Gear / Technical Help > Ask The Tapers
Equipment for home recording
Dan33185:
I have a 2 part question, I'm hoping to get equipment that will fit both these needs if possible.
First off, my price range would be under $500
1. I know a local musician who performs covers, but has written some of her own songs she hasn't sang or recorded. I would like to offer the ability for her to record these as low-fi demos basically, and would like to know what all I would need to get the best results. It would be her vocals and guitar, so very minimal. I currently record her live through her SBD with my Tascam DR-60D and get decent results, but am wondering if there is anything that would get better results for demo recordings.
2. I would also like to use the above to record concerts as well, if that's realistic.
I'm wondering if my current equipment can have instruments plugged directly in to it (guitar and mic), or if I would need something more. Also, would I be better off recording her vocals and guitar through the soundboard, or with external mics set close to her?
rocksuitcase:
--- Quote from: Dan33185 on June 06, 2024, 12:57:55 AM ---I have a 2 part question, I'm hoping to get equipment that will fit both these needs if possible.
First off, my price range would be under $500
1. I know a local musician who performs covers, but has written some of her own songs she hasn't sang or recorded. I would like to offer the ability for her to record these as low-fi demos basically, and would like to know what all I would need to get the best results. It would be her vocals and guitar, so very minimal. I currently record her live through her SBD with my Tascam DR-60D and get decent results, but am wondering if there is anything that would get better results for demo recordings.
2. I would also like to use the above to record concerts as well, if that's realistic.
I'm wondering if my current equipment can have instruments plugged directly in to it (guitar and mic), or if I would need something more. Also, would I be better off recording her vocals and guitar through the soundboard, or with external mics set close to her?
--- End quote ---
You will get some good opinions on this. My first one is the deck isn't as important in this scenario as the microphones. When you say, record her vocals and guitar through the soundboard, what microphones are you using A] for the vocals B] for the guitar (additionally-is the guitar going in through a DI box, thus no mic?)
My second point is generic- What I bolded in your last question is the crux of the biscuit. A question asked, and answered by many sound professionals with many different solutions.
My decision would be based on my first questions, what mics are you using? The deck hardly matters unless you need to go Four channel.
opsopcopolis:
If it's just guitar and vocals, and the guitar is going through a DI, you should be fine to record both direct into the DR60d (though you should test that theory.) If (and this is a big if) you can get direct outs from the board, that will be the least intrusive way to do it. If not, splitting from the sources is also an option, but you'd want to make sure that she makes sure the house crew is aware, because they won't love you running around their stage pulling/repatching cables.
The main downside I could see in the 60d is that it only has 2ch of preamps, so if there comes a time when there's more than just guitar/vocals, you won't have room for anything else
Gutbucket:
"I would like to offer the ability for her to record these as low-fi demos.."
"I currently record her live through her SBD with my Tascam DR-60D and get decent results.."
^ The recordings you are making already can serve as demo recordings. Please describe what you and she desires/expects from a demo recording that differs from those recordings. Then our answers can hinge on the particular attributes you and she are looking for in the demo recordings.. accommodating the working process she feels confident with when making them. The gear used is the obvious and easiest thing for us to discuss (Rocksuitcase and opsopcopolis are spot on in their gear suggestions). But since the expectations for the type of demo are subjective, it will help to better nail down the qualities you and she are looking for.
Stuff like..
How important is the live performance aspect to her.. and to the intended audience of the demo?
Is live performance energy and audience interaction one of the more compelling aspects of her particular musical artistry?
^ If so, recording in a way that conveys those kinds of attributes will be important.
Doing that is quite different than the creation of a recording which is does not sound like its a live performance. Something like a "dry upfront and intimate sounding" recording that has close/intimate "in your ear" type vocal delivery and is of its "own little world" which excludes the sound of the environment in which it was made.
Dan33185:
--- Quote from: rocksuitcase on June 06, 2024, 10:25:06 AM ---You will get some good opinions on this. My first one is the deck isn't as important in this scenario as the microphones. When you say, record her vocals and guitar through the soundboard, what microphones are you using A] for the vocals B] for the guitar (additionally-is the guitar going in through a DI box, thus no mic?)
My second point is generic- What I bolded in your last question is the crux of the biscuit. A question asked, and answered by many sound professionals with many different solutions.
My decision would be based on my first questions, what mics are you using? The deck hardly matters unless you need to go Four channel.
--- End quote ---
I'm not sure of the mic she uses, it would most likely just be the same one she uses for shows. She runs her equipment through a Flamma FM10, and I plug in to the "output" on the top right in the image at the link.
--- Quote from: opsopcopolis on June 06, 2024, 12:11:24 PM ---If it's just guitar and vocals, and the guitar is going through a DI, you should be fine to record both direct into the DR60d (though you should test that theory.) If (and this is a big if) you can get direct outs from the board, that will be the least intrusive way to do it. If not, splitting from the sources is also an option, but you'd want to make sure that she makes sure the house crew is aware, because they won't love you running around their stage pulling/repatching cables.
The main downside I could see in the 60d is that it only has 2ch of preamps, so if there comes a time when there's more than just guitar/vocals, you won't have room for anything else
--- End quote ---
For demos and such, I would not being doing them at a venue, rather in a garage/music room, something isolated. It would be just her and her guitar, so for the moment I wouldn't need anything to complicated.
--- Quote from: Gutbucket on June 06, 2024, 12:28:46 PM ---"I would like to offer the ability for her to record these as low-fi demos.."
"I currently record her live through her SBD with my Tascam DR-60D and get decent results.."
^ The recordings you are making already can serve as demo recordings. Please describe what you and she desires/expects from a demo recording that differs from those recordings. Then our answers can hinge on the particular attributes you and she are looking for in the demo recordings.. accommodating the working process she feels confident with when making them. The gear used is the obvious and easiest thing for us to discuss (Rocksuitcase and opsopcopolis are spot on in their gear suggestions). But since the expectations for the type of demo are subjective, it will help to better nail down the qualities you and she are looking for.
Stuff like..
How important is the live performance aspect to her.. and to the intended audience of the demo?
Is live performance energy and audience interaction one of the more compelling aspects of her particular musical artistry?
^ If so, recording in a way that conveys those kinds of attributes will be important.
Doing that is quite different than the creation of a recording which is does not sound like its a live performance. Something like a "dry upfront and intimate sounding" recording that has close/intimate "in your ear" type vocal delivery and is of its "own little world" which excludes the sound of the environment in which it was made.
--- End quote ---
We haven't discussed this yet, I will be seeing her next week and brining it up. I know studio time can be expensive, so I wanted to offer her at least something to lay down songs she's written at no expense to her. I'm sure she'd be satisfied with my current setup I use for her shows, but I figured if I can get even better sound, it would be worth at least investigating. My hope is if something like this goes good, I would love to start something like Western AF for smaller, more local musicians, obviously on a smaller scale than what they do.
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