Thinking of giving it another try.

[rpg51]

I recently became so utterly frustrated with computer recording that I sold all my stuf - mics and mobilepre usb device.
I am considering giving it another shot.
I would like the ability to add a few simple affects into the mix while I am recording - so that I can adjust things while listening to my playing and then turn on the record button.  So far as I could tell this was not possible with my old rig.  I was using Audacity.  The only way I could ever figure how to add affects was to record the track and then add them in on the recording using a trial and error method.  I had to guess at the amount of reverb or example - input it to a selected area of the track, and then play it back.  If I didn't like it - I had to go through that whole process again.  Major pain in the ***. 

Suggestions? Was I missing something with my set up? 

[sdelsolray]

A couple of thoughts:

1)  Usually, you do not add eq, compression or effects while you are recording.  You record "dry".

2)  Recording/editing software allows you to add eq, compression and/or effects with plug-ins.  You can listen to how these change things in real time, adjusting as needed until your mix is satisfactory.  Dunno much about Audacity, but if it doesn't allow you to do this, get something that does.

[rpg51]

Ok.  I could just be stupid, but I dont' think Audacity allow you to add affects in that way. 

[ronmac]

Audacity will allow you to use any VST effect plug-in during editing or mixdown (post recording).

[rpg51]

Yes, but with Audacity can you adjust the amount of an effect up and down while you listen?  I could never figure out how to do that.  I always had to apply the affect to a section or all of the recording, stop and return to the beginning, and then listen to see if I was happy with the effect. If not, I had to change the extent of the affect and listen again -  over and over until I got it right.  What I want to do is to turn the affect up and down while I am listening until I am happy with it. 

[ronmac]

Rob, you can do just that with "preview" on any of the effects before you commit to printing that effect on the track.

The user interface of Audacity is very primitive. You may also want to try Reaper http://www.reaper.fm/ much nicer interface.

[scottallyn]

You'd better get hopping on that recording setup, Rob! We're all going to want to hear that new Greven! :GRN>

[rockstar_not]

Audacity really doesn't have good workflow for what you are describing; auditioning effects while playing.  While there are conventional ways to record, if you like to fiddle with effects live before recording, there's no problem with that from the computer recording side of things.

Compression is certainly a useful effect to employ while recording an acoustic guitar.  Not loads of it, but for dodgy fingerstyle playing (like mine), it can help you to concentrate on getting the song idea recorded rather than that pesky G-string fingering on the Dm7add9add13/C chord.

Audacity doesn't let you do this.

Reaper will.  However, I'm somewhat of a prude, to be honest, and the whole mentality of the person that releases that software is fraught with rather junior-high scatalogical humor as evidenced by his company name:  Cockos, and some of the names of his other products.  I'll let you be the judge.  Here is his website:

http://www.cockos.com/

I'd rather not give such a person the time of day.  From what I understand, the software is quite capable and it's unfortunate that this guy has chosen to be so '7th grade' about the naming of his software and his company.

So, rather than just raining on that parade, let me offer a different suggestion.  I highly recommend Mackie's Tracktion software for audio and midi recording.  If you are not used to a hardware paradigm (mixer, tape deck, etc.) for recording, then Tracktion offers some highly desirable features - not the least of which is a very un-cluttered desktop.

I'm easily distracted by little lights, bells and whistles.  Tracktion does not offer such a package of a fancy 3-D interface like so many other packages on the market.  If a fader or button is on the screen; I'm tempted to monkey with it.  Tracktion truly limits the amount of that kind of thing on the screen with the exception of the plugin one is working with at the time.

Download the demo and give it a shot.  Usually it's a love / hate kind of thing.  I fell in love with it.  Others hate it for exactly the same reason that others love it.

http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktion2/index.html

Street price at on-line retailers is $149 for the boxed version.

-Scott
If you do decide to buy, make sure you understand the differences between the download version for purchase, and the boxed version.  The boxed version comes bundled with some nice extras like Sampletank SE, RMIV drum machine software, Amplitube LE, and a host of other useful signal processing and synthesizer plugins.

[drathbun]

+1 on trying out Reaper. I am a Sonar 5 Producer user so I have all the bells and whistles I need. However, I teach audio as part of a college theatre program and we have been using Audacity (because it is free).  We have been pulling money together to get a small audio editing program (we used to use ProTools LE until they dropped it). We have been looking at Adobe Audition but the price on that has gone through the roof (what a surprise huh?), so we are seriously considering Reaper. I've been looking at it for a couple of weeks now and it is MUCH more useable and friendly than Audacity. At this point, it looks promising for the price. However, as with other initial software offerings (like Audition 1.0) it is cheap (like $39.95) to suck you in and then the next upgrade is $500.