Digital Recording

squid · Post by **squid** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:22 am

Okay, so I'm about to take the huge plunge into direct to hard-drive recording. I've got the computer. I've got the software. I've got the mics. On some days I've got the basic multi-tracking skills. What else do I need to make this whole thing really work? Do I need a DI Box? Do I need any special MIDI equipment or soundcards? Are there any tricks of the trade that you can give me? Any and all input would be most appreciated.

shinynewtoy · Post by **shinynewtoy** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 11:55 am

You can make it work w/o a dedicated recording soundcard (I do) but it's better to have one. (Check out Echo Audio.) DI's are your friend, as they will make the impedances more copacetic between instrument and interface. If you have a condenser mic, some form of phantom-powered preamp is an essential, although some DI's provide this.

MIDI is a whole other world... but one I'm set to explore. The possibilities are endless... if you're setting up all at once I'd look into some kind of MIDI interface.

Best advice... look into an M-Audio bundle, great interfaces with built-in pres, MIDI capability, and you can run ProTools. That's my tax-retun project along with a Mac to run it on. If you have any other Q's, feel free to email me!

squid · Post by **squid** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 12:11 pm

That's great, Bob. I'll be investing in a DI box and a mic preamp. I'm going to be running SONAR 4 on a Windows XP system, so I don't see myself going the ProTools route anytime soon. Do I need ProTools to get the M-Audio stuff? I've seen it advertised in a few recording magazines and just assumed that it went hand-in-hand with ProTools.

winston · Post by **winston** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:00 pm

John,

I just put my little system together last year on an Microsoft XP platform. I use Cakewalk as my recording software and Sony Sound Forge to enhance elements of my sound. My input device is external. It is a Sound Blaster Audigy by Creative. That unit works really well.

I also have a phantom powered mixer for my mikes. I use a Roland XP-50 Work Station keyboard for midi as well as an RX-21 Yamaha drum machine. I have created a number of songs using both analogue and midi sources. The clarity is certainly there, as is the flexibility to multi-track at will.

Good luck with your system. If I can be of any assistance don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Remember though, I am just a guitar player. I am not a recording engineer.

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:46 pm

I've used Cakewalk products almost since their beginning and it's really tough to beat Sonar 5. Over the years, I've had a chance to try them all, and as far as I'm concerned it's the cat's meow.

The sound card, internal or external, is really important, after all it's the heart of your sound. You'll be very happy if you get one that supports ASIO. Echo Audio products are terrific and you also can't go wrong with MOTU. Most of their models have built-in midi interfaces as well.

I do use a Mackie board in the studio, mainly for its mike preamps and monitoring but it's not essential. We use the Line 6 Pod Pros for guitar and bass with great success, direct to digital. I took all of the conventional amps out of the studio and have never regretted it.

Here's some samples done completely with Sonar:

Sonar 4- Rea, Howes & Hall

Sonar 5- Howes & Hall

I'd also be happy to give you as much information as you'd like. There is a learning curve to be sure but it's also great fun at the same time.

winston · Post by **winston** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:39 pm

Great advice John and nice work on the recordings. You guys sound great together!!!

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:28 pm

Yeah, you guys do sound great together....I enjoyed the sound clips!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:54 pm

Can anybody advise me on where I should start? I've got the instruments and the PC. I have a ****** mike which I will replace.

Which Cakewalk software (JH has suggested Sonar 5), what would I need in the way of cards, cables, etc. The PC has mike and midi input. Do I need an outboard mixer or recorder, etc. etc. etc.....

Do I sound ignorant and lost? You bet I am!!

winston · Post by **winston** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 5:05 pm

Aitch,

Hopefully a pro will step up and enlighten us all. If not I will share what little I know with you.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:15 pm

Thanks, Brian - much appreciated.

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 10:55 pm

Great tracks, guys. Howes and Hall is A Grade!

rickm · Post by **rickm** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:21 pm

Hi John; "Start Again" is an awesome song! How can it be bought...is it on a CD? I'm going out on a limb here, but my guess is that there would be a lot of Ricks on it

. Great work! Rick

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:42 pm

No further info on recording?

Looks like you're my best offer, Brian. At your leisure, my good man!

bitzerguy · Post by **bitzerguy** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:18 pm

Hi Howard,

Here's what I use to goof around on:

I have a Pentium III (old and slow) with a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card (cheap). The sound card has 4 separate inputs (2 stereo with one left and one right per jack). I use Sonar 4, which as John mentions has a steep (but actually quite fun) learning curve.

I did ok with this rig for just myself, my guitars and a (cheap) Yamaha Portasound keyboard that has an auto-chord feature with drum tracks (really cheap sounding). Here's the fun part:

I got midi cables to connect the Portasound to the sound card, then I connected a Behringer 1204 mixer up, main out left and right through a 2 XLR connector to stereo 1/8" phono plug (like a Walkman) cable. The Behringer has a second set of outputs called bus 2, which I connected to the sound card through a 2 x 1/4" (left and right) to stereo 1/8 plug. This setup lets me patch up to 4 mikes (with preamps) and 2 stereo line channels (like Vox AD120 outputs or keyboard outputs) to any of the 4 channels on the sound card.

(breathe)

So now I have 4 analog input channels and a midi input (16 channels). I set up a rhythm using auto-chord and drum machine with the Yamaha and record it with the Sonar. Then within Sonar, I can assign sampled drums to the midi drum tracks and even analogue synth sounds to the keyboard autochord track. My backing comes alive! Now record the analog (Rics and voices) while monitoring the backing tracks. It is all very easy once you have stumbled through the software learning curve.

Now the best part: PIII based computer was existing. Santa Cruz cost $70, mixer was $120, cables $40. Sonar 4 $(ouch!!) most expensive part of the system. However, all told, less than $700 total spent and I can record pretty clean, and tweak to my heart's content.

Hope the hardware description helps a bit. Sonar's tutorials and help are pretty good too.

...Dean

bitzerguy · Post by **bitzerguy** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:22 pm

I forgot to mention Howard, that I started out by using 1 x 1/8 stereo plug (computer end) to 2 x 1/4 phono jack cables ($16 each) to get the first recordings done, but these had no mike preamps, so I was limited to guitar line outs and keyboard line outs.

I added the Behringer mixer as it's cost was roughly that of a decent mike pre-amp, but the added advantage of a 12 channel mixer and patch bay.

...Dean