Home Basic Recording Setup - Your Opinions

[ChrisDavid]

Hi All,

Requirements:

To record some songs with an acoustic guitar at home, maybe ask a friend to join with a bass/acoustic guitar and sing as well. Will include video footage. Hope to improve on existing setup significantly.


Current setup:

Using compact photo camera. Sound is crap, hence want to improve on it.


Researched Setup:

1) SM58 for vocal
2) Yamaha Acoustic LLX6 (with pickup)
3) Echo AudioFire4
4) Webcam (with post record editing to merge video with sound)
5) Bass/Acoustic Guitar + additional mic + pre-amp (if my friend is joining)


SM58 is the workhorse basic mic for vocal. Not sure if I will need a SM57 for acoustic guitar, maybe in future.

Echo AudioFire4 is selected for its less problematic issues with Firewire (the other is RME but may be a bit too expensive). It is also firewire powered and supports Mac OS.


Please advice if this is decent enough for starter.

 

[Hurricane]

My Personal Set Up

Hello :

I was in the same situation trying to figure it out . I looked seriously and researched it like you , I did this for about 3 years till I had a computer capable of doing video as well as audio editing .

I ended up with a USB'd system that is also a stand alone 8 channel recorder too . This unit can be taken to any place with ac electricity . With this type unit you can go anywhere the music is . It records 2 channels max at once stand alone and up to 4 channels when hooked up to a computer and is cross platformed for p . c . or mac .

It has a line input ( stereo ) and midi in/out .

1 XLR w/phantom power

1 1/4 electric guitar input for either a bass guitar or a standard electric / acoustic electric guitar .

2 Unbalanced 1/4 stereo guitar to either a amp(s) or P.A. and one/is can be used as stereo headphone out .

2 XLR balance low hz stereo outputs to either a amp(s) or P.A.

Uses CF memory cards ( cheap / with great digital recording quality ) with a 2 gig limit - some limit heh heh , with a 2 gig card you can record

1= channel for more than 6 hours ,

2 = channels 3+ hours

4 channels = 1.5+ hours ,

8 channels = 45+ minutes ,

16 channels 22.5+ minutes ,

you get the idea .

I play electric guitar too and this unit I got has more simulated virtual amps , cabinets , stompboxes I will ever need . The FX engine is sweet too featuring Lexicaon reverb(s) , delaly(s) chorus , ecetera .

You can plug in your acoustic/electric guitar and get the benefits of the electric guitar simulations , nice huh assuming your acoustic electric guitar has a 1/4 inch jack to plug into .

The phantom powered microphone input is essential for when you use a large type diaphragm microphone , these microphones are known for giving vocals and acoustic guitars a needed " fattening " up that smaller diaphragm microphones seem weak in catching when recording .

I just got a Samson XLR condenser phantom powered microphone from Sweetwater online music store for $79.00 with it's shock mount ( $29.00 more ) for $108.00 total .

Line 6 has a 8 channel recorded with 8 XLR microphone inputs and 2 1/4 guitar inputs , so does Tascam , each for about $450.00 to $500.00 . These two must be hooked to a computer and are USB types .

My unit is a Digitech GNX4 and I paid $500.00 when I bought mine 3 years ago and it's working just fine . It's a guitar players piece of equipment that offers " hands free " recording . I like mine a lot . Both a mac & p . c . recording software comes with it too ..

Lately the price has dropped to $399.00 online for this same unit , that is one great price .

If it beaks down Digitech will fix it for $75.00 flat fee no matter how long it took them to fix or the amount of parts needed . I pay shipping one way they will ship it back free to me here in the USA , I'm in southern California and Digitech's service center is in Utah . So far I have not had to do this .

Back :

I like this set up , I am trying to get " more " sound out of the acoustic guitar's sound box . I recorded with a SM57 and the results were O.K. but the echo inside the box was lost on the softer played passages of my guitar , when I got it close to getting those softer subtler delicate sounds I got feed back and too much bass .

The new Samson C01 condenser is soon to get it's tryout ,

I just got it , I am excited .

I hope what I posted helped you and I hope you fine the right system for your project .

Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramon

 

[Hideto]

if u really wan a simple one... get Zoom H2 or H4.... and get yourself a creative HD video cam (one with a external mic input).... both will cost u less then $800 if not wrong... hussle free... easy to deal with...

H2 and H4 quality is good enough to pick up every instrument clearly even vocals ... that is if u need to line-in.... and when u dont need to video yourself down... u can use it alone just to hear back yourself...

 

[bigblackbear]

+ 1 to the creative HD cam (it's called VADO)

comex show starts tmr, you might get it cheap there.

 

[ChrisDavid]

Hurricane, thanks for your inputs, especially on that SM57 part. That Digitech seems overkill for me at the moment, but its interesting to hear it from an existing user's experience (might be useful in future).


Hideto, does the Zoom H2 or H4 allows 2x mic and 2x guitar at the same time? I presume that both are approximately $450 each or slightly less?


bigblackbear, I do have a webcam now, so that VADO HD I will give it a miss.

 

[Hurricane]

Zoomssss R Coooooooooool

if u really wan a simple one... get Zoom H2 or H4.... and get yourself a creative HD video cam (one with a external mic input).... both will cost u less then $800 if not wrong... hussle free... easy to deal with...

H2 and H4 quality is good enough to pick up every instrument clearly even vocals ... that is if u need to line-in.... and when u dont need to video yourself down... u can use it alone just to hear back yourself...

Hello Hideto :

The Zoom is one unit I was considering for live :

" improvisation moments "

when I go to places that visually inspire me when I play my nylon acoustic and my acoustic steel string guitars and other acoustic instruments like my chromatic , echo & diatonic harmonicas .

The places I go to get :

" inspired "

are in alpine areas , lake sides , deserts , sea coasts , tropical rain forests and also in architecturally perfect ( or near ) locations in cities and buildings .

I wish to include the ambient sounds that are around me as I play when it's possible as well as post editing in these sounds into the compositions I record in an " unplugged " type genre feel/groove for music videos.

Have you had opportunity to use one of these units in a live setting ?

Sincerely :

HR

 

[Hurricane]

Hurricane, thanks for your inputs, especially on that SM57 part. That Digitech seems overkill for me at the moment, but its interesting to hear it from an existing user's experience (might be useful in future).


Hideto, does the Zoom H2 or H4 allows 2x mic and 2x guitar at the same time? I presume that both are approximately $450 each or slightly less?


bigblackbear, I do have a webcam now, so that VADO HD I will give it a miss.

=========================================================

Hey Chris :

It might be over kill in one regard and then it might not if your future's fate takes you towards directions that the GNX4 can cover , but that's not important .

What is important is what you can use from my experience(s) and I'm glad I helped out with the microphone issue .

Good luck

HR

 

[prefaderaux]

The places I go to get :

" inspired "

are in alpine areas , lake sides , deserts , sea coasts , tropical rain forests and also in architecturally perfect ( or near ) locations in cities and buildings .

I wish to include the ambient sounds that are around me as I play when it's possible as well as post editing in these sounds into the compositions I record in an " unplugged " type genre feel/groove for music videos.

Sincerely :

HR

Hi HR,
What nice places u get to choose to look for inspirations. I've only 4 walls, partitions, or fairly well constructed drainages, tranquil & serene enough reservoirs (according to Singapore standard) and very short beach depth coast to draw (or to ruin) inspirations from. : )

I like the idea of fusing ambient sounds that encompass u as recording ideas. U cld perhaps evetually make them into repetitive (or pyschodelic) rhythms in the backgrd of ur mix. I suppose the H4N and the Sony PCM-D50 (more pricey tho) cld do a decent job.

Cheers,
PFA

 

[ParkertR]

my setup is really modest... haha~ Zoom H4N, a few mics, mic preamps and my laptop. My room is treated acoustically and i've got a nice pair of passive monitors and an amp. U can check out the work I churn out of my little room in my signature

 

[logicdroid]

SM58 is the workhorse basic mic for vocal. Not sure if I will need a SM57 for acoustic guitar, maybe in future.

I personally prefer SM57s for vox.

 

[blueprintstudios]

http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=2020&brandID=4