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abs_dj 15 October 2011

Hey guys! This is my first post here!
Yesterday was my first time buying quality recording gear!
I've played in a recording studio with my band, and loved it, but we wanted to be able to demo at home,
so i figured i'd get started. I always loved the idea of being able to record anything i want, from my home.
Anyway, yesterday i decided to go buy some gear. I ended up walking out with a PreSonus Audiobox USB 22VSL Interface, an Audio-Technica AT2020, a set of Shure SRH440's, an M-Audio Keyrig 49 and a mic stand a cable and a pop filter. The things i would be recording would be vocals, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and i'd do my best to record a drum set with 2 mics. These recordings would just be used for demoing purposes. What i'm asking is if the gear i went with was a good choice, and what's another good microphone in a cheap price point that would help me capture what it is I'm looking to record!

Comments

Boswell Mon, 10/17/2011 - 08:19

Hi, and welcome!

You will be able to make some first recordings with that gear, but you really should not be starting out on this sort of adventure without a Shure SM57 dynamic mic (plus lead and stand). The SM57 will last you right through to the pro level after you have moved on from the other things you bought. Don't get me wrong - they are fine to start with, and will work well for you within their limitations.

Headphones are necessary for "tracking" (playing previously-recorded tracks while adding new ones), but you may find that mixes carried out using headphones don't sound right when played on loudspeakers, so you should budget for some of these.

With home recording, half the sound is your room. Don't overlook the need to perform some sort of acoustic treatment of the recording area.

Which audio software package are you planning to use on your computer?

RemyRAD Tue, 10/18/2011 - 17:10

I only disagree with Boswell on one very minor point. You are better off with a SM58 than a SM57. They are identical microphones with the only difference being that large metal ball with some foam packed into it. And SM57 with an additional foam pop filter is basically an SM58. You can convert any SM58 into an SM57 by simply unscrewing the metal ball. And a 58 with an additional foam pop filter will actually get you closer sounding to a Neumann U87, since the 58 can be popped and people have a tendency to get a little too close to them. This provides an additional silly couple millimeters of distance from the capsule. And so this provides an additional element of protection like double bagging heavy groceries. It's also the de rigueur guitar cabinet microphone, snare drum, tom-tom, bass drum and also works well for rock 'n roll piano. Never mind that the specifications don't indicate 20-20,000 Hz. Their slightly narrower bandwidth, only out to 17,000 Hz, can also provide for a smoother sounding product and vocals that will sit properly in the mix. Not all vocals need to be recorded with condenser microphones. If that works well for you, great. If it doesn't, you need a 58/57 with a foam pop filter. It really depends a lot on the color of your voice, whether you are female or male, tall or short, hot or cold, fat or skinny, pro-or amateur. And learning how to work a microphone as a vocalist is a learned talent onto itself. But the equipment you have now are the tools you need to get started. And it really almost doesn't matter what kind of computer audio interface you use provided it has the features necessary for professional work. For instance, not all computer audio interfaces have no latency pass through input monitoring. For those that don't, you will hear digital delay latency. This upsets a lot of people. When you have a no latency pass through, you won't have that issue. Sample rate capabilities make no difference if it has at least 44.1 kHz/48 kHz capability. Most have 24-bit but even 16-bit is quite adequate. Resolution is more a factor of sample rate than bit depth. 16-bit depth still outperforms what analog tape was capable of in dynamic range. Analog tape generally could not go beyond 20 kHz even at 30 IPS, 44.1 kHz sampling goes to 20 kHz while 48 kHz sampling goes to 22 kHz. So obviously, 88.2 kHz/96 kHz makes it out to 40 kHz of frequency response where 192 kHz can almost make it out to 100 kHz of response. But hey! What preamp, what microphone do you know of goes much beyond 20 kHz and whose hearing goes much beyond 20 kHz. Rich guys can afford Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Ferrari, the rest of us drive Chevrolets, Fords, Toyotas & Hondas. So be rich or be practical your choice.

I drive Chevrolets & NEVES.
Mx. Remy Ann David

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