I don't know much about recording on comp. so I need a LOT of help.
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Posted on Jun 15, 2011 05:34 am
lesgurley
Member Since: Jun 15, 2011
I am the bass player for The Sons Of Thunder a gospel group that is just starting out, and we want to record a couple of cd's for friends and family as well as for use as demo cd's. It doesn't have to be pro quality, but as good as I can get it with what we have. so here goes.
I need to record not only 2 sometimes 3 mikes but 2 guitars and 1 bass with my computer, I was told some mixers can have instruments like guitar and bass run directly into them and some can't. What is the difference between them and how can I tell which mixer to use? I have 2, 4 channel mixers and only 1 hooks up to the computer is there a way to run one into the other and combine two or three channels with the first mixer, then add the rest with the second mixer, running the first as one channel? I am new to this and need all the help I can get.
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Jun 15, 2011 09:48 am Whether or not an electric instrument can plug into a mizer directly depends as much on the instrument as anything else. Bass guitars with active pickups can plug directly in with decent results, otherwise you'd need a "DI" (direct injection) unit to convert the signal into a usable signal...for guitar, eh, those don't work directly too often with good results from my experience.
For 3 mics and 3 instruments, you'd need a 6 channel board, you'd be better off doing one or two instruments at a time and overdubbing them.
Jun 15, 2011 04:03 pm thanks for the reply. that tells me what I can't do and expect good results. how about putting a mic in front of the amps what can I do to avoid background noise? I thought about putting a box around the mic then putting it in front of the amp, both at a slight distance and right in front would that help? like I said I need a LOT of help and advice.
Jun 15, 2011 04:19 pm You may want consider using a closet, or maybe aiming the amp into a corner, a few feet out from the corner...or, build sound panels to place around it...I built these www.homerecordingconnecti...story&id=50 a few years back, they worked great...
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Jun 15, 2011 06:36 pm If your mixer has Hi-Z inputs on it you can record direct from your bass or guitar even without active pickups. I have one on mine and I record my electric guitar direct with it all the time.
Tim NUh, at least one more time . . .Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007
Jun 15, 2011 10:58 pm You shure can "gang" the mixers together, and then mix it all together as a stereo feed going into the comp. The mixers are all essentially the same--if there' a "trim" or gain control, you can perhaps run your gear in through those channels, but it seems to me your best bet is to pick up a couple of Zoom-type guitar and/or bass units, say the G1. They're relatively cheap, and they can both boost the signal to recordable levels and add whatever signal vagaries you want (distortion, compression, delay, etc.)
Avoid, at this stage, miking up amps and that sort of thing. Get some decent headphones, the guitar stompbox/interfaces, and the necessary cables (splitters, TS and TRS cables, etc.), and read the manuals that accompany the gear (especially the mixers). There's no getting around this, and so it's best to get up to speed on the technical stuff involved (it's not that complicated, believe me).
You don't mention your computer's recording software, or it's soundcard. Please tell us what else you have. It's fun, fun, fun!
Jun 16, 2011 11:26 pm I have two programs Acid Music Studio 7.0 and Music Creator 5 I have an Alesis Multimix 4 usb mixer that I can hook up to the comp., and a Behringer ha60 4channel mixer/pa head, I am using a dell laptop running windows 7. I need to record an Ibanez 6 string bass, an epiphone acoustic/electric guitar, a Fender squire electric guitar, and 2 sometimes 3 vocals to record. As for amps I have a Line 6 Low Down LD15 bass amp, a Fender Sidekick Reverb25 amp and an Epiphone Studio Acoustic 15c amp. for mics I have 2 samson m10 mics a shure pg48, and a samson m5 as well as a couple of old wireless mics that I am not sure of. Like I said I am new at this, I am also on VA disability and therefore a limited budget I don't have to have profesional studio quality sound but want it to sound as good as I can get so we can send cd's to friends and family as well as use as demo's th send to churches to see if they want us to come play for them. We don't want to become big stars and make millions,nwe just want to support our ministry work and worship the lord. any advice on how to get the equipment I have to work to record a couple of cd's would be VERY MUCH apreciated , esp step by step instructions for setting up for the best sound we can get on the cd's.
Tim NUh, at least one more time . . .Member
Since: Feb 07, 2007
Jun 18, 2011 10:01 pm Well, lesgurley, it's about impossible to give you step by step here, though I know there are places you can go to to get that kind of instruction. There are some folks here who know where to send you, and perhaps they'll chime in. You can do one of three things, as far as recording your stuff. You can record tracks one at a time, or you can record your group all at once, or you can do a hybrid--record your group live, and then add over-dubs. If you have the songs down cold, as a group, you can add a click (I'm sure your software is capable of this--Acid?) and then record each track separately, (That's what I usually do; you only need one mic, and a quiet place to do, say, vocals or an acoustic guitar.)
There are so many different things to consider that a "step-by-step" in this space would be prohibitive. Do a little checking on the net, and get the basics down, and come here for technical stuff that's often over-looked or is a subject that is prone to mis-conception, like setting levels (crucial). I'm a bit curious now myself, and I'll do a little checking for sites that may be of help for you. I'm self-taught, but sites like this one have been very helpful at times. You know what? I'm still an amateur, but I'm getting better and learning all kinds of stuff with each attempt at recording and mixing. It takes a while; there's no list that you follow and then bang! you've got decent results. Getting rich or being famous has absolutely nothing to do with getting good results when recording. There are plenty of folks making excellent records who don't have any money (the vast majority out here). It takes a certain amount of time and knowledge to make even an okay sounding CD. If it's for demo purposes, it's wise to have it sounding as good as possible, no?
One thing you can do, now, is try getting a signal into the mixer (just one signal for now), and then into the comp., and from there into the software (Acid). Record something. Is it too loud? Distorted? Sounds bad in general? Sounds pretty good? The equipment you have, right now, is good enough to make a decent-sounding recording. Try recording something, and tell us what happened.
My suggestions earlier assumed a certain amount of, um, dough available to you and your mates. But you can get by with what you have. Necessity is the mother of invention. If you band is good, you'll hopefully get more work, and then you can select more gear that can help you out.
