No idea about what?

What to get?
How to put it together?
How to use it?
What you want to do with it?

In any event, go:[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.tweakhea…"]here[/]="http://www.tweakhea…"]here[/].

basically all of the above,i know the basics, but thats just lessons from procare on logic express, really i dont know anything.

run in the other direction, save your money for more pressing issues like keeping a roof over your head.

im still in high school, im getting an internship at a recording studio, i just want to set somthing up.

still applies...but good luck with your venture.

What kind of music are you going to be recording? That would help determine your initial equipment.

Get a cheapish external USB sound device. I use my laptop, an Edirol UA-25 and a Behringer AU$60 mic to record my bands jamb sessions (just so we can listen back to review our stuff). The software sonic LE that came with the Edirol is easy enough to use. Granted one mic recording drums and 3 guitars is rather useless. I can record single tracks at a time that have bugger all noise and a good clean sound so given alot of time I can create proper sounding tracks for all the instruments individually and put it together on the laptop later.

I think most of us here probably started out the same way. Spend awhile (for me it was a couple years) thinking/researching/reading recording mags/looking at gear online and reading reviews.

Eventually you get an idea of what you might need to record your music. For me, it was about 9 years ago and since I was a high-school student like yourself and didn't have a lot of cash, I bought a PC, a Audiophile 24/96 sound card, a cheap little B^$#%$'er mixer, and a Rode NT3 off a friend. And you know what, I'm just upgrading now.

What I'm trying to say is that if you want to record music you find a way to do it. I just bought a old Tascam Portastudio 246 for kicks. Even that can sound pretty cool on it's own.

Something to record on, and someway to get the sound in there. That's a good start.

Forget usb.

Take it out of your vocabulary.

Computer peripherals is about all you can trust this protocol with.

Space wrote: Forget usb.

What's your beef with usb2.0?

Streaming digital information through usb is bad why?

Bad is a term used for correcting puppies and wayward children. Beef is not suitable as an interface and bad beef is just not healthy.

My apologies for using a colloquialism or two.
As for proper English, your use of "not" like a Boolean operator for "suitable" and "healthy" is just uncool.

Nothing wrong with usb if you are recording single tracks at a time. Anything beyond that is debatable. Tascam has a USB 2.0 interface that, apparently, is capable of multitracking 8-16 tracks at a time. Personally, I would go to firewire for that but I would rather be cautious than optimistic in that regard.

Going to be interning right out of highschool? Must be nice. Go get yourself an M-Box mini and you're set for software and hardware. Get the best set of near field monitors you can afford and a Shure SM57. That's enough to get you started. Make sure you watch the tutorial DVD that comes with the M-Box.

When I bought the Edirol I was weighing up weather to spend the $150 more to get the Mbox for pro-tools, inserts and firewire.
I don't have anything to insert into an insert, Pro-tools records a single track at a time exactly the same as Sonic and my processor has enough grunt to run my usb to full potential read and my PATA HDD to write to.
My Behringer XM8500 mic costs half that of the Sm57, and I can't tell the difference between them on _any_ of my friends stereos. I can with my Sennheiser HD-600's but not with my HD-220 pros.
With a good headphone preamp (the edirol is good enough but I've heard better) and the HD-600s you will hear everything.
If you're on a budget then you're already in trouble. Just get the basics down. save the tracks if it's any good get it mixed and mastered on something better in the future. Learn the art of proper recording spend the cash you save on books, tutorials and sessions with engineers in studios and lessons with instruments.
If you have the skills and the knowledge, then in the future someone else will pay for the premium hardware.
Just one persons opinion btw. :P

I do not trust usb Mr. Greener and as a protocol I think a user will outgrow it sooner rather than later. Issues can arise that, without proper understanding, can plaque the experience. Usb depends on the computer to make decisions and as more devices are added, more problems can arise. If too much information is being sent to the computer and a collision is pending who is to say what device will get priority? Audio drops happen and noise becomes an issue and the user doesn't even realize what is going on and where to begin taking steps to correct this.

Sure, for one or two tracks this may be fine. And I do not remember calling you out but simply stating usb is not a starting place for A/V. Well, maybe I was wrong. I suppose a school child with a Parents CC would have to look at the low cost that usb provides. But rather then start at the bottom, why not find a middle ground that one can grow from?

I understand from your previous post you are quite the lexical technician so please correct my impoverished scribblings as you see relevant ;)

I wouldn't call an MBox premium. It is as basic as they get. There are other solutions. Presonus Firebox is nice also. In the end, you get what you pay for. You can spend on the cheap gear if you wish but you'll just end up spending more when it breaks down or when you've realized it was a poor choice.

Incidentally: I've used plenty of usb devices without any problems. No, they won't multitrack and that's ok if you're just recording yourself for now. If you're on a budget that's fine too. Don't put yourself into debt over a learning tool. If you're going to end up in a studio anyway, you're home audio gear won't be the main focus.

My small laptop satchel contains;

Asus a8js laptop (It's expensive but I wanted to play games too, you can get dual core stuff for less).

power supply and lead (it causes horrendous ground noise when playing back through 99% of amps even through the edirol so play back is only 1.5 hours battery time but recording is infinite on AC(problem can be fixed see {old-link-removed} )).

Behringer xm8500 mic (cheap and not nasty).

mic lead (Got it free with the Edirol, twisted his arm I did).
Sennheiser Hd 220 pro headphones (Again cheapish and not nasty. I like the extra bass goodness and comfort fator, plus they're indestructible, cables disconnect, ear pieces disconnect all round winner).

Usb cable (came free with a printer).

Edirol Ua-25 external USB2.0 (cheap and not nasty)

All this is a small bag means I can record what improv sessions we play anywhere or set up and record individual tracks in a good sound space and create finished products slowly.
Also this bag of stuff is enough for me to record things for other people for money. Alot of commercial recordings are just some dude with one mic a preamp d2a and a DAT recorder. Symphonies, Live rcordings of events of all types only on one track. Just Advertise you can do it and people hire you... Funny huh.

Yes sir, funny.
I have come to understand that "recording gear" and "recording studio" are interchangeable in use. But didn't the OP say "im looking to set up a home studio,"?

Or are you the original poster? In any event, your happy with your gear and you should be. Your making some extra coin and that's always a good thing. I believe ya. I believe the usb, as you say, 2.0 is valid. It works...far out!!!!

What you are doing now is something that always gets me in predicaments.

Your talking too much.

You've said your piece but now your throwing in trash like "Alot of commercial recordings are just some dude with one mic a preamp d2a and a DAT recorder. Symphonies, Live rcordings of events of all types only on one track. "

Now run along and go see if you can make yourself useful somewhere.

Space wrote:
Your talking too much.

I thought I was typing...

/My bag of stuff + about 5 more of the same cheap mics and cables, a cheap 8 channel preamp/mixer set up well with some sound proofing material in a large room with the band and there normal playing gear if you could mix it down to stereo before recording (thought recording all tracks individually would be a big help for post mixing and mastering) could record something of the quality of say Nirvanas Bleach - Track 7
Anyone who disagrees please let me know at length. I love to learn.

That is an excellent topic Mr. Greener. Rather then hijack this thread would it not be more adventurous to begin a separate thread?

I think you would have many that can appreciate the notion and would be willing to take part.

What's with that 'Space' attitude??
These forums are for people to share advice. Being arrogant, condescending and flippant is the mark of a troll.. if you only post to try to tick people off and draw attention to your massive ego.. then maybe 'Space' should "run in the other direction, and save your money for more pressing issues like keeping a roof over your head."

Mr. Greener and I are ok with each other, but thanks for noticing.

So, why do you call me Mr. Greener?

And, yeah I was hijacking with long winded insults.

Interesting times.

Greener wrote: So, why do you call me Mr. Greener?

And, yeah I was hijacking with long winded insults.

Interesting times.

It adds an element of distance and a touch of respect.

Play nice, fellas!

Nothing wrong with hijacking, we do it all the time, usually for humorous reasons.

Back to the original topic, or make me laugh... Yer choice...

:lol:

Space, your six hundred and sixty sixth post was so waisted.
Unless you meant to make me paranoid :P

My 666th post looked like this:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Nothing more...

Though it may have been this:

:evil: :evil: :evil:

Now I can't remember...

"So much drama in the L.B.C. it's hard being Snoop D.O. double G...."

8-)

If I may interject a moment.

All here have, for all intents and purposes, clearly stated several sides of a coin which will get the original poster closer to his task set before him.

Both sides are viable. At this level, getting a decent signal into a storage device which allows future manipulation and lacks a significant amount of extraneous noise and other unwanted artifacts , is exactly whats needed.

I know nothing at all about usb mics and I really dont care about that technology either......but if it works and its under budget then it works, and its under budget.

See?

As for the suggestion that Mr.Space is simply trolling for disruption, this cant be further from the truth. He has always been a friend to the beginning recordists on this site and continues to give good advice and props where deserved.

Mr.Greener is relatively new to this board and has viable points. And while he has clearly stated his prescription for relief for this beginning recordist, he has been long-winded and insistant towards his way being the 'best' and gives reasons why.

Not to belittle either at this point, but there is a point at which the argument can take on a personal note and THIS is what we work so hard here at R.O. to limit.

So as Ben says, play nice fellers ..........

And YOU....original poster.....its your question....you need to continue your input ....Or did you simply 'post-and-go????

That may be true.. I just take offense at belittling a high school student who is asking legitimate questions about 'how to get started'. Dismissing their question as being naive and telling them to basically take a hike and find another endeavour, is insulting, disrespectful and ignorant... no wonder the OP decided to 'post-and-go'.

Anyway I've said enough - I usually don't waste time on stupidity like this.

Rimshot wrote: That may be true.. I just take offense at belittling a high school student who is asking legitimate questions about 'how to get started'. Dismissing their question as being naive and telling them to basically take a hike and find another endeavour, is insulting, disrespectful and ignorant... no wonder the OP decided to 'post-and-go'.

Anyway I've said enough - I usually don't waste time on stupidity like this.

I understand where you're coming from. Everyone could calm down a little. It's tough sometimes when the same question gets asked over and over again. Not to mention that often the questions are about things that could be learned with a google search. It's frustrating.

"run in the other direction, save your money for more pressing issues like keeping a roof over your head."

It's a money pit.
The satisfaction can come few times to warrant the actual dollar cost.
Things are financially tough and musical endeavors are not known for any spirited payouts.

I didn't know then and do not know now the OP as being an high school student...it was not part of the original question :)

Pretty much that in a shell. It was and remains a legitimate answer.

edit:
If I may, the answer could have enlisted a reply from the op which would have led to further explanation. As is often the case here, there and many places I am involved, the question is asked never to be revisited by the person asking for suggestions.

Rimshot wrote: That may be true.. I just take offense at belittling a high school student who is asking legitimate questions about 'how to get started'. Dismissing their question as being naive and telling them to basically take a hike and find another endeavour, is insulting, disrespectful and ignorant... no wonder the OP decided to 'post-and-go'.

Anyway I've said enough - I usually don't waste time on stupidity like this.

I dont feel this to be 'belittling' in any way. It is a profound pronouncement on the nature of the beast we are all saddled with. If a young person has some pie-in-the-sky aspirations about being in this business, and a swift kick to the cranium gets them inline with reality and saves them the years and years and years of searching for something that is intangible at best, then so-be-it. However if they are driven and seriously deranged to the point that this is all they can think about, then a simple statement of the truth wont do much to dissuade them anyway.

Whether you believe it or not, there are many many people out there in this business who can only throw money at their situation simply because they havent the talent or the ear for this even after all the training and apprenticeships can possibly offer. There are also many many folks involved that can mix circles around established 'pros' who will never be heard simply because they havent the people skills to afford themselves a chance to demonstrate their abilities.

Its a fine line to walk to success in this business. Without the proper introduction to its various and deep pitfalls, a youngster has zero chances no matter what their situation. Telling them what it can be like, is very very good advice.

I'm not sure the intent here was anything bordering on 'stupidity'.

Actually what I meant by 'stupidity' was my own - for working up a lather over a few comments! I actually probably hurled more insults than anyone - which was what I was reacting to. Doh!

So to get back to the original topic, this was posted in Home Project Studio - and I don't think the OP was talking about building a mondo studio money pit - just getting started... and we all know it's not that expensive to get started for the home studio/hobbyist etc.

Codemonkey posted a great link that gives a great overview of various 'getting started' options. Maybe it should be a 'Sticky'!

It is sticky, sticky with blood, drawn from men caught in battles played out on lines drawn on imaginary maps, by real people, wearing imaginary hats.

In any event. The link Code put up was:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm

Yes that's the link.

BUT that link was posted somewhere else on here, I think Cucco or Space said we should just link everyone who asks this question to it.
And so, I did. I take no credit although I'm glad to see my information retention is still good :D

I intern at a well respected studio out in the Chicago land area and when I asked what the most important things to recording were one of their top engineers answered saying that you need a good acoustic area with a solid microphone for specifically recording what you want. If you are recording in a poorly treated acoustic environment with a solid microphone, you will be getting a lot of excess noise that will really make it difficult during your mixing process. The next best piece of advice he gave me was to buy some equipment and then master the equipment you have. too many people dont fufill their equipments potential and it will hurt them in the long run. I have been using an average recording mic for about five years and to see the difference I have improved is great. So I advice you follow what I was suggested to do. Master what you have, then upgrade.