[Craig Watkins]

Hi Everyone
when it comes to home recording I have no idea of what I'm really doing, but I realy wanna learn. There are 100 's of books out there but is there any in popular I should get? I been looking at Home Recording For Dummies but is it any good? I'm a complete newbie at this. Any help would be great all I record with at the moment is a mic st right into the pc

Let's start at the beginning.

[Boydie]

I would suggest spending some time determining EXACTLY what you want to achieve

Once we can establish this we can find the best resources for you - or even get you up and running before you buy a book

In my experience most books assume a basic understanding already

They will often also cover "all bases" so are likely to contain a lot of irrelevant stuff so it could even confuse you more

If you could answer the following questions we can point you in the right direction:

What type of music do you want to be writing/recording?

What instruments will you be using?

How many instruments will you record at the same time? (include each vocal as an instrument)

Do you want to use a PC, Mac, iPad or a standalone recording device?

What is your budget for equipment? - or what equipment do you already have?

Where will you be recording?

Once you answer these questions I can help you a bit more...

[Craig Watkins]

Hi boy die thanks for replying

What type of music do you want to be writing/recording?
I write and record on my acoustic,  I write pop punk / pop / indie music at the moment but open to try any style

What instruments will you be using?
I use acoustic guitar and I'm looking to get a midi keyboard

How many instruments will you record at the same time? (include each vocal as an instrument)
only one for now as I don't know how to do anymore than that lol

Do you want to use a PC, Mac, iPad or a standalone recording device?
I use a PC running windows 7

What is your budget for equipment? - or what equipment do you already have?
I'm looking to do it as cheap as possible for now, I don't wanna buy expensive equipment and not knowing how to use it hahaha

Where will you be recording?
At the moment I'm recording in my bedroom, I'm currently trying to sort out my small garage to turn it into a little studio, but I have way to much stuff lol

[Boydie]

Kewl

I would suggest using a software based DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) on your Windows 7 PC

I personally really like Cakewalk SONAR - but other options to check out include Reaper (probably your cheapest option), Cubase, Studio One etc.

This gives a good round up of the more popular DAWs:

http://ehomerecordingstudio.com/best-daw-software/

For equipment this bundle would get you going and last you a long time:

http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Focusrite-Scarlett-Studio-Recording-Package/P6G?origin=product-ads&utm_campaign=PLA+Shop+-+Focusrite&utm_medium=vertical_search&network=google&adgroup=1+-+Product+Level+-+Focusrite&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=32632d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=87607340959&gclid=Cj0KEQjwhPaqBRDG2uiHzpKLi6ABEiQAk_XXiSrw7HBPzZele7p7W4xsq-m4F2NltBY2b5BYAXQKyYAaAnSS8P8HAQ

This also comes bundled with an "light edition" of Cubase so it may even suit your DAW needs for a while

You can go cheaper but this is a really good quality package at a good price IMHO

[Craig Watkins]

Hahaha its funny you picked that one out I been looking at that one for a few weeks lol. Yeah I'm using Reaper at the moment well trying lol.
thank you for your help

[shadowfax]

Just ask questions on the reaper forum..you'll get lots of help..

[Maltese_Falcon]

I would suggest looking to Graham Cochrane at The Recording Revolution (www.recordingrevolution.com).  He has a huge library of online free tutorials that helped me immensely in the first two years I was studying music production.  Another person to look in to would be Joe Gilder (who funnily enough now works with Graham on some projects over the internet) at Home Studio Corner.  He likewise offers up beginner - expert level videos and blogs on home recording.  Their whole philosophy is that you CAN achieve effective recordings in home studios/on a budget which is an idea I really do get behind.  I'm by no means an expert and am still learning all the time but these two guys are definitely up there for me when it comes to learning the basics and understanding some of the concepts.  

5 key components of a home studio.

A lot of academic books tend to assume you have a lot of prior knowledge and don't fully explain the terms they use, but if you want one that might help Recording & Production Techniques by Paul White is a great one.  I reference it regularly at university.

 

[manninomusic]

Main equipment needed for a recording studio:

1) Audio Interface (Behringer UCA-202 $35)
2) Monitors or headphones (Sony $100)
3) Microphone (Samson C03 or C06) $75
4) DAW: Digital Audio Work Station (Reaper) (Free online)
5) Computer (of course)

This is a list of the main equipment used in a recording studio. Each of these pieces of gear open up a new world for a newbie at recording, meaning the more expensive, the more high end quality you will receive. I would suggest you start low, and learning some techniques on recording. I started with a $35 audio interface (Behringer UCA-202). That was the best $35 I ever spent cause I learned so much.

Above, I have posted the prices of my gear when I started, and the names to go along with it. I spent a little more then $200 to get started not including the computer.

Make sure you research the gear you are about to buy, and all of the details that it offers, VERY IMPORTANT! If you have any questions, just ask!