What Exactly Do You Need For Recording?

[Basslice]

Oooh. One last thing you might want to budget for eventually:

A decent midi (mini-midi) keyboard. I find it indispensable for tapping out drum patterns, adding strings and horns. They can be had for $100-$150

 

[Jefus]

You will NEED an interface. There are many good suggestions above. The interface will come with the cable to hook it into your computer (USB, FireWire, etc.). Some interfaces will include a DI in them; these are labeled different ways: the front of my Apollo says "HI-Z". But be sure that it is an instrument-level input, and not line level; both can use what look like 1/4" inputs but the line level inputs are balanced. If your interface does not have this, then you will need a DI or preamp of some kind with XLR or line level outputs. For now, I recommend finding an interface that can accept instrument level (HI-Z) inputs.

You will NEED a DAW. The DAW is the software that allows you to record. Many interfaces will come with trial versions of DAWs so you can get your feet wet and see what works for you. There are good suggestions above, but I will through Ableton Live out there as a recommendation. There are a couple of different ways to use it, it's fairly intuitive, and if you don't know what a button does it will tell you when you hover your mouse over it. It's really a great DAW.

You will NEED some way to listen back to the recordings you make. Your interface will have outputs for monitors, headphones, or both. What you choose to use is up to you, but make sure that it can reproduce low-frequencies accurately. I love recording and mixing on my monitors, but headphones can be helpful if you're trying not to disturb other people in your vicinity. I will make a strong recommendation for Beyerdynamic DT770 headphones; they are not cheap, but you'll only need to buy them once, and they sound great for tracking bass. Your drummer will love them too, but he will sweat all over them

That's all you need.

If you want to input any other sounds then you'll need to look into what those sounds are and what kind of outputs they have. A mic is never a bad purchase (especially a Shure SM57 or SM58) but it won't be necessary until you decide to record sounds in the environment.

There are tons of great tutorials on YouTube for ever DAW under the sun. I'd recommend watching the tutorials to see which one seems like it will mesh well with you. Similarly, there are a ton of videos for recording every instrument.

 

[Basslice]

Ok, looks like I'll go w/ the solo. Don't really need to record 2 things at once yet.

If you go this route and need any help or advice I am happy to help out.

 

[Mr Cheese]

Oooh. One last thing you might want to budget for eventually:

A decent midi (mini-midi) keyboard. I find it indispensable for tapping out drum patterns, adding strings and horns. They can be had for $100-$150

Sounds cool for experimentation. I have a friend that plays keys, he might be interested in that.

 

[Mr Cheese]

If you go this route and need any help or advice I am happy to help out.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Jefus]

Oooh. One last thing you might want to budget for eventually:

A decent midi (mini-midi) keyboard. I find it indispensable for tapping out drum patterns, adding strings and horns. They can be had for $100-$150

This is a great suggestion too! Something with keys and drum pads can be super useful.

Also, a comfortable chair with no arms can be invaluable.

 

[Basslice]

Building a studio was the best thing I ever did for myself as a musician. I learned more about myself as a musician as a result and had no clue I was capable of writing full songs on every instrument until I actually did it. If I’m not at work, I can be found in my studio until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.

Me too! Same experience. Learning a lot about song composition. I will never be able to compete with a pro studio in terms of quality, but I am learning so much more as a musician. Ditto song writing.

 

[Mr Cheese]

Welp, the discount is pretty much useless. It lists a whole dang paragraph of companies that it can't be used on. Go figure.

 

[mb94952]

What do you need to record your bass? I'd like to start recording, and I'm getting a computer for it. I know you need a DAW, (I've looked at Cakewalk, Reaper, and Garage Band) but beyond that I'm lost. An interface, a di...both? A mic? What exactly do you need, and what are your recommended products for recording bass? (Looking for an option that won't leave flies in my wallet.) I get 15% off any item over $49 at GC, but it only lasts a few more days, so I'd like to get one of the pieces needed to record soon.

I'm with you, brother. I've been playing for 35 years and have NO IDEA how to make a youtube video in stereo. I can put my phone on record, other than that I don't get it !

I have a 2012 MacBook Pro with GarageBand and I tried to hook up a 1/4" to USB cable and can't even get a signal.

I hooked up my entire surround sound system, know my way around amps, etc, kind of know how to run a board, but I am stuck. Sub'd...

 

[Basslice]

This is a great suggestion too! Something with keys and drum pads can be super useful.

Also, a comfortable chair with no arms can be invaluable.

I ended up buying an armless guitar player seat (SoundSeat) for that exact reason. I was nicking up my instruments. Also, I like the wheels on mine. I worked for years without one though, but having it decreased my frustration.

 

[Basslice]

I'm with you, brother. I've been playing for 35 years and have NO IDEA how to make a youtube video in stereo. I can put my phone on record, other than that I don't get it !

I have a 2012 MacBook Pro with GarageBand and I tried to hook up a 1/4" to USB cable and can't even get a signal.

I hooked up my entire surround sound system, know my way around amps, etc, kind of know how to run a board, but I am stuck. Sub'd...

For me, figuring out and understanding the signal chain (how a signal goes from an instrument, into the interface and then around inside the DAW) was the most frustrating and time-consuming part of setting up and using my studio. I can't tell you how long I have sat at my desk looking for an active signal and not finding it.

There are a lot of good videos that help and to be honest, Covid opened up real opportunities for me to sit and learn. I still make gaping errors, but can usually fight my way out of them. It took time. Right now I am trying to get better at quantizing tracks (fixing beats) to get a tighter sound. Pro Tools is very powerful in this respect, but it is not as easy as pushing a button. I like the challenges.

I'd say that after digging in for a year now I am at a 3-4 on a scale of 1-10 PT proficiency. That being said, some of my recordings are starting to sound pretty dang good.

 

[Eon Sky]

Ok, looks like I'll go w/ the solo. Don't really need to record 2 things at once yet.

Here's one unintended advantage I found by going with the two channel Scarlett. I keep my interface plugged in at all time and run my computer sound through it even when I'm not recording. I record into the second channel and use the first channel to plunk away when I practice. That way, I can not touch the levels on the second channel (my recording one) and still raise and lower my bass volume with the first channel when I practice. It's really useful to set and forget that recording level if you have to record in bits and pieces.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

It depends on how computer savvy are you ?
There are simple ways, and super convoluted routes.
Good for you doing some research before taking the plunge.
those Focusrite things are pretty good to get started in the computer.

If I were getting started in this thing, I would probably start simple, like one of them Tascam DP-006 handheld recorders. Has everything you need to start recording songs. Multi track, built in microphones, instrument jacks, the whole bit. About the size of a small book and sounds pretty darn good!

A step up from that, there is the Tascam Model 12...it has a mixer, multitrack recorder and USB audio interface all in one box. Sounds great! has good preamps, instrument jacks, and can give you good insight as to exactly what those computer graphics are trying to emulate.

These are options available to you. If I were just getting started, I would seek out a local musician friend who has a home studio, and ask them to show you what things do. Maybe ask a few friends, it will help you decide if you can have some hands on experience before making a purchase.

Good luck!

 

[nickpc]

Thank you @Mr Cheese for this thread - I'm in pretty much the same position and have gotten answers to all of my up-front questions here!

 

[Riff Ranger]

had no clue I was capable of writing full songs on every instrument until I actually did it

Yup. Recording taught me that, while I didn’t play bass as well as I thought I did, I can play passable lead guitar
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[fishdreams]

I would not start out recording with a microphone. Too many variables: the room, your level of mike technique and knowledge of mics and mic types. You'll be spending a lot of time&money before it gets somewhere where you want it; you'd be better off with paying for a few hours time in a decent studio to understand what it takes to be working with microphones.

My recommendation for a not-too-expensive instant-gratification route with good results:
bass > preamp > interface > DAW
1. as nice a preamp as you can get that goes into the D/A converter. They all sound different and really beef up the tone. You dont need to spend much on one for a good result - I got mine on sale. I have this one: if you love that jaco burp from his first solo album for example, look no further. Fave for my current musical needs is this one, which i got when Sweetwater blew them out for a lot less. Very strong low end, super direct sounding, clean yet ballsy at the same time. I also use a Arkham Abyss for a great real Tube tone - Exactly likr and Ampeg B15.
2. a decent interface (I use a Focusrite as many other do, and perfectly fine to start out with.)
3. DAW: Presonus Studio One and Logic have very good sets plugins ready to go. Reaper is very good and cheap, you'll just have too find plugins yourself, but then again there is decent bunch of free plugins out there. Strat with soime amp modeling plugins (there is really nice free one from GK)

So start with the interface and DAW with some plugins.- it gives you something to work with. Then find a pre that works for you.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Me too! Same experience. Learning a lot about song composition. I will never be able to compete with a pro studio in terms of quality, but I am learning so much more as a musician. Ditto song writing.

Don’t start discrediting yourself yet, some amazing things have been done in home studios and technology/plug-ins are getting more user friendly/sound-great-with-one-click each day!

Hell, Billie Eilash (sp?) did that whole album in her bedroom and while it was mixed by a pro, it was still tracked in a bedroom with zero acoustic treatment!

There’s a ton of YouTube channels out there that have taught me a LOT; Produce Like A Pro, Pensado’s Place, occasionally a SpectreSoundStudios (can’t stand Glen though) and then watching everything and anything I can find from the producers/mix engineers I enjoy; Chris/Tom Lorde Alge, Joe Barresi, Andy Wallace, Bob Rock, Randy Staub, Andy Sneap, etc.

They all drop little nuggets of wisdom and often times, they come out as matter-of-fact for these guys, but to people just learning, it can be a HUGE nuggets of information. In the terms of bass, learning from Dug Pinnick how he got his bass tone by using a distorted amp with zero bass in it and a clean amp with all the bass in it, or how Bob Rock will layer specific tones to create a monster tone, like in Metallica’s “Sad But True” they put a baritone Danelectro on the chugging part of the riff to fatten it up.

All those little tricks are what turn something into a polished product, it’s just a matter of remembering all of them and utilizing them!

 

[RevDrucifer]

Yup. Recording taught me that, while I didn’t play bass as well as I thought I did, I can play passable lead guitar
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I started with guitar first and then quickly wanted to learn everything, I’m competent enough to sit in for a gig with bass/drums/keys/vocals but never had the chance to see what I could do in the studio with them. What I can’t physically play, I can program the sh*t out of!

There are few things more thrilling to me than having a room set up with everything in it, a DAW and a click track!

 

[RevDrucifer]

You know, I haven't used a DI as I think the preamp in the Focusrite is great. At least for my ears. At some point I'd like to try a decent standalone DI, but so far haven't found the need.

Same. I get a strong, clear signal into Logic just fine without a DI box. I think they hit around 40db entering Logic from the Focusrite Scarlett, certainly PLENTY of volume to work with.

 

[Riff Ranger]

Presonus Studio One and Logic have very good sets plugins ready to go. Reaper is very good and cheap, you'll just have too find plugins yourself, but then again there is decent bunch of free plugins out there

FWIW, I got nowhere with Presonus Studio One (came free with my interface), but found Reaper intuitive enough that I could jump in.