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Joined:
October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | I am planning on doing some home recording.
I have a few pieces of software in mind:
Audacity
Kristal
Quartz Audio
Reaper
Currently my main laptop is in the shop so I am running on an older backup. If they come back and say replace it, I am seriously considering an Apple Mac book Pro (Garage Band).
Besides my guitars, a mic (still need), and lots of patience, what else do I need? |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by auriemma:
...what else do I need? To join and read the Home Recording discussion group on OFC.ning |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | I've used Audacity and Garage Band, but can't comment on the others. There's lots of choices, many of them free. Mac would be a good platform.
As far as what else you need depends on how far you want to go. There are some very nice USB mics now days but to be honest I think you would enjoy the flexibility of a small 4 channel mixer with mic preamps. You can get one for about 50 bucks. Beyond that you're only limited by your credit card. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
... you're only limited by your credit card. So true!
My best advice is to do research and read user reviews on the gear you are considering. Price has little to do with performance many times.
Garage Band looks pretty good, but I still use my old laptop PC and Guitar Tracks Pro 3 software. It is very powerful (the software) but it also has a pretty steep learning curve. Most any recording software will be a tradeoff between simplicity and power. You'll want to join a forum for the software you use so that you can get answers to all the frustrating problems you will encounter.
The factory standard sound card in whatever computer you use will not suffice. You will need to get something else as an interface box/sound card. CD quality is 16 bits at 44.1 khz sampling. You don't need more than that for your sound card or software capability. More performance won't hurt, but it will cost more.
USB is a good interface system. There are a number of boxes out there that will allow you to plug in your instruments and mics to get the signal into the computer. I would suggest you get at least two channels in your interface unit. A separate mixer is frequently useful, so if you go that route get one that has more channels than you think you'll need, because you'll want them soon enough.
Beware the noise injected into the system by your laptop power supply. If you hear hum, you may have to unplug your laptop during actual recording. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | I use Cubase 4 and Samplitude but for free, REAPER is pretty damn nice. |
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Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 11
Location: Enon, OH | Naw, get a 1/2" four-track analog deck and a nice old mixer. That's more fun. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Joe, that's just crazy |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Let me once again endorse the Zoom H4: with plug-in mics it dominates! |
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Think About Home Recording
