Tweet
Ok, since writing my other two Guides, I've moved from standalone analog and digital recorders such as the Yamaha MT4X 4-track cassette unit and Akai DPS12 digital hard drive unit to full-time PC-only recording. I've spent a couple of years checking out various bits and bobs of both software and hardware, and feel I know enough to at least get someone else started in home recording with a PC.
Note this isn't a Guide for the seasoned veteran of hardware-based studios, this is for the people to whom terms like "cassette" or "12 track" or "reel-to-reel" mean nothing. In other words, it's for the newbies who have a computer and a guitar and want to record.
So, let's start with the computer:
Anything that runs will do. Better computer means better performance. Faster processors process faster, more RAM holds more stuff in memory, faster hard drives write data faster, etc etc. All that stuff that you read about gaming systems applies to audio software. Speed is good.
Now, as a beginning computer recordist, the first thing you'll want is some way to get your guitar into your computer. You need an interface of some sort.
This can be a microphone of any type stuck in front of a blaring amp cabinet and plugged into your soundcard's Mic In, or a POD-type unit that has a USB port or headphone output or Line Out, or a non-power-tube amp head that has a Direct Input (which is actually an Output).
Three important things to note here:
1. A cheap crappy webchatting mic in front of a raging cabinet will die a quick death. Record it, because it'll be good for a laugh to play for your friends ("Dude, check this out! I just baked my mic! FRAWWWWWWWZZZZZp...p......p....p.....p").
If you want to mic your cab, get a good mic like the Shure SM-57. There's a reason it's the "industry standard" studio cabinet miking mic. They're relatively inexpensive as well.
2. Ignore anyone who tells you to buy a more expensive mic. As a beginner, you don't have a pro-studio soundroom, nor do you require a pro-studio mic. The SM-57 will do just fine for you for now. Of course if someone wants to give you a high-dollar ribbon mic, take it and run. Those things bring big bucks on Ebay. But if they're not giving it away, ignore them.
3. Ignore anyone who tells you to buy an expensive soundcard/audio interface. You do not need anything more than a Soundblaster. Chances are your PC came with on-board audio inputs on the motherboard. Whatever you're pumping out to your Surround Sound for games is what you're going to use to record sound.
You do not have a pro-quality PC-based studio yet, so you do not need pro-quality PC-based studio hardware yet. Sound quality is not the issue right now. Getting "good enough sound" into your PC is the top priority.
It's not like when you started playing guitar, where the better guitar aided in your learning experience and the cheap-ass Harmony that was unplayable made you want to beat the neighbors with it.
All you need right now is something that takes in incoming audio signal and puts it on your hard drive. Period.
Now, as long as your computer's audio hardware (on-board audio or Soundblaster card or external box that plugs into your computer and your surround sound, etc) has a Line In port (it should be color-coded to the current industry standard. I think it's Lime Green? Or is that the speaker out? Anyway, check your hardware's manual if it came with one), or if you have 1 free USB port, you're set.
All you need is to figure out which method you're going to use to get the sound from your guitar to the Line In or USB port.
This can be done with just about everything made these days. POD XT, Vox, Digitech, etc. Just about anything made in the last 5 years will either have a Line Out specifically for PC recording (and may have included software for such purposes), or a USB port.
If you opt for the SM57 in front of the cabinet, be aware of 2 things:
1: The amp will have to be LOUD AS FUCK.
2: Anyone else in the house will be MAD AS FUCK.
While studio-quiet isn't essential for a beginner, being yelled at while recording can pretty much ruin the track.
If that's not an issue, then crank it!
Now, another point to consider with miking a cabinet is that mics need a preamp. Your soundcard's preamp may be just enough to get sound in, but you'll need an XLR-to-1/8" adaptor, or a Line Condenser to bump it down from XLR to 1/4", and then another adaptor to bounce down from 1/4" to 1/8".
If that happens, then you've got about 3 pounds of hardware hanging from a port soldered into a curcuit board, which means you won't have that port for long. If you can rig up something to support the weight, you're good to go.
Now let's talk software:
There is a ton of software out there - both free and not - that you can use.
You do not NEED expensive software. Granted it may have more features, but if you're not going to use those features the day you get the program, then don't waste your money.
Cubase, Sonor, ProTools, all that sounds great when you tell your friends you have it, but if you can't use it, then you're a poser. If you want that stuff and are willing to learn it before you tell anyone you have it, fine, but remember that learing software takes away from the time you will spend using it. All we're looking for here is something to get sound to the PC, not to produce the next Megadeth album.
Adobe Audition is low-priced and full-featured, at least enough for recording.
Audacity is free and well-featured.
Once you've got a choice, install it and follow the directions it gives you to actually do the recording.
Since some apps have different methods of doing that, this Guide cannot cover all of them.
Note this isn't a Guide for the seasoned veteran of hardware-based studios, this is for the people to whom terms like "cassette" or "12 track" or "reel-to-reel" mean nothing. In other words, it's for the newbies who have a computer and a guitar and want to record.
So, let's start with the computer:
Anything that runs will do. Better computer means better performance. Faster processors process faster, more RAM holds more stuff in memory, faster hard drives write data faster, etc etc. All that stuff that you read about gaming systems applies to audio software. Speed is good.
Now, as a beginning computer recordist, the first thing you'll want is some way to get your guitar into your computer. You need an interface of some sort.
This can be a microphone of any type stuck in front of a blaring amp cabinet and plugged into your soundcard's Mic In, or a POD-type unit that has a USB port or headphone output or Line Out, or a non-power-tube amp head that has a Direct Input (which is actually an Output).
Three important things to note here:
1. A cheap crappy webchatting mic in front of a raging cabinet will die a quick death. Record it, because it'll be good for a laugh to play for your friends ("Dude, check this out! I just baked my mic! FRAWWWWWWWZZZZZp...p......p....p.....p").
If you want to mic your cab, get a good mic like the Shure SM-57. There's a reason it's the "industry standard" studio cabinet miking mic. They're relatively inexpensive as well.
2. Ignore anyone who tells you to buy a more expensive mic. As a beginner, you don't have a pro-studio soundroom, nor do you require a pro-studio mic. The SM-57 will do just fine for you for now. Of course if someone wants to give you a high-dollar ribbon mic, take it and run. Those things bring big bucks on Ebay. But if they're not giving it away, ignore them.
3. Ignore anyone who tells you to buy an expensive soundcard/audio interface. You do not need anything more than a Soundblaster. Chances are your PC came with on-board audio inputs on the motherboard. Whatever you're pumping out to your Surround Sound for games is what you're going to use to record sound.
You do not have a pro-quality PC-based studio yet, so you do not need pro-quality PC-based studio hardware yet. Sound quality is not the issue right now. Getting "good enough sound" into your PC is the top priority.
It's not like when you started playing guitar, where the better guitar aided in your learning experience and the cheap-ass Harmony that was unplayable made you want to beat the neighbors with it.
All you need right now is something that takes in incoming audio signal and puts it on your hard drive. Period.
Now, as long as your computer's audio hardware (on-board audio or Soundblaster card or external box that plugs into your computer and your surround sound, etc) has a Line In port (it should be color-coded to the current industry standard. I think it's Lime Green? Or is that the speaker out? Anyway, check your hardware's manual if it came with one), or if you have 1 free USB port, you're set.
All you need is to figure out which method you're going to use to get the sound from your guitar to the Line In or USB port.
This can be done with just about everything made these days. POD XT, Vox, Digitech, etc. Just about anything made in the last 5 years will either have a Line Out specifically for PC recording (and may have included software for such purposes), or a USB port.
If you opt for the SM57 in front of the cabinet, be aware of 2 things:
1: The amp will have to be LOUD AS FUCK.
2: Anyone else in the house will be MAD AS FUCK.
While studio-quiet isn't essential for a beginner, being yelled at while recording can pretty much ruin the track.
If that's not an issue, then crank it!
Now, another point to consider with miking a cabinet is that mics need a preamp. Your soundcard's preamp may be just enough to get sound in, but you'll need an XLR-to-1/8" adaptor, or a Line Condenser to bump it down from XLR to 1/4", and then another adaptor to bounce down from 1/4" to 1/8".
If that happens, then you've got about 3 pounds of hardware hanging from a port soldered into a curcuit board, which means you won't have that port for long. If you can rig up something to support the weight, you're good to go.
Now let's talk software:
There is a ton of software out there - both free and not - that you can use.
You do not NEED expensive software. Granted it may have more features, but if you're not going to use those features the day you get the program, then don't waste your money.
Cubase, Sonor, ProTools, all that sounds great when you tell your friends you have it, but if you can't use it, then you're a poser. If you want that stuff and are willing to learn it before you tell anyone you have it, fine, but remember that learing software takes away from the time you will spend using it. All we're looking for here is something to get sound to the PC, not to produce the next Megadeth album.
Adobe Audition is low-priced and full-featured, at least enough for recording.
Audacity is free and well-featured.
Once you've got a choice, install it and follow the directions it gives you to actually do the recording.
Since some apps have different methods of doing that, this Guide cannot cover all of them.