# Home Recording - advice/knowledge sharing



## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

i was thinking about this today...

i started a little challenge for myself to write and record a song a month here at my place...i picked up a e609 and have gone to work...
two songs in...and this months almost done...was thinking...

there's more than just me around here that's doing this...surely...

so lets talk about home recording...

what do you do? how do you record guitars? what gear do you use? what kind of advice would you offer up to other people...something that they might not have thought of?

who wants to go first?

oh...and...


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i like vintage gear, so i use one of these http://i48.tinypic.com/i3dtds.jpg

it's the sound of the 70's


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Songwriting for me is about reducing distractions from the technology and only being able to multi track with ease. 

I've done all sorts or ways? Zoom ps04, Yamaha AW4416, zoom 12 input multi, Logic Pro with 16 inputs and GarageBand for iPhone with the Irig and the Tascam im2. The iPhone + Irig + GarageBand is the most convenient.

Once a song is done bring written, sure the bigger studios are the way. But for lumping out ideas, GB AND IM2 Tascam and Irig. No better combination. (Oh and in ear headphones)


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

as annoying as I find garage band, I do use it to record quick ideas

I would go nuts if I had to use it fulltime as recording software...I have REAPER installed on my PC in the other room & and prefer it by far. it is great, and an "amateur" license is only $60 or so I think


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I use a Tascam Us1641 to record our band rehearsals, 8 inputs (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, 2 drum OH, snare and kick). I also use the same setup to record me and our singer when we collaborately write songs. I just let it run while we come up with songs. We use the recordings to tweak the songs and then we bring it to the whole band to work on. I also use Reaper as the DAW.


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

I've had a small pro-tools set-up in my guitar room for years. Haven't booted it up for over a year since I bought an Apogee ONE. That plugs into my macbook and record into Garageband. Simple and works everytime. I still have my KrK and Equator monitors and a Mackie 16-channel board just in case I want to record the V-drums and other musicians. Always loved recording, more so than the live stuff.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

I did a complete project with a Roland vs2000CD. What an awesome machine. From gathering tracks to mastering it does it all well. If you can find one, they are worth it. I wish they still made them.


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Roland BR1600CD for me. Love it and it has held up well over the last dozen or so years I've had it. Not nearly as flashy as what can be had now - but plenty good for my home use and easy enough to navigate.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

mackie 1202vlz pro mixer
into a delta 1010lt soundcard.
sm57 and 58 mics, apex condenser
m-audio usb keyboard.
reaper and audacity as daws.
ezdrummer for drums(still banging my head of the wall with this).
i prefer micing small cranked amps to going direct.

the reality is i still work much better with just an acoustic guitar and my old fostex cassette 4 track.
the thing is, the sounds in my head need software(or a band) to get out.
frustrating.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

i'll chime in now...

i use a Tascam UL122 interface into my laptop
i only have an Sennheiser e609 so i record everything with it (acoutics, elcetrics, vox)
i set the speaker cab in the corner...blankets around the walls to stop reflection and cover the openings with couch cushions...
from drums, i use Hydrogen...i downloaded a couple kits...work with whichever one i like the snare of that day
for a DAW, i mainly use reaper

i also use monkeymachine...and online drum machine...i normally get the basic beat together...get a basic guitar track recording (or in most cases, all of the rhtyhm guitars recorded) then go back with hydrogen and create my drums...put in into my DAW, and then alter if needed

i'm not making anything professional...i want to make essentially, good demo's...something that gets my ideas across while still sounding decent

like fraser above, i've found my 18W cranked sounds better in some cases than my 50W traynor...but the traynor is played with gain, so i'll still ironing out gain staging and getting it to sound right...its getting better

the couch cushions work decently b/c it kills the volume to a decent degree...when recording...i use my living room...put the laptop thru the stereo...this way i can hear the drums to keep time (and some energy)


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

_____________


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

nkjanssen said:


> And one of these...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is there a USB port with that?..... I got what everybody else..... except inspiration..sigh 

Soon come... 
ps ... a notebook of what you/how you record is good system


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

fraser said:


> mackie 1202vlz pro mixer
> into a delta 1010lt soundcard.
> sm57 and 58 mics, apex condenser
> m-audio usb keyboard.
> ...


hey I have a similar setup w/my PC

mackie 1604
m-audio delta 66 soundcard/box
reaper

totally agree on miking

still need a USB keyboard though


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

bolero said:


> hey I have a similar setup w/my PC
> 
> mackie 1604
> m-audio delta 66 soundcard/box
> ...


See if you can find a used M-Audio Midi controller. I found one locally for $60 last year and it works well. A bit plasticy but it works. 61 keys too.........use it to drive an old but good sounding Roland JV-1080. I also have a very old computer (anyone remember windows 2000!!) with a Delta 66 card, running Cool Edit Pro. Actually come to think of it, Cool Edit Pro was probably the most intuitive DAW I've used. Very much like a linear multitrack. Really good and fast to use. Maybe it's time to boot-up that old PC again.......


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

bolero said:


> hey I have a similar setup w/my PC
> 
> mackie 1604
> m-audio delta 66 soundcard/box
> ...


its a pretty versatile setup-
i think if i was starting now, id go the usb mixer route-
just for the sake of eliminating cables and such- but im liking it.



> See if you can find a used M-Audio Midi controller. I found one locally for $60 last year and it works well. A bit plasticy but it works. 61 keys too.........use it to drive an old but good sounding Roland JV-1080. I also have a very old computer (anyone remember windows 2000!!) with a Delta 66 card, running Cool Edit Pro. Actually come to think of it, Cool Edit Pro was probably the most intuitive DAW I've used. Very much like a linear multitrack. Really good and fast to use. Maybe it's time to boot-up that old PC again.......


yeah, ive got an m-audio 49e, its decent.
although plasticky, ive had mine i guess about 6 years, still going strong.
i recall going in to buy the 61 key, but the 49 was on sale and priced way lower.
for what i do, its just fine.
cool edit pro was my first daw,
in fact i remember getting it as a complete noob to pc's in general,
and was making recordings right off the hop.


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

I also use an older but very capable Mackie Onyx 1220 mixer, with firewire to my Macbook. Never fails and the preamps are really good sounding to my ear. Small footprint too which is good for smaller spaces...........


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Those Mackie boards are great and last a long time. I have a friend with an older 1604 that feeds into an Alesis 8 track ADAT. A compressor, EQ, and multi effects on the side to play with makes a nice little rig.


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

Jim DaddyO said:


> Those Mackie boards are great and last a long time. I have a friend with an older 1604 that feeds into an Alesis 8 track ADAT. A compressor, EQ, and multi effects on the side to play with makes a nice little rig.


Agreed........and Mackie preamps tend to be very good and solid. That's the weak point for many of the other brands.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Me? For the basics, I use my iPhone with Tascam condensor mic for on the go.
In studio, SM-57/ Studio One/ Apex 430/various other mics I've picked up>Samson M10 mixer> Roland cakewalk UA-25> Reaper<KRK-5 & Fostex 80 reel to reel.
I have the H&K redbox DI, but love the 57.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - All Round Nice Guy.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

The system I have is ancient as far as the PC recording realm goes.

-Cubase VST 
-Audiophile 24/96 soundcard
-outboard hardware mixer

I have since stopped using that PC as my net surfer so I had done a 'clean up' with a OS reinstall and I don't have it back to its top working form. There were a few tweaks that the guy did when he installed the soundcard and Cubase that must have really been a major part of how the system functioned so I need to decide to move it to a newer system or change systems altogether.

The main thing for me is that a song would always start as lyrics and chords so paper and pen were the big thing. If I was sketchy on remembering the melody I would use anything to grab a bit of it to remind me later. The recording process wouldn't start until I had a 'full vision' of the song anyway.

My main focus was to get a good mic and a good preamp that I could have migrate from system to system with me but I never really changed systems. That being said, they don't have an expiry date so that seems to have been a decent plan to go with.


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

smorgdonkey said:


> The main thing for me is that a song would always start as lyrics and chords so paper and pen were the big thing. If I was sketchy on remembering the melody I would use anything to grab a bit of it to remind me later. The recording process wouldn't start until I had a 'full vision' of the song anyway.


I've never been good at lyrics...when i get an idea for a riff i whip out my phone and use either the audio recorder...or use the video recorder and play it...that way i can remember the riff, and see how i was playing it...


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I used cooledit pro before reaper came out, agree it was a kickass, very intuitive multitrack software!!


in fact I could probably still get by fine with it. 

plus I used it to edit the live recordings I made; it had an excellent batch processing feature & track markers you could quickly insert with hotkeys. then export all the separate songs, while you go grab a coffee. sublime.

then Adobe bought it and it got all mucked up, I tried the trial version & didn't like it as much as the older cooledit


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I'm pretty new to home recording, but I'm getting there, slowly... very slowly! 

My christmas gift to myself was a little kit on sale at Moog AUdio in Mtl:
Presonus Audio Box Studio!

So I have an Audiobox USB (two ins and some controler: main volume, headphone, line 1 and two and mixe between two lines).
A condensed mic with the cable
Headphones!

I just bought a mic stand to put the mic in front of my amp and I use audacity for now.
Simple, easy and free!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I have a Tascam DP-008.
When I was looking at what to get I decided I wanted a standalone recorder that was of this type as I've used old Cassette 4 track recorders and figured this would be more similar to that--and in many ways it is, and then some.

I chose the DP-008 based on budget and features. ANd I've had great experiences with Tascam before.

You can use it with a computer as well so I could still do that, but so far I haven't.

If I'd had more o spend I might have bought one with CD burning capabilities--just because I would use it.

So far I have recorded mostly direct, some using the built in condenser mics, and some using borrowed mics (Mostly a Shure SM-57.)

It's been fun, and that was the point for me--to record for fun, and for learning.


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