home recording

[bigdoch]

hi there....

I am a total newbie at home recording and was looking for any help I can get about software, mic's etc...

hope someone can help me...thanx.

[Jram]

The standard questions are likely to be along the lines of:

 

What set-up have you got just now, and do you plan to record directly onto computer or onto something else (like tape, minidisc, DAT) and then transfer it?

 

What inputs do you have on your soundcard, and how do you plan/hope to add your vocals to the backing track?

 

What have you used so far, in terms of software. If it didn't suit you, why not?

 

Where do you plan to record, what's your set-up like?

 

What do you hope to DO with the recordings? Where are they likely to be played, and what quality do they need to be?

 

What is your budget, how much are you willing/able to spend in doing this?

 

The more info you can provide, the more able people will be to offer you suitable advice. There are probably a dozen other relevant questions that more experienced sound people would ask first, this is just off the top of my head based on the degree I did five years ago, which didn't cover much in the way of recording... For now though, give as much background/detail as you can.

[Bobbsy]

Jram's questions are all spot on but...

 

I'll point out that this is a forum for people involved in the live entertainment industry (concerts, theatre shows, etc.) rather than a home recording forum. Many of us use the sort of stuff you want as part of our jobs but that's not our prime interest. You might do better in a specialist recording forum.

 

One that I've used in the past that seems okay is HERE.

 

Since I'm already on, I may as well mention that if you want freeware to do this, one commonly recommended piece of software is called AUDACITY. You'll find numerous specialist forums discussing it's use.

 

If you're willing to pay, my personal favourite (that I've used professionally for more years than I'm willing to admit) is ADOBE AUDITION. It's far from free but the facilities it gives for the money are really good value--I prefer it to things like Protools which cost far more. There is a 28 day full-featured trial available. The AUDIOMASTERS FORUM is a good place for questions and support about Audition and general recording.

 

Bob

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Moderation: And, on that note, I'll close this thread since it's not really a Blue Room topic. Good luck with your recording!