How Do I Help My Teenage Child Record Music?
December 10, 2018 8:36 AM Subscribe
My 14 year old child plays piano, violin, baritone horn, and is also taking voice lessons. What would I buy if I wanted to set them up with the ability to do some basic home recording and music production as a Christmas present?
They already have an electric piano, although I don't know whether or not it has a MIDI interface...that's something I'm going to check tonight. Also, I'm not certain that "a MIDI interface" is the correct way to describe whatever feature it is that a piano either has or does not have, that enables it to work with music software. And that's another thing...what software would we be talking about? Is it ProTools? What version?
I assume a microphone is in order. What's a good entry level mic? How do I see to it that THAT can interface with their computer? And while we're on the subject, what sort of specs would that computer need to have? What other components/accessories am I not thinking of? Can I get this put together for less than, say, $500? $1000? Kit me, metafilter!
They already have an electric piano, although I don't know whether or not it has a MIDI interface...that's something I'm going to check tonight. Also, I'm not certain that "a MIDI interface" is the correct way to describe whatever feature it is that a piano either has or does not have, that enables it to work with music software. And that's another thing...what software would we be talking about? Is it ProTools? What version?
I assume a microphone is in order. What's a good entry level mic? How do I see to it that THAT can interface with their computer? And while we're on the subject, what sort of specs would that computer need to have? What other components/accessories am I not thinking of? Can I get this put together for less than, say, $500? $1000? Kit me, metafilter!
Great answers from bradf above. That Zoom is a good idea, because your kid can use it with or without the computer. Being able to take something like that with me all the time and record...well...everything would have been LIFE ALTERING to young me. Sweetwater.com is a perfect place to order the stuff. Be sure to look at the related accessories.
Unless your kid's keyboard is a toy (and maybe even then), it should have MIDI capabilities. Keyboards often use USB for MIDI now. If this is true, you won't need a separate MIDI interface.
Depending on whether your kid is into electronic music or note, this Arturia keyboard is the deal of the century, as it comes with the basic versions of Arturia's incredibly awesome classic synth emulations. Or, a slightly bigger version might be better if your kid actually likes to play keyboard instruments. (The tiny keyboards are really not great as instruments...more like note entry devices.)
If you have more input on what sort of music your kid likes, it might be helpful. There's a lot of specialized gear out there!
posted by nosila at 9:42 AM on December 10, 2018
Unless your kid's keyboard is a toy (and maybe even then), it should have MIDI capabilities. Keyboards often use USB for MIDI now. If this is true, you won't need a separate MIDI interface.
Depending on whether your kid is into electronic music or note, this Arturia keyboard is the deal of the century, as it comes with the basic versions of Arturia's incredibly awesome classic synth emulations. Or, a slightly bigger version might be better if your kid actually likes to play keyboard instruments. (The tiny keyboards are really not great as instruments...more like note entry devices.)
If you have more input on what sort of music your kid likes, it might be helpful. There's a lot of specialized gear out there!
posted by nosila at 9:42 AM on December 10, 2018
I'm not certain that "a MIDI interface" is the correct way to describe whatever feature it is that a piano either has or does not have, that enables it to work with music software.
MIDI is you're thinking of - it's a text based protocol that allows computers and music devices to communicate (e.g. "I just played middle C for 3.2 seconds" or "Play middle C for 3.2 seconds." Traditionally it was carried via a 5 pin DIN cable which requires an interface to plug into your computer, though many modern devices support MIDI on USB that you can just directly connect.
At that age, I wouldn't spend a ton of money initially until they demonstrate they're going to actively use it.
I'd look at something like the Presonus AudioBox 96 Studio. You can get it for under $200 if you shop around and it has a decent starter mic, audio interface (that has MIDI as well as the ability to record using line inputs and microphones), software that handles MIDI and audio recording, and a cheap pair of headphones. Nothing in it is going to be anything to write home about but it's all competent.
Add a boom mic stand or two - they are something that I really prefer to buy for life as the cheap ones fail and if you do get nicer mics, having an expensive mic hit the floor and break because you bought a cheap boom is a lousy feeling. I personally go with Konig & Meyer but there's other good ones out there.
The included mic in the above package will be reasonable for most of the applications but you might also want to get a dynamic mic. (The Presonus is a condenser.) They work on different principles and have different sounds. The gold standard starter mic is the Shure SM-57 or SM-58. They're the same core mic, just the windscreen varies. The 58 is ostensibly better for vocals but they both work fine for it and the 57 is a little cheaper. Pic up an extra mic cable to go with it (the type of cable you need is XLR Male to XLR Female).
That puts you at somewhere around $300.
If you want a stretch goal and they'll be recording an acoustic piano, being able to record a stereo image is good. I'd consider a pair of Audio-Technica AT-2021s or MXL 603Ss or 993s for the purpose (the latter two only if you can get them down to about $60 - I wouldn't pay $100 for them) and a stereo XY bar similar to this. That'll necessitate an extra mic cable or two
what sort of specs would that computer need to have
Almost anything from the past few years will be fine for starting out. We were recording a dozen or more tracks on first generation Celerons nearly two decades ago. If CPU power becomes an obstacle, you can consider upgrading but you should be fine.
The portable recorder idea upthread isn't a bad one either.
posted by Candleman at 9:55 AM on December 10, 2018
MIDI is you're thinking of - it's a text based protocol that allows computers and music devices to communicate (e.g. "I just played middle C for 3.2 seconds" or "Play middle C for 3.2 seconds." Traditionally it was carried via a 5 pin DIN cable which requires an interface to plug into your computer, though many modern devices support MIDI on USB that you can just directly connect.
At that age, I wouldn't spend a ton of money initially until they demonstrate they're going to actively use it.
I'd look at something like the Presonus AudioBox 96 Studio. You can get it for under $200 if you shop around and it has a decent starter mic, audio interface (that has MIDI as well as the ability to record using line inputs and microphones), software that handles MIDI and audio recording, and a cheap pair of headphones. Nothing in it is going to be anything to write home about but it's all competent.
Add a boom mic stand or two - they are something that I really prefer to buy for life as the cheap ones fail and if you do get nicer mics, having an expensive mic hit the floor and break because you bought a cheap boom is a lousy feeling. I personally go with Konig & Meyer but there's other good ones out there.
The included mic in the above package will be reasonable for most of the applications but you might also want to get a dynamic mic. (The Presonus is a condenser.) They work on different principles and have different sounds. The gold standard starter mic is the Shure SM-57 or SM-58. They're the same core mic, just the windscreen varies. The 58 is ostensibly better for vocals but they both work fine for it and the 57 is a little cheaper. Pic up an extra mic cable to go with it (the type of cable you need is XLR Male to XLR Female).
That puts you at somewhere around $300.
If you want a stretch goal and they'll be recording an acoustic piano, being able to record a stereo image is good. I'd consider a pair of Audio-Technica AT-2021s or MXL 603Ss or 993s for the purpose (the latter two only if you can get them down to about $60 - I wouldn't pay $100 for them) and a stereo XY bar similar to this. That'll necessitate an extra mic cable or two
what sort of specs would that computer need to have
Almost anything from the past few years will be fine for starting out. We were recording a dozen or more tracks on first generation Celerons nearly two decades ago. If CPU power becomes an obstacle, you can consider upgrading but you should be fine.
The portable recorder idea upthread isn't a bad one either.
posted by Candleman at 9:55 AM on December 10, 2018
The Zoom H4N is a neat piece of kit. It's a standalone recorder, so they can use it without a computer and take it with them to school/rehearsals/gigs/friends or whatever, and then come back and edit the resulting recordings, but it can also plug directly into a computer to let you do "online" recording right into Garage Band (it acts like a stereo USB microphone). Which also makes it good for podcasts and a lot of other applications.
I have always liked Tascam gear, but AFAIK none of their inexpensive recorders will do the online USB recording trick. The Tascam DR-40, which I own, is a great little recorder but only supports the more traditional workflow where you record, then transfer the recordings into your DAW to edit. That's fine for what I do as an amateur recordist, and tends to be fine if what you're looking to do is produce a true-to-life recording of a live event, but it's not what a lot of modern musicians want—if you want to lay down track after track directly into a DAW and build up a song, it's a lot of screwing around.
And a mini recorder like the H4N is generally just a handy thing to have around. Even if the kid doesn't get super into recording music, you may find it's useful. I use mine pretty frequently to record audio while taking video on my cellphone (modern phones record great video but terrible audio) and then stick the two back together. Heck, a good USB mic can even make your Skype calls sound better.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:49 AM on December 10, 2018
I have always liked Tascam gear, but AFAIK none of their inexpensive recorders will do the online USB recording trick. The Tascam DR-40, which I own, is a great little recorder but only supports the more traditional workflow where you record, then transfer the recordings into your DAW to edit. That's fine for what I do as an amateur recordist, and tends to be fine if what you're looking to do is produce a true-to-life recording of a live event, but it's not what a lot of modern musicians want—if you want to lay down track after track directly into a DAW and build up a song, it's a lot of screwing around.
And a mini recorder like the H4N is generally just a handy thing to have around. Even if the kid doesn't get super into recording music, you may find it's useful. I use mine pretty frequently to record audio while taking video on my cellphone (modern phones record great video but terrible audio) and then stick the two back together. Heck, a good USB mic can even make your Skype calls sound better.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:49 AM on December 10, 2018
The modern Tascam handheld recorders can operate as USB mics like the Zooms.
posted by Candleman at 11:00 AM on December 10, 2018
posted by Candleman at 11:00 AM on December 10, 2018
I got a lot of use out of my Zoom H4n for recording myself (for self-criticism, practice, or sharing with friends) and band shows and rehearsals. It's especially great for music lessons--you can go back and hear exactly what your teacher demonstrated for you instead of relying on written notes and faulty memory.
I was less impressed with it as a USB interface. Not only is the latency quite high, but it varies quite a bit from one use to the next (95ms to 270ms in my experiments).
Not a problem until they try to do something like record a piano accompaniment, then record a violin part. The two tracks will end up out of sync with each other. There's no way to compensate automatically since the latency varies so much. So they'll end up trying to line up the two recordings by trial-and-error, and it's an annoying process.
That's only a problem if you use it as a USB interface and record to a laptop. The H4n also has its own built-in 4-track recording features. No latency issues in that case, but I found multitrack recording a little cumbersome with the Zoom's limited user interface. I think that job's much better suited for a laptop, where you can see the tracks on a big screen, select with the mouse, etc.
I decided I didn't need the H4n's other features, I just wanted something I could turn on and hit record. So after I lost the H4n recently (alas) I replaced it with its little sibling (the H1n). So now I have the H1n for band rehearsals, and a separate midi interface (a Scarlett 2i2) that I use for home laptop recording.
Perhaps the newer Zooms have more predictable latency, I don't know. The H4n has been discontinued and replaced by a newer model (the H4n Pro). And I haven't tested the H1n's USB interface latency yet.
posted by bfields at 1:44 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
I was less impressed with it as a USB interface. Not only is the latency quite high, but it varies quite a bit from one use to the next (95ms to 270ms in my experiments).
Not a problem until they try to do something like record a piano accompaniment, then record a violin part. The two tracks will end up out of sync with each other. There's no way to compensate automatically since the latency varies so much. So they'll end up trying to line up the two recordings by trial-and-error, and it's an annoying process.
That's only a problem if you use it as a USB interface and record to a laptop. The H4n also has its own built-in 4-track recording features. No latency issues in that case, but I found multitrack recording a little cumbersome with the Zoom's limited user interface. I think that job's much better suited for a laptop, where you can see the tracks on a big screen, select with the mouse, etc.
I decided I didn't need the H4n's other features, I just wanted something I could turn on and hit record. So after I lost the H4n recently (alas) I replaced it with its little sibling (the H1n). So now I have the H1n for band rehearsals, and a separate midi interface (a Scarlett 2i2) that I use for home laptop recording.
Perhaps the newer Zooms have more predictable latency, I don't know. The H4n has been discontinued and replaced by a newer model (the H4n Pro). And I haven't tested the H1n's USB interface latency yet.
posted by bfields at 1:44 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Zooms are great, but to suggest another possible route:
You can get a decent entry-level interface for $150, a Shure SM57 for $100, a stand for $25, and a good XLR cable for under $20. There's a cheaper Scarlett with only one XLR channel, but if you start with two you'll be able to add a mic or line later.
Garageband should already be installed if you have a Mac; I don't know of a Windows equivalent simplicity-wise, but Cakewalk and Reaper are free-to-try, powerful Digital Audio Workstations.
The nice thing about the Scarlett interface and the SM57 is they'll both hold most of their value - if kid keeps recording they'll probably want to sell the Scarlett and upgrade at some point, but the SM57 is a workhorse mic that shows up in professional studios around the world.
The nice thing about Garageband is that it's simple, easy-to-learn, and shares many UX features with Apple's grown-up DAW, Logic Pro. So if they get used to doing things in GB there's an easy learning curve from there to one of the most popular DAWs on the market.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:52 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
You can get a decent entry-level interface for $150, a Shure SM57 for $100, a stand for $25, and a good XLR cable for under $20. There's a cheaper Scarlett with only one XLR channel, but if you start with two you'll be able to add a mic or line later.
Garageband should already be installed if you have a Mac; I don't know of a Windows equivalent simplicity-wise, but Cakewalk and Reaper are free-to-try, powerful Digital Audio Workstations.
The nice thing about the Scarlett interface and the SM57 is they'll both hold most of their value - if kid keeps recording they'll probably want to sell the Scarlett and upgrade at some point, but the SM57 is a workhorse mic that shows up in professional studios around the world.
The nice thing about Garageband is that it's simple, easy-to-learn, and shares many UX features with Apple's grown-up DAW, Logic Pro. So if they get used to doing things in GB there's an easy learning curve from there to one of the most popular DAWs on the market.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:52 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
A basic USB MIDI interface, like this one from Roland will allow them to use the electric piano as an input device (assuming it has a MIDI out port).
As far as software, you can get Cakewalk for free (windows only), or use Garageband on a Mac.
posted by bradf at 9:02 AM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]