Recording your songs...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ralph on May 14, 2008 at 2:55am

Definitely record on a computer. I use Pro Tools, with an Mbox 2. I'm working on treating a room and getting some good studio monitors. I have a RODE NT2 mic, it's amazing, if you can find one go for it. I'm planning on recording my bands album here at home. Should.be fun. I'm actually going to school for audio engineering so it'll be good practice for me.

Permalink Reply by Matt Osgood on May 15, 2008 at 10:39am

Macbook Pro running Logic Pro 8 with Focusrite Saffire Pro 10/10 (so I must be a pro with that much 'pro' gear ;) - Event Active monitors, various mics borrowed from church, normally use an AKG C414 for vocals which is OK but not great, would love to get the Rode valve mic. Check out www.RESOUNDworship.org for some of the recordings I've done.

Permalink Reply by Lara Marriott on April 21, 2009 at 7:59pm

Hi Matt, I know this was a YEAR AGO!! But just incase you receive updates in your email, would you be willing to tell us how you like Logic Pro? My husband and I are trying to decide whether to get Logic to go with our Mac and MOTU or start fresh and go with ProTools? We have heard that Logic is more comprehensive and a bit difficult to understand. Would you agree?

Thanks,

Lara~

Permalink Reply by Chris Warwick on April 23, 2009 at 3:40am

If you don't mind, I'll reply. I have been recording with computers for about 10 years now. I started on the pc with Cakewalk version 4.5. I switched to a Mac about a year and a half ago, just recently bought Logic Express and am very impressed. I don't use a lot of midi so I don't believe I need pro. I am absolutely thrilled with Logic. If you want you can check out logic ninja on you tube, he has tons of tutorials on logic. I hope this helps. Oh yeah I'm using a white Macbook, not pro, and an Alesis IO 1426 interface with no problems. Chris.

Permalink Reply by Robert Lopez on May 28, 2008 at 2:04am

I'm using a PC~
Reason 4
Cakewalk Project 5 v2.0
VST Instruments
EMU 1820M Sound Card
Wish i knew more i'm just lrning and not sure how to EQ the songs good etc.... I'm a Newbie at this!

Permalink Reply by jeff L. on June 18, 2008 at 5:14pm

ProTools HD1 wtih a Mac G5 dual core. Event monitors. Old Behringer Eurodesk for V-drums, mics, keys, etc.
Use Rode mics(Classic Tube, NT2000 and NT2) I have done a lot of mastering in the last 12 years and enjoy that aspect of recording. Moved to a new house and I am putting DIY acoustic panels on the walls and ceiling in a bonus room, in the coming weeks. I am starting to record my family this year, as I have spent too much spare time recording bands and songwriters...my kids play instruments and sing...along with my wife...so it is time to enjoy the recording setup too...smile. I have a lot more stuff but won't bore you with more lists. I love recording in any computer setup. I used to use Tape and then ADATs and will not go backwards.

Permalink Reply by Joel Yap on June 24, 2008 at 7:28am

Is there any way for 17 year old students like me who hasn't got any money to do recordings with pro equipment?
Are there free recording softwares that can be used to produce good sounds?

Permalink Reply by jeff L. on September 9, 2008 at 4:50pm

Hi Joel,
There may not be "Pro Equipment" that is free, but you can certainly do nice recordings with free software. You would want a way to get audio into your computer though. If you were set on spending less than $100, consider a USB mic...(http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation?ZYXSEM=0&q=usb+microp...) and then use a free Multi-track audio recording program such as Music Studio Producer, or Audacity...both which are free. There are others out there. Audacity is the free tool I use when I need to edit audio without opening my ProTools recording setup. Pretty nice tool for being free.

The producing of good sounds first starts with the performer and then the recording engineer. The equipment matters, but more and more CDs are recorded in living rooms and home studios. Pro Mixing is sometimes even done outside of an expensive Recording studio. You will have a ceiling of quality with free software that won't match a pro rig, but you hopefully won't consider trying to release a fully produced CD with your first try at recording. Free software is OK to learn with and even do demos. If you can make a decent recording with free software and a cheap mic, you will be ready to take another step up in your recording career. Before I touched a mixer in a studio, I had experience on a cheap cassette four track recorder. I bought an 8 channel recording PC card...and then finally took a job in a real studio and learned the business.
Start at square one and try your hand at recording with free software and work your way up from there. Hang out with other recording buffs and learn what you can from their experiences.
Hope this helps.
Jeff Little

Permalink Reply by L nielsen on November 15, 2008 at 8:17am

Joel
use Audacity or other free software and do an ebay or amazon search for an analog to digital interface.(USB) it will allow you to plug in your guitar, electric keyboard/ midi, or mics. probably 1 at a time but you build your recording that way any way. Each track is an instrument or vocal. I don't know about Audacity but most software has some drum creation ability for simple beats. you can probably find some free loops on the net also to build drum tracks. start with drums then add the next strongest rythym instrument, Bass,,Guitar or Keys. I ususally do vocals last but will record a scratch track earlier(unfinished) just to keep it together. finally layer in all the sublte detail Strings, oohs ahhs pings clings and wahtever and there you go you will hava a song

Permalink Reply by David Baughman on May 6, 2009 at 5:02pm

Hey Joel, Musiciansfriend.com has a pretty interesting program called Band in a box you might like. PG music makes it and you can get a free demo to try it out if your interested. The full program costs a bit tho, but I think it's worth it.

Permalink Reply by Carolyn Gardner on October 21, 2008 at 3:31am

I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm trying to learn. I record on my PC using Band in a Box to lay down my chords and try lots of mixes until I get the sound and feel I want to select. Then I transfer that to SONAR where I mess with the instruments in the tracks and add vocals. I try to tweak it with the pea sized knowledge I have and save it. The mic I use is just a cheapo Realistic from Radio Shack, I think. I have a Yamaha keyboard that I've just just gotten hooked up to my computer and I want to try using various intrument sounds from that to add to the mix. I'm not sure how that's going to work, but I'm going to give it a try.

Permalink Reply by Charles Wolff on October 21, 2008 at 6:29pm

Hooray Band In a Box. I pretty much just use it to generate drum parts, but a few times when I've been trying to do a quick demo recording for the band, I'll let it do all the work.

When you're transferring to Sonar, do you just record the whole instrumental thing as a stereo track, or do you put the individual instruments on separate Sonar tracks and mix from there?

One thing I really like doing with BIAB is that I'll set the chords font really big and then record the rhythm guitar while I'm transferring the drums, so I can see the chords I'm supposed to be playing... probably gets my basic tracks down several takes sooner :-)

Charles

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