a.miller Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Awesome, thanks again everyone. Next question: I went into this endeavor half assuming that I'd be going analog. And that with analog, there'd be the usual tape hiss and imperfections. That was fine with me for many reasons -- first, my apt isn't soundproofed so nothing I record would be perfect, second, I know my way around a fretboard but I am no Nels Cline. I figured that the warmth and tape hiss of an analog recording would sit well with these two facts. Now that I am leaning to digital recording with Mbox2 and Protools (or garageband or ntrack), I am wondering if those two factors above are like oil to my newly discovered water. I am assuming (maybe incorrectly) that with digital recordings comes much cleaner recordings. And with much cleaner recordings, comes the much more obvious distractions of a nonsoundproofed room (or perfectly placed mic). Not to mention, a flub here or there on the guitar or bass in my hands. Can anyone weigh in with thoughts on this? In other words, I went in expecting to record some tunes with a rough GBV or eels feel to them. If I go digital, will I just be highlighting the unavoidable imperfections?I don't think the "clean" sound of digital makes mistakes more noticeable. I think if a mistake is a big one, you'd hear it either way. A really cool thing about Protools is there are these things called "plug-ins". You can add a plug-in to any track or number of tracks to augment the sound somehow. There are a ton of these from amp simulators to compression and EQ...there are also "vinylizers" and other types that allow a more "tape" sound. Keep in mind that a lot of warmth you hear on recordings is from the way the sound was captured -- the preamps, mics and mic placement that were used -- in addition to the medium used to record on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Golden Smoghead Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I agree with everything a.miller said -- except that ProTools is easy for a novice. I found it really tough. Not a vote against, just a word of caution that you may need to have someone help you or buy a book or watch some youtube video lesons something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Check out tapeop.com for the magazine and the forum. Smart people, nice community. I would recommend waiting until you come to a more specific issue you're looking for help on. A post on home recording tips is something like asking what wilco is like on the just a fan forum. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mfwahl Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Check out tapeop.com for the magazine and the forum. Smart people, nice community. I would recommend waiting until you come to a more specific issue you're looking for help on. A post on home recording tips is something like asking what wilco is like on the just a fan forum.I've been lurking this forum today and like it so far. Thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I've been lurking this forum today and like it so far. Thanks for the heads up. Also, if I answer any questions on the tapeop board right it down on a legal pad and hang it next to your computer But seriously, sometimes when I am just thinking about an issue I will search it on that board and it usually yields ten minutes of informative reading. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ginandcigarettes Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 I agree with everything a.miller said -- except that ProTools is easy for a novice. I found it really tough. Not a vote against, just a word of caution that you may need to have someone help you or buy a book or watch some youtube video lesons something. I will actually agree with both of you. To record a track, Pro Tools is pretty easy. The problem is that, as soon as you open up Pro Tools, you're immediately struck by how insanely powerful the thing is and how much you could potentially do if you knew what the hell you were doing. So you try to do something complicated and you're scrambling around the interwebs to find out how to do that trick that everyone else seems to already know how to do. Watching my engineer friends who earn their living on Pro Tools is humbling. But, yes, you'll want a book. Work that into the price of your Pro Tools system should you choose it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
a.miller Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 soo...did you ever buy anything to record with? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MattZ Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share Posted November 26, 2008 soo...did you ever buy anything to record with? Not yet -- I am currently deciding between getting a macbook with garageband or trying to make a go of it with my current (and older) dell laptop by buying the mbox2 w/ protools. I know the former will be much more expensive, but also probably much easier and more versatile for other functions (outside of music). The latter option, while cheaper, worries me because if my current laptop is too slow to handle what I am doing then I am stuck. So... to make a long story, everyone made great suggestions, but now I have too much info instead of not enough and I am still in the same quandry of not being able to make a decision!! I am leaning to mbox2/protools and will likely take the plunge in the next couple of weeks... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
guitargeek85 Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 Check out this site.. Really cool forum and you can browse the topics without having an account. If you have any questions I am sure it has been answered already. www.gearslutz.com I am going to school for recording arts and have had a lot of the same questions about what to use at home.. Peace Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dondoboy Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I got a question that would fit in here. Anyone have any experience micing up a banjo? I'm talking distances, placement and the like. Also, homemade pop filter - I've seen designs that use nylon and a wire hanger. Do you guys think this would work just as well or should I shell out the 30ish bucks for a legit one?The banjo is tricky for sure. I've had good luck using a SM58 and placing it a couple of feet away (18 inches, I just measured). I play hard and the space gives room for the room sound to kind of seep in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
renic Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 if you've got any pro tools questions as you get into it, i'll be more then happy to see if i can answer them. Check out this site.. Really cool forum and you can browse the topics without having an account. If you have any questions I am sure it has been answered already. www.gearslutz.com I am going to school for recording arts and have had a lot of the same questions about what to use at home.. Peace where are you going to school? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 The latter option, while cheaper, worries me because if my current laptop is too slow to handle what I am doing then I am stuck. If you bought an external harddrive would that speed up your older computer? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
renic Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 there is a theory that you could have pro tools on your external hard drive & launch from it. i've never tried it but it sounds appealing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
guitargeek85 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 there is a theory that you could have pro tools on your external hard drive & launch from it. i've never tried it but it sounds appealing. I have not heard about that. Just make sure you are not saving your files to your computer. After a while it messes up your computer. Always save to an external. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
a.miller Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 If you bought an external harddrive would that speed up your older computer?No. The speed of the processor, ram and the ability of the motherboard / frontside bus would still be the same. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pmancini100 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 im using audacity, which is a free multitrack recording program you can download. i use a cad u37 condenser that connects to my usb port, and this is more than adequate for recording demos and stuff. i also have a fostex digital 8 track and sm57 that my band uses, which gives us a lot of control. i know a lot of people will disagree with me, but if youre going the cost effectiveness route, just use a crappy mic into a free recording program like audacity. im sure itll sound fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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