Anyone into home studio recording of music?

[FLiNcHY]

I was talking to my friend last year and he's a music recording minor in college. Went over to his place and he had like some recording equipment set up in his room. I recorded a couple of songs at his place and the experience really opened my eyes. Seeing him use his music editing software is like me using photoshop. There's so much you can do with it.

So i think i want to get into home studio recording as well. Because i know i can sing. I just need to record my stuff down. Are there any website's where i can like read up comprehensively on home studio recording, and what soundcards and mics to get, and recording techniques?

Recored these two songs at his place. Just short clips:

1. Daughters ~ John Mayer cover
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg625m/Daughters.mp3

2. Stay Gone
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg625m/Staygone.mp3

And then i got Adobe Audition and played around with it and recorded in my own room using my own crappy mic and the soundcard that came with my computer. I got the stupid hissing sound. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

3. The Hammer Holds
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg625m/Hammerfinal.mp3


So any suggestions on a good started soundcard and microphone would be good too.

 

[noizgod]

Hi flinchy,

you might want to give ableton and protools a try. it is recommended. these two are music editing software.:thumbsup: in your new found hobby.

 

[noizgod]

as for mic you may want to check out mic at paradiz centre or sim lim square. look out for sennheiser mic, a shure bg 1.1 mic and a fender mic. all these ar condenser mic. do not buy normal mic as it makes a difference in the outcome.

you might want to visit this site. it helps me alot with my editing.

 

[FLiNcHY]

I'm currently in the US so i can't really visit those places.

I was checking out zzsounds.com and came across this soundcard called the Presonus Firebox
http://www.zzounds.com/item--PRSFIREBOX

read the user reviews on it, and also searched audiophile forums on it. Sounds like alot of people love it. Comes with Cubase LE which is a great piece of software. Think my friend used that to edit my recordings.

What's a condenser mic? My friend advised me to just get like a Shure SM58. But i was looking at this http://www.zzounds.com/item--AUTAT3035

Is there like a huge difference in recording quality?

What causes the hissing sound and all that? The sound card or the mic or the recording conditions?

 

[noizgod]

Shure SM58 is sure a condenser mic. well i bet in the US they have much variety of mic. it does make a big difference if you use normal mic and condenser mic. condenser mic will cut off all surrounding noise whereas normal mic doesnt do that.

as for soundcard i am not too sure what to recommend. currently i am just using a normal soundcard that comes with the DIY computer i am using. maybe when you visit any of the stores you may want to ask them what is recommended for soundcard to go into home sound recording.

 

[frenchbean]

Hi FLiNcHY,

It's great that you have found a new hobby for yourself. I'm not really into home studio recording, but I've been in helping out in live sound reinforcement in my church to know a little about such stuff. The Shure SM58 is definitely a workhorse for any sound recording (pardon the pun). It's used by many professionals in the music industry for live sound and recordings. It's one of the most versatile and cheap microphones used in the music industry.

http://www.shure.com/microphones/models/sm58.asp

Btw, the SM58 is not a condenser mic, it's dynamic. But it's a fantastic dynamic mic and there is really no rule that says condenser mics are better. A good dynamic mic like the SM58 beats many cheapo condenser mics hands down. Actually the microphone pickup pattern is actually very important to determine the rejection of sound. A cardiod pattern is good for home recording actually.

As for soundcard or sound interface, M-Audio carries a few nice interface to your PC or Mac like the Audiophile USB or Firewire 410 (see link below). Other brands to look out for are like TASCAM (for more professional quality) or Behringer (for more budget conscious but with questionable quality... most pros hates the name Behringer... hehe).

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.list&ID=mobileinterfaces

Below are some info to start you off reading. Go find more books to read, it's really a lot to learn here.

http://www.shure.com/shurenotes/feb2003/default.asp
http://www.shure.com/support/technotes/app-soundcard.html

Nice online place to shop in the US? www.musiciansfriend.com Lotsa hobbyist music stuff there, but price might not be the cheapest.

Have fun in your new hobby. It's really a fun hobby, but kinda expensive too.

 

[kristian]

No no no! The SM58 is NOT a condenser mic. It's dynamic. Condenser is not necessarily better than dynamic, it all depends on what you're using it for. Steve Tyler on stage will probably use a dynamic SM58 but may use a condenser in the studio.

 

[Denosha]

The Shure SM58 is more suited to recording vocals. If you want to mic instruments, get the SM57. It's been the industry workhorse for like 30yrs or something. In fact, it's also the mic that the US president has been using for dunno how many years. Dual SM57s. Can see them next time you watch a press conference by GWB. Cheap too. About S$120-130 each thereabouts. Some singers use the SM57 instead of the SM58 for on stage singing as well.

What kind of mics to get really depends on what you intend to record. Every mic is designed to record a certain kind of instrument, sound.

 

[FLiNcHY]

actually, i was intending to record vocals more than music. It'll just be mainly an acoustic guitar.

i just need one that can get my voice recorded crystal clearly, no hiss, no background noise. So the Shure SM58 seems a pretty good bet eh.

I think i need to get myself a Pop filter too. Cause one problem to arose during my previous recordings was the "pops" when pronouncing the Ps and the Ts.

 

[kristian]

A decent microphone may not be all. You'll proabably need to look at your recording enviroment and signal chain as well to reduce noise.

 

[markccm]

want a good condenser mic for vocals?
i recommend the Neumann U87.

for accoustic guitars, get a DPA 4011 or Neumann KM184

 

[lsisaxon]

want a good condenser mic for vocals?
i recommend the Neumann U87.

for accoustic guitars, get a DPA 4011 or Neumann KM184

Yeah.. could probably buy some more photographic gears with that kind of money. I think for a home recording, if you don't have a good sound booth, there is no point getting exotic mics to record background noise.

I'm into quite budget recording gears and I use mostly Behringer products. They are (were?) just simply value for money.
http://www.behringer.com/02_products/audio_index.cfm?lang=ENG

I'm using the B1 most of the time though I also have some Sennheiser and Audio Technica shotguns for location and AKG C-3000B
http://www.behringer.com/02_products/microphone_index.cfm?lang=ENG

If you don't have a sound proof booth, a noise gate might be a good bet but it's a great compromise.

 

[yanyewkay]

want a good condenser mic for vocals?
i recommend the Neumann U87.

for accoustic guitars, get a DPA 4011 or Neumann KM184

:sweatsm: need so extreme ah?:sweatsm:

 

[markccm]

Yeah.. could probably buy some more photographic gears with that kind of money. I think for a home recording, if you don't have a good sound booth, there is no point getting exotic mics to record background noise.

background noise can still be removed.

too used to those mics at work.
haha

 

[kristian]

want a good condenser mic for vocals?
i recommend the Neumann U87.

for accoustic guitars, get a DPA 4011 or Neumann KM184

Yup. The U87 is a good choice. Remember to pair it up with a good pre-amp, say the Amek 9098. Choise your bank loan properly. :bsmilie: This setup is like suggesting a Canon 1Ds to a person consdiering his first DSLR.

 

[yanyewkay]

Yeah.. could probably buy some more photographic gears with that kind of money. I think for a home recording, if you don't have a good sound booth, there is no point getting exotic mics to record background noise.

If you don't have a sound proof booth, a noise gate might be a good bet but it's a great compromise.

actually some simple floor and wall carpet will do a lot of good. heavy curtains over the windows will help a lot.

 

[markccm]

if u r on a budget u can try Audio Technica or Shure KSM series.

alternatively u can get a simple handheld condenser like the Shure Beta87 (depends u want A or C)
one is a cardoid, the other a super cardoid.
but i do not like this for studios as there is no suspension mount.

as for pops, u can make ur own for a home studio.
just get a round hoop, wrap it with fine stockings.
this can be used as a pop filter for a large diaphramed condenser.

if u wanna avoid "plosives" (meaning popping of mic with P & B)
there r various techniques.
learn how to face away from the center axis of the mic when it comes to such words.

many trained artiste whom i have worked with make a concious effort to move their mouth off axis when they come to B or P.
also exercise the use of proximity.

 

[markccm]

if u r willing to spend on a pop filter, u can try a Stedman
http://www.stedmancorp.com/pages/prod_info.html

 

[lsisaxon]

I was talking to my friend last year and he's a music recording minor in college. Went over to his place and he had like some recording equipment set up in his room. I recorded a couple of songs at his place and the experience really opened my eyes. Seeing him use his music editing software is like me using photoshop. There's so much you can do with it.

So i think i want to get into home studio recording as well. Because i know i can sing. I just need to record my stuff down. Are there any website's where i can like read up comprehensively on home studio recording, and what soundcards and mics to get, and recording techniques?

Recored these two songs at his place. Just short clips:

1. Daughters ~ John Mayer cover
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg625m/Daughters.mp3

2. Stay Gone
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg625m/Staygone.mp3

And then i got Adobe Audition and played around with it and recorded in my own room using my own crappy mic and the soundcard that came with my computer. I got the stupid hissing sound. :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

3. The Hammer Holds
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg625m/Hammerfinal.mp3


So any suggestions on a good started soundcard and microphone would be good too.

1. Daughters - vocals needs some EQ on the lows. A bit dry.. better to run through a plate reverb or something.
2. Stay Gone - vocals too backwards. Better to up the level a bit for a more balanced mix. Agains, a bit dry.. use some plate reverb.

3. The Hammer Holds- Sounds like you recorded with the speaker on. There seems to be a slight feedback. The microphone automatic gain seems to be on?

You can try Digidesign Mbox2/ProTools
http://www.digidesign.com/products/mbox2/main.cfm
http://www.digidesign.com/aboutus/dealers/dealer_list.cfm?region=SING&source=all

 

[nightpiper]

I'm currently in the US so i can't really visit those places.

I was checking out zzsounds.com and came across this soundcard called the Presonus Firebox
http://www.zzounds.com/item--PRSFIREBOX

read the user reviews on it, and also searched audiophile forums on it. Sounds like alot of people love it. Comes with Cubase LE which is a great piece of software. Think my friend used that to edit my recordings.

What's a condenser mic? My friend advised me to just get like a Shure SM58. But i was looking at this http://www.zzounds.com/item--AUTAT3035

Is there like a huge difference in recording quality?

What causes the hissing sound and all that? The sound card or the mic or the recording conditions?

can i juz simply recommend u to take up a basic audio course first? all the equipment is meaningless if u dun even know what's a condenser mic, whats a dynamic mic, whats the function of audio compressor, what is balance input/phono input, diff between balance & phono & RCA, how to read the mic smith chart, midi interface, whats impedence.... etc.