Hi everyone, I am thinking of making another attempt at home recording, can you give me any advice on software etc. I already have a couple of decent mics and a Zoom H4n but will need to buy a new laptop, (any suggestions).
I believe Audacity and Protools are programmes I should look at, but will I be able to master either? I am quite old and don't want to make problems for myself, but I have a couple of friends, (both younger) who are quite keen to record with me but they don't live nearby, so we would need to share files online.
Any advice appreciated, thank you.
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A basic interface like Audient or Focusrite.
What mics?
IMO many pencil mics are overrated for acoustic and very bright unless placed at a distance. Up close first choice is a large diaphragm condensor.
I guess what I will be doing would qualify as a small job.
I was planning to use the Zoom H4n as an interface, would this not work?
Reaper is a great DAW, but IMHO, its fans overlook how bleakly unfriendly it looks to newbies. There are tutorials on Youtube.
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I started wanting to record electric guitar and maybe add some other instruments and I had an iPad. Garageband and a cheap interface was my easiest entry point. I learned some stuff, evolved what I wanted to do, found the limitations of that set-up, and spent some, but not a lot, more cash on the extra kit that I then knew I needed.
If recording purely acoustic instruments, you'll need a mic designed for that, and to understand placement, and an interface to get the sounds into a DAW on a PC/Mac (I found the screen size of an iPad to be a limiting factor). If recording acoustic and electric (or electro-acoustic) instruments, then you'll still need the interface and DAW.
Interface - how many instruments will you want to record simultaneously? Assume (not a rule) 1 input per instrument. I've got a simple 2-input interface because I only ever record guitar + vocals simultaneously - anything else gets recorded as a separate track later.
DAW - if you're starting out, KISS. ProTools is pro-level. Try some of the (free) trial versions of other DAWs. Look at the level of support or tuition that's available (YouTube!) for each of them.
I bought a Presonus interface which came with a trial version of Studio One. That's what I'm still using today (now a paid version of the software). I find the UI easy to understand, and there are some professional (ie not some annoying bedroom YT-er tarting for subscribers) YT channels that explain how to use it. You might prefer a different UI, so try them.
PC/Mac - doesn't really matter (for most DAWs, Apple's ProTools apart!). But you'll need something decent with A LOT of storage because the working files, plugins and loops (etc). Which OS are you most familiar with? (I'm writing this on a ThinkPad, but use a MacBook for my music stuff). I'd recommend a laptop over a desktop though - means you can play and record more easily anywhere you want to.
Don't worry too much about working collaboratively with your co-recording friends - most of the file exchanging will be standard formats rather than anything that's tied to PC or Mac or any individual DAW.
Sorry, that's a long reply, but it was a long question
I’ve had great results with as little as an Apogee MiC into an iPad.
H4n can make great recordings - all of Andrew York’s own YouTube vids are H4n (used with external mics). Being a world class performer also helps…
Keeping files as .wav worth while too. Although files are bigger (often too big to email for example if, as you mentioned, you're going to work at a distance with some mates. In which case you will need .mp3 files) they (.wav) are better quality for if you want to burn onto CD's (now a bit old fashioned) or import into free www. publishing websites such as SoundCloud.
Don't underestimate how stressful recording can be for us mere amateurs! I did a lot of recording during the 'Covid Years' using Zoom/Audacity/CD/ SoundCloud/PC W10 and then W11 setup but have now just gone back to playing 'cos eventually recording became a bit diverting and somewhat of a chore. I stopped churning out lots of CD's for my 'family and friends' circulation in 2022 since feedback showed it was not a medium many, especially amongst the kids, were using much any more. Also burning lots of CD's quite time consuming (although doing the artwork was creative and fun!). Anyway, latest album was just on SoundCloud.
Have lots of fun!
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2) My friends would only have basic stuff like household computer and phone. One of them says she can record something on her phone, send it to me and I can mix it in with my recordings.
I think you have it exactly right when you say it is stressful and frustrating, this is what I have always felt when I have tried recording in the past. Recently however, I made some simple recordings in a studio and they turned out quite well. My friends have been encouraging me to do more, which made me think of trying again. I will be 74 in November by the way, perhaps I should try to find an actual human being to teach me how to use the software, I don't want to spend a load of money and then leave the kit unused because it's too frustrating to use.
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When you’re hosting massive sample-banks to run string sections on your soft samplers you’ll need a large capacity drive, major amounts of RAM and a fast processor, but until then I think you’ll be ok getting a second-hand Focusrite interface and a decent set of headphones - and you’re good to go.
If you’re planning to record to a click (I’d suggest at least get comfortable with the process) then your friends will need to do the same. There are some apps that can make decent recordings on phones but unless it’s one person recording a simple tune without multitracking (in your case, listening back to another person’s track as they record) then Android is a dead end, only iOS can do this reliably, although there are many simple stand-alone recorders available that would be up to the job.