Setting up a bedroom studio

[falconbill]

I've never done any home recording. Can you guys recommend some basics. Have a laptop but no music software. Been enjoying the recordings you guys have made. Thanks in advance.

[mott555]

I don't post clips often but like to think I have an okay setup. I have a TASCAM US-144 Mk II USB recording interface and a pair of Shure SM-57 microphones, and I use Audacity which is free audio recording/editing software. It's very important to determine your recording latency and configure your DAW with it otherwise you'll never get tracks to align. Not too hard to do, I just played a click track and looped the interface's output straight into the input and recorded a new track, then I could zoom in and see the offset between the original clicks and the re-recorded ones.

There's a PC-based drum machine called Hydrogen I use for drum loops, it's the best-sounding (meaning it actually sounds like a rock/metal kit instead of hip-hop or electronica) freeware I've found but isn't a very stable application.

I like to close-mic my speakers and then pile couch cushions around the front, and usually throw a blanket or two over it as well. That keeps a lot of ambient noise away, and in a small apartment like mine prevents my studio monitors from causing feedback with the microphones. Also my 412 was packed with fiberglass by a previous owner, making it very "beamy" which works well for me. There's very little sound output except right in front of it so it's pretty easy to silence so I can hear the studio monitors over the amp.

[Blues_N_Cues]

the focusrite scarlett interface is a best seller
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ ... MgodmHsAyw

you need to know if your computer has just usb or firewire too.

the basics-
audio interface
decent monitors & or mixing headphones
plenty of RAM
a good mic unless you have guitar recording software like guitar rig or amplitube.
DAW (recording software) of choice- if you're just doing basic stuff or jam along tracks then most audio interfaces come w/ limited versions or you can get Audacity for free-
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

I use Mixcraft. it's so simple it's funny,doesn't take up a lot of CPU,has loads of extras like fx & guitar/drum/keys/etc. simulators, and we have a great help forum. the tech support is top notch.
http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/

you can demo it for free for 2 weeks then you can either buy outright,pay monthly,or if you're a student even get a student discount.

[falconbill]

Thanks guys. Incredibly useful info.

[Atomic Angel]

find something simple to start out with. Something easy that gets you to the recording your music with very little issues.
If just doing guitar, a simple usb guitar interface often is a good choice.

If you are a tone hound then you might want to mic up your amp.
A simple usb mic into a free DAW.. Audacity, or (it's not free but I've had mine for over a year now, and still haven't got around to paying them, and it still works.... Reaper, it has tons of great plug-ins for this software.

for drums I use EZ drummer, but there are lots of good drum programs out there.
Some DAW's have a drum kit, or two that come with them.

[Blues_N_Cues]

find something simple to start out with. Something easy that gets you to the recording your music with very little issues.
If just doing guitar, a simple usb guitar interface often is a good choice.
just don't fall for that Behringer Guitar Link or Behringer from EBAY counterfeit junk.
If you are a tone hound then you might want to mic up your amp.
A simple usb mic into a free DAW.. Audacity, or (it's not free but I've had mine for over a year now, and still haven't got around to paying them, and it still works.... Reaper, it has tons of great plug-ins for this software.

for drums I use EZ drummer, but there are lots of good drum programs out there.
Some DAW's have a drum kit, or two that come with them.