Recording music on PC

[homer]

I took up guitar a few years ago and am finally at the point where I can sing and play at the same time. I'd like to record a song and save it on my PC. The built in mic on my laptop blows. Is there software/hardware out there for home use that anyone can recommend?

 

I play a straight acoustic guitar that I can't plug into an amp - not ideal as there will be air noise but oh well.

[funkyplaidcoat]

- Make sure you have a decent sound card otherwise anything you record won't sound as good as the equipment you might purchase. Assuming you have a newer laptop, you should be okay.

 

- A good microphone under $100 should do the job, but if you really want a clean sounding guitar, invest in an acoustic pick-up so you can go directly from the strings to the computer. The beauty of recording software is that you can layer your vocals...so you can attain clear tracks without the ambience.

 

Recording Software : Protools, Cakewalk, Acid (my preference)..they all pretty much do the same thing. They're expensive programs, but if you search hard enough (wink wink) you'll find a good deal out there.

[bullox]

I recommend Cubase SX for software. Been using it and its predecessors for ~8 years, it is a truly professional audio program.

 

It might also be a good idea to get a small mixing board and connect that to a decent sound card. I have a small card that suits my needs - an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96. I bought it probably 5 years ago for $150. Not sure if they have dropped in price, but they are still very capable. It is intended for professional audio, unlike the SoundBlaster type cards.

[brettac1]

I would say get a 4-track. You can record into the 4-track with the line out into your computer. It won't work as terrific since you can't plug in, but I think that's the best way to do it. But I'm just a fan of 4-tracks.

 

You can do it with a lot less work the ways others have mentioned, though.

[uecker9]

We use nuendo by Steinburg, it boggles my mind how good it sounds. So much easier than doing studio work in a studio. I do regret the day our drummer found out about BFD tho.

[IslandsAC]

I got a cheap Tascam US-122 USB Audio interface for about a hundo-fifty that adds so much versatility without having to go directly into your soundcard (which, unless you have an amazing sound card, is not the way to go). It's definitely not the greatest thing out there, but it sure gets the job done for me. ($130 on ebay)

 

I use a low-end XML vocal condenser mic that sounds a lot better than any cheapo thing I've found and I think it was part of a $150 pack with an instrument condenser. (But I just found it on e-bay for $39 + shipping)

 

Maybe a little more than you're looking to spend, but it gives you some solid sound.

 

EDIT:

I used to use a really cheap program called MAGIX Audio that worked just fine, now I use Sony Vegas, which is nicer.

[Diskono]

Quote:

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I got a cheap Tascam US-122 USB Audio interface for about a hundo-fifty that adds so much versatility without having to go directly into your soundcard (which, unless you have an amazing sound card, is not the way to go). It's definitely not the greatest thing out there, but it sure gets the job done for me. ($130 on ebay)

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I used to have the next-larger version (US-244?) of this, and it was great. It pretty much acts as a sound card, and whichever software you use can allow it to act as a multitrack recorder.

 

I used Cubase SX several years ago (as well as its predecessor, I believe was simply called Cubase), and it was very nice, though a bit buggy at times. I haven't done any music stuff in awhile, but I'm sure it's much more stable now. Nuendo is pretty much the same software IIRC, they're made by the same company have have almsot identical interfaces. I mostly used it for sequencing, but it definitely well for recording.