Recording

[hcole]

I want to record myself playing but am unsure what to get.  I'm not putting demo's together or anything so I don't need anything fancy.  I just want to be able to have a decent sounding recording of my playing so I can see how I sound.  I also want to record some rhythm that I can play lead with.  If you could include a ballpark figure of the price to any suggestions you might have I would appreciate it.

[unclrob]

There are some wonderful 4 track unit's out there.I don't believe they are to pricey.Check out some of the on line dealers like musicians friends,sam ash,etc.

[hcole]

With the four track units will I need a mic or pickup for my guitar?

[Zach]

Do you want to record to a computer or use a stand-alone unit?

[unclrob]

you can use both

[hcole]

Do you want to record to a computer or use a stand-alone unit?

I don't really know the pro's and con's of either method so I'm a bit unsure.  Could you tell me a little about them?

[mnewton]

Do you want to record to a computer or use a stand-alone unit?

I don't really know the pro's and con's of either method so I'm a bit unsure.  Could you tell me a little about them?

A mic will give you what the guitar actually sounds like.  

It is usually the prefered method of recording.

[booinec]

If you want cheap-go with tape. A four track as suggested is a good start.
If you want something with edit and minimum effects capability and you have a USB input on your computer, check out a new Lexicon offering called the Omega. Runs about $350.00 I think. Also allows you to burn to your own cd. :
http://www.riksmusic.com/lexicon/omega.htm

This mail order place is by far the least expensive pro audio source I've found. I have ordered from them numerous times with good products/ service each time.
Boo  

[hcole]

Looking on Ebay I ran across a couple things that look like they might be good.  They are;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

Does anyone have any experience with any of these items or know about them?

[Jaminn]

Here's what I do to give you an example of one way to go...  I have a relatively inexpensive mic that I plug into my sound card (turtle beach Santa Cruz).  If your sound card has a line in, you can plug right in.  I use a program called n-track for recording.  It is "shareware", in that you can download it and try it, then buy it if it suits your needs.  It will save your song as both wav and mp3, which is good if you plan to post it on the 'net somewhere.  Let's see...  you can also record a guitar track, go back and add vocals, add lead, etc.  I have ended up with 4 to 6 different tracks sometimes by the time I get done.  Good luck and have fun with it.

[D4ve]

You mean you can plug the mic right into your computer?

[Jaminn]

You mean you can plug the mic right into your computer?

Well, I actually plug the mic into a small mixer, and the mixer goes to the line-in on the sound card.  So, no, not directly.  Sorry if that was misleading. I guess the mixer does provide a little pre-amp too.

[walking man]

Perhaps a book that details recording methods and different systems that you can buy to record your music.  There's a lot to recording music, even if it's a home recording for your own enjoyment.  With a knowledge base of the different equipment you can use and the basics of how it works you can buy the right product for your needs and produce a decent recording.  After all, you want the best results possible.  

I believe this will ease the frustration of beginning to record your music.  Look for books online or in the music store, there are many.  Good luck.