I would like to get set up at home to do small time recording projects. Just vocals and guitar mainly. What is a good beginner set up? Recorder? Mic? With in a budget of about $500.
Quote from: The Hickman on December 29, 2009, 03:26:31 PM
I would like to get set up at home to do small time recording projects. Just vocals and guitar mainly. What is a good beginner set up? Recorder? Mic? With in a budget of about $500.
Double your budget and you can put together a workable setup. Here's what you need:
1) Room;
2) Table;
3) One or two mics (preferably 2 - one for your guitar and another for your vocals);
4) Mic preamp with two channels, DI inputs would be helpful, as would a headphone amp;
5) AD and DA converters with digital clock;
6) Interface to a computer;
7) Computer;
8) Recording, mixing and mastering software;
9) Nearfield monitor speakers;
10) Headphones; and
11) Miscellaneous (mic stands, cables, etc.).
## 4, 5, 6, and 8 can be found in one unit called a "computer recording interface". You would use it with a desktop or laptop computer.
You can also get standalone recorders that combine ## 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Plan to spend 100 hours or so getting used to the gear and how to use it. It's quite enjoyable.
Thanks! What should I plan on increasing my budget to?
If you are just looking to record basic single guitar and vocal for ideas and posting on sites like this...or working up a demo CD etc....look into a Zoom h2...you can get a used one for less than 200. If you want something a little more advanced look at the Zoom H4...still less than 400.
Cheers,
Blue
Quote from: Blue in VT on December 29, 2009, 09:22:32 PM
If you are just looking to record basic single guitar and vocal for ideas and posting on sites like this...or working up a demo CD etc....look into a Zoom h2...you can get a used one for less than 200. If you want something a little more advanced look at the Zoom H4...still less than 400.
Cheers,
Blue
And how does he listen to what he recorded? How is he able to hear what is being recorded while tracking? How does he edit the soundfiles before creating final songs? How does he put them on the internet?
Quote from: The Hickman on December 29, 2009, 07:40:41 PM
Thanks! What should I plan on increasing my budget to?
Realistically, by the end of the day, about $1,000. Buying used gear can lower that a bit.
Actually, a new H2 should cost you less than $150USD.
(H4, only if you want to multi-track.)
You can listen to it as you record and/or afterward with a pair of earbuds or headphones with a mini-jack.
You can move the file over to your computer via USB cable and you can edit the file in Audacity software (the free downloadable version). there are a number of youtube tutorials on the use of Audacity software to get you started.
You will also want to download the (free) LAME software so that you can export your Audacity files as MP3s.
Quote from: Queequeg on December 30, 2009, 10:32:14 AM
Actually, a new H2 should cost you less than $150USD.
(H4, only if you want to multi-track.)
You can listen to it as you record and/or afterward with a pair of earbuds or headphones with a mini-jack.
You can move the file over to your computer via USB cable and you can edit the file in Audacity software (the free downloadable version). there are a number of youtube tutorials on the use of Audacity software to get you started.
You will also want to download the (free) LAME software so that you can export your Audacity files as MP3s.
A recipe for mediocrity.
I really appreciate all the advice! :bgrin: I think to start out (b/c of budget) I will actually get the H2.
My reason:
It's a good compact, portable recorder, that produces a really good recording (for the price) I actually was able to listen to some sample online.
Queequeg, do you have good, reliable links to those free downloads?
I would, however, like to eventually have my own personal recording studio (small scale) to record full length, full band projects.
sdelsolray, you mentioned standalone recorders that combine #s 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, what brands do you prefer? What specs would I look for that indicate a good deal?
Again thank you all for all of the great advice!
Quote from: sdelsolray on December 30, 2009, 01:40:46 PM
A recipe for mediocrity.
People record for different reasons. It is a lower budget solution for those who, like myself want to hear ourselves so that we can improve our live performance. Not everyone is going to be able to invest $1000 or more, or a lot more in recording. If one's playing skills are in the intermediate range, a remarkable studio reproduction of these sessions isn't necessarily the best solution, IMHO.
I have heard several recordings even on this forum done with a Zoom H2 that sounded quite good.
I don't tell folks who buy a $300 guitar that their purchase is a recipe for mediocrity. It is a learning tool and as they progress they may wish to advance to the next step.
Thanks for your comment, though. I assume that you no doubt have graduated way beyond the intermediate level.
Quote from: The Hickman on December 30, 2009, 02:19:30 PM
I really appreciate all the advice! :bgrin: I think to start out (b/c of budget) I will actually get the H2.
My reason:
It's a good compact, portable recorder, that produces a really good recording (for the price) I actually was able to listen to some sample online.
Queequeg, do you have good, reliable links to those free downloads?
This is the Audacity page. (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/)
This is the LAME MP3 encoder (http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/)
thanks for the links!
Quote from: The Hickman on December 30, 2009, 02:19:30 PM
I really appreciate all the advice! :bgrin: I think to start out (b/c of budget) I will actually get the H2.
My reason:
It's a good compact, portable recorder, that produces a really good recording (for the price) I actually was able to listen to some sample online.
Queequeg, do you have good, reliable links to those free downloads?
I would, however, like to eventually have my own personal recording studio (small scale) to record full length, full band projects.
sdelsolray, you mentioned standalone recorders that combine #s 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, what brands do you prefer? What specs would I look for that indicate a good deal?
Again thank you all for all of the great advice!
I do not have much recent experience with "standalone recorders", as they are called when they combine ## 4-8. Fortunately, there are dozens of products these days in several price ranges. The H2 is such a device and includes a pair of mics built-in to boot. As to specs, they all seem to have adequate specs. Focus more on features, particularly features you want. Of course, you might not realize that certain functions even exist and yoku might not realize you need or want a feature until you get into recording for a time and experience things. For example, does the unit provide zero tracking/monitoring latency? If it does, that's good. If it doesn't, that sucks.
An H2 is certainly a place to start. Realize, though, that if your goal is to put together a basic home recording studio, you will eventually replace and/or ignore the H2. It may make sense to just get the gear you really need. That way, you won't waste money and invest time in gear you will eventually replace.
Quote from: Queequeg on December 30, 2009, 03:52:08 PM
People record for different reasons. It is a lower budget solution for those who, like myself want to hear ourselves so that we can improve our live performance. Not everyone is going to be able to invest $1000 or more, or a lot more in recording. If one's playing skills are in the intermediate range, a remarkable studio reproduction of these sessions isn't necessarily the best solution, IMHO.
I have heard several recordings even on this forum done with a Zoom H2 that sounded quite good.
I don't tell folks who buy a $300 guitar that their purchase is a recipe for mediocrity. It is a learning tool and as they progress they may wish to advance to the next step.
Thanks for your comment, though. I assume that you no doubt have graduated way beyond the intermediate level.
This is the Audacity page. (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/)
This is the LAME MP3 encoder (http://lame.buanzo.com.ar/)
The reason your gear selection will result in mediocrity is mostly because of the lack of nearfield monitors. Ponder the idea that nearfield monitors are perhaps the most important component of any home recording studio. To replace them with earbuds is a recipe for mediocrity. Recording doesn't work unless you can accurately hear what you are recording. The H2, although feature packed and quite functional, has one major flaw - you cannot separately position the microphones. With a standard computer interface (say, with two channels) and a pair of mics, the whole world of mic placements becomes available. Any recording cat will tell you that mic placement is a critical path item in recording.
I understand your analogy to the $300 guitar. However, a home recording studio is made up of many parts, each of which are needed. A guitar is a single thing.
I stand by my earlier list as the minimum set of gear needed to have a home recording studio. The fact that it will cost about $1,000 (maybe less if buying used), is simple reality. That's what it takes to put together a
functioning studio.
For sure, folks may do with less than the full list. But it's like having a car without tires, or an engine, or seats.
Here is what I have always used ... you are typing on the Interweb, so I assume you have a PC.
Sony ACID software -- (you can start with the basic ACID MUSIC STUDIO version which is, like, $60 for a great recording platform and multitrack editing)
Sony Sound Forge software (another $60 or so -- includes numerous plug-ins for effects, mastering, etc.)
basic Behringer mixer (about $50)
various patchcords, etc.
A decent condenser or ribbon mic (about $50)
This, along with a few basic patch chords and a decent sound card (the Soundblaster Audigy will work fine), you are set. You now have unlimited overdub capabilities and can also add ACID loops to your piece for percussion, etc.
This set up will also allow you use MIDI, etc. ... I have not done that with ACID yet, but know people who do to great effect.
I'll throw my two cents in and assume you want to record to straight to your computer. Are you on PC or Mac?
There are a few different things you will need.
The interface - these connect to the computer via Firewire or USB and get the audio from the mic into the computer
DAW Software - what you will use to manipulate the audio once its recorded to your computers hard drive
A Mic - lots of those around for different prices
A mic stand - kind of essential
Headphones - i am skipping monitors for now, if this just for home/hobbyist stuff you can get monitors later own down the road.
If you can stretch your budget a bit would you might want to consider the Mbox.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MBox2/
So right there you have the interface and plus DAW Software, as it comes with Pro Tools.
Here is an Audio Technical mic package for $150
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AUTAT2041
Yea they are not the greatest mics in the world, but they will get you started. A few cables and you are set.
I can understand where Sdelsolray is coming from. He has a ton of nice gear, good ears, a good room, and can hear the improvement that comes with good converters and really expensive mics. But i think different people are at different levels, and everyones gotta start somewhere.
There are probably other setups too similar to the one above for a similar price. You could also go with a cheaper interface, DAW software from Reaper, www.reaper.fm, and a different mic.
Anton
Quote from: Anton Emery on December 31, 2009, 01:34:06 PM
I'll throw my two cents in and assume you want to record to straight to your computer. Are you on PC or Mac?
I'm using PC.....for now. Eventually (hopefully soon) I will be a converted Mac user. IMO, they just produce better quality equipment/service. ( I'm sure some may disagree, but like I said IMO)
Regardless, what kind of ram/hard drive/processor would I need to "effectively" run this sort of equipment/software? By effectively I mean quickly and smoothly.
Quote from: sdelsolray on December 30, 2009, 01:40:46 PM
A recipe for mediocrity.
:cop: :cop:
Give me a break...we are talking about 1/10th the price here...but not 1/10 the quality...even if you decide to go for a full set up in the future the H2 has MANY advantages that your in home studio doesn't....like it fits in your pocket. I think we are talking about 2 different levels of recording here...absolutly get the equipment that fits your needs.
Blue
Indeed. Simple recording gear can yield some excellent results. I have not used hand-held recorders, but do use some pretty simple gear direct through a mixer to a hard drive. And you can do some broadcast-worthy stuff like that. Your computer really is a digital recording medium.
Heck, man. You would be amazed how much stuff that has a commercial success comes off very humble recording gear.
If you are moving to a Mac the Apogee Duet is supposed to be a real nice interface. Like the Mbox its limited to two channels, but if all you want to do is record vocals and guitar that might work well. The downside is it unlike the Mbox it does not include any software, so you would have to either use Garageband which comes included on the Mac or drop some more money for DAW software.
This home recording stuff can be kind of a money pit, there is always that new mic or interface or gadget out there that you think will make your sound pro quality. I think the biggest factors are learning to use what you have well, and the sound of your room.
Here is a great blog that centers around home recording techniques.
http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/
Anton
Quote from: sdelsolray on December 30, 2009, 01:40:46 PM
A recipe for mediocrity.
Hoo boy. :rolleye:
I don't have the best setup but I've spent a few hundred $$$ on small-time equipment such as a Behringer mixer, a few microphones and a modest pair of headphones. As for software, I've found that Reaper is actually pretty dynamic provided you get around the latency issues. I've done some rudimentary multitracking with it but being a solo fingerstyle player and singer/strummer I usually follow the credo "less is more" and stick to a single stereo track.
Another thing I've repeatedly come up against is ambient noise and electronic interference. In the case of the former, I've come up against the sound of an appliance humming from the next room or the slap back echo off the walls of the room I'm in. In the case of the latter, I repeatedly come up against a hum brought about either by the substandard wiring in my home or from a nearby appliance. There are things you can do, but in my case it's actually best if I DON'T record at home - my family is not very accommodating to my need for starters.
For XMas though I received an H2 and I gotta tell you that it's actually quite good. IMO the recording quality is actually better than the large diaphragm condenser microphone that I bought earlier this year can produce - IMO because the Zoom's 4 small condenser mics appear to be slightly less sensitive. You can actually use a set of decent headphones to monitor yourself with the unit. The only real limit is the size of the memory card you put in the unit. It comes with a 1GB card but I had a compatible 4GB card in my digital camera that I swapped in. I have a friend who has a separate garage that he has set up as a photo studio which is actually a better recording environment since it has higher ceilings and all those backdrops actually attenuate room echo. Once I got the unit home it was just a matter of plugging the USB cable into the laptop and firing up Reaper, adding some light VST reverb effect, and exporting via the free LAME plugin.
I gotta tell you, I'm looking at some of my recording gear as being expendable in light of the H2's arrival though.
Received this in my email this morning from Acoustic Guitar Notes, thought others might be interested. Note part 4, mic placement, contrary to what I see all the time about having the mic about 12" from the guitar. I'm looking forward to testing it out.
Four Tips for Recording Your Guitar with Mics
When recording your guitar in your home studio, the microphone is where it all starts—the sound is never going to get any better than it does when it is captured by the mic. You can tweak it, twist it, slice it, and dice it, but the quality of the raw miked sound is essential to the final results. These tips will help you optimize your miked signals.
1. Mono Miking
One mic will give you a tight, punchy track.
Should you use one or two mics on your guitar? The answer depends on the result you want. For a driving, hard-strummed track in a band context, one mic will create a tight, punchy sound without taking up too much room in the mix.
2. Stereo Miking
Use two mics for a complete picture of your guitar.
For a solo guitar track—fingerstyle or picked—two mics will give a broader, deeper, more spacious sound, with width that fills both speakers. Two mics can also be positioned to capture a more complete "picture" of the guitar than a single mic can.
3. Multiple-Mic Solutions
Make sure your tracks are in phase.
If you're using more than one microphone on a source, or if you're recording more than one instrument at a time and the sound from one instrument is getting into another instrument's mic, you could have phase issues caused by the different arrival times of the sound waves at different mics. "Out-of-phase" tracks have a hollow, empty sound when combined. Most mixers (software or hardware) include a phase switch for each channel; try it both on and off. One position will usually sound noticeably better than the other.
4. Give It Some Space
Pull your guitar mics back a few feet.
No one ever hears an acoustic guitar from a foot away—which is where we often place our microphones. As listeners, we always hear the instrument from some distance back in the room. For most instruments the sound "develops" and comes together a few feet away from the instrument. With guitar, for example, the main source of the sound may be the soundboard—though the sound quality will vary depending on the spot on the soundboard you are listening to. But vibrations from the neck, back, sides, even headstock, all contribute to the overall sound to some degree—and a close mic will never capture all that resonance. Try pulling your mics back a few feet, or use distant mics placed five or more feet away in conjunction with close mics, to really capture what your guitar sounds like. —Mitch Gallagher
I didn't read it mentioned - but one of the really nice things about the Zooms is that they can be used both stand-alone or as a usb microphone plugged straight into your computer. That means you can take it with you to jams, lessons, or to small gigs/parties and get extremely good recordings with a device that fits into your shirt pocket. Load the files into Audacity ( Garage Band, whatever ) and you can use the zoom to add a track or add vocals. Earbuds don't work, but open headphones can work so you hear yourself and what you've already recorded.
Its far from professional, but if the goal is to play a bit, learn a bit. and get maximum flexibility, the Zoom is not a bad choice at all - I bought the Edirol because it has some features and possibly better mics, but not being able to use it as a usb mic plugged in direct is a tremendous disadvantage -
Tad
Home recording as mentioned can be a complicated or simple affair, but in most cases it is a lot of fun and can produce wonderful hours of relaxation and entertainment. The problem is it can also be a money pit just like guitars, always striving for better or cleaner or whatever your focus happens to be at the moment. As you've read it can be as simple as plugging a USB mic in hit record and voila a recording or you can get full on studio madness and spend thousands in mics and sound proofing etc. etc. Then there are the computer programs that can add full midi tracks and effects that could take years to master or one can choose simple free programs that get accurate recordings of just what is played. I think a great many are like me who basically want some control over the volume and tone but will rarely get into full on midi add ins and production. They make studios and professionals for that that personally I am happy to pay the hourly fee for should I want to go that route.
Your recording is only going to be as good as the initial capture of your work. It is possible to focus too much on subtle nuances of microphone qualities and characteristics but at a minimum mics should be of a decent quality and "matched" for each individual for recording. A instrument pencil mic (small pattern) and a vocal large diaphragm mic matched is going to get a much more consistent and manageable recording than 2 mis matched high dollar mics unless you know how to bring out or eliminate specific frequencies etc. which many of us may not be interested in learning or spending the time on. Good quiet pre-amps for your interface to get the signal into the computer are another area many overlook, again the better the input the better the raw signal from which to work. Working from wav. files and converting to mp3 is much easier and cleaner than going straight to mp3. Once you get the signal into the computer it will be up to you to determine how you want to manipulate it and that's where I, and I would guess many others, get overwhelmed. More is not necessarily better. In all honesty if you have a good capture many of us just want it balanced and preserved.
In today's computer driven market the programs offered for home recording could have you becoming a production professional over that of just a musician trying to get a decent recording of your latest composition as a guitar player/vocalist. I have fallen into the trap of paying hundreds for an upgrade over that of an introductory offer only to be overwhelmed with having to choose between a dozen different amplifiers and hundreds of midi utilities when all I wanted was to be able to add a bit of reverb and maybe a bit of chorus easily only to find I had to make all these other choices each time just to get to those selections and they were not any better than the free program I was using in the 1st place. It's all in the route you decide to take.
A inexpensive set of matched condenser mics with a really good interface with great pre-amps and a free recording program will get you results that are going to be hard to tell the difference in over that of spending thousands on top of the line mics with advanced mixers and recording programs that have 500 page user manuals, especially if all you want to do is record your guitar while you sing a tune and burn it all to a CD. And you'll likely have it done in half the time so you can get onto the next song. That's not to say there isn't a difference, it's just a difference that many of us would be hard pressed to pick out for simple home recording of a couple of tracks of ourselves recorded in the back bedroom we've claimed for our music room.
$500 is a reasonable amount to expect to spend for getting decent home recordings that will do you proud. A good, not great, but good, set of mics should be had for a hundred or two, and a decent interface with some quality preamps is likely to run 300/400. The free programs such as Audacity are relatively simple to learn with a little experimentation and anything else is just because you want to go there.
I found a sale on a set of MXL mics (pencil/vocal) for about 150, I did a lot of research and ended up with a M-Audio Fast Track Ultra interface with 4 high quality preamps in the 400 range, and I use the cakewalk pyro (their entry level program) recording software I purchased from the lite version that came with the M-Audio. Gives me some basic effects and extremely clean recordings and I have about $600 total tied up. I have burned hundreds of disks for friends and family that I am pretty darn happy with using this set up and have no desire to get into adding singing whales and midi tracks for full band accompaniment to my recordings at home. As I mentioned earlier, there are professional studios I can hire for that, I just want a little control over some volume and basic effects for my needs, this works dandy fine for a hack guitar player trying to get some tunes laid down.
There is a happy medium here.
sdelsoray's recommendations are actually pretty close to reality for a modestly outfitted home STUDIO. You can get under the $1000 line fairly easily.
The recommendation to buy a standalone recorder as a place to start is not bad advice either - but it doesn't constitute a STUDIO.
BOTH the list that sdelsoray put together as well as buying an H2/H4 like device are good things to do for the interested musician/recordist.
I've used Audacity and a mono little condenser microphone when in a pinch with a laptop (the mono condenser mic that came with a Skype headset sounded better than the built-in mic from the laptop). However, I prefer the ease of use of my main DAW, Tracktion, over Audacity any day of the week. Much quicker path to the end result.
I've even transfered recordings made in my .mp3 player from Sandisk, as a basis for a song; but again, I used Tracktion to mix that with tracks recorded in the home studio with better quality gear with better dynamic range etc.
The standalone recorder option is excellent for it's portability. You have a way to record no matter where you are, no matter where the inspiration strikes. Fits in a pocket.
However, it is quite limiting if the end goal is to make a CD with other backing tracks, comping tracks etc.
I do know of some folks that started into recording using the standalone recorder world and they've never been able to make the transition to the computer based DAW world. For whatever reason, they haven't been able to wrap their heads around the fact that there is much more power available to them, for free, in a DAW setup on a computer.
Here's the happy medium:
1. Buy the H2
2. Buy one of the lesser priced DAW software with an interface. Here's a Mackie 8 ch mixer with USB that comes with Tracktion 3 software for $229
3. I would monitor with some proper monitor speakers, but you can get started using headphones. I would buy in-ear monitors for headphones as they can serve multiple purposes: 1. When you are using the H2 by itself, as excellent headphones for .mp3 players and the like, and 3. to help you monitor your microphones as you record - as they isolate much better than over the ear phones. Since I work for Westone, I would recommend our products without hesitation. www.westone.com/music
Realize, that monitoring with headphones does present an unnatural monitoring situation where panning of tracks sounds 'overly panned' on headphones. A mix on headphones will need to be panned 'too much' to get it to sound right when played back over speakers. If you can overcome this, then you won't have trouble with phones that have a natural frequency balance (most do not). But in order to 'overcome' this issue, you usually first have to be experienced monitoring with speakers. This was one of sdelsoray's points that probably got glossed over due to his leading 'mediocrity' statement.
End of sermon.
"Mediocre" was a poor choice of word. "Incomplete" would be a better choice. I believe a pair of nearfield monitors is essential to any home studio. Headphones, even the great ones, project an artificial soundstage (when compared to subsequent listening through speakers). Computer speakers are lame. Home stereo speakers are colored because they do not provide a flat response.
As to needing to spend about $1,000, the following list explains why (assuming the application is to record solo guitar, or vocal/guitar and assuming you already have a competent computer and a room):
1) Interface (2 channels) - $250;
2) 2 condenser mics - $200
3) Nearfield monitors - $250
4) Headphones - $50
5) Table, quiet chair - $100
6) Cabling - $100
7) Two boom mic stands - $50
8) Software (most is assumed to be free, but there's always something needed) - $50
And that's for rock bottom budget gear.
Yes, a Zoom H2 would combine the interface and mics, but mic placement limitations and the self noise of the H2 are two strong strikes against it, leading to eventually replacement of the H2 (assuming the user develops more interest in recording).
The OP stated:
Quote"I would, however, like to eventually have my own personal recording studio (small scale) to record full length, full band projects."
The above list would not be adequate for recording full band projects, particularly if drums were involved.
Quote from: sdelsolray on January 10, 2010, 11:35:33 AM
"Mediocre" was a poor choice of word. "Incomplete" would be a better choice. I believe a pair of nearfield monitors is essential to any home studio. Headphones, even the great ones, project an artificial soundstage (when compared to subsequent listening through speakers). Computer speakers are lame. Home stereo speakers are colored because they do not provide a flat response.
As to needing to spend about $1,000, the following list explains why (assuming the application is to record solo guitar, or vocal/guitar and assuming you already have a competent computer and a room):
1) Interface (2 channels) - $250;
2) 2 condenser mics - $200
3) Nearfield monitors - $250
4) Headphones - $50
5) Table, quiet chair - $100
6) Cabling - $100
7) Two boom mic stands - $50
8) Software (most is assumed to be free, but there's always something needed) - $50
And that's for rock bottom budget gear.
Yes, a Zoom H2 would combine the interface and mics, but mic placement limitations and the self noise of the H2 are two strong strikes against it, leading to eventually replacement of the H2 (assuming the user develops more interest in recording).
The OP stated:
The above list would not be adequate for recording full band projects, particularly if drums were involved.
sdlesoray, I would almost agree entirely with your list except you can get started with one mic, one mic stand, cabling for one mic, etc. I agree with your comment about recording a whole band - certainly your list would not be adequate for a live recording of a band, but you can get by recording one instrument at a time, even drums. Several 2-mic techniques for recording drums - many don't work in rooms with low ceilings, but there's good YouTube videos on how to set two mics to get good stereo imaging on a drum kit with just two mics. One that I often refer to is the 'Recorderman' technique where one measures distance from the kick beater/head interface point and center of the snare out to two different mic locations that are equidistant from both of those points. You'll get dead-nuts correct phasing with that method for the kick and snare, and you can even pan the two mics and still maintain a centered sound on kick/snare.
http://www.hometracked.com/2007/05/12/recorderman-overhead-drum-mic-technique/
The problem with the video in the link is that they needed to do a better job locking down the one mic stand - it's moving around way too much!
I picked up a Boss BR1600 for $450.00 from EBay and a Marshall mic, including spider holder and cord from MF for $50.00. A guitar and a guitar cord and you're in pretty high cotton.
Put your money into the interface (possibly with included DAW software) and a pair of GOOD mics (they're getting better and more reasonably priced), then experiment with where you place the mics (there's some very good advice in TapeOp magazine for recordists of every stripe).
Then, most importantly, put your heart into your songs. Good recordings are, above all, good performances.
Good luck
So, I finally bought my recording equipment. I know it's not the best out there, but it was within my budget and I think it's a good starting point for a beginner, IMO. Here it is:
Behringer Podcast Studio package:
All cables included
Behringer FG202 24bit/96kbs Audio Interface
Behringer Xeynox 8 channel mixer
Behringer C1 condenser mic
Live (by Abelton) DAW (I've also downloaded audacity to test it out)
M-Audio Studio Mic Package:
2 mic boom stands
2 XLR cables
MXL 990 condensers mic
MXL 991 condenser mic
M-Audio Studio Pro 3 Reference Monitors
I aslo bought an external hard drive to help support the large files I'll be working with. (500 gb)
All of this was $488 through musicians friend.
Now I'm looking for sound dampening Ideas. You can also post your replies HERE (http://www.larriveeforum.com/smf/index.php?topic=31096.0).