How do you do your home recording?

[Komakino]

Hi all,

How do you go about doing your home recording if you were, for example, laying down a bassline, some chords and a simple drum track? What software do you use and how do you actually go about doing the recording? e.g. I guess you put the drumline down first so you can keep time with everything else, but what recording equipment do you use or do you go straight into the mic/line in jack with your bass / guitar?

Any pointers would be appreciated, I'm just starting to get into this recording lark.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Dbassmon]

Steve, I guess my recordings start with some idea, a riff, a rhythm, a cord progression.. something.
I sketch my idea out in sections. Program drums or find an appropriate loop, then depending on the composition, I start layering rhythm section instruments. add vocal, then backup vocals, then sweetening. ie solos, strings, horns whatever.

I started with Garageband. Apple couldn't have made any easier to get a good sounding recording. I have moved to Logic because it was the next logical step. (pardon the pun) Many more tools and much more control.
I use a firewire 410 interface, AKG D1000 and Perception 200 condensor mikes.

I go direct with basses, GB has compression, eq, verb, chorus and any other affect you could possibly want as a built in plugin. Electric guitars, same thing. Apple has amplifier modeling as a plugin that comes with GB. If you want a Marshal stack or Twin, you can get it pretty darn convincingly. Condensors for vocals and acoustic instruments.

I don't know too much about the PC side of the fence but I hear great things about Cubebase. I'm sure other posters will chime in.

 

[Komakino]

Thanks for the response! I'm not really up on equipment...could you explain what the bits after "Firewire interface..." means? (I'm ok with what firewire itself is, but what is the equipment you listed?)

Thanks again for the response, I'll have to see what similar linux software is around. I'm currently playing with the dyna-bolic distro that has all the multimedia tools for recording.

 

[Unknowndude]

I use Cubase SX3 and a M-Audio Mobile Pre. Pretty cheap setup. I do drums first (but I really need a mixer to add more tracks). After that, I usually do bass, then EQ the lows of the drums and bass so the bass and kick dont blend together. I use overhead mics for the drums and line in for bass. After that, whatever I'm doing with guitars- if it's two different tracks I'll play with panning, if it's basically one track I'll record it twice and pan those hard left or right. For those I'll either mic up one of the amps at my disposal (blues jr and vintage 5 watt) or go line in. For vocals I use dynamics, an Apex or a SM57. I'll be getting some condensers soon.

You can hear the results I get at my band's myspace... the recordings aren't great but acceptable.

 

[anderbass]

My setup and methods are kind of out of favor but:

I record live bands to about 16 channels of Alesis HD-24 ADAT,
with mics, external preamps and D/I signals.

Then I mixdown through a console using external effects and
processors, and finally burn the CD's with a stand alone recorder.

My method of recording is fast but quite honestly, has only delivered
fair, sound quality results to date... But thats what I do...

The links below all contain songs that were recorded in my home studio:

Link Removed

Link Removed

 

[bassbrock]

Since you are a Linux user, have you check out Ardour? http://ardour.org/

 

[Komakino]

Since you are a Linux user, have you check out Ardour? http://ardour.org/

Only briefly, but it seems adequate for my sequencing needs, particularly as it support JACK which audacity doesn't.

For those who haven't used it, JACK is awesome - it allows different programs to be connected together. For example, if I have hydrogen (a drum machine) and rosegarden (a midi sequencer) running at the same time and I have JACK transport turned on, pressing play or record on either program will set the other one playing too so my drum beat will play as I record, say, the bass track on rosegarden. Makes life easier.

Just wish I could play better

 

[lemur821]

For those who haven't used it, JACK is awesome - it allows different programs to be connected together.

+1. Jack doesn't just sync programs; it also routes audio, so if I want to run my bass signal through distortion (either in a standalone program or a plugin host), out to an amp, then record it with a microphone, I can do it with no fuss.

EDIT: And with low latency.

 

[these_go211]

i usually lay down a drums by either using samples or the alesis sr16. then either guitar or bass goes next. bass is direct thru a sansamp di, guitars are direct either with pod xt or a v-stack OD/preamp pedal. i have everything connected to a mackie onyx 1220 mixer w/ firewire card into a mac G5. i use tracktion as my recording software.

the last 7 songs on my website were done with the mackie and tracktion. the other ones were done using an mbox and pro tools le. i like my current setup a lot best.
Link Removed

 

[James Hart]

I've got a 1Ghz Athlon with 1gb ram running XP pro.

Sonar 4 Producer edition
(for my needs, the cheapest would have been just as useful)

M-Audio Delta 44

Tascam 106 (old school 6 input 4 output mixer)

AKG D3800 and direct to mixer.

I've yet to really record much with my current setup... and I've got a few new pieces to add.

 

[SubMonkey]

Thanks for the response! I'm not really up on equipment...could you explain what the bits after "Firewire interface..." means? (I'm ok with what firewire itself is, but what is the equipment you listed?)

Thanks again for the response, I'll have to see what similar linux software is around. I'm currently playing with the dyna-bolic distro that has all the multimedia tools for recording.

If you're going the Linux route, I'd give 64studio a try...( 64studio.com )

the 64 bit arch runs nicely on my AMD, and the distro found my Delta1010 without any additional drivers and attention, it uses the realtime kernel by default (64 bit) so latency is low without a custom kernel build (although I'd do it anyway). and the default package compliment is quite useful....

SM

 

[tZer]

A couple of ways...

For getting my basslines into an editing environment:

• Windows-based PC with 1Gig Ram, very current Pentium Processor and a HUGE harddrive! (not bragging here...)
• Sonar 5 Producer's Edition
• Bass POD (Kidney Bean) sometimes - others just pure MMSR5 or MIA JAZZ V straight in - no pre-amp, no AD/DA interface.
• Small Phonic Mixer (~10 Channel)
• 1/8" Mic/Input on simple sound card (SoundBlaster - cheap model)

Then I usually either have a scratch track or I write a midi-based drum/rhythm track and away I go!

I somtimes componse all instrumental parts using the piano roll and use soft synths to generate different parts - bassline included. It is a great way to quickly craft ideas without having to be a virtuoso on all instruments.

Reason 2.5 factors into my world every so often and reminds me how simply amazing Reason is!

I use the above method for composing and arranging. My setup is in no way condusive to "pro-level" recording, but I can make some very respectible rough-drafts that many consider "finished product" quality.


I also record all of our rehearsals using:
Church Audio (brand name) mic preamp and stealth mics (dangling rather randomly from the rafters) and a second condensor mic/pre-amp into a small Berringer Mixer - out to my laptop. My laptop is a very low-end Toshiba with very little RAM and a ~1.4G Processor (Celeron, I believe).

I use Sonar 5 Prod. Ed. create a single audio track, arm and go.

I then use the live recordings as scratch for my arranging and composing (as outlined above)

As wimpy as the laptop is, it has never failed to do an amazing job capturing our rehearsals. I usually slap a mastering plugin preset from Ozone Isotope on the mix and burn CD's before we leave. As long as the room sounds good, the recording sounds good.

 

[bassbrad]

I usually start with an idea, bass riff or melody, then I work a sketch out on Band In a Box, nailing the tempo, feel and arrangement. I record drums on a mono track and the chordal instruments on another mono track, these are scratch tracks to be replaced later by me or one of my musical friends. Then I come in with the bass line usually playing thru a patch on my BP-8. Then the melody part. This is the first sketch.
Then I start refining all the parts rerecording the bass line if needed as well as the other rhythm instruments guitars and keys and melody parts.
After this I usually bring in the guest musicians for their parts or solos. Since I am recording primarily on a Tascam DP-01FX this can also mean going to them. Once all the other parts are done then I add the live drums, usually recording drums for 3 or 4 songs in a session.
If I need more than 8 tracks I will import wav files into my PC and assemble them using Cakewalk Home Studio, not the most complex program but it suits my needs.

 

[The Owl]

For me:

Windows XP PC with 2 Gig's of RAM (just upgraded)
Cubase SE (48 tracks audio, unlimited MIDI)
M-Audio 2496 soundcard
Alesis 16-channel multimix
Yamaha Magic Stomp effects processor
TONS of VST instruments and effects
Casio WK-3200 keyboard
Schecter Stiletto Custom 5-string bass
SG
Ibanez electric classical guitar

It depends of the song. Some things I'l do a scratch drum track from the keyboard,(and in one instance, the keyboard-generated drums wound up being the keeper). Others, I'll start with bass or a scratch guitar track and build the track from there. I DON'T use a click track (HATE those things). A lot of what I'm doing now will have real drums on it. I have a full set of condenser mic's (AKG, Apex) and a room to set up drums in.

To record the bass, I usually plug right into the Alesis mixer (also has onboard effects) and into the computer, same with the classical guitar (piezo electric pickups). Keyboard also goes direct.

I record the SG either with a POD or in some cases, I'll be mic'ng my Traynor amp (with Shure SM-57) with the volume opened up a bit it's 40 watts of delicious tube tone).

 

[Tristan]

I go direct into a Presonus Firebox and use the Cubase LE that came with it. I HIGHLY recommend the firebox.

My PC is junk... getting a new one within a couple of weeks and it'll be a beast. (Intel e6400, 2GB PC-6400, 2x500GB HDs in RAID 0, etc)

 

[AdlerAugen]

Well, typically I lay down the main instrument part (be it piano, guitar, ukulele, or whatever is the primary accompaniment) while running a click track on the computer at the tempo I want to go.

After write the drums as a midi file overlaid with VSTi, and then follow up with other instruments. I do vocals last. Pretty soon I'm getting an AKG 3000 and 1000 in the mail +preamps and that'll make things alot better...my mics now are a cheap USB computer mic and a 1/4" plug akai POS model. However I already have the mixer so I can record at very high quality--only problem yet is my mics won't allow that quality.

 

[CrazyArcher]

We record stuff at our guitar player's place
We have Macbook Pro there, Behringer mixer, and Fender FM212R for guitars in a small apartment room Also, Sennheiser SX300's as in-ear monitors. Bass and vocals go through the mixer, guitar parts and vocals are recorded with a lame Phillips mic, which needs upgrading.

 

[Interceptor]

Hey Owl -

I really like the idea of keyboard for drum loop instead of a click track. I'm itching to try that next session. Click tracks seem to make the guys I play with kind of tense.

Thanks!!!!

Our method is Guitar and singer first, then bass, drums and whatever. Using a ProTools 002 LE, with a TAC Scorpion analog board. FMR compression and lexicon effects. Mixing done in the analog domain. Alesis and B&W monitors.

I've been using a Schecter Diamond Elite through a Low End True Voice. An expressive tandem, the tone is in my hands!