Recording Equipment

[stevec]

Has anybody researched equipment for setting up a home recording system. Or does anybody know of a review of equipment(s) on the subject.

GSI, what equipment do you use for recording the sound samples of various guitars you have in stock?

thx

Steve

[adrian]

The setup we use for guitar audio demos currently consists of the following:

Hardware:
- (2) AKG 460B condensor microphones (no longer manufactured, but the AKG 451B is comparable) with CK 61-ULS cardioid capsules.
- Mackie 1402-VLZ powered mixer
- G4 Macintosh computer, running Mac OS 9.2.2

Software:
- Peak TDM 2.5 (for capturing, though, it’s fine to use Logic for this as well)
- Logic Audio Platinum 4.7.0 (editing, pre-mastering, mastering)
- Cleaner 5 (for compression to MP3 format)

You can hear our MP3 guitar samples here (http://www.guitarsalon.com/index.php?site_url=86).:arrow:

Good luck, :D
Adrián
GSI, Media Director

[stevec]

Thanks Adrian

That's really helpful. I'll research those and similar equipment.

SteveC

[Rationbook]

I am in the process of updating my home studio.

I am upgrading to a G4 from a 9600/350. The G4 has 1.25GHz with 768 MB Ram and a Super Drive. It would be better if I bought a G4 with a dual processor though.

I will soon purchase a Digi 002R. That way I get Pro Tools software. Currently, I go into a recording studio and record material on a Pro Tools HD 3 system. Once I have the Digi 002R, I can do the mixing at home and burn it onto a CD or DVD rather than save it to a 7200 RPM hard drive such as Glyph. I would do the recording at home except that the engineer in the studio is very good, they have great mikes, and the place where I live is not so quiet.

I notate my material in Sibelius 2.11 and play it through a Roland JV-1080. I ouput from the Roland JV-1080 to a Yamaha MD-8, making a two-track mini-disc that I use as a bed track which is played back through a Sony walkman.

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I use an M-Audio Duo (A to D converter) that allows full spectum audio into your computers soundcard and lets you plug 2 mics for sterio recording.
I have a few good mics (E.V./ AKG and Audio technia) used with a good audio editing app (I use SAW) but any will do. And the room is set up properly with placements and damping.

And while may seem basic has proven to be a very nice setup. For home recording it is damn near unbeatable for the money and I have had about 5 people who use a 100+ studio say that it is very comprable.

I worked in radio for years and would say it is as good as any production studio.

And all for less that 700$

Hope this helps

-JH

[Jklotz]

I recently bought a Sony Mini Disk recorder and matching microphone. Total cost, about $350. I don't claim to be ble to make CD's for Telarc with it, but it has ben an amazing tool for recording my performances and rehersals. It is really small, which is nice.

[Todd]

The setup we use for guitar audio demos currently consists of the following:

Hardware:
- (2) AKG 460B condensor microphones (no longer manufactured, but the AKG 451B is comparable) with CK 61-ULS cardioid capsules.
- Mackie 1402-VLZ powered mixer
- G4 Macintosh computer, running Mac OS 9.2.2

Software:
- Peak TDM 2.5 (for capturing, though, it’s fine to use Logic for this as well)
- Logic Audio Platinum 4.7.0 (editing, pre-mastering, mastering)
- Cleaner 5 (for compression to MP3 format)

You can hear our MP3 guitar samples here (http://www.guitarsalon.com/index.php?site_url=86).:arrow:

Good luck, :D
Adrián
GSI, Media Director

WOW. you REALLY need to upgrade to Logic 6 my friend.
But i guess if all you do is record stereo and playback waves,
then 4.7 is enough.
Always cool to see a fellow Logic user. Many people are scared
and intimidated by this program. It has a big learning curve,
but its the best program on the planet. I use it for literally everything.
Toddk

[Faya]

I use a Korg D1200 digital recording studio, For home and live recordings, a couple of AKG C1000 S condenser mics, and a Peavey PVM480 condenser mic, which is my favorite, because it's so responsive.

[M. Stephenson]

Recording Equipment:
M-Audio "MobilePre USB" external preamp & soundcard.
Apex "430" condenser microphone.
Art "Tube MP" microphone pre-amp.
Pentium P4 based computer system w/ Windows XP.

Recording Software:
Audacity (It's free).
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

This setup does well enough for an amateur on a limited budget. Without considering the cost of the computer, I have about than $300 invested in my "studio".

[jmp]

Adrian,
I appreciate your posting of the mp3 guitar demonstration archive but would like to see a standard piece played by all of the guitars. It is still difficult to make a valid comparison of the guitars with the various pieces played. Perhaps the "Milan Pavanne" could be used as the "standard" for all the guitars. Perhaps, another piece that allows the guitars to "ring" would be suitable.
Regards,
Dover_jay

[Vince]

If you are looking for a quick review of "the best" equipment in different price ranges, you should check out Electronic Musician magazine. They have a yearly roundup which covers everything you might use including mics, software, preamps, effects units. You can probably get this information online as they have most of these articles available for free on the web.

Personally, I use:

Mac G4 1gHz dual processor CPU

AKG C451b stereo pair mics -- really capture the highs nicely
AT 4057 mic -- a little warmer than above

Mark of the Unicorn 828 firewire audio interface-- 8 ins/outs, decent preamps
Mark of the Unicorn Digital Performer -- easy to use audio/midi recording

Kurzweil KSP 8 multi bus signal processor -- great reverbs, rooms, booths, along with multiple other effects not necessarily useful for classical guitar recording (but I play with synths and drum machines and multiple electric and steel string guitars also). The sweet part is you can record the guitar dry, then pick the reverb of your choice and tweak to your heart's content, and the digital audio can be sent without A/D conversion between the KSP8 and the MOTU 828 via light pipe. The Kurzweil also has *great* A/D converters if you would prefer to plug your mics into it and then go through the 828... It is a fantastic piece of equipment, but fairly expensive. They make a smaller unit with just the reverb and room effects for about $500, I think. Highly recommended.

I use JBL LSR25p near field monitors, due to space limitations. They are small, extremely accurate, but lack a little bit in the bass frequencies, which is only a problem when using bass guitar and synth sounds. No problem with guitar.

If you have a Mac and you want to get by cheaply, GarageBand might do all that you need. It won't do things you can do with Digital Performer or Logic, but is is about $500 cheaper...you'll need to get a USB or firewire audio interface to plug a mic into, but you'll be cookin' with minimal fuss.

Vince

[snetzley]

I use a Tascam US-122 interface and CakeWalk Home Studio loaded on my laptop. The Tascam has two lines in for either guitar or microphone. By having the software on my laptop, I basically have a really nice recording setup. The quality of the recordings is great.

[jmp]

Hi Sharon,
I'd like to get a little more information about your Tascam US-122 set-up.
Which mic(s) do you use? Are you using a PC laptop or a MAC?
I've read some posts on music 123 site where individuals are, or have experienced set up and operational problems on PC's but not MACS with the US-122. They apparently were using different software than you.
Thanks & Regards,
Dover_jay

[snetzley]

Hi Dover_jay -

My system consists of the following:

IBM Thinkpad T30 laptop
Windows XP Professional
1 Gig of RAM
Tascam US-122 (just got an updated driver)
Cakewalk Home Studio XL 2004

Right now I've just got a couple of Radio Shack microphones. I intend to get higher quality mics soon.

The Tascam connects via a USB connector. Even though it shouldn't matter, the Tascam wants to be connected to a particular USB port. I haven't test this since I updated the driver last week.

Other than that, I've really had no problems with this setup. It's really pretty simple and very effective. A few weeks ago I performed in a student recital. Here's a link to one of the ensemble pieces. This recording was made using microphones: http://www.netzleyworks.com/music/BransleDouble.mp3 We didn't do any editing of this file. Just took the raw file and created an mp3 out of it. Oh, when you listen to these please remember that it was a student recital. The guitar you hear most prominently is mine. :)

My Ramirez has a pickup, so I sometimes just plug the guitar into the Tascam and record pieces I'm working on. Here's a link to a piece recorded with the guitar plugged into the Tascam.

Anyway, let me know if you have any other questions.

[jmp]

Hi Sharon,
Thanks for the quick reply and the information. I'd very much would like to hear the piece played on your Ramirez thru a pickup, but the link wasn't in your posted message. Also, what Ramirez model do you play?
Thanks & Regards
j.

[snetzley]

I play a 2CWE and absolutely love it. :)

Here's a link to the andantino piece which was recorded with my guitar plugged into the Tascam.

http://www.netzleyworks.com/music/andantino.mp3

Cheers!

[jjoel84]

Im Just curious, is a condenser mike suitable for home rec. I aslo wish to expand my home recording rig.

[cdikland]

jjoel84

My understand about recording string instruments is that a condenser (vs a Dynamic) mike is most commonly used. Of course it depends on the quality of such mike. A cheap condenser is not likely to surpass a high end dynamic. Also, what are you planning to connect the mike to? Most newer models of any quality come with a (XML) connector very different than the input of a typical PC soundcard. Such connectors needs to be plugged into a unit such as a preamp or mixer.

I have had dismal results attempting to get good (acoustic like) recording at home. The best results I got was with 30 year old Sony condenser mikes. That was until now... :D My Marshal MXL 603S ($90US or $106CND) just arrived and all I can say is wow... It truly captures the subtleties of a CG. I only have 1 at the moment but will soon purchase a second.

The only complaint I have it and the rest of my setup is that it has not improved my playing one bit.. :cry:

[jjoel84]

I only have a little zoom 4-TRACK, bUT I am saving for a 16 track (yamaha), I tried to peamp a dynamic mike with a beringer virtulizer pro but had terible background noise, will a condenser do the same( with no preamp). also could I use a noise gate/eliminater to kill background noise

[cdikland]

jjoel84

What kind of background noise? Dynamic mikes are most likely to pickup sound from all around the room while most condensers tend to be more "focussed". But that does not mean it wont pick up the background noise. It really depends on the level of this noise and the pickup or polar pattern of the mike. Most mike specifications describe/include one (or more in the case of some condenser) of the following:

Omnidirectional
All-around pickup
Most pickup of room reverberation
Not much isolation unless you mike close
Low sensitivity to pops (explosive breath sounds)

Unidirectional (cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, hemispherical, half-cardioid, half-supercardioid)
Selective pickup
Rejection of room acoustics, background noise, and leakage
Broad-angle pickup of sources in front of the mic
Maximum rejection of sound approaching the rear of the mic

Supercardioid
Maximum difference between front hemisphere and rear hemisphere pickup (good for stage-floor miking)
More isolation than a cardioid
Less reverb pickup than a cardioid

Hypercardioid
Maximum side rejection in a unidirectional mic
Maximum isolation--maximum rejection of reverberation, leakage, feedback, and background noise

Bidirectional
Front and rear pickup, with side sounds rejected (for across-table interviews or two-part vocal groups, for example)
Maximum isolation of an orchestral section when miked overhead

So if your condenser mike is anything but Omnidirectional will it eliminate the background noise? Well if you can hear the background noise it may "hear" it as well, however, you can significantly reduce the recording level with such mike thereby reducing the noise. If the noise you are talking about is anything but a high frequency hiss or low rumble and the mike picks it up then I doubt noise gate/eliminater would help.

For anyone wondering about the differences between dynamic and condenser mikes, consider the following:

Condenser microphones typically have a wide-range frequency response and excellent transient response, while dynamic microphones typically do not. There are exceptions.

Condenser microphones' frequency response tends to be uniform, while dynamic microphones' typically is not. There are exceptions.

Condenser microphones require an external power source (phantom power or battery) while dynamic microphones do not.

Condenser microphones are typically used on acoustic instruments and studio vocals. Dynamic microphones are typically used on guitar amps and drums, and for vocal sound reinforcement.

[jjoel84]

the background noise i get sounds like someone is blowing on the mic??
but it sounds like I need to get a condenser mike.

Thank for your Information.

[Patrick]

I co-wrote an article on recording that you can find at www.foroflamenco.com under "Recording Advice". Good basic info with sound clips.

Patrick

[chapmab]

Here's some info on recording I recently ran across. I haven't reviewed it all, but I've found information on this web site to be useful in the past.

Brian

http://www.torvund.net/guitar/equipment/HomeStudio.asp

[senor_kasper]

Adrian,

Thank you for posting the equipment used to record the GSI samples. You stated that the AKG 460B condensor microphone was discontinued and that the 451B is comparable, however, it appears, by reading the AKG website, that the CK 61-ULS capsule should be used with the C 480 B unit. Do you know whether it will also work with the 451B? do you have any suggestion or advice on the subject?

Thank you.

PS.- this is a sample of my experiment using an AKG 3000B plus a Shure m57, via a cheap folio-pad tiny mixer. Interphase is M-audio 66. Cool-edit pro for capturing and mp3. Never mind the background (AC and banging of desk) noise. www.websbest.net/vega/samples/adelita.mp3

[ronn]

Hi Dover_jay -

My system consists of the following:

IBM Thinkpad T30 laptop
Windows XP Professional
1 Gig of RAM
Tascam US-122 (just got an updated driver)
Cakewalk Home Studio XL 2004

Right now I've just got a couple of Radio Shack microphones. I intend to get higher quality mics soon.

The Tascam connects via a USB connector. Even though it shouldn't matter, the Tascam wants to be connected to a particular USB port. I haven't test this since I updated the driver last week.

Other than that, I've really had no problems with this setup. It's really pretty simple and very effective. A few weeks ago I performed in a student recital. Here's a link to one of the ensemble pieces. This recording was made using microphones: http://www.netzleyworks.com/music/BransleDouble.mp3 We didn't do any editing of this file. Just took the raw file and created an mp3 out of it. Oh, when you listen to these please remember that it was a student recital. The guitar you hear most prominently is mine. :)

My Ramirez has a pickup, so I sometimes just plug the guitar into the Tascam and record pieces I'm working on. Here's a link to a piece recorded with the guitar plugged into the Tascam.

Anyway, let me know if you have any other questions.


Hi Sharon...I read this old post by you and I'm interested in the equipment you use......

I've been thinking of getting a laptop myself....do you still use yours for recording? ....or to put it another way....do laptops work well for recording...in theory..it sounds like they would be ideal...especially for location recording.


How about the us 122? Do you still use it? It certainly is a popular interface but I'm thinking there might be more portable options.. 8)

Any way ...any info appreciated....thanks

[samwise]

For those of you using 2 mics to record: I'm assuming this is to allow stereo recording? Is it possible to get the same results using only one mic, but copying the track to get the stereo effect?

[Todd]

For those of you using 2 mics to record: I'm assuming this is to allow stereo recording? Is it possible to get the same results using only one mic, but copying the track to get the stereo effect?

You can copy the track, and pan them hard left and right,
but since its an identical signal, it wont really do much.

You can do a comb filter/ faux stereo effect, or try some
plugins that do faux stereo, but it will never really sound right.

Mono guitar recordings can be quite good though.
Many of my favorite old records by Sabicas are mono.

To mics/stereo recording gives you two perspectives, just
like we hear from our ears. Its gives depth.
You cant really get it from one mic.