Home Recording Basics 101...Your Advice Needed

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Member Since: May 29, 2007

Ok, I'm a complete newbie and want to start to do some home recording. Right now, I have an electric and acoustic guitar and two amps.

I'm planning on buying a laptop computer to do all my music work on.

My question is this...what computer program should I use to begin...I want fairly easy but also has some great tools, etc. I would like a program (maybe) that I can mix tracks on and will also have drum or beats I can use, maybe even bass lines. This may be too much to ask for one program.

So what are the basics that I need to do it right. I just want to make some simple songs with good sounding drums, bass, guitar, and voice.

Would love to hear any feedback, you guys are the experts...I just want to get off on the right foot.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Hold 'Em Czar
Member
Since: Dec 30, 2004


May 29, 2007 09:41 pm

start with a usb or firewire audio interface, they usually come with a lite version of one of the major sequencer/DAWs....if you're not likin' the one that comes with it, then i'd explore others....

on a more general note, Cakewalk, Cubase, Pro Tools, and Logic are all nice full-featured apps...

Reason, cakewalk Project 5, Audition, fruity loops, and acid are more 'specialized' apps.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


May 30, 2007 08:42 am

There are FAQ's and a couple articles for newbies you can find here at HRC that will answer a lot of your questions and get you started in the right direction.

Welcome to HRC.

A small pie will soon be eaten
Member
Since: Aug 26, 2004


May 30, 2007 09:04 am

I wrote this ..

www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=581

A while ago.

Not so much a laptop approach but if you're just diving in then it might be useful.’

This is a better one from DB

www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=508

And another one from DB

www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=110

All it takes is a little search and you will find everything here.

Welcome to HRC! Looking forward to you’re first tune


Member
Since: Jan 24, 2006


May 30, 2007 12:19 pm

Kristal is an excellent and free multitrack system. It can be used forever but is a good way to get your feet wet.

Here's two tutorials on it

www.homemadehitshow.com/K...talTutorial.htm
www.homemadehitshow.com/Kristal2.htm

As always I would recommend the Line6 Toneport (www.line6.com/toneport) as a beginners or intermediate audio interface, cheap + all the guitar amp, bass amp and vocal amp modeling you could ever want.

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


May 30, 2007 01:38 pm

I agree Tony, Kristal is definitely a great way for a beginner to get his/her feet wet. I used it for a couple of years and never really bumped up against many of its limitations.

Plus, you can't beat the price of $0.00.

Member
Since: Oct 11, 2006


May 30, 2007 10:04 pm

Hey Tony or anyone else...
Does anybody have links for additional Krystal tutorials?
I've been useing it and its great but i assume there has got to be more to it.
The two you listed have some great pointers

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