Home Studio Recording (Page 1 of 2)

Rich as a first time poster adding links to CD's is not allowed, after you have shown some interest in Chordie and participated in discussions we have a Chordie market forum where you can post this information. keep in mind it will take more then just a few posts and any youtube link that has a link to your website where buying is an option will be deleted as well and may get you a ban and so you know I removed your links.

It's OK.  You're more than welcome to share your expertise but we've taken a really hard line on commercial posts.  What happens is we get a bunch of brand new accounts that log in and say "I agree!" and then provide a link to their eBay purse store or something like that.  That tends to relax a bit as people become "regulars" though, and we know they aren't just here trying to raise money, but are instead genuinely sharing their work.

I don't think your intent is as a scammer, though, and I am very interested in your Cakewalk expertise as the DAW discussion here seems to be centered around those that use Audacity (almost everyone) and those that use Reaper (me.)     What does your current setup look like?   There is a lot of interest in low cost home recording setups here, so that kind of input is always welcome.

New meat in the sausage is always good!

No SPAMMING here.   Trust me.   You can not buy my music from my website. To be truthfulll nobody buys my music    The website stays or I go.   If I get time tomorrow, if I am not booted,  I will will get into a discussion with Jerome and list what I am currently using and my experience with the Cakewalk and where I am now with recording.  I have a Tascam 564 I just use as a mixer that I bought out on the East coast and paid dearly just to find out two weeks later it was old technology and they were marked down 60%...   I have explain my DAW setup I have now.   I really cheated but it works!

Rich you are not in any danger of getting "booted" we welcome new members who contribute there experience and advice and new songs and artists so hang in there and welcome to Chordie

First I would like to thank everyone for letting me chat with you all.   I haven’t had time check out a lot what is available on the forums but have listened to some good music and singing from Pete and Russ.   I have mentioned I have been a weekend musician for quite some time and after getting “right sized” by my 25 year employer I had some time and tried to take my music hobby to a different level.   

Previously mentioned the Tascam Portastudio 564 which turned out to be a dinosaur and was cumbersome to use but it makes a great use as a mixer board.   Moving to a digital audio workstation with Cakewalk Home Studio 7 was an experience using but with the computer I had,  it didn’t last long.    After getting a few tracks down it would spit and sputter and then it died.   I lost all my work except for the mastered wav files I had saved.  Being a novice on DAW I did not realize all the tracks were saved and took up lots of storage.  If you have 8 tracks you have 8 files.   And if you clean up your data files you loose all tracks.   The work I have been doing on my new system I have already had over a GB of files.  My old computer did not have the memory or the hard drive space.  But it did have a Creative Labs soundcard I had installed that worked well with the line in from the line out of the 564.
As I updated computers and Windows software nothing ever worked well and the built in soundcards always didn’t satisfy me to even try to work at it.  After five years I finally decided to hit it again and I purchased the Music Creator 3 software that would run on current Windows 7.   Then my power supply died and I got disinterested again….
I have recently picked up a HP 6000 Pro with Dual Processors and 3 GB memory and I put two 250 GB hard drives in it and loaded full blown Windows XP Professional w/Service Pack 2 (not an OEM version) and then updated SP3 and another 560 MB of updates I finally loaded Creator.   The trick I use as an interface is a version of Roxio LP to MP3 software.   Along with it came a USB cable with two RCA plugs that I patch to my line out of my 564.   The Music Creator 3 software allows you to pick your drivers and since I did not load the HP audio drivers the only thing is sees is the USB device.   The USB cable also has a mini jack that I plug my powered desktop speakers into.   After a few more upgrades of Adobe Flash player and Java I got everything to work on the computer like YouTub and Windows media player.   The reason I bought the Roxio was to convert .wav to .mp3 and it does an excellent job with that.   Also has an editor you can play with to enhance or cleanup your audio files before converting them to MP3.  You can also edit the song tags.

I hope I haven’t bored you yet?  What an introduction to my setup and where I am now!!

HP 6000 Pro with Dual Processors -  3 GB memory  - two 250 GB HD (directed music data to be stored on 2nd HD)
Tascam Portastudio 564       -  has 6 inputs as mixer and I just use the line out to the USB Roxio box (RCA to RCA)
Alesis Nanoverb                   -  18-Bit Digital Effects Processor I loop in the 564.   ea channel (reverb, delay, chorus, etc.)
Alesis SR16 Drum Machine -  stereo channel on the 564
Yahmaha DX27 Keyboard   -  mono channel on the 564
Digitech RP3 Guitar Processor -  stereo channel on the 564
Bass guitar                             -   mono channel on the 564
Microphone                            -   mono channel on the 564

One thing I miss and I have ordered a USB midi cable convertor to PC.   Computers with soundcards on the motherboard do not offer Midi connection as the computer I have now.   Cakewalk had some awesome keyboard sounds that I could load on my DX27 and I am sure the Creator 3 has some.  Not sure what I will run into here!

Again I hope I haven’t bored you!!!
Rich

The SR16 is fine.    I have never got the midi to work through my keyboard but when I get the cble I might try.   It has ..I think..40 some patterns and inside each pattern you can change the drum kit.  The beat is about the same but with different percussions or kits.  I usully pick a beat and go from there.  It has a fill button or foot swith jack,  I made one.  Also a switch to start and stop.     The fill adds drum rolls and different patterns in the beat.  I have used this as intro going in different parts of a song.   As far as programming my own beats I haven't tackled that but one can.  Almost need a pad because the buttons are what you would have to select i think.  But I am not a drummer. My brother is! 

The Tascam I have everything plugged in (volume down) and only do one track at a time.   Got 24 tracks I can turn on one at a time on the Creator3.
You are wondering how I put down 8 to 10 tracks in a song?   One at a tme!!   I can play back everything together as I build.   When done, select  tracks and export to a wav file.   I usually start with percussions and rythm   or bass both on the first track to start. 
The stuff I am redoing now I lost all my track so I import the original stereo track. (oh yeah, each of the 24 tracks on the Creator 3 are stereo and you can adjust the volume after you have recorded to help with the mix)   Find the drum track.   Record it with the original and rebuild everything.  This way I have one instrument on each track.   I have even did that with seperating the bas and percussions by building two tracks off the first I did like.  That is if the drum track is OK!  Does this make since.   I wish I had written down what I had use before, like drum pattern, kit, and since I don't have my DX27 midi looped through Creator or Cakewalk then,  it had a killer Rock Organ I can not replicate on the DX27.   I am anxious to see what the midi cable I ordered will do for me.

Rich my video setup had to conform to the size of my studio apt. I have three cameras a HD Fugi 16 mega pixle and a HD logitec C920 for HD vids I also use a Kodak easyshare its only 8 mega pixels but has a great sound.For recording I have a Boss BR-8 digital 8 track I use a Silvertone bass and like you a Alesis SR-16 drum unit my main guitar is a Strat with a set of Slinky 09 to 42 for acoustic I have a Hohner electric and a Houndog dobro,Yamaha keys and for effects Boss ME-50 and a Boss RC 20XL loopstation.Hendrix wah.My mic's are Sure SM58 and SM57 and a Sonic I have two video programs the main one is Pinnicle HD 15 for greenscreening and PIP and TrakAX pro I use the free Audacity program to render to MP3 and a handy converter the free Anyvideo converter my lighting is improvised but effective I am looking to buy a good recording mic but in no hurry. that about covers my gear.

I noticed that last link didn't work
http://www.guitarcenter.com/MXL-990-991 … 36-2761879

I like my dual mics.  They plug into an Alesis USB mixer, 4 channel, but I am getting ready to make the jump to an 8 channel with internal effects.  My video is all captured on Logitech C920 HD Webcam.

That MXL-990 can be bought as a set along with an MXL-991. It's a perfect little setup for recording acoustic guitars in stereo.  I believe that is the setup Pete is using.    Within my band we have two of these packages.  They're our primary go-to set when we want to record an idea or something.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi … ndt_rdir=1

Can't be beat for that price.

That thing is cool!   

I use Macs for recording so driver issues generally don't effect me (Core Audio rules) but I would be shocked if Vista or Win7 was unable to run an XP driver.     Since it ships with Stienberg Cube, and Stienberg also specified the ASIO format that most new computers are shipping with, including Win7, that it should work for you.

You could always ask their support department if the drivers are compatible, though.  Those guys are always happy to sell more stuff.

I have a very cheap web cam (12 bucks),  but it has a option in "setup" to choose its USB mic or Line.  I have not used it to make a vid, but for skype sessions, I run my Berhinger studio mic to my Berhinger 802 mixer and then from the outs to the line in on the sound card.  This way you can tweak the EQ for what is going into the vid or skype.

I would like to add my Welcome to the loony bin also.  This is the greatest site you can find for guitar.  I would also like to mention that if you watch the general forum, you will see on occasion, Skype jams.  There are a few people who have the premium accounts and can host up to 10 people for what is basically a campfire jam where each person takes a turn playing a song.  We all hear some music, give encourragement, some helpful suggestions, and just a bit of laughter and beverages.

I am probably the most inexperianced and bargain bin home studio guy here,, most of it baffels me, I bought Cakewalk 3 about 4 yrs ago (at least I think its 3) loaded it to my laptop and gave up.  same with reaper.  I just need someone working beside me to get it all.  I read and read and it just doesnt connect all the dots.  So I also use audacity. I  would also like to learn about the vidio stuff Russel talked about for my son to use.

I would like to hear your music. You can send the link to me by sending a e-mail.  Once again WELCOME