Give me a little reality check please...
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Posted on Jan 02, 2005 02:18 pm
fretboard
Member Since: Sep 22, 2004
Hey there,
I wanted to get into recording my own guitar stuff and somehow along the way I got carried away with my plans. I've been searching and pricing equipment and reading reviews and all the post here that have been very helpful. However, I'm never going to have a band. I'm not going to need (Idon't think) mixers and midis and massive numbers of channels, etc., etc. I just want to be able to record my own rythm; my own lead; and record myself over pre-made backing tracks from cd's or downloaded mp3's, and maybe, just maybe some vocals.
I have the computer and am getting a delta 44 sound card. I have a fender princeton 65 with built in effects. I have electric and acoustic electric guitars. My acoustic electric has both 1/4" and an xlr jack with a B-band pre amp/3 band eq run off a 9 volt battery. I'm never going to have to deal with bass or drums or keyboards, it's just me, my guitars and pre recorded backing stuff.
I think I want:
A shure 57 mic.
A MXL 990.
A DI for times I don't mic the amp.
Some sort of pre amp, probably tube, for the tone and to save batteries.
All this will be done in one room. Me sitting on the bed with my amp sitting in front of me and the computer on the desk in front of me. I have a fair set of computer speakers with a subwoofer if that means anything for the purposes of my questions. I can hear what I play as I play it through my amp or I can plug in headphones and kill the amp. The amp has an emulated line out to go to effects loop or recording. I have a Boss compressor/sustainer, woul;d this work later on for the vocals or is it a different kind of compressor needed for that?
That's all the info I can think to give you. My questions are:
What else do I need to accompish the best sound recording for my simple (no band) setup?
WIll I need or be greatly benifited by a mixer?
How will all this hook up?
What cables should I get to go from which piece of hardware to the next?
I'm very confused when it comes to the cables. 1/4", xlr, balnced/unbalanced, low-z, high-z, TSR, RCA, high impedence, low impedence, coaxial??????????? It's enough to drive you crazy and I've tried to read all the definitions but they never explain how they're used and which is best in which applications and whether both ends need to be the same or one end needs to be xlr and the other 1/4" or what! For instance my acoustic to amp would use an xlr-1/4" combo, but would I need a different one to go from my acoustic to a pre amp or mixer? or DI? and what do I need form the DI to the computer? Cables are never discussed very well. :(
Bottom line is, I have limited space, lack of mobility and reach and I want to record my stuff with a good level of quality but I don't want to get silly about it as I will never need to record a symophony or rock concert.
Thanks and if you need any more info let me know.
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Jan 02, 2005 03:16 pm Hey There
I started in a similar way. I still dont have a band and dont really plan on joinig (another) one :-)
To get the geetar in (based on your post) I'd suggest (when you get the Delta 44) you will go something like this:
GEETAR >> AMP >> DELTA44 - If amp has line out ye can DI this to the Delta.
For better results (IMHO):
GEETAR >> AMP >> then MIC'D AMP >> PREAMP >> DELTA44.
So effectively you will plug into the amp as normal and just MIC it via a preamp straight into the DELTA44.
Finally, for DI'ing (and this IS where it gets fun) just DI the geetar straight into the preamp and use some geetar sims to see what ye think of this.
For this, you'll need a recording app. For your needs, I dont think you need a massively expensive app - whatever you like the FEEL off seems like it'd do ya. I use CUbase but I do the full orchestration of a band by myself. You can get by with a cut down version or maybe something like Guitar Tracks - something like that. I reckon you wont need many tracks as you say so have a look around. If you get an app that can host VST effects, you can get into computer based amp sims like Amplitube (check it out - its veryyyy cool) and free effects like the Simulanalog effects which I also use.
Amplitube is commercial so you need to shell oot www.amplitube.com and Simulanalog is FREE (and bloody good) www.simulanalog.org - check them both oot. Both have samples and if, like me, you are of the mindset geetars HAVE to amp'd/MIC'd - check it and see what ye think.
I am a guitarist by definition and have played for 12 years now. Used to be a analog snob til I found these VST plugs...check em.
As for leads, if you get the delta you just need some regular (tho good ones) 1/4 JACKS on both ends and you'll need some XLR leads too (depending on if you get a mixer - I dont think youd need one based on your post).
As for preamps, this would be your decision and you may actually be just as well with the mixer for the preamps (as many mixers have decent pre's anyway i.e. the Behringer series which are both affordable and good).
Good luck to ye
Coco.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Jan 02, 2005 03:21 pm Imo, a decent little mixer such as the Yamaha MG 10/2 or the equiv berringer. They're inexpensive, give you decent preamps for your mic and give you room to grow. We all started out small, but it's amazing how fast you grow with recording.
For your needs XLR, balanced for the microphone, and good quality guitar cables are about all you'll need. For cable runs over 6ft especially if they are near noize generating equip, other power cords etc, is when balanced cables really pay off, but your equipment has to have Balanced inputs & outputs to be of any use.
Dan
Jan 02, 2005 04:47 pm Thank you both so much for your help, it's cleared up a lot of, "Am I going too far?" issues, and helped a great deal in the cable confusion. Now, if I can only justify the expense to the missus so shortly after a new guitar for Christmas! :)
jbowMember
Since: Jan 03, 2005
Jan 03, 2005 10:00 pm The newest issue of Guitarone magazine has a free "one amp" version of Amplitude included on the CDROM that comes with the magazine. It's a nice sounding amp sim based on a Marshall JCM800 and it also has a dist pedal. It's more than worth the price of the magazine. It's the Feb 05 issue.
As far as your "reality check"...been there done that. Why not just try using what you have first. You should be able to plug your guitar straight into your computer. If you have to go with the miced amp I use a Tascam US-122 and I like it a lot because it has a "Direct monitor". With that you don't have to worry about latency. You just mute the track you're recording to and use the direct monitor to hear your guitar. It's 199.00 and has mic pres etc.
I have not tried this but here is a link to free multitrack software from the recording 101 article on this website... www.kreatives.org/kristal/
You can spen a LOT of money and then spen a LOT more and then find out you could have done what you really wanted to do for pennies.
Then again I really like my Sonar4 software. You may like a standalone recorder too. That's the way to go if you want plug and play easy recording. They're getting cheap too.
HTH,
J
Jan 04, 2005 11:39 pm Thanks JBow,
I definately need a better sound card at least, the one I have is an integrated piece of crap that plays great but records so much static you can't hear anything else. I've recorded direct and through a cheap mic and both ways are full of noise.
Jan 05, 2005 07:23 am If your recordign direct (it can be done if you use some kinda pre) or indeed any way to boost your signal (til you get the gear you state), you can obtain some EXCELLENT Free amps here:
www.simulanalog.org - there is a Fender Twin Reverb, JCM900 (ahhhhh...the JCM!!) and a LOAD of Boss Pedals as well as an Ibanez Tube Screamer and man, are they cool. and, FREE FREE FREE!!!
All you need is a host app (like Cubase for example but ANY app that hosts VST plugs will do) and yer off.
Good luck
Coco.
Jan 06, 2005 10:24 pm Thanks for the links "coco". I checked 'em out a little the other day and it looks like I'll be there often! And I thought I'd never have a JCM :)
Jan 07, 2005 03:18 am Well, I May have a JCM one day and I may not (probs not actually if the truth be told - I have a WIFE = NO JCM!!!) BUT...this is cool to mess with.
Cheers...
Coco.
