Guide : DIY Recording Under $50

[blueprintstudios]

This guide was made specially for people who do not want to fork out anymore cash after buying their music instruments and their computers, and just want a really cheap alternative (apart from using handphone soundrecorder to record.) to recording down their song ideas. Enjoy..

[01-GD-WICA (Raw) Audacity Files.zip]
(click on link to download)
Guitar (Aria Pro II LP) > 1/4" cable > 1/4"to1/8" TRS adapter > onboard soundcard.


Vocals (a $8 karaoke mic bought from Cash Converters in 2000/2001) > XLRto1/4"TRS cable > 1/4"to1/8" TRS adapter > onboard soundcard.



Vocal Microphone was handheld singing. What about popfilters and mic stands you may ask? seriously if you intended to compromise recording to this state, you wouldn't bother spending more wasted time to try squeeze the best out of the worst. But if you insist, wear a pantyhose over your head.

P.S : I'm not a guitarist this is my 1st time recording guitar in like 10 years, neither did I pick up the instrument 10 years ago, and this is the only song I know how to play via "powerchords" for now.
I'm not a vocalist either and I was VERY SICK from a persistent flu/cough when I recorded this.But really you can hear me cracking up at the last part cos I hesitated and forgot the lyrics LOL..

DAW : Audacity 1.3 Beta (Unicode) with VST Bridge and 3rd party plugin WWW.1STSTUDIO.BLOGSPOT.COM Ronald Passion Engineering VST : ReGoID

Setting up sound card configuration : Click Start > Run > Sndvol32.exe
http://www.box.net/shared/b93eyckne2

Some problems faced :
- Poor connection due to the adapter.
- because my cables are 3metres in length (not very long) , as it wrapped around my desktop pc it had this heavy interference.
Refer to "PC Interference Buzz + Poor Connection.mp3". by the way, the part which it digital distorted I have already applied a 5% de-amplification so it doesn't blow up your speakers or ears , so it was pretty scary/damaging if it were at its 100% . For the 1st 5 seconds you'll hear heavy interference, then I used a stero extension cable to pull "away" from my CPU and it was a lot better as you can hear.

- "Preamp" gain is very unstable but hey, you wanted cheap right?
- I used Audacity 1.3 Beta because 1.2.6 (supposedly stable) did not work for me. Don't ask me I don't know why.

[02-GD-WICA (Cleaned) Audacity Files.zip]
(click on link to download)
because onboard soundcard records mono. so I'd "split" Stereo track.Delete unused mono (right side).
cleaned using Noise Removal and CTRL-L Silence.

[03-GD-WICA (Processed) Audacity Files.zip]
(click on link to download)
I adjusted -6db on the guitars, and -2 on the vocals cos it was kinda clippy.
I used 1ststudio.blogspot.com Ronald Passion Engineering VST : ReGoID (Drive 900 Preset) for the guitars.
I used Leveller Plugin on the vocals Moderate preset.I couldn't find a decent reverb or anything, GVerb sounded like I was singing with my face in the toiletbowl. so I decided to leave it as is.

So how did it turn out? You can download the Demo Mp3 Here.

In case you're asking about others like Bass , Drums (if you got your own drumset) etc, look at your setup now? you have a 1/4" jack cable for recording Direct Input , and a microphone recording function. if something such as a keyboard has 1/4" output ,use it. if something that requires miking, use your mic.
-------------------
Requirements : Any computer/laptop beyond Pentium 3 I guess, although the last time I did this was using an earphone plugged into the mic input in 1998.. I'm using Windows XP.

Note : Mac users , you may use GarageBand or something else whatever you have that does the same.

Credits : Thanks to 1st Studio for the amazing FREE amp simulation VST and Audacity for the FREE DAW and thank you readers of www.soft.com.sg for reading

-Ron (www.blueprintstudios.org)

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

Steady, Sticky this, should.

[kongwee]

When you wrap round a cable that received AC signal. You are creating induction for your signal. Simply you are creating low pass filter for your cable. A single round can cause induction already.

[blueprintstudios]

induction is very affordable compromise at under $50. infact under $30.

[kongwee]

There will be a phase shift too. Simply the voltage and current are not in phase. So it will decrease the signal transfer. Inductive and capitative are the "resistance" in AC signal. In proper term it is reactance. Reactance combine with resistance of the cable. We call it impedance.

[blueprintstudios]

whatever-that-was is very affordable compromise at under $30.

[jeremyspk]

I started off something like that.

But Ron, that sound is really very good for under $50.
Mine was really crappy. I guess DAW plays a very big part.

[blueprintstudios]

hey thanks jeremy, erm , I have no idea man, what I did in detail is just track guitars DI twice and hand held singing, normal hard pan in DAW (for this project, I used Audacity which is free to simulate for anyone to use). I don't think it's a DAW thing cos compression mixing wise I only used audacity's leveller and guitar ran through the free VST.

[Gates]

Hi guys. Am completely new to recording. However.. I acquired a macbook pro recently.

So if i want to do some recording with my guitar, it goes like.. guitar>cable>the 1/4 inch plug>macbook via garage band?

I'm still quite confused over what to get so would appreciate if you guys help me with a list of things to do.

On a side note, are there any good tutorals for garageband besides the one on the mac website?

Thanks!

[kongwee]

Guitar-> 1/4" to 1/8" cable-> Macbook.

Or

Guitar -> 1/4" cable -> 1/4"-18" adaptor -> Macbook.