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How to record a band with 2-4 mics, a mixer and a computer!

B

BassPenguin22

Jun 5, 2010
174
0
#1
Recently I had the idea to make a few recordings of my current band. The only problem is that my recording gear/knowledge is a bit lacking!

I have:
1 Behringer Xenyx 802 mixer
1 mic+stand
1 laptop

if i can pull a cute enough face i may be able to borrow a couple more mics but i dont want to count on that.
As far as locations are concerned i think i've got a suitable place, my schools (soundproofed) "music recital room", this is where we usally practice.

So without hiring a studio or buying anything much more than a can of coke and some duct tape is there anything i can do to get my self some decent recordings!!!

THANKS TONS
BP
 
#3
if you get a stereo set of mics (or any 2 things to match) to get stereo drums, you could be in business. you'll need to track everything separately.

one of my friends did this for years with a handful of radioshack mics, a mixer, and cool edit pro. consistent mid-fi stuff that was demo worthy when we were in high school.

any more you can get away with fact drums and DI everything, so an album can be done with a computer and a single mediocre mic for vocals. but i imagine you dont want to fake it.
 
#4
Mic #1 >> Guitar amp next to the high hat/snare. Since both use a lot of mids you can use a single mic for it. Put the mic right between the hat and snare on the inside and have the diaphram facing outwards on a 45 towards the guitar cab. Listen through isolated headphones and adjust accordingly to get the right "mix". Have your main crash cymbal on this side too.

Mic #2 >> In the kick. Sorry, you can't multitask this one, make it blend good with mic #1 and you'll be gold.

Mic #3 >> On the left side of the drumkit with the bass amp pointed towards it hovering between the second rack tom and floor tom. This should cover the drum fills, ride, and the bass. Mix accordingly for those with the headphones as you did with mic #1.

That should do it, record vocals on a separate channel later, but if you're doing heavy music, backups and group vocals sound great with the room dynamics of this set up.
 
#5
Hmnn.

Can you beg borrow or steal some type of low end USB interface?.... you need one that will allow you to mix the current signal with the recorded track.

I'd take one recording of the entire band.. miking the room... one mike for vocals

I'd then go back and have everyone over track their parts separately.

Reaper or Audacity will do the trick...
 
#6
I'd go with 3 mics on the drums - 1 kick; 2 XY overhead
4th mic for singer ideal. Everyone else is direct to the mixer. Record only the drums on first pass. Once drums are perfect, everyone else can overdub using mics or DI. You'd want headphones everyone and isolation for the drums, ideally, but do what you gotta do.

Do a small test run before you go through the trouble. You don't want to haul all your gear over there and find out you've got too much latency to be able to pull it off.
 
#7
How are you going to get the sound into the laptop? You really need some sort of USB interface between the mixer and the computer. ?Behringer U-CONTROL UCA202? (about 25bucks)
The mixer has only 2 mic inputs so you would be better to use them on drums and DI the bass and guitar, and do the vocal later.
What software package are you using?
with a bit more kit and a lot of effort it is doable.
good luck
 
#9
With one mike, a mixer, and a laptop, you CAN'T record anything decent. However, if you add three more mikes and a stereo interface, you'll be rolling.

You'll want three mikes on the drums: two overheads and a kick. You'll also want a mike for the vocals, and, assuming you're a three piece, you can then run your guitar and bass into your mixer's instrument inputs. (If the mixer has no instrument inputs, you'll need DI's.)

Then you mix everything down through headphones on the mixer, and record the main outs through your interface. I would reccomend, though, that you borrow a fourth mike and mike the guitar cab.

You can rent mikes and an interface for not too much money - probably less than $100 bucks for a day or two. If you aren't able to scare up the scratch for an interface and mikes, you basically can't record anything decent.

At the bare minimum, you'll need three mikes and an interface - if you did that, you could do your songs via overdubbing as opposed to live off the floor - but that takes longer, and isn't as spontaneous.
 
#12
BassPenguin22 said:
I was planning of just doing plugging the stereo output into my laptops mic input (thats how i have been recording other things with my mixer)

also ill prolly use GarageBand or Audiacity
Click to expand...

Well, if it works for you, it works for you, what can I say? But I personally would avoid going direct into an onboard soundchip, mainly for reasons of sample depth and bitrate, but also for reasons of latency and crosstalk during overdubbing.
 

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