Musician Gear & Tech Discussion

Hi, i started a band, my biggest dream is recording my own music, but i dont have any idea on where i should start recording, I have a guitar, a condenser mic and a pretty cheap amp (im saving money for upgrades but i dont have any atm) i wanted to record with pedal effects but i dont have none either and in my country they are pretty expensive, i know i should start buying one by one, but i dont want to lose time, i downloaded bias fx but i dont know how to record it properly, i tried with audacity but it sounds horrible, i have an audio interface behringer uca222 but i dont know how to use it either, some advice on how to start would be really helpful, thanks

For a start that UCA-222 is not what you need - The UCA222 features two analog mono inputs for connecting any line-level device, such as a mixer or tape deck, and two analog mono outputs for connecting active speakers or studio monitors.

You need an audio interface that will supply 24 volt phantom power for the condenser mic and/or has an instrument-level input for plugging in your guitar.

Homerecording is not for those who have little money, it's a long road with more gear needed for some time - decent monitor speakers, acoustic treatment, a real DAW (not Auadacity), like Reaper, which is the cheapest full-feature DAW, but if you buy a good USB audio interface, it usually comes with a limited-edition DAW of some type.

Ooooooh MikeB - that’s a pretty discouraging post baby!

Guido, if you have the passion for it then you should get started recording ASAP. There are many different ways to record on many different devices, from your phone, via tablets to lappies and desktops. There are even still a few hardware multitrack recorders around!

My suggestion would be to head on over to the ‘Sound on Sound’ forum where you’ll get all the friendly, sensible support that you need.

Incidentally Mike is right - your Berry AI has no mic preamps which you will need to hook up your mic - but there are many ways in which you may remedy that depending on your budget and what other kit you already own.

He’s also right when he says one can spend a lot of money, but you can certainly record to a great standard VERY cheaply nowadays.

Good luck and get on with it Guido .........

Kindest

Simon

Hello Simon, I suspect 'Guido' was a "drive by" and will never return to this forum.
Rather than SoS - whose users tend to offer $$$$ solutions, the forums at homerecording.com can provide more fundamental information for the beginner, but there are tons of websites telling people the starting points.

Thanks for the replies, I thought i wouldnt get any replies, i just made a band last week, and tought i could buy a scarlett 2i2 to record our equipment its pretty afordable in my opinion, i was wondering, (im 17 i dont work, i study so i dont have any money) i have to save for a long time so i can buy something ''big'' or even a pedal, so my question is, should i buy a nice amp or pedals first? wich ones do you guys recommend? I mean i just started with bands and this kind of things so i know nothing, any help would be really useful, thanks in advance and sorry for my english im not from Uruguay

Amp first, if the goal is 'playing in a band'. I doubt its different in Uruguay, but for small bands in the US, the guitarists are rarely plugged into the PA system for their sound.
A decent amp (what amp depends on the type of music you are playing, the style and sound you want) is always going to be useful. If you are playing in a band that has an acoustic drummer, and a bass player, you're mostly going to need at least a 25 watt tube amp or 100 watt solid state amp.
Most people will advise a tube amp, but they are quite a bit more expensive than SS amps. There are some decent choices for SS amps - specially for beginners - these days, and most of them offer built-in effects that eliminate the need for stompbox pedals.

Maybe check out the Sound Devices MixPre-10M. All you need is your instrument, a mic and a set of headphones and you'll be able to overdub great sounding multitrack songs within minutes. Includes really exceptional mic pre's and effects.

Hi. I know where you are at, because once upon a long time ago, I had nothing for resources. What I did, for whatever it is worth, was to just focus on my objectives, get an income source-like a job-and save your money. NOW... While you are doing that, get as much reading material as you can get on recording technique, talk to as many people associated with that business as you can find, go either on line, to the library, to get as much information and learning as you can, because, as you will realize some day, time moves very quickly-it is a thief! Oh, and trust me, you will get to where you want to go here; it just takes time-and it sounds like you are on the young side; so I will chance it and say you have a whole life ahead of you.
One more thing: Get exposed to as much music as you can. By that, I mean different genres, such as jazz, country, etc. And in terms of getting better, there is s a very good guitarist named Larry Carlton, and to quote him: "Practice what you must; play what you love".

You can also use usb microphone. Few of them are very easy to use and not expensive, like these
https://musicsquare.co.uk/171389_Marantz-MPM1000U-USB-condenser-microphone.html
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C1mUSB--behringer-c-1u-studio-condenser-usb-microphone

Try BIAS. It's a powerfull plugin for electric guitars and bases. I'm use it 3 years. But you need a high performance sound card! Read this information https://musiety.com/the-best-audio-interfaces/