Ask Dave - Home Recording Question Archive

10: category = Home Recording
budget = $ ?//
WhatIHave = List all your exsiting hardware/software.

Please be very detailed.

question = Be Detailed Please.
I would like to know if I buy a digital mixer , will I still have to do the mix down on a pc ? I\'m new at this, I though if I\'m recording a 5 piece band I  would\'nt have to do a master mix . Is this right or wrong? I \'m just think of doing this on the side for  small bands.
karen

Well ultimately it depends on what you're looking at.  If it's one of the all in one machine deals with a digital mixer, most of them will record to a cd directly or save the file on the machine.  Some of them integrate with the computer and some others are computer based recording systems that are simply controlled by the digital mixer.

Mixing to the pc is generally the best option in most examples, especially if you're recording in 24 bit.  If you burn directly to an audio cd, the standard format for audio cds is 16 bit which means you need to dither it to that.  If you ever intend to send something for mastering, you're better off mixing to a pc and keeping it 24 bit and burning that as a data cd for the mastering house.

The above is based on certain everyday circumstances and can change a lot depending on what you're doing and what you're using to do it.  This is just the most common way.

Good Luck,
Dave

11: category = Home Recording
budget = UpTo1000
WhatIHave =
Name = Sal D\'Angelo

question = If I am solely worried about vocal recording, and not TOO rich.. Do u recommend a Shure KSM 27 mic ran thru the USB Mbox (the one approx $450) into Pro Tools? Lemme know.. peace

Actually I would recommend the rode nt1 (or the anniversary edition of it nt1a---apparently an improved design)  It's a great mic and it's $100 bucks less.  You won't be disapointed.  Take the $100 and buy some Sony MDR 7506 headphones for recording and mixing---They are extremely accurate----mixing to accurate monitoring is SOOO important and always overlooked.  You should be able to find the rode nt1a and the heaphones on the homemusicrecording.com site.

Good Luck with protools, you'll love it.
Dave

12: category = Home Recording
budget = $100
WhatIHave = I have a 2.8 Ghz system with 5.1 surround sound built on assus motherboard.
Name = rob
 
question = I have hundreds of LP\'s and old cassettes that I would like to record digitally  to CD.  What do I need as far as hardware and software?  Is it possible to go direct from stereo output with the two RCA plugs, to a y\'adapter with 1/8\" line input?

 I beleive you need to buy some kind of phono preamp in order to amplify the signal correctly...otherwise it won't sound as good as it can. You can buy one here: Phono Preamp

Most cd recording software has functions for doing what you want to do and will include mastering function in order to remove noise, clicks and pops as well as overall level changes.

Good Luck,
Dave

 

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