Affordable (cheapo) kit for getting started?

Snags

I'm looking for a relatively soft/low cost introduction to home recording. There's some stuff I definitely want to do, but I don't know if I'll have the time, patience, or talent (although I can sing to a point, I hate hearing my own voice, and some of it needs singing) so don't want to drop significant cash.

I have an Alesis iO2 bought years ago and never really used (couldn't get my head around Cubase, and the monitoring issue with it cheesed me off).

I've just downloaded Reaper and will try the Alesis with that (as well as working through the videos), so I may be OK for an interface - if not, I'm thinking Focusrite 2i4 based on reading around on here and elsewhere?

However, I'll also need one or two basic mics suitable for use with vocal, acoustic and amps. Happy to get one for vocals and one for "other stuff" although as it's a cheapo project. Not a clue what to get here. I know what the default 'good' stuff is, but not at the cheap end.

In terms of general competence technology holds no specific fears (day job involves IT support and consultancy across a broad range, and I have a programming background too, although a long time ago now). Can happily plug up a basic PA and drive a basic desk for live stuff, so the noddy bits are covered. Utterly clueless about kit, brands, recording, and studio side of things, however.

Pointers?

Snags

A short experiment later it seems the Alesis will work OK with Reaper (although will need to look at adjusting the latency if I want monitoring).

So in the first instance I guess this boils down to mic recommendations?

flying_pie

As long as your not recording more than one thing at the same time a single second hand Shure SM57 could cover your needs. 

pintspiller

A Beringer GDI21 will save staffing about with mics and amps

Snags

The faff is part of the fun

wave100

Give us a clue how much you can spend, then we'll happily spend it for you!
:-)

Snags

Heh. Not a huge amount, as at this stage  it's purely a vanity project. Having searched the forum things like the Samson Q7 look interesting. 

I've ordered some cheap stands and cables that I'm thoroughly expecting will need replacing if I ever get serious. For the mics I guess it's a case of spending enough to make it worthwhile, but swallowing pride and recognising that "budget" or "value" items are good enough for my needs. Hence keeping the Alesis and not replacing it with a Focusrite (which is probably also budget really!).

I appreciate this could be like when people ask me about getting "cheap computers"; because of what I do, I can't usually bring myself to recommend anything they consider cheap. I'm just on the wrong side of this conversation =D

TheBigDipper

@Snags At this stage, the gear doesn't matter as long as it works. If your PC can work with your Alesis, start with that. If you like Reaper, just use it. Got a working dynamic mic? Use that. Now get recording. Learn about gain staging, mic placement and how to go about recording without the recording engineer aspect getting the way of your composition and performance. Initially, restrict your use of plugins to basics like EQ, compression and reverb. Plugins can be a rabbit hole. 

As you go, you'll start to find out things about your personal workflow that will tell you what needs to change and if you need to change anything. 

Enjoy the journey. 

flying_pie

TheBigDipper said:

@Snags At this stage, the gear doesn't matter as long as it works. If your PC can work with your Alesis, start with that. If you like Reaper, just use it. Got a working dynamic mic? Use that. Now get recording.

This man speaks sense.

I've been recording guitar and vocals with my gig mic Shure SM58 and a Boss GT 100 pedal which I use as an effect/amp channel switcher for his but also had a basic audio interface built in. I use Reaper with a handful of free plugins. It war the gear I had and I've not yet got around to buying more specialised stuff because it works. 

Yes it's not the same as recording in a professional studio guided by a top producer but it's not that bad in terms of quality. I actually won the most recent fretboard composition challenge using that basic a setup. And remember that some studios use cheap gear, especially for recording distorted guitar, and some classic albums have been recorded with SM58 mics for the vocals. 

Just get recording. It's more important getting experience - learning how to play slicker than is needed in gigs, getting the confidence to just sing and not worry about the sound of your own choice, making small tweaks to get your sound here and there. 

TheBigDipper

flying_pie said:

TheBigDipper said:

@Snags At this stage, the gear doesn't matter as long as it works. If your PC can work with your Alesis, start with that. If you like Reaper, just use it. Got a working dynamic mic? Use that. Now get recording.

This man speaks sense.

I've been recording guitar and vocals with my gig mic Shure SM58 and a Boss GT 100 pedal which I use as an effect/amp channel switcher for his but also had a basic audio interface built in. I use Reaper with a handful of free plugins. It war the gear I had and I've not yet got around to buying more specialised stuff because it works. 

Yes it's not the same as recording in a professional studio guided by a top producer but it's not that bad in terms of quality. I actually won the most recent fretboard composition challenge using that basic a setup. And remember that some studios use cheap gear, especially for recording distorted guitar, and some classic albums have been recorded with SM58 mics for the vocals. 

Just get recording. It's more important getting experience - learning how to play slicker than is needed in gigs, getting the confidence to just sing and not worry about the sound of your own choice, making small tweaks to get your sound here and there. 

How I can do anything else other than agree! 

I recently bought a GT-100. I didn't intend to use it for recording, but that's where I've ended up. I don't use it as a recording interface - even though it offers the ability to re-amp. What I've done (and I'm just making demos of songs, not polished recordings for posterity) is used it to replace the amp plugins in GarageBand and Logic. I get better sounds out of the GT. I've got a PreSonus AudioBox iTwo (basic, budget audio interface) and that has better options for monitoring existing tracks as I record another one than the audio interface on the GT does. The level balancing in my headphones is better. For my purposes, I'm also getting usable acoustic guitar sounds with a single coil electric and the acoustic simulator effect block on the GT. I don't mic up an acoustic any more just to get a part down for demo purposes. No, it's not what I'd use to record a solo acoustic instrumental, but for an acoustic inside a band mix it's fine. 

flying_pie

That's the spirit @TheBigDipper ;

I use a XLR to 1/4 inch mono cable for vocals! I just boost the master input to +13 and run a clean amp with a compressor in front and it works okay. Not tried recording fake acoustic yet to record but I use it in a live mix and it does the job. 

I don't bother with the built in cab sims. I either use my real amp as a preamp in 4cm setup or just the GT preamps and then use cab IRs in Reaper. 

Do you use the guitar to midi at all? I tried that after a couple of glasses of wine last night but couldn't get it working 

Snags

Thanks all. I'm very much coming at it from a just wanting to get started place, without delusions. But also aware of my ignorance so not wanting to hamper my learning with dumb choices. Based on this, a couple of Q7 added to the basket - at £25 a pop I can afford to pass them on to a friend if it goes nowhere. It's not much more than a,meal out with the wife or a couple of nights on the beer.

Dodgy uploads to SoundCloud may be forthcoming

digitalscream

For what it's worth, I've found these do a brilliant job on guitar speakers:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_pra_628_mkii.htm

TheBigDipper

<snip>

flying_pie said:

That's the spirit @TheBigDipper ;;

I use a XLR to 1/4 inch mono cable for vocals! I just boost the master input to +13 and run a clean amp with a compressor in front and it works okay. Not tried recording fake acoustic yet to record but I use it in a live mix and it does the job. 

I don't bother with the built in cab sims. I either use my real amp as a preamp in 4cm setup or just the GT preamps and then use cab IRs in Reaper. 

Do you use the guitar to midi at all? I tried that after a couple of glasses of wine last night but couldn't get it working 

@flying_pie ;I tried guitar-to-MIDI just to check it worked, and it does - but I didn't try too hard to stress it out, just made a mental note to go back to it at some point. I like the idea of getting big synth sounds without needing to play a keyboard. 

I bought the GT to see if I could swap an old school pedalboard setup for a digital one without spending Fractal, Kemper or Helix money (which I don't have). I've had a few Line 6 offerings over several years but none of them were satisfactory. The recording capability is a bit of an unexpected bonus. 

I'm recording using the GT cabs sims at the moment, but I've used 3rd party IRs when recording my AMP1 direct into Logic. I might see if there's enough difference with the GT.

PolarityMan

digitalscream said:

For what it's worth, I've found these do a brilliant job on guitar speakers:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_pra_628_mkii.htm

I have 2 of those for our IEM setup! Superlux are insane value. They have a sure 91 beta - like mic that sounds great inside a bass drum too and a rode NT-1 clone and all in all only spent like £130

LuttiS

I think reaper has a bunch of free plugins to get you going too.. called Reaplugs or something. They on the website.