First Timer’s Recording Setup HOWTO
First Timer’s Recording Setup HOWTO
Updated! Cheap Computer Recording!
Rule 1 You need an interface. Do not! I repeat: Do not plug your microphone directly into the microphone jack on your computer. In fact, don’t ever plug any instrument directly into your computer: You need an interface. Standard computer sound systems are designed for use with home stereos not music gear.
Rule 2 You need money. Probably more than you want to spend. So be nice to your parents or get a job or whatever you need to do. Do some chores, mow some lawns, ask for christmas gifts. This guide is intented give you the understanding of what a real computer studio is made of so that you can decide for yourself what gear to buy.
A word on equipment - There is lots of equipment and lots to choose from. The world of gear can be rather confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. What you need is simple. A way to get your sound into the computer with as much clarity as possible at the lowest price possible. Really that’s the goal of any recording studio however major they might be.
An Interface is what lets you get sound into your computer. Every computer studio needs an interface for sound. There are two primary ways to connect your interface to your computer, internal and external. Internal computer interfaces, also called cards, are placed inside the computer and connected using a special plug and system called the PCI bus. External computer interfaces are placed on your desk or in a rack, outside computer, then connected to the computer with some type of cable such as Firewire and USB. There are many different interfaces made by many different manufacturers but there are a few basic approaches you can take when thinking about buying some gear and setting up a studio.
- Stereo Mixer
- Pro/Consumer
- Dedicated
Stereo Mixer $200 ~ 500 This is the approach I will be detailing. You will be purchasing the basic bare bones low end gear which will do the job(s) you need done which are: handling of instrument signals and microphone signals. This gear consists of a stereo PCI computer sound interface (most people call it a sound card), a mixer, some cables, and a microphone. Standard stereo PCI computer interfaces do not have instrument jacks or microphone jacks. They also have no way to amplify the weak signal of microphones and they have no way of handling the stronger signal of electric instruments. You must purchase a mixer separately to handle these things. Then you plug your microphone(s) and instrument(s) into your mixer, and the mixer in turn is connected to your stereo PCI computer interface.
Pro/Consumer $500 ~ 3000 This category combines a computer interface with a mixer and some pro-audio hardware like microphone preamps and instrument jacks. The better interfaces allow you to record multiple separate instruments all at the same time. This is by far the largest category of audio recording interfaces and getting one is really the first step in building a decent home project studio.
Dedicated $10,000 ~ 50,000 approach the interface actually has computer chips on it which take the work off of your computer, so instead of processing sound your computer can process other stuff. you can plan on anywhere from or more, so get out your wallet buddy!
So! My reccommendations for el cheapo equipment 
are as follows:
Chaintech AV-710 ~ $30
The Chaintech is a PCI interface using the the Envy24HT chipset. You get a very wide sound stage and full frequency response as well as better DACs (Digital Audio Converters) and all for super cheap. M-Audio makes probably the cheapest Pro/Consumer cards available but they’re probably still too expensive - the Revolution 7.1 is their cheapest at about $100. The Chaintech AV-710 is essentially the same thing as the revolution but the Revolution has nicer DACs and is more expensive.
Behringer Eurorack UB502 ~ $35
This mixer will be perfect for a small budget. This is a critial item for the budget studio. If you must wait to purchase other things, buy this first. Most all computers have sound. It may be low quality but it will be somewhere close to CD quality. It’s got a microphone preamp built in along with phantom power, so just in case you happen to get a fancy dancy new condenser mic for christmas, you’ll be able to use it. I’ve got a tiny behringer and it works pretty well for me, though I don’t use it for recording or anything super important. I’ve got a different setup for my recording studio - much more expensive.
Sure SM-57 ~ $100
The microphone you choose is the second most important part of your studio. Second because - in your situation - without a mixer it’s useless. Sure is a brand of microphone which has become a standard in the music industry. This mic is good for both vocals and instruments. The SM sound is the sound of rock to a large degree. Many professional live sound stages use these microphones. The SM-58 is similar in design and price but is intended primarily for vocals alone. The SM-57 is designed for vocals and instruments, so it’s a better all round versatile starter mic. On the high end forums there’s a thread called “Re: SM-57’s Who used one last time they made a recording” and basically every person there uses them.
Cables: XLR, 1/4″ and Tape Out ~ $30
You will need cables to use your new setup. An XLR for the microphone, a regular guitar calbe also just called an instrument cable - unbalanced instrument cables are fine. And a special cable to use for your tape out signal - this is commonly found in home stereo and home theater setups. You can find the tape out cable at radio shack. It’s got two mono RCA jacks - also known as phono jacks - on one end and the other end has a single regular stereo 1/8″ mini jack.
As far as computer programs go, well that’s really up to how much money you want to spend. Luckily most of these software titles come in lighter more affordable versions. The main contenders these days are Cubase and Nuendo made by Steinberg, Sonar made by Cakewalk, Garage Band and Logic made by Apple, Digital Performer made by MOTU and last but not least Pro Tools made by DigiDesign. There are others to be sure, but in the standard Windows/Macintosh world these are the main players.
WHAT TO DO
Computer microphone inputs (the pink ones) are bad. They are designed for telephone quality sound - e.g. when you play computer games you can use a microphone to speak with your team. This is a telephone quality computer microphone and it is not designed for audio recording.
Line Level
A term used to denote the strength of an audio signal used to transmit analog sound information between audio components such as CD players, stereo amplifiers, and mixing consoles.
What you do want to do is connect your mixer to the line level input on your computer. The line-level input jack on your computer is (usually green and) designed for CD quality audio input. It’s got a very specific low level signal that helps acheive that pristine sound quality that I’m sure you’ve probably been looking for. Your mixer will have a line-level output labeled as TAPE OUT. Connect the TAPE OUT from your mixer to the green line-level input jack on your computer.
Now you’re ready to start recording. Read the manual. Have fun!
