Welcome to RO Luke.

I moved this to the Home Recording Forum since you are just starting out.
What is your budget?

Ah thank you :)
Uh maybe around £500, i know it's not much but it could be a bit more i'm just not sure how much of my saved up money is needed elsewhere right now
main things i need are the sequencer and the input box thing lol i don't think it's a mixer but almost like smaller version? that's what they use at my school anyway

I have one plan that cost below $1000 assuming you do not need to buy some musical instruments like drums, guitars, etc: http://www.audiorecording.me/simple-home-studio-setup-how-to-build-your-own.html

Of course, properly treating acoustics is necessary if you are recording and mixing, so this might help: http://www.audiorecording.me/home-studio-recording-and-mixing-studio-setup-acoustic-design.html

As a start, try to appreciate simple things, it is not really about the gear that makes the recording excellent but it is how you maximize the use of your gears and having a well trained ear.

The input box thing is called an interface.
You do not want a mixer, typically.

How many channels do you want to record at once?
There are some 2-channel interfaces that come w/ "light" versions of some nice software.
That, a couple of mics, and some way to monitor - headphones (not so good) or monitors - can be had for just a little more than your budget, if my Pound>Dollar conversion is correct.

Otherwise, you're looking at twice your budget for a setup that won't be quickly replaced if you get serious.
How serious are you?

Figure out exactly what you want, allowing for short-term expansion, and get back to us w/ that info. In your level of experience and budget, there are a lot of bad buys - unless you plan and do some research.

audiorecording, post: 354398 wrote: I have one plan that cost below $1000 assuming you do not need to buy some musical instruments like drums, guitars, etc: http://www.audiorecording.me/simple-home-studio-setup-how-to-build-your-own.html

Of course, properly treating acoustics is necessary if you are recording and mixing, so this might help: http://www.audiorecording.me/home-studio-recording-and-mixing-studio-setup-acoustic-design.html

As a start, try to appreciate simple things, it is not really about the gear that makes the recording excellent but it is how you maximize the use of your gears and having a well trained ear.

Hey, thanks for the advice! Yeah i've got drums and guitars as I'm much more experienced with the performance side than the technology side of music at the moment. I looked at the links and they were useful thanks :) I think my pc has all of those things but going to check with my older brother who custom-built it. Do you think adobe audition would be a good program to buy and start out on then?

The only problem is it mentioned a mixer and I think I'd be looking at getting an interface as well or instead if anything.
Luke

soapfloats, post: 354417 wrote: The input box thing is called an interface.
You do not want a mixer, typically.

How many channels do you want to record at once?
There are some 2-channel interfaces that come w/ "light" versions of some nice software.
That, a couple of mics, and some way to monitor - headphones (not so good) or monitors - can be had for just a little more than your budget, if my Pound>Dollar conversion is correct.

Otherwise, you're looking at twice your budget for a setup that won't be quickly replaced if you get serious.
How serious are you?

Figure out exactly what you want, allowing for short-term expansion, and get back to us w/ that info. In your level of experience and budget, there are a lot of bad buys - unless you plan and do some research.

Hey thanks for the help,
i was thinking if i need to record drums possibly up to 5 channels, a mic for kick, 2 toms and snare and then an over head? they're all in my Samson drum mic set.
is that possible from an interface?
I don't think i'll need monitors as i have fairly decent speakers at the moment it's a Logitech 5.1 surround sound speaker system.
Would you say Adobe Audition is a good sequencer program to start out with?
I'd consider getting an interface that comes with a light version of a sequencer but would probably rather buy them separately and make sure i get something a bit more well known i guess?

Luke

Logitech are not monitors. They are computer speakers and really aren't adequate for "mixing."

A purchased legal copy of Audition 2 or 3 is a good place to start. Reaper is cheaper yet at $60. It would appear what you really need to look at are 8 channel interfaces. Presonus, Mackie, TC Electronics, something along these lines. A mixer will just get in your way and still won't get the audio into the computer with certain exceptions.

TheJackAttack, post: 354435 wrote: Logitech are not monitors. They are computer speakers and really aren't adequate for "mixing."

A purchased legal copy of Audition 2 or 3 is a good place to start. Reaper is cheaper yet at $60. It would appear what you really need to look at are 8 channel interfaces. Presonus, Mackie, TC Electronics, something along these lines. A mixer will just get in your way and still won't get the audio into the computer with certain exceptions.

Oh yeah that's true actually ha
i think i'll go with a version of Adobe Audition just because i've never heard of reaper lol
do you know if any of those 8 channel interfaces have a specific model that would be ideal for me and where would be a good place to look?
Thanks
Luke

I am a user of Audition 3.0 (since Cool Edit Pro) days so that will do well for you. Audition also has student/educator licensing that makes it cheaper than it might otherwise be. However, Reaper is a full featured and respected DAW as well. And Reaper fully supports 64 bit which is important since any computer purchased new from now on will 95% of the time be a 64 bit operating system. Anyway, either will work well.

You'll need to research those brands and find what you think might fit your needs. Once you have done that then come back here and use the search feature and formulate some intelligent questions and then post those. Research the 8 channel interfaces and remember that you will need at least as many mic preamps on it as you will have microphones.

TheJackAttack, post: 354440 wrote: I am a user of Audition 3.0 (since Cool Edit Pro) days so that will do well for you. Audition also has student/educator licensing that makes it cheaper than it might otherwise be. However, Reaper is a full featured and respected DAW as well. And Reaper fully supports 64 bit which is important since any computer purchased new from now on will 95% of the time be a 64 bit operating system. Anyway, either will work well.

You'll need to research those brands and find what you think might fit your needs. Once you have done that then come back here and use the search feature and formulate some intelligent questions and then post those. Research the 8 channel interfaces and remember that you will need at least as many mic preamps on it as you will have microphones.

Ok but what's DAW? and at the moment i only have a cheap PCI soundcard that i bought for about five pounds, is there anything really good out there for like 50 pounds which would actually improve sound quality?

audiorecording, post: 354398 wrote: I have one plan that cost below $1000 assuming you do not need to buy some musical instruments like drums, guitars, etc: http://www.audiorecording.me/simple-home-studio-setup-how-to-build-your-own.html

Of course, properly treating acoustics is necessary if you are recording and mixing, so this might help: http://www.audiorecording.me/home-studio-recording-and-mixing-studio-setup-acoustic-design.html

As a start, try to appreciate simple things, it is not really about the gear that makes the recording excellent but it is how you maximize the use of your gears and having a well trained ear.

Smells an awful lot like spam. Not to mention, you recommend a bumslinger mixer. Really? Wholly unnecessary and highly unrecommended.

LukeDrum44, post: 354441 wrote: Ok but what's DAW? and at the moment i only have a cheap PCI soundcard that i bought for about five pounds, is there anything really good out there for like 50 pounds which would actually improve sound quality?

Really good interface and 50 pounds. These two cannot exist in the same sentence. You'll have to save a few more pennies. How many simultaneous inputs do you need?

LukeDrum44, post: 354426 wrote: Hey, thanks for the advice! Yeah i've got drums and guitars as I'm much more experienced with the performance side than the technology side of music at the moment. I looked at the links and they were useful thanks :) I think my pc has all of those things but going to check with my older brother who custom-built it. Do you think adobe audition would be a good program to buy and start out on then?

The only problem is it mentioned a mixer and I think I'd be looking at getting an interface as well or instead if anything.
Luke

It is ok, I am using Adobe audition it was good, been using it for 6 years now. You can try other software also, it depends on where you can feel comfortable. I am using a mixer to channel all inputs to my computer, so that it will be boosted and appear clean. Before I am not using a mixer and the signal is weak, so the recorded signal is not good. Aside from mixer there are other things you need to try, for example having a good pre-amplification between your computer and the musical instruments recorded.

hueseph, post: 354445 wrote: Smells an awful lot like spam. Not to mention, you recommend a bumslinger mixer. Really? Wholly unnecessary and highly unrecommended.

Are you offended with my suggestions? This is a free country right. I have my right to suggest based on my experience. This forum is a blending of everyone experiences NOT JUST YOURS! , if you are kept telling the person is wrong, then you should not be a moderator. You know, those things work for me. You should be respecting my opinion..

Also , you are calling it a spam, you really have no idea how difficult I been writing those content. I cannot imagine how unprofessional these forum moderators in this recording.org. I cannot believe how awful.

hueseph, post: 354446 wrote: Really good interface and 50 pounds. These two cannot exist in the same sentence. You'll have to save a few more pennies. How many simultaneous inputs do you need?

haha no not a 50 pound interface, a 50 pound soundcard as my current one was a cheap 5 pound one. obviously for an 8channel interface with 8 pre amps i'm probably looking at around 500 pounds

What do you guys think of this? http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/74914
i know it's quite cheap for what is has, meaning it might be bad quality. but if that isn't true then it looks ideal! apart from i don't think it has 8 preamps, which i'd need :/

LukeDrum44, post: 354502 wrote: What do you guys think of this? http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/74914
i know it's quite cheap for what is has, meaning it might be bad quality. but if that isn't true then it looks ideal! apart from i don't think it has 8 preamps, which i'd need :/

Looks nice, I suggest reading reviews. if you search in Google for the review of this gear: http://bit.ly/cguybX , try and see if the other users find this gear helpful and whether they have problems using it.

audiorecording, post: 354505 wrote: Looks nice, I suggest reading reviews. if you search in Google for the review of this gear: http://bit.ly/cguybX , try and see if the other users find this gear helpful and whether they have problems using it.

Thanks I've had a look at some reviews, it looks quite good, hopefully the fact that it's USB won't cause me latency problems or anything though :/
i think USB would be easier for me to use than a firewire.
do you think Cubase LE4 (that it comes with) is any good? although someone said they had a problem installing it and stuck to the original software they had, hopefully i won't get that problem! because i'm going to try avoiding spending 300 pounds on Adobe Audition if possible. i know you can get a 'single licence/education' version off Cubase -

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030EBM64/?tag=r06fa-20

would I be able to get that and still be able to get a fairly good experience of Cubase before i go to uni in September where i'll be using Pro Tools HD anyway?

audiorecording, post: 354500 wrote: Are you offended with my suggestions? This is a free country right. I have my right to suggest based on my experience. This forum is a blending of everyone experiences NOT JUST YOURS! , if you are kept telling the person is wrong, then you should not be a moderator. You know, those things work for me. You should be respecting my opinion..
I cannot imagine how unprofessional these forum moderators in this recording.org. I cannot believe how awful.

If you want to try to attack Moderators of a forum because they don't like recommending or agreeing with recommendations of the bottom quality pieces of gear, you're going to have a hard time of it on any forum that you don't personally own. There is no reputable sound engineer that would ever recommend a Creative sound card or any Behringer board. The quality level is not there and for the Beh*** gear, the reliability factor is not there. Behr*** is known to be poor quality in fact and while it may work fine for you personally, it could just as easily burn up within the first week of ownership. The audio quality of many of the Behr*** units is also sub standard.

You are indeed free to your opinion. If someone with actual and extensive audio engineer experience poo poo's your advice don't get your panties twisted in a knot about it. Perhaps you should learn why that is. Attacking anyone Moderator or otherwise won't gain you credibility. This is one of the most respected audio forums around for a reason. We don't let misinformation spread uncontested for a reason.

audiorecording, you are increasing conflict with very qualified engineers and not listening. Therefore, it is very obvious at this point, you are not ready for improvement. The bottom line is, we don't care to pollute and populate this community with junk information or attract search engines who "direct more registered members who promote junk" and argue with the more educated recording community. We are all here to improve (not to go backwards or lose our higher ranking as a professional pro audio community) .
You will never be accepted and will continue to instigate conflict everywhere while acting that you know more than you truly do around the more experienced. You most likely are not aware of this but this isn't our problem.
Your attitude is common for people who buy junk from Asian knockoffs that are known to exploit children,. You have been ripped off and haven't come to terms with it. It is a free world yes, but that doesn't mean we have to listen to you.

best wishes,

audiorecording, post: 354500 wrote: Are you offended with my suggestions? This is a free country right. I have my right to suggest based on my experience. This forum is a blending of everyone experiences NOT JUST YOURS! , if you are kept telling the person is wrong, then you should not be a moderator. You know, those things work for me. You should be respecting my opinion..

Also , you are calling it a spam, you really have no idea how difficult I been writing those content. I cannot imagine how unprofessional these forum moderators in this recording.org. I cannot believe how awful.

You are shamelessly promoting your site. That is highly frowned upon here. If you want to promote your site, take out an ad. Those are the rules for any respectable forum. Secondly a $50 mixer is no way to make your input "clearer". A proper mic preamp and interface. Those are the things that make a difference.

There is a lot of misinformation out there. One of them is that you need a mixer in a home studio environment. This could not be further from the truth. The mixer is in the box. Unless you plan on summing your inputs to two channels, a mixer is NOT needed. PERIOD. I've owned burnfinger products. I still have a couple of their products. The worst waste of money I have ever spent.

To avoid more of his junk promotion and conflict, I have recommended he do more intense reading, blocked his ability to post here for three months. Onward bound we go...

(y)

soundcard

what would be a good sound card to buy? i don't mind spending a fair bit of money for better quality and maybe some extra features?

If you are in need of 8 mic preamps, then 500 quid puts you in the range of the Mackie Blackbird, Presonus FireStudio 2626, Firestudio Project 2626, or M-Audio Profire 2626. Of course I don't know what any of these cost by the time they are imported into the UK.

Another option is to go for a 4 mic pre interface with better quality/routing options and add mic preamps later either digital or analog. This sort of option would be more money but long term better quality. Suggestions might include the RME Fireface 800 or TC Electronics Konnekt 48.

Either route is valid and should yield good results.

TheJackAttack, post: 354557 wrote: If you are in need of 8 mic preamps, then 500 quid puts you in the range of the Mackie Blackbird, Presonus FireStudio 2626, Firestudio Project 2626, or M-Audio Profire 2626. Of course I don't know what any of these cost by the time they are imported into the UK.

Another option is to go for a 4 mic pre interface with better quality/routing options and add mic preamps later either digital or analog. This sort of option would be more money but long term better quality. Suggestions might include the RME Fireface 800 or TC Electronics Konnekt 48.

Either route is valid and should yield good results.

is it possible to get a 6 channel? that'd be perfect. 4 would be alright it's just that i have to record drums as well. i guess i'm not too bothered though

No 6 channel interfaces to the best of my knowledge.