Hoss - Posted - 03/23/2011:  10:15:35

I'm a complete novice when it comes to recording and I tried to record myself playing using the built in mic on my laptop. The sound quality of the resulting recording was really bad. So my question is what is the minimal equipment I would have to use to get something of "acceptable" quality, recognizing that "acceptable" is a relative term. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/23/2011:  10:23:02

Don't give up on the laptop's mic just yet. Experiment with different settings for input level and try recording at different distances from the mic.

TheBanjoDoctor - Posted - 03/23/2011:  10:43:48

i have a crappy net book lap top. and i use my tiny little mic for ALL my recording. try a recording program called audacity ive been using it for a year or two now. and it works great. i would recomend getting a pair of speakers to plug into your head phone jack they will come in handy. but with audacity you can control the pick up level of whats coming into you mic. LESS IS MORE when it comes to recording. try turning the mic level down to next to nothing. that noormally how i do it and thenonce thetracks are layed down and you are mixing levels and stuff all you need to do is bring the volume up

Possom - Posted - 03/23/2011:  10:44:35

For anywhere tween 50 and 100 u can get a USB condenser mic, or spend a little more and an interface and a descent studio mic. I use an M-audio USB mic I got from Best Buy for 89 and I'm pretty pleased with the quality.

RatLer - Posted - 03/23/2011:  11:16:32

Like the others have said, don't give up on your lap top...but for something 'cheap'...I use a Sansa Clip MP-3 player ($40). To my surprise, it had a built in mic. All the recordings on my music page, I recorded in the bedroom with the Sansa Clip on the bed, I stood back 3-4 feet from the Clip. It recorded the banjo fine. It didn't do too bad on the singing, all things considered! I was kind of amazed because the thing is smaller than a match box....

RatLer

Hoss - Posted - 03/23/2011:  12:41:24

Hmmm...very interesting suggestions. Because my laptop speakers are so crappy I have the recording settings probably way too high. I'll try playing around a bit with that and use my headphones to listen to the playback (my laptop speakers have very little volume even when turned way up). I'll try Audacity as well...that seems to be something everyone recommends. If I'm still not having any luck maybe I'll try that Clip MP-3 player. Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Harry

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/23/2011:  13:11:35

Definitely improve what you're using to listen with!

Also, don't judge recording volume by the output volume in your speakers or headphones. Judge recording volume only by what the on-screen input meters are showing you.

If you're on a Windows computer, I'm no help. I'm a Mac guy. I'm pretty sure that any recording software is supposed to have level meters. If the levels are hanging aroud zero, that's ok. Too much in the minus area and you're not getting enough signal. Too much in the plus zone and you'll be distorting or "clipping." Your software might even have a red light to indicate that. The occasional quick, loud transient note(s) -- like an aggressive pinch -- can go up way high. But you don't want the levels constantly at the top of the meter.

If the levels are generally bouncing around zero -- the meeting point of plus and minus -- you should be getting clean sound no matter what your cheap speakers tell you.

Hoss - Posted - 03/23/2011:  13:36:55

Thanks for that Old Hickory. I'm on a Windows 7 machine and I just downloaded Audacity with the plug-in to allow me to export in mp3 format. Just did a couple vocal tests (my banjo isn't with me at the moment) and already I'm getting better results, as heard through my trusty old Shure E2 earbuds. The key does seem to be keeping the recording levels down. I'll be playing around with this over the next few days and hopefully will be able to get something "presentable" to post soon! Again thanks to all for your advice!

Edited by - Hoss on 03/23/2011 13:39:24

MarkRB - Posted - 03/24/2011:  14:09:52

I have a Zoom H2 and think its great and I am a novice at recording. I just downloaded Audacity but haven't tried it yet.

Hoss - Posted - 03/24/2011:  15:05:59

After much messing about with my laptop mic I went to FutureShop and picked up a Sansa Clip mp3 player for $29.95 and it works very nicely for simple recording (thanks RatLer!). I used Audacity to do some simple editing and converting to mp3 format and finally got up the nerve to post 3 tunes. Again thanks to all for the advice! Harry

flake - Posted - 04/06/2011:  08:22:42

Springsteen recorded the Nebraska album on a Tascam Portastudio 4 track with a pair of Shure SM 57s. It was mixed through an acient Gibson Echoplex for reverb. It was mixed down to a Panasonic boom box that Bruce had accidentally dumped in a river branch near his home. At low tide, he dragged it out of the mud, took it home, hosed it off, and left it outside on the porch for dead. One Sunday while reading the paper, the thing popped back on by itself, so Bruce used it because it for mixdown because it was the only thing he had with a "LINE INPUT".

That final cassette, which he carried around for months in his jeans----the one and only copy----was what was transferred to reel to reel and used for the lacquer.



A Tascam 4 Track and two SM 57s........how's that for cheap?





mike