toy to teach the noob the very basics of how this stuff works without spending a dime on recording equipment or software. Too often, people jump into the deep end with DAW equipment and software and get slammed by the learning curve. Some make it through, many do not.

IMO, the best way to start is with a minimal investment in a few simple connectors. Learn how to use the computer for the simplest forms of recording before trying to jump into studio quality work. Learning the basics will help you make an informed decision about your future purchases.

[0175westwood29]

Originally Posted by locolobo85

I agree that Audacity is a toy, but it's a good toy to teach the noob the very basics of how this stuff works without spending a dime on recording equipment or software. Too often, people jump into the deep end with DAW equipment and software and get slammed by the learning curve. Some make it through, many do not.

IMO, the best way to start is with a minimal investment in a few simple connectors. Learn how to use the computer for the simplest forms of recording before trying to jump into studio quality work. Learning the basics will help you make an informed decision about your future purchases.

thanks, definatly sounds the right way to go guys