How to set up a very basic but effective home recording studio?

July 9, 2013 3:47 PM

My partner is a talented singer (mainly folk) and I want to make some recordings of her for friends and perhaps for a wider audience. I'll start simple, with equipment I already have: a Windows laptop, a Logitech usb desktop microphone, and a pair of MS Lifechat LX-3000 headphones. My question is whether anyone has any advice as to how I can the best results with such limited equipment -- e.g., what software to use (free preferably - I'm on a budget); how to set things up so the singer can hear the instrumental track without it being recorded on the vocal track; how to combine the vocal and instrumental tracks; and perhaps what (low cost) equipment to consider buying. I'd be very grateful for any help.
posted by kitfreeman to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

The absolutely free software you can try is Audacity.

I would recommend Reaper, which is free for a month, after which, even though you ought to pay for it ($60), it won't stop working. There's a little nag box when you start up, but you can carry on for as long as you like.

These programs will give you as much as you need in terms of software and more. They are capable of many more things, but your questions ("how to set things up so the singer can hear the instrumental track without it being recorded on the vocal track", "how to combine the vocal and instrumental tracks") are sort of the equivalent of "How can I make some text bold in a word processor?" i.e. the very basics, the answers to which will become apparent very shortly after you start.

You can try these, immediately, with the equipment you have and see whether you're happy with this setup. You'll be able to make pretty decent lo-fi recording even with your USB mic.

It's likely you'll want to add a better audio interface and a better microphone when you really get going. Even then, you don't need to spend a lot of money.
posted by cincinnatus c at 4:31 PM on July 9, 2013 [5 favorites]

I know this might seem like a cop-out answer, but because knowledge is as much of a necessity as gear when you're getting started recording, getting a little input from someone who knows what they're doing and can tell you exactly how to make the most out of what you've got can be utterly invaluable. And really, although the internet is amazing at problem-solving with tech, every recording setup is so unique that this is a situation where having someone physically sit with you is so much better if you can get it.

Do you know anyone who works with sound recording? Can you call in any favours or buy someone dinner for a couple of hours of their time? A lot of people are glad to share their knowledge and flattered to be asked. If you happen to be in London, I'd exchange recording advice for cake and a good cup of earl grey any day!
posted by greenish at 4:42 PM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Reaper is much better than Audacity, I use it in a professional setting every day. Audacity is fine, but limited.

I'd say you will want to invest in a better USB mic, one that is meant for recording. There are several that the BLUE mic company makes, and I'm sure lots of others. This is where you should invest your money. You can do better than a USB mic, but you will need to purchase a mic and separate audio interface (which is a good idea if you want to continue to record long term and get better results, but not needed if you just want to dip your toes in the water right now).

I'd also suggest once you get going to find someone to give you a few hours of recording lessons, which will help you out immensely. I do this in the Seattle area, and I can get someone going from the point where they don't know anything all the way to being able to record and use FX in a couple of hours, and that would have otherwise taken them weeks to figure out. You can probably find someone locally on craigslist.
posted by markblasco at 4:57 PM on July 9, 2013 [2 favorites]

I second Audacity.

My impression is that you'll never want to record more than one thing at a time, or at most, guitar playing and singing at the same time. If you're willing to spend some money, this microphone will probably be a decent upgrade over the logitech.

If you ever find a need to record more than one thing at a time, though, you might need an audio interface like this. It also comes with some software to use for recording that's a step up from the (awesome) audacity. You'd also need a microphone to go with this.
posted by lownote at 5:00 PM on July 9, 2013 [2 favorites]

You could definitely begin with Audacity. You open a new audio track. You record an instrument (you didn't say how many instruments or what instruments she will be using) on the track. Then if she's going to sing over that instrumental track, what you do is plug the headphones into the laptop. She puts them on. You open a second audio track. She records her voice through the microphone while hearing the instrumental track through the headphones (this way the instrument doesn't get recorded again or pollute her vocal track with feedback).

That said, there may be things that go wrong, so try it and see what happens. I graduated to a more complex set-up using one of those audio interfaces and Ableton Live, which is expensive and complicated, and it was an ENORMOUS amount to work to get everything working. I had to make my sound card (Control Panel --> Sounds --> Audio --> Input) (something like that) recognize the audio interface; Then I had to futz around with things called "buffers" and other settings; I had to make Ableton recognize the interface; and many many other things requiring numerous phone calls to both Ableton and Lexicon (the maker of my interface) that took hours of time.

So... try your simple mic with Audacity first and see if it's enough!
posted by DMelanogaster at 5:21 PM on July 9, 2013 [2 favorites]

Seconding greenish, what you’re asking is nearly exactly like saying "I’d like to make a movie, where do I start?"

I’d get a book or video lessons on recording. Groove3 makes some great lessons. As far as software, Tracktion is being produced again after being gone for a while. It doesn’t get much simpler, but there is going to be some kind of learning curve if you want to make good recordings, especially using a computer.

An easier solution with much less of a learning curve and technical issues is to use dedicated hardware. There are all kinds of inexpensive all-in-one units out there now. But they still cost money.
posted by bongo_x at 7:48 PM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

In doing something similar, I found the very trickiest thing to it, and the least fun, was lining up the tracks so they synced perfectly. If your singer plays a guitar track, then you play back that track on earphones while she records the singing track, they won't be perfectly aligned. You'll need to magnify and make tiny adjustments until you don't notice the timelag any more.

I used Audacity, and then Krystal Audio Engine, and don't know about Reaper. Also, this was a generation ago in software time. I thought KRystal was a lot more powerful and had a lot more of the effects and tweaks you want in music recording, though a teeny bit harder to learn. It was a little more similar to analog soundboard or a 4-track if you have ever worked with those back in the day. I would try whatever people recommend and record some throwaway stuff on each, to learn what interface you like. It's a real thing that some of the more powerful/effective software can be a bit too much for a home recording person looking for a simple result, even if audiophiles who do this stuff a lot really like it.
posted by Miko at 8:10 PM on July 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Miko mentioning Kristal Audio Engine reminds me that, although Kristal itself hasn't been updated since 2004, it did go on to form the basis of the program I use, Studio One. I use the Professional version, which costs around $300, but Miko's link reminded me that there is actually a free version too. I find Studio One more pleasant and flexible to use than anything I've tried before, so that might be something else to try.
posted by cincinnatus c at 1:58 AM on July 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Many thanks to everyone who replied. Your advice and suggestions were most useful, and I've now got a good idea how to make a start.

Special thanks to greenish for his generous offer of help. I'm afraid I'm not in London, but in Crete, where good tea and Victoria sponge are not so easy to find. However, you'd be most welcome to visit for Greek coffee and baklava if you're ever in this part of the world!

Thanks again.
posted by kitfreeman at 1:57 PM on July 10, 2013