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hey I'm new to the recording production business kinda started with me wanting to make a quality demo of me playing without worrying about finding an actual studio. i was wondering if anybody could give me some tips on starting from scratch i.e. what programs to look for types of mics, computer adapters, etc.

thanks
Aaron

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pr0gr4m Wed, 08/16/2006 - 22:05

Search around. There are literally hundreds of posts answering this very question.

No one here can give you a good educated answer because we don't know what you want to do. For example if you wanted to record full bands, then you may need at least a half a dozen mics but if you were doing Rap, you may only need one to start out. Then there is the buget questions. We don't know what you want/have to spend.

Anyway, now that you know what to give us to better help you, here are some basics.

Get two mics, one LDC (large diaphragm condenser) and one dynamic. Dynamic mics are good for things like drums and electric guitars. LDCs are good for vocals.

Get a computer interface that has at least 1 mic preamp. Each microphone you use needs to have a preamp. If you have need of more mics, you need more preamps. USB or Firewire interfaces are great for using with laptops.

As for programs, there are lots. I'm a fan of Cubase and they have LE versions that come bundled with some computer audio interfaces. But there are many more choices, Cakewalk/Sonar, ProTools, Digital Performer, etc. The type of computer (mac or win) may help influence that decision.

Again, Search the forums. There's tons of info here. Check the DAW forum and the Home, Project Studio forum. Those should have more info for ppl just starting out.

anonymous Wed, 08/16/2006 - 22:28

thanks a bunch ya basically i was looking for general education haha i've got a little three piece jazz/blues band a little singing but ya and budget like most musicians is pretty limited i've learned a good deal about different types of mics and etc. but these interfaces is it like an outside plugin that links straight to a firewire or USB?

pr0gr4m Thu, 08/17/2006 - 11:10

Yes. The device will generally have a some mic preamps that you plug your microphones into and you plug that into your computer via firewire or USB.

As an example, check out the Mackie Onyx 400F. It's got 4 mic preamps and it can connect to your computer via firewire. You would use your recording software to handle all the mixing, effects, eq, etc. They also make a unit called the satellite which has 2 pres. It has a few extra functions which may be useful.

Other companies like M-audio and Tascam (just to name a couple) make similar devices.

Pick one that serves your needs and go with it.

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