New to Home Recording - In Need of Some Help

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:23 am

Hello all. I'm new to the forums and home recording, and if you are able to, please clear up some of my confusion.

I am on a fairly limited budget ($300 is about my limit) and I'd like to have a respectable set-up (CD quality is preferred) for music recording. I will, most likely, only record a limited amount of instruments (an acoustic guitar, a little bit of homemade percussion and certain other strange, around the house sounds) in multiple takes - a one-man band type of thing. The microphone that I am considering is the :

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Sterling-Audio-ST51-Large-Diaphragm-FET-Condenser-Mic?sku=271090

which seems to fit my needs. If you have a better suggestion for cleaner, warmer audio, please let me know.

I was either going in one of two routes (my understanding of the inner workings of home recording is limited, so feel free to fill in the blanks and let me know what else I might need. Also, please tell me what sort of cables are required.):

(1) Record straight to the:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Tascam-DP004-Portable-4track-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder?sku=250011

(using headphones as a monitor of sorts) and, later compile the tracks in Audacity (I'll get a better DAW eventually), arranging them there. (I'm a little iffy here. The portastudio has 2 1/4" mic inputs - can the microphone that I chose even connect to this? Would I need some sort of converter?)

Or,

(2) Record through the:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-Eurorack-UB1202-Mixer?sku=631236#new

directly into Audacity. (Would the:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-UCONTROL-UCA202-USBAudio-Interface?sku=702540

be used so as to connect the mixer to my computer? If so, does the mixer come with Red and White audio cables? Or, would I need to buy them?)

Again, I'm not looking for uber quality here. My goal is to release some tracks through Jamendo and other indie based services, and I just need help getting there.

Would I need any other equipment than what I mentioned here? Any other cables, etc?

Thank you so very much for you time.

Take care.

Moderator Joined: Nov 16, 2004 Posts: 864

I had some of option 2 going (same brand mixer), and wasn't pleased. I was more pleased with the workflow when I used something similar to option 1(different brand).

You'll have to buy your own cables. You would also need a adapter for the mic connector. There are no "pro" quality mics I know of that come standard with a 1/4" connector.

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:07 pm

There are a lot of ways to skin a cat. If you will be recording at home or in a space where your computer usually resides i would suggest that you use an interface rather than the tascam unit. The interface is a preamp analog/digital that sends a signal directly to the computer to be recorded in Audacity or any of the other software platforms that come bundled with these units. In my case, personal opinion here, the quality of the recording is better, I dislike the workflow, layout, buttons of these small all in one digital recording devices.

Please note also that the mic you are showing here requires phantom power (supplied by the mixer or preamp) and the Tascam unit does not state that it has that ability. If not, these will not work together without some other piece of equip.

Friends do not let friends buy Behri8765544! I have and was sorry.

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