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Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | Hey guys,
What's the best, inexpensive (there's an oxymoron) way of making a decent CD of my own music? This is assuming that my own music is decent! :)
I would like to get into recording, but other than doing so on cassette through my home stereo, I've never done it. Once again, I reply on the vast wealth of knowledgable members here at the Ovation Fan Club website!
Norse(cave)man1 |
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Location: NJ | If your computer has a cd burner and you have a sound card most likely you can record right onto your harddrive. It will take some tweaking but it is possible depending on what kind of software came with your sound card and what kind it is. |
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Location: Pensacola,FL | To add to Al's thought, if you can record into a cassette system (which would give better sound than a computer mic set up) you could then put it into your "line in" jack on the sound card to get it inside your computer. Once there you can use some other softwares to "tune it up" and then burn it on a CD. Inexpensive is a relative term :D especially if you do not yet have a CD burner. |
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Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | Al,
I was thinking of buying a CD burner for my computer, but have heard there are stand alone units for burning CD's, and also that there are some websites where you can record from (anyoneelse heard of this?).
Anyway, I would guess a CD burner upgrade would be under 100.00 nowdays,and perhaps my easiest, most inexpensive choice. I would guess since they're fairly new, these stand alone units are probably very expensive.
Norse(would send an original for the Ovation CD, but the quality of recording I am able to do now is humorous at best, and that's if your sense of humor is a little warped and scratchy)man1
p.s. Thak you too OGL1, didn't see your reply until after I posted.
[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Norseman1 ] |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "if you can record into a cassette system (which would give better sound than a computer mic set up)" Can't imagine that...
A good mic, with a good soundcard (SOundblasters that come with most machines are fine although the pro world will scoff) will give you EXCELLENT recording capability. Make sure you select 44.1 khz stereo for the quality in whatever software you use (including the little windows sound recorder).
Don't let todays super pc's jade you. The ability to record has to do with only 3 factors, besides drive size (i.e. having enough room to record big files). Drive speed, CPU speed, Buss Speed. I do not remember the exact formula to calc the number of tracks I can record anymore, but I used to record 8 tracks of audio, direct to harddisk on a 200 mhz PC. Playback is different and about 4 times the record capability. Memory is NOT much of a factor, it's more a mechanical thing. If you have a 200+ mhz pc or better, with a decent soundblaster or better capable of recording 16bit (that's cd quality) at 44.1 khz than you are ready. These numbers I just spewed are probably met if you bought your PC in the last 5-8 years (maybe longer).
As far as burning CD's.. the standalone units are the "oldest" method. Around since the 80's I think. They are still expensive, and for all intents and purposes not worth the money for the average home studio if you have a PC. The nice thing about a PC based CD-R/RW is you can use it to make backups of other things besides saving your music on it. Todays $100 range CDR/RW units write at 12+ which in english means it takes less than 5 minutes to make a CD when you click the "Make CD" button. |
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Location: Pensacola,FL | Miles,
I was referring to the built in mic's or the $1.99 special that comes for voice mail recording, and some computers are stuck in some cramped spaces - just thought it might be easier
into a cassette system out in the room somewhere.
(This is only because MY computer mic SUCKS and I
was speaking of personal experiences :D ). |
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Location: Scotland | Norse, if you don't have recording software already go to digidesign's website & download the free 8 track version of Protools. Here's another oxymoron, it's really good & it's free!!!!
www.digidesign.com
Look for the "protools free" link, it's available for mac & windows. Protools is an industry standard recording package & this free 8 track version will certainly let you find out if you want to go the software or hardware route.
Forget cassette , it's a dinosaur & can't come anyway close to the quality of a software recorder with a basic soundcard. The "portastudio" type harddisk multitrackers are quite inexpensive now, have a gentler learning curve & do not suufer from many of the problems which can plague the novice at computer recording systems, so for basic recording they are another option.
If you need audio editors, plugins etc, email me off the board, I have some "shareware" you can have. Not cracks "shareware"
While we're on the subject of PC recording, check this out. A computer motherboard with a tube preamp!!!!!!!!!!!
http://club.aopen.com.tw/News/News_showAnswer_New.asp?RecNo=713&Lan...
Paul
[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Location: NJ | word of caution: it is always best to have a computer dedicated to the task of digital recording only. |
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Location: Scotland | Al is absolutely correct. There are so many things in windows (like autosave) which make wordprocessors & the like run realy well, but will conflict with or crash your music programs. It's possible to operate dual-boot systems, partition the hard-drive or disable some of these systems but it's much better to have a computer dedicated to nothing but music. It's more expensive in hardware but less expensive than rehab.
Paul |
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Location: Zion, Illinois | Another PC recording program is N-Track. You can download a demo here:
N-Track Home Page
If you chose to buy it, its $42 I believe.
I do disagree with what someone said about cassettes. I just sold a very nice Fostex X-77 for $150. This isn't your normal cassette. It is a 4-track studio. It runs double the normal speed of a cassette and has Dolby noise reduction. I've heard many fine demos made on recorders like this and on similar Tascam's.
Here is one on e-bay, just to give you an idea.
Fostex X-77
Bradley
[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Bradley ] |
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Location: Scotland | Bradley, You can produce perfectly acceptable results with any basic equipment if you have the technical & musical skills, but get real. Comparing cassette-based recorders, even the best of them, in pristine condition, well maintained, with no head-wear, to current recording technolgy is like comparing an Edison Phonograph to ProTools. The industry has evolved light years since the introduction of DAT & ADAT, both of which are way past obselesence, and I'm surprised that cassette is still limping on. A good engineer with good players will get good results from any medium, but there are better mediums currently available than cassette for about the same money, particularly when you consider that most hardisk multitrackers include onboard multi effects
[ September 12, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Location: Zion, Illinois | Paul,
I wasn't trying comparing them. I didn't say they were better or even equal, just a cheap possible alternative. And people can and do make good recordings with them. He'll still have to mix down to computer to burn them to CD.
I sold that cassette to buy a digital recorder (a Fostex VF-08 for $399), so you don't have to try and sell me on how good the new digital technology is. I was just trying to give Norseman1 some alternatives. He was asking for cheap. I don't know what kind of computer he has and whether it can handle Protools or N-Track. If his computer can't handle these products, a porta-studio cassette might be an affordable solution, maybe not the BEST, but affordable. Hey, for $399 my VF-08 would be great, if he has the money. You'll still need a way to get the music to CD. I opted for a Nightingale 6 Pro soundcard ($49) with digital S/PDIF input/outout because that is all that I could afford. The best way with the VF-08 would be to buy a SCSI card for the VF-08 for $90 then shell out another $150+ to get a Jaz drive. Then I could save my music to wav files. The beauty of this is that not only are the 8 normal tracks saved, but also the 16 virtual tracks giving a total of 24 tracks that should be able to be loaded into a program like N-Track for mixing and mastering. Maybe next year.
Bradley |
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Location: NJ | Norse before you start flipping out that you cannot afford another computer to use as a recorder here is a source for really cheap used computers
www.netseller.com
btw I do not work for them or am affiliated in anyway just a satisfied customer |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | i use my 4 track allot for practice sessions, so i can practice with it at home, and drop the appropriate tracks to come up with new licks. it also allows us to take a critical look at individual performances without the rest of the band covering up the individual performances. as a low tech cheap practice tool it's not bad.
being barely computer literate, i am enthused by the posts here. i have a dell latitude p3 450hz laptop with 192 ram and a 10 gig hd. it has been replaced and i am not using it now. i guess that would work for the above thread? by plugging into the soundcard i guess that would be the mic input? can i use the output from a digitech gt3? a mixer? amp output? is there a way to get individual tracks like with the 4 track? |
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Location: Scotland | Russ, with most recording programs the amount of individual tracks which can be played is limited only by hard-disk capacity & available RAM. But going in via the stereo line-in jack on the sound card means you can only record a maximun of 2 tracks simultaneously. If you need to record more than 2 tracks at a time you will need a break-out box. There are loads available at every price point, but compatibility with older laptops can be an issue. If you can get away with only 2 tracks at a time its worth buying a little notepad mixer rather than going direct to the soundcard, as the pre's on most soundcards are OK at best & can be noisy.
Try the "ProTools Free" link in my earlier post. You computer sholud run that without a problem
Paul
[ September 13, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | it just dawned on me paul, that my burner is in the new laptop. i do have a zip drive 100mb, or can i cable the two laptops together somehow to record from the hard drive of one to the burner of the other? thanks. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | As some of you know I own a studio BaronAudio . I use Sonar by Cakewalk. The free protools is great for "getting acquianted" with recording and "ITS FREE!!!." I have been doing the non-Mac route since the 80's with Cakewalk. As far as multi-track recording... you need as someone posted a multi-track card or box, but for most applications, 2 tracks is plenty. Remember, like in protools... you can record 2 tracks.. but play back as many as you want. I stick with Echo Audio for sound cards. I used the Gina for years (2 track) but now use the Layla.
As far as a dedicated machine... In theory that sounds best. I happen to use one machine in the studio for everything without problems, although I backup sessions to another machine in another part of the house for obvious reasons. I just have all the nonsence stuff like autosave and liveupdate and all that garbage turned off. Makes ANY computer run faster to not have 20 programs running on startup.
I always get a giggle at comparing recording technology... Some of the best albums recorded were done in the 60's and 70's long before the tech boom of the 80's and 90's. PC's have certainly made it all a lot easier, especially for the home studio. I have a ton of outboard gear and 2 ADATS I rarely use thanks to the PC. |
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Location: Back in the Valley of the Sun Mesa Az. | THANK YOU ALL!!!
This is all great information. I will make a hard copy of this entire thread, and do some research. I am thankful to all of you for taking the time to respond/help.
Thanks ever so much!
Norse(did I mention THANKS!?)man1 :) |
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Location: puerto vallarta, mexico | this is the real meat that makes this such a valuable site. my knowledge and guitar collection has really grown since i started hanging here. you guys sure make me look good at the musicians tables in the local clubs. i have become more than a listener and understand so much more than i did before i joined ofc. if i can get this computer thing up and working it is going to blow em all away.
i wish i had a little meat to add to the ofc sandwiches, but compared to allot of you guys all i can offer is a few pickle slices and a travel log once in awhile. and a cold beer and some HOT tacos to anyone who visits this area. |
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Location: NJ | if you got the cash the korg d 1600 is fantastic I have one not that it means anything |
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Location: Zion, Illinois | I just came across this link, I know nothing about it except that the minimum requirement is a Pentium 166Mhz, 32 MB RAM
Here is the link...
4+2 Recorder Free Free Free
It is, ah.... Free
There might be more at that link, I didn't look around.
Bradley |
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A Recording Question....
