[Cameron F]

Right, so I want to try and record some acoustic guitar and vocals at home, with hardware that's cheap but good. At the moment I know the essentials are
 - Microphone (Thinking about the Shure SM57)
 - Pre Amp ( I have a Phonic MM1002 though I don't know what I'm doing with it, if anybody could help me out with that it would be much appreciated)[/center][/center]
- Headphones ( I'm pretty sure I can get these sorted, shouldn't need any assistance but tips would be nice)

Also, I plan on using my laptop to do the whole mixing business, I know I'll need some audio interface software, I'll sort that. So basically I need to plug a mic into a pre amp and connect the pre amp to my laptop. I do not know what I'm doing with my pre amp, in fact I don't even know if it's any use, if it's not some suggestions for other cheap pre amps would be nice.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I'm very new to this and need all the help I can get. I have not got much money so the cheaper the better really, but I don't want anything rubbish obviously.

Any help is appreciated, Thanks

[stavcoby]

Hi mate

I only got into home recording about 6-8 mnths ago.

I started on garageband on an iPad, very easy, very fun, just need an Irig connection that is all. The app is free.

Then I progressed onto garageband on a mac,again this was free.  Just needed an interface.
I got more into it and got myself Logic pro X. 

If you are a beginner in all areas, take these baby steps till you get comfy and wanna move on to deeper audio engineering.

I found that if you go to deep too soon you get put off all together as everything just looks alien and sound awful.  Have fun

[Neil C]

Cfcity, hi once you get your hardware sorted you'll need some software. Have you got something in mind?
I beleive auditory is freeware but there may be others..
 
Neil

[Boydie]

Let me try and help...

I have looked up the phonic mm1002 and it appears to be a (very small) mixer and whilst it does contain pre-amps I think you may be better to leave this out of your future set-up if you buy wisely

Here is a quick run down of the essential bits you will need and what they do...

Microphone

An SM57 is a great workhorse mic and I know lots of people who use it successfully "in the studio", however the SM57 (and SM58 and their "Beta" cousins) really come in to their own for "live" / stage use

However, I personally favour a large diaphragm condenser mic for "studio" quality recordings and if I were on a budget and could chose 1 mic for recording vocals and acoustic guitar I think this would be a better long-term investment

You would be looking at around the £200 mark for a good one though (roughly double the SM57 - but cheaper than buying an SM57 and then realising you really wanted a condenser   even if it is always useful having an SM57 around)

I would recommend the RODE NT1 or the SE 2200a

If you want a condenser mic for a similar price to an SM57 you could check out the SE Magneto or the SE X1

It may seem a confusing choice but I can assure you that you can't go wrong with any of these (including the SM57) so I would check out some reviews and see what you fancy


Audio Interface

This is ESSENTIAL if you want to get good recordings into a laptop

If you are on a budget (and even if you are not) then this is a "no brainer" - I would recommend the Focusrite Scarlett range of audio interfaces as they all have fantastic pre-amps and the user reviews are always positive

If my current interface broke I would get one of these in a heartbeat

You need to choose the right one based on the number of inputs and outputs you will need

From what you describe I would recommend the 2i2 for around £110

The audio interface will provide the mic "pre-amp" (therefore replacing your mm1002) but it also converts the audio sound of your voice, guitar etc. into the "digital" that your laptop will understand (and then convert it back again so you can hear it) - which you would need anyway


DAW

Once in your computer you need to consider your "DAW" - digital audio workstation - software

Audacity is a free multi track audio recording software package that may suit your needs

If you want more "professional" tools (add virtual instruments, MIDI, plugins etc.) you may want to consider something like REAPER, SONAR, CUBASE etc. - however, expect a steep learning curve as these packages can be a bit daunting when you start!!


Monitoring

The other thing to consider is your "monitoring" - ie how are you going to listen to your recordings to mix them

There are proper "monitor" speakers that give a "flat" response enabling you to mix so it sounds good on lots of different systems but if you get good monitors (which can be expensive) you should really then start considering things like acoustic treatment for your room

If this sounds like "overkill" then you could hook up some normal speakers to your audio interface - or use headphones

I personally use headphones but to get a "speaker"/monitor type sound I use a Focusrite VRM box


I appreciate that there is a LOAD to consider here and it may be a bit overwhelming but I wanted to present some good "starter options" that you can grow in to and will therefore mean you won't want to upgrade for a while


Alternative Option

If you want to keep to a really tight budget the route I suggested for IAN in this thread might be a good route for you: http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/recording/recording-advice-please/

The main info is below and I don't know what he went with in the end so it might be worth sending him a PM to ask

Your best bet COULD be to get a USB Microphone, which is essentially a microphone with an audio interface "built in"

These range from around less than £50
http://www.dv247.com/microphones/behringer-c-1u-usb--63964

http://www.dv247.com/microphones/fame-studio-cu2-usb-condenser-microphone--200816

This is considered a very good usb mic for £180
http://www.dv247.com/microphones/blue-yeti-pro-condenser-microphone--82453

This round up might help steer you:
http://www.prosoundnetwork.com/article/review-usb-microphones-featuring-apogee-audio-technica--blue/15924


This could be a good option for you at £80 as it also allows you to hook up an instrument via a line in socket as well

http://www.dv247.com/microphones/samson-g-track-usb-condenser-microphone--45797


I would suggest reading some reviews and finding some audio samples

For what you are suggesting this one could be perfect for you as long as you accept the potential limitations

It will definitely allow you to record demos / ideas and I am sure you would be able to get a decent sound out of it