Is it possible to get a good sound with min equip?

[cyagi]

Hi everyone. I have a small recording setup at home initially used to get ideas down to give to my bandmates to learn new songs. I recently spent the money to record my full CD at a professional studio where we pretty much mic'd everything (drums, amps, etc.) and I was happy with the end result.As I get new ideas, I'm wondering if I might be able to record and mix a good sound suitable for some of the Taxi listings, or if I should just go to the recording studio to cut some tracks? My low-budget home studio is comprised of a PC running Cubase LE. I have a Tascam US-122, an MXL 990 and an ART preamp. For the most part, my songs are based around an acoustic guitar and my vocals. However, I do want to integrate bass (I have a Sans Amp that I can plug directly in) and drums (would something like addictive drums work?).Anyone have any thoughts on if I can make due with what I've got? If not, any suggestions on what else would be necessary to help me out?Thanks!

[ibanez468]

Curt,The tools you have are good enough to pump out some tunes for the listings. I have a few of those same exact tools myself. Just make sure you get the best recordings of your signals as you possibly can. That should translate to an easier time at mixing. HTH.I-468

[kouly]

It comes down to the engineer. If your chops are good enough then you can get away with an 8 track. I would look for online resources and of course you can ask specific questions here. There are quite a number of good engineers on the board.

[devin]

Hey cyagi!Better folks than I have said to "get as good as you can get with what you already have". I think some amazing things can be done with a minimal amount of equipment. By the time you've discovered the true liitations of what you've got, you'll be able to pick the next piece of gear with confidence (especially if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where you can rent stuff before trying it).Here's a quirky little track that I've always been proud of to prove the point. It won't pay any bills, but it's just hooky enough to get a few smiles. I recorded it with a laptop in 2001, a rented AKG-3000 mic, an m-audio mobile pre, and running the first version of Sonar. That's almost as ghetto as it gets!(note: for some reason, it doesn't launch from Taxi...curse you techno gremlins! If you cut and paste this address into another browser, it works fine).http://www.angelfire.com/funky/devsongs ... 302.mp3P.S. Please forgive the banjo playing...it took me all weekend to learn how to play that poorly!!!!

[milfus]

hey man, fancy gear makes it easier, not possibleyoud be surprised what you can do with a good audio book, learn how to gain stage, and your mic placement techniques, and sound treat a spot when you record (this can be done with pillows and comforters to get it to a broadcast level) and a few mixing skills to polish that up, and youd be amazed with the quality, might take some more time and work, but you have all you need, just study up some and get better stuff as your skills demand

[davekershaw]

Yo Devin!You really let that banjo rip at 2:42 eh!and yeah, clicking the Taxi link freezes up my browser, but cutting and pasting does work. Thanks for that tip.Dave.

[billg]

Hi Curt, your basic set-up is fine for what you want to do. Your vocal mic, guitar mic(s) and mic pre/compressor are the things that are hard to deal with on a budget. Last year I went through 3 mics before I found one that I liked with my voice. To add to the problem, each mic sounds different with each mic pre. It takes some experimenting but it's the most important thing (other than skill & luck!).

[cyagi]

I really appreciate all the information and am excited to continue learning about recording and mixing. Sounds like some great advice from some very experienced folks. I've been trying to do as much research as I can, but am a bit overwhelmed and intimidated with all the resources (I was a computer science major in college for heaven's sake). A couple questions...- If there was one or two areas to start focusing on, what would that/they be (e.g. mic placement, eq, compression, etc.)?- If you have any good books or online resources you can forward to me, that would be great.- Which drum software have people had the most success with?Thanks again for everyone's response. I am a new member of Taxi and submitted my first batch of postings last month. I'm excited to record and submit some more.Curt

[davekershaw]

Hi Curt,I'm new to it all myself, so I'm sure others will give you more information than I can; but regarding online resources, I found this site very useful:http://www.tweakheadz.comIt's a very comprehensive site, and has a great section on building a recording studio, based on various budgets. It helped me choose my first system.Good luck with your first batch of submissions.Dave.

[slideboardouts]

Apr 19, 2008, 7:51am, cyagi wrote:- If there was one or two areas to start focusing on, what would that/they be (e.g. mic placement, eq, compression, etc.)?IMO (though I am by no means a great engineer) I would learn them in the order you listed. Mic placement is really important as you want to get the best recording possible before mixing (crap in=crap out).Learning a little bit about EQ will not only help your mixes sound better but in my experience it has made my composition and arrangement skills better as well.-Steve