Home Recording Question

[Bkinley]

Hey Guys,
I would like any recomendations for software to use my new Laptop for recording. My overall goal isn't porfessional sound quality, just the ability to record my progress and send CD's to my dad. My guitar doesn't have a pickup so I would be using a Mic. Any help would be great, I am pretty clueless about this stuff.

[ark]

Two good freeware programs you should look at are Kristal
http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/,
and Audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Kristal has more recording/mixing featues then Audacity, but either should do the job you described.  I haven't tried Audacity, but have used Kristal to record my guitar practice (listening to one's own playing is a sobering experience).  Interestingly, you can also use Audacity as an external audio editor with Kristal if you need more features then the Kristal editor ( called the Waver) provides.
Al

[Bkinley]

What about Mic's and stuff, what kind do I need to work with my computer?

[ark]

I'm relatively new at this recording stuff ( hopefully others on this forum with more experience will join in), but I can tell you what I did. I bought a Tascam US 122 ( http://www.tascam.com/Products/US-122/US-122.html ) audio interface ( about $190). What I like about this unit is it plugs into the Computers USB port -- that's it for both power and the audio connections. It can handle multiple inputs ( mics, guitars , etc), and provides direct monitoring if you want to hear the signal being recorded in real time. It also has outputs to feed an amplifier system ( or your stero equipment) for playback. Of course, you can also play the recordings back through your computer system, burn a CD, etc.  The US122 is bacisally a preamp and analog to digital (and digital to analog) converter system ( it changes the audio into bits for the computer and back again for playback). Since the US 122 only needs a USB port, your recording system is totally portable when using a laptop. It also provides what is called phantom power for condenser mics. Dynamic mics do not need power, but condenser mics, which are usually considered best, do. However, mic type may not be an important issue when the needs are modest. Note that in the US 122 approach you are not using your sound card for recording.

Another approach is to use an analog preamp with your mic ( almost all mics will need a preamp) and feed that into your sound card. Now the soundcard is doing the digitizing of the signal.  How well this works depends on the sound card.

I am using a Marshall MXL 603s condenser mic ( about $90 new ) that I bought from someone on this forum. Seems to work great.

You might want to go down to a local sound/music shop and tell them what you would like to do. If nothing else it is a way to learn a bit before deciding which way to go. Also, A Google search on acoustic guitar recording, recording guitar, etc will turn up tutorial sites to help get you up to speed. There are also Forums like this one that discuss recording, equip, etc (Tascom has one, and  the Acoustic Guitar Forum, I think).

Al

[jwieties]

Lots of help offered here:
http://www.acousticplayermagazine.com/apm0...ecord1_001.html
-josh