Hey guys I have never recorded before and I'm not looking to record professionally. I would like to record my son and my nephew, both guitar the go back in and lay down a bass track. GarageBand looks like it will be enough to suite my needs. I have a bass pod xt live for modeling....so what's next? I assume I need an audio interface? I'm not looking to break the bank but I want something I can run instraments or a di into....also I want to add a set of studio monitors
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Just picked up a imac....now what??
- Thread starter pghjeeper
- Start date
Firepod is an interface made by PreSonus. It is probably overkill for what you are talking about doing. I use the FireStudio product made by the same company which has less features, but would still cover the needs that you are talking about. It runs around $250 new, but I got mine for half that off of craigslist. It connects with a wire called a firewire which is much faster than USB connected interfaces. This allows you to record one track on top of another without concern of a delay. Of course, having a mac, you will need to buy a different firewire than the one that comes with it which can be had for about $10 from amazon, but I would have had to pay $40 to get one locally.
You can get an interface with a USB connection much cheaper (Lexicon alpha is $60 from musicians friend). One of these would certainly get you started, but if you get the Presonus you will probably never feel the need to upgrade.
You can get an interface with a USB connection much cheaper (Lexicon alpha is $60 from musicians friend). One of these would certainly get you started, but if you get the Presonus you will probably never feel the need to upgrade.
I also have an iMac and love M-Audio's products.
I use there MobilePre USB (no longer made).
This is very similar and cost the same. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-...e-with-pro-tools-se?src=3WWRWXGP&src=3WWRWXGP
I also use M-Audio monitors . I have StudioPo 4's (no longer made)
These are almost the same. Invalid Link Removed
USB is fine. 480 megabits per second (Mbps) for USB 2.0 and 400 Mbps for FireWire. I am not
sure if the iMac is Firewire 800 but for your need It doesn't make a difference.
Garageband rules and is EASY to use. Here are some of my creations I did all in Garage band
using the M-Audio stuff I mentioned above.
I use there MobilePre USB (no longer made).
This is very similar and cost the same. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-...e-with-pro-tools-se?src=3WWRWXGP&src=3WWRWXGP
I also use M-Audio monitors . I have StudioPo 4's (no longer made)
These are almost the same. Invalid Link Removed
USB is fine. 480 megabits per second (Mbps) for USB 2.0 and 400 Mbps for FireWire. I am not
sure if the iMac is Firewire 800 but for your need It doesn't make a difference.
Garageband rules and is EASY to use. Here are some of my creations I did all in Garage band
using the M-Audio stuff I mentioned above.
Last edited by a moderator:
Sadly the Firepod (and FP10) are no longer in production.
However, if you only need a couple channels, there are a lot of options out there for fairly cheap. Presonus offer the Firestudio Mobile and AudioBox, you also have the likes of the M-Audio Fast Track too.
However, if you only need a couple channels, there are a lot of options out there for fairly cheap. Presonus offer the Firestudio Mobile and AudioBox, you also have the likes of the M-Audio Fast Track too.
- Nov 30, 2009
- 878
- 195
- Disclosures
- Amateur. Take my advice for its resale value.
I LOVE my Macbook + Presonus Firepod. Search craigslist and the Guitar Center used market. I'm sure they are around.
If was to buy something brand new, I would look for the Focusrite Firewire products. I was >< close to going this route instead, but stumbled upon the used Presonus Firepod instead...
Oh, and don't sell garage band short. You can do a lot with that freebie software....
If was to buy something brand new, I would look for the Focusrite Firewire products. I was >< close to going this route instead, but stumbled upon the used Presonus Firepod instead...
Oh, and don't sell garage band short. You can do a lot with that freebie software....
If the POD has a USB connector, you should be able to use it as an audio interface, no extra hardware required.
Active monitors can be plugged directly in the iMac headphone output but a separate audio interface would increase the quality a lot and it's really, really good to have an analog volume knob in between the computer and the monitors.
Active monitors can be plugged directly in the iMac headphone output but a separate audio interface would increase the quality a lot and it's really, really good to have an analog volume knob in between the computer and the monitors.
I'm a soundguy and I work as a semi-professional (I have also another job...) in my area, nothing fancy but pretty serious. I work with Logic platform only.
My uninterested advice, if the only thing you want is record one track at a time, and compose a mix with a simple DAW (digital audio workstation) like Garageband, well, you only need your iMac and nothing else. The stock built-in audio interface is pretty good on desktop macs, it should work with a 24 bit depth and go above 90 Khz sample rate, double the rate required to write a musical CD with .aiff or .wave audio formats...
The quality of the stock A/D converters is acceptable for non-pro user, and if I were a "less than professional" user, I would stick with the built-in one.
Myself, I prefer superior audio quality and I have external audio interfaces, because I need simultaneous multi-tracking and so on, but if you enter this game, you may discover an endless world, too vaste compared to your common needs.
I must admit that, sometimes, I produce demos for little local bands and I just use a Macbook with good RAM and a fast HD, stock audio interface, more than basic results if you know how to mix and edit...
My uninterested advice, if the only thing you want is record one track at a time, and compose a mix with a simple DAW (digital audio workstation) like Garageband, well, you only need your iMac and nothing else. The stock built-in audio interface is pretty good on desktop macs, it should work with a 24 bit depth and go above 90 Khz sample rate, double the rate required to write a musical CD with .aiff or .wave audio formats...
The quality of the stock A/D converters is acceptable for non-pro user, and if I were a "less than professional" user, I would stick with the built-in one.
Myself, I prefer superior audio quality and I have external audio interfaces, because I need simultaneous multi-tracking and so on, but if you enter this game, you may discover an endless world, too vaste compared to your common needs.
I must admit that, sometimes, I produce demos for little local bands and I just use a Macbook with good RAM and a fast HD, stock audio interface, more than basic results if you know how to mix and edit...
the sound quality of my allen and heath zed10 mixer beats my old DIGI002 pro tools rack unit. but the zed is limited to two tracks at a time, one left one right. 
it runs with a single usb cable, nothing else needed. Two guitar DI inputs with an extra gain switch. $249 new.
I use it for a live submixer as well.
it runs with a single usb cable, nothing else needed. Two guitar DI inputs with an extra gain switch. $249 new.
I use it for a live submixer as well.
Garage band will do what you want to do, plus you already have it.
Garage band has amp simulation softwre so even if you don't have the greatest sounding amp in the world, you can use GB's amp simulator to make it sound like a Marshall stack! Ok sort of, but it's more toys to play with. There are a bunch of Apple loops (already on your iMac) you can access and drop into a Garage Band session like drums and such that you can then record the guitars over. Pretty nice, and easy to learn. YouTube will have videos covering how to do all of this.
The good thing is that if you are brand new to this world, GC offers FREE classes for Garage Band and ProTools. This month is ProTools. They are every Saturday from 10am-11am (or longer at my local GC). It's 4 weekends: Week 1 - overview, interfaces & microphones; Week 2 - audio recording; Week 3 - MIDI and controllers; Week 4 - Editing. These classes have been a great "networking" experience, as well as showing off various hot keys and short cuts to make life easier.
Gear wise you will need to pick up at least a 2 channel interface and maybe a couple of mics in order to record the boys at the same time. Fortunately most of these interfaces also come with their related DAW (digital audio workstation) software. So an M-Box will have ProTools while a PreSonus interface will more than likely have their Studio One software.
I hope this helps in some way.
Garage band has amp simulation softwre so even if you don't have the greatest sounding amp in the world, you can use GB's amp simulator to make it sound like a Marshall stack! Ok sort of, but it's more toys to play with. There are a bunch of Apple loops (already on your iMac) you can access and drop into a Garage Band session like drums and such that you can then record the guitars over. Pretty nice, and easy to learn. YouTube will have videos covering how to do all of this.
The good thing is that if you are brand new to this world, GC offers FREE classes for Garage Band and ProTools. This month is ProTools. They are every Saturday from 10am-11am (or longer at my local GC). It's 4 weekends: Week 1 - overview, interfaces & microphones; Week 2 - audio recording; Week 3 - MIDI and controllers; Week 4 - Editing. These classes have been a great "networking" experience, as well as showing off various hot keys and short cuts to make life easier.
Gear wise you will need to pick up at least a 2 channel interface and maybe a couple of mics in order to record the boys at the same time. Fortunately most of these interfaces also come with their related DAW (digital audio workstation) software. So an M-Box will have ProTools while a PreSonus interface will more than likely have their Studio One software.
I hope this helps in some way.
I'd like to toss my experience in for the two-channel/track options.
I manage the recordings for our church services, and we have Behringer u222 hooked up; the recordings off of that sound great. (that is to say, the only problems in the recording have to do with sources, not with delivery
I also have one at home, and it works great for just recording my bass. It's a "stereo" device - but stereo == 2 channels.
Oh, and it's only $30 new.
I manage the recordings for our church services, and we have Behringer u222 hooked up; the recordings off of that sound great. (that is to say, the only problems in the recording have to do with sources, not with delivery
I also have one at home, and it works great for just recording my bass. It's a "stereo" device - but stereo == 2 channels.
Oh, and it's only $30 new.
