I have one of these. It was given to me years ago, it doesn't work, but I do have it..
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What Exactly Do You Need For Recording?
- Thread starter Mr Cheese
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I have one of these. It was given to me years ago, it doesn't work, but I do have it..
One other point - having a friend you can call that has some experience is THE BEST thing to help you get started. A phone call or FaceTime interaction can prevent frustration and angst.
I have this ancient Behringer EuroRack mixer that's been part of my recording rig for almost 20 years now, and it still serves to feed my speakers and headphones, but I no longer run my instrument inputs through it - they get patched straight into the Focusrite.
My chain is: Bass -> MicroBass II pre -> Focusrite -> Dell -> Studio One/Reaper -> Focusrite -> Mixer -> Phones/Speakers.
And I will once again recommend AKG 240 Studio headphones for recording. They're light enough to wear for hours, good enough to do decent mixing, and surprisingly cheap for what you get. They're only semi-closed, so *if* you're going to record vocals with a sensitive condenser mic, and you're going to be listening to the backing tracks with headphones, you want a fully sealed pair to keep the backing tracks from leaking onto the vocal takes.
My chain is: Bass -> MicroBass II pre -> Focusrite -> Dell -> Studio One/Reaper -> Focusrite -> Mixer -> Phones/Speakers.
And I will once again recommend AKG 240 Studio headphones for recording. They're light enough to wear for hours, good enough to do decent mixing, and surprisingly cheap for what you get. They're only semi-closed, so *if* you're going to record vocals with a sensitive condenser mic, and you're going to be listening to the backing tracks with headphones, you want a fully sealed pair to keep the backing tracks from leaking onto the vocal takes.
If your just starting I recommend the following:
a relatively cheap laptop, use it strictly for recording purposes
sign up for Pre-Sonus Sphere $15/mo with access to all of their plug-ins, cloud storage included, and you can cancel anytime for free
PreSonus Sphere | PreSonus
Presonus makes multiple affordable interfaces as well, especially if your recording just bass a 2 channel would be fine
PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 USB Audio Interface
Logic and GarageBand are sweet but it’s a massive cost upfront
Lots of ways to get audio into a computer:
straight into the pc through it's mic input, a bit noisy and probably better with some sort of pre-amp,
audio interface. I find I have 5, Zoom H1 (which allows you to use its mics or a line level input, or record on the H1 and drag the audio across later),
Digitech JamMan Stereo Looper (does the same as the H1),
Helix Stomp (acts as an audio interface),
Focusrite LS56 (8 channel mic pre-amp with Firewire and Adat, which also acts as a matrix for sending audio to monitors and headphones)
Yamaha AW4416 16 track digital recorder/mixer (16 channel audio through Adat to the LS56 and into DAW) These are silly cheap but very powerful.
There are lots of DAW solutions but your computer and wallet will dictate which. There are older versions of which will run on lesser PCs but I would recommend getting something with support, either from the manufacturer or online group.
straight into the pc through it's mic input, a bit noisy and probably better with some sort of pre-amp,
audio interface. I find I have 5, Zoom H1 (which allows you to use its mics or a line level input, or record on the H1 and drag the audio across later),
Digitech JamMan Stereo Looper (does the same as the H1),
Helix Stomp (acts as an audio interface),
Focusrite LS56 (8 channel mic pre-amp with Firewire and Adat, which also acts as a matrix for sending audio to monitors and headphones)
Yamaha AW4416 16 track digital recorder/mixer (16 channel audio through Adat to the LS56 and into DAW) These are silly cheap but very powerful.
There are lots of DAW solutions but your computer and wallet will dictate which. There are older versions of which will run on lesser PCs but I would recommend getting something with support, either from the manufacturer or online group.
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[Colombo *almost* makes it out the door. Stops, and turns...]
...and one more thing. For scuttlebutt, tips, and advice about DAWs and plugins, KVRaudio is something of the TalkBass of music computer nerds. Invalid Link Removed Invalid Link Removed
...and one more thing. For scuttlebutt, tips, and advice about DAWs and plugins, KVRaudio is something of the TalkBass of music computer nerds. Invalid Link Removed Invalid Link Removed
If you’re using a Mac, I like Logic, but garage band is just a simplified version of logic, so that will do fine. For inexpensive interfaces, I like the focusrite Scarlett options. I’ve had a few and they’re solid pieces with virtually zero latency. It doesn’t hurt to get a mic, and the shure sm58 is a great mic, but honestly behringer makes a copy that’s perfectly fine and about half the price. I have both and can hardly notice a difference if I’m not A/B’ing them with a very critical ear.
I will reiterate a few products already mentioned...with a bugdet studio startup in mind.
interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 . Inexpensive, no unneeded frills for home project work. 2 inputs. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-usb-audio-interface-gen-3/l56575000000000?cntry=US&cur=USD&utm_content=L56575000000000--Focusrite+Scarlett+2i2+USB+Audio+Interface+(Gen+3)&source=3WWRWXGS&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpdqDBhCSARIsAEUJ0hNXpXcXVxvUii62rTOxMr1AGUrF1twnWxNASBCQn4Ms9CzFkC33pkoaAqmGEALw_wcB
DAW: Reaper is inexpensive - still $99 I think? and intuitive/easy to use. Learning curve not overwhelming. (I Have Digital Performer 9.5 but it is a bit of a hairy beast, learning curve substantial, and not cheap.) If I had it to do over again, I'd start with Reaper. REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits
DI-type box: I LOVE this DI for recording bass: Neve RNDI. In fact, of all this stuff I mention here, THIS is far and away my favorite and most highly recommended. Created by the legendary Rupert Neve. Just adds a level of compactness and awesomeness. Good for other instruments too - kinda gives it the sound a Neve board channel would. Rupert Neve Designs RNDI 1-channel Active Instrument Direct Box
Mic for bass: EV RE320 less pricey at $299 list than the famed RE20 at $399, but virtually identical in specs. I don't do that much live mic'ing of bass, myself; Neve RNDI gives me a live enough sound for most applications, so IMO here's a place one could save $ for the intitial studio set-up . Electro-Voice RE320 Cardioid Dynamic Broadcast Microphone
General mic - instr, especially acoustic ones, voc : Blue BlueBird lists $299 but can be had for less. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro...rjB1KTKyBPY-JZ7LtnmMaLNvjAv5GsM4aAjRGEALw_wcB
Drums: EZDrummer2. Easy, excellent way to make track drum parts for your compositions, many options, flexible for arranging parts then import into your DAW, sound great. Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Virtual Drum Software
Some stuff to consider. It's about as cheap as one could put together a working studio - maybe just get one of the 2 mic's I mentioned...
interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 . Inexpensive, no unneeded frills for home project work. 2 inputs. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-usb-audio-interface-gen-3/l56575000000000?cntry=US&cur=USD&utm_content=L56575000000000--Focusrite+Scarlett+2i2+USB+Audio+Interface+(Gen+3)&source=3WWRWXGS&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpdqDBhCSARIsAEUJ0hNXpXcXVxvUii62rTOxMr1AGUrF1twnWxNASBCQn4Ms9CzFkC33pkoaAqmGEALw_wcB
DAW: Reaper is inexpensive - still $99 I think? and intuitive/easy to use. Learning curve not overwhelming. (I Have Digital Performer 9.5 but it is a bit of a hairy beast, learning curve substantial, and not cheap.) If I had it to do over again, I'd start with Reaper. REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits
DI-type box: I LOVE this DI for recording bass: Neve RNDI. In fact, of all this stuff I mention here, THIS is far and away my favorite and most highly recommended. Created by the legendary Rupert Neve. Just adds a level of compactness and awesomeness. Good for other instruments too - kinda gives it the sound a Neve board channel would. Rupert Neve Designs RNDI 1-channel Active Instrument Direct Box
Mic for bass: EV RE320 less pricey at $299 list than the famed RE20 at $399, but virtually identical in specs. I don't do that much live mic'ing of bass, myself; Neve RNDI gives me a live enough sound for most applications, so IMO here's a place one could save $ for the intitial studio set-up . Electro-Voice RE320 Cardioid Dynamic Broadcast Microphone
General mic - instr, especially acoustic ones, voc : Blue BlueBird lists $299 but can be had for less. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro...rjB1KTKyBPY-JZ7LtnmMaLNvjAv5GsM4aAjRGEALw_wcB
Drums: EZDrummer2. Easy, excellent way to make track drum parts for your compositions, many options, flexible for arranging parts then import into your DAW, sound great. Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Virtual Drum Software
Some stuff to consider. It's about as cheap as one could put together a working studio - maybe just get one of the 2 mic's I mentioned...
When I use the mixer, it is the DI and I go from the stereo "Control Room" on the back of the mixer into the 2 inputs on the 2i2. This I do to listen to myself playing and singing for practice.
When I'm making tracks for a final recording I'm going straight into the 2i2 skipping the mixer and recording one instrument at a time.
The Alesis SR16 is a drum machine.
You can plug straight into an RME Babyface. You'll eventually want a mic, maybe, but you don't need it for bass. That interface will be rock solid pro performance and last you for years.
edit: The Apollo Solo will be nice too.
Since I haven't been playing out much lately I decided to keep in practice by laying down tracks on a home recording set up. I recently got an audio interface after doing months of online research. I found that some of the more popular audio interfaces currently available have been around for close to ten years. Nothing necessarily wrong with that as there is apparently no need for model upgrades every couple of years like with some music gear but, I did look to see which interfaces have only been out a few years and went with the Solid State Logic SSL 2+. It does cost more than most USB-C interfaces but gets almost unanimous positive reviews which I wasn't seeing as much with other brands. It has some features not always found on other interfaces. Specifically, I only considered interfaces with real MIDI (not just the USB type). With MIDI you can plug in and control any keyboard, drum machine, or other device going back to at least the early 80s. The SSL has some additional inputs and outputs which add to its versatility. It also has the "4K" button which is designed to simulate the legendary characteristic sound of SSL consoles costing $200K or more that were used on many classic recordings. Included were licenses for free DAW's, Plug-ins, and other software which added value. So far I've tried the SSL 2+ with Garageband, Pro Tools First, and Ableton Lite with great results. Also available is the SSL 2 at lower cost that omits some features.
One thing I recommend is getting a computer with as much memory as you can afford and if possible dedicate the computer only for recording. Recording can be very memory intensive and recording Apps alone can take up a lot of storage space.
One thing I recommend is getting a computer with as much memory as you can afford and if possible dedicate the computer only for recording. Recording can be very memory intensive and recording Apps alone can take up a lot of storage space.
I have a very modest recording setup.
pedalboard has a sansamp paradriver that I di out to a Yamaha mg06x 6 channel soundboard. only reason I have the soundboard is I use it to pipe in backing tracks when im playing at night through headphones.
soundboard outputs to a audio interface (Steinberg ur22 mk2). audio interface dumps into my daw (I use reaper).
Cans are akg 240s.
It gets the job done for what I want to do with it. I plan on adding some monitors in the future.
preamp with di, audio interface, a daw, and some monitors / headphones are all you really need for basic recording imho.
pedalboard has a sansamp paradriver that I di out to a Yamaha mg06x 6 channel soundboard. only reason I have the soundboard is I use it to pipe in backing tracks when im playing at night through headphones.
soundboard outputs to a audio interface (Steinberg ur22 mk2). audio interface dumps into my daw (I use reaper).
Cans are akg 240s.
It gets the job done for what I want to do with it. I plan on adding some monitors in the future.
preamp with di, audio interface, a daw, and some monitors / headphones are all you really need for basic recording imho.
Yes, RME makes great kit. But I would not feel comfortable recommending a $1000 interface to someone just starting out in digital recording unless I knew it was a tax write-off for them.
Yeah they make killer stuff. I definitely feel comfortable recommending it because it’s great quality, the drivers are just going to work, It won’t need to be upgraded anytime soon, will hold good resale value, and no price range was given.
Besides it’s only 850 if it’s actually 15% off
My price conscious recommendation would be whatever you can find used really cheap until you can’t stand something about it. Or new M-audio m-track solo for $50 with 15% off is a cheap way to see if you like recording things, and it probably sounds just fine
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Quick, dirty, nearly zero setup and with surprising flexibility: get a BandLab account on your phone or tablet (it’s a free cloud-based app; google it. Even I fumbled my way into making it work!)
Pick up a $40 iRig 2 interface at Guitar Center. You plug your bass and headphones into the iRig, and plug the iRig’s little stereo output cable into your device’s 1/8” (3.5mm) stereo jack.
It only inputs one track at a time, but you can multi-track record, edit, apply FX, sequence drums and keys with the onboard in-app virtual instruments...
I run it on a hand-me-down IPhone 6s. Happy to answer questions of this idea appeals to you; PM me if so. It totally kicked me back into gear with home recording: a sanity saver over this past year.
Pick up a $40 iRig 2 interface at Guitar Center. You plug your bass and headphones into the iRig, and plug the iRig’s little stereo output cable into your device’s 1/8” (3.5mm) stereo jack.
It only inputs one track at a time, but you can multi-track record, edit, apply FX, sequence drums and keys with the onboard in-app virtual instruments...
I run it on a hand-me-down IPhone 6s. Happy to answer questions of this idea appeals to you; PM me if so. It totally kicked me back into gear with home recording: a sanity saver over this past year.
There's a 12+ year old RME PCI (not PCie, PCI!) card running in the PC next to me even as I speak. I used one of their original Multifaces for years, though it did die before it became impossible to find a host with a cardbus adapter. But in those days I was running a business with a sideline in MIDI software, so I could justify buying the best, and I knew that I was going to be using them a lot, for a long time.
The Focusrite Scarlett is fine. I prefer the PreSonus Studio 24c 2x2, because it has an extra knob to adjust the monitor balance between the input and the computer playback. Typically, when using an external interface to record while listening to a track from the computer, the computer track is much louder, making it hard to hear your input via the headphones. The "Mixer" knob on the Presonus solves this problem. Other interfaces have this capability, but the Presonus is the least expensive one to my knowledge.
I just got one of these. Works and sounds great.
TC-Helicon GO SOLO Audio/MIDI Interface for Mobile Devices
TC-Helicon GO SOLO Audio/MIDI Interface for Mobile Devices
If you're not planning on recording for money, recording a whole band or mixing tracks, you don't need a lot of gear.
Audio interface - free DAW - Headphones.
My set up is barebones and I do it for pay - Tube DI into an Audient ID4 (but straight in sounds good too) into Logic Pro, monitoring with a pair of Audio Technica ATHM50x headphones. That's it. The clients I work with usually only want a good clean track and that gear does it well.
Audio interface - free DAW - Headphones.
My set up is barebones and I do it for pay - Tube DI into an Audient ID4 (but straight in sounds good too) into Logic Pro, monitoring with a pair of Audio Technica ATHM50x headphones. That's it. The clients I work with usually only want a good clean track and that gear does it well.
