The process of recording guitar is actually quite simple. But if you are interested
in listening to what you have recorded - I mean really listening -
then you will need to make some additional investments. As I said in the previous
section, this article is not meant for guitarists who plan on listening to their
recordings on cheap computer speakers...
You want to record yourself and show the world how great you sound, right?
You can spend all the money you want on a great guitar, a great amp and a great
speaker cab, but the ultimate question that we are about to answer is, how do
we get that great sound on a computer? So let's look at the tools:
Microphones
I used to record with all sorts of gadgets that were designed to mimic a mic'd
cab. After a while they all started sounding the same and so I ventured into
the world of microphones and never looked back. The good news is, you don't
need to spend a lot of money to get a good mic, especially if you are recording
electric guitar, because one of the most successfully used microphones in the
history of guitar is the
Shure SM57
 . Of course, there are many other mics available and so feel free to
check out a variety of other mics
 .
Be sure to buy mic cables (sometimes referred to as XLR cables) and stands
as well!
Preamps
A microphone signal is very weak and needs to be boosted before it can be recorded.
That is where the preamp comes into the picture. There are a lot of soundcards
with built in pre-amps, but in my experience, these built in preamps leave a
lot to be desired for several reasons, one being that they don't have a lot
of gain. If you are recording at a low volume, you definitely want a preamp
that has a good amount of gain so that you get a good recording signal level.
Here are some options that will suit your needs:
These are in the $120-$200 range. I wish I could recommend something for under
$100, but mic preamps for under $100 are going to be of very suspect quality...
Of course, if you can afford more for a mic, then click
here to see a variety of mic preamps
 .
Regardless of what preamp you choose, I would recommend buying one that has
at least 2 inputs because the recording technique that I will describe later
requires that you can record from two mics at the same time.
Soundcards
Over the past few years, many manufacturers have designed inexpensive, high
quality soundcards. Below is a listing of several manufactuers who have excellent
reputations. Whether you spend $100 or $1000, these manufacturers won't let
you down.
Of the four, M-Audio has the widest selection, with several products for just
over $100. Each manufacturer sells cards that work with popular computer interfaces
such as USB
,
Firewire
and PCI/Desktop
.
Speakers
I am afraid that $20 computer speakers just won't do... One of the most overlooked
aspects of recording is the playback speaker! In order to assess how your recording
truly sounds, then you need to have speakers that will allow you to hear your
music for what it really is. That is where so called monitor speakers come into
play. And as is the case with soundcards, several manufacturers have come up
with affordable speakers that will accurately reveal your music. Below is a
listing of these manufacturers.
When browsing various speakers, you will see some labeled as Active (or Powered)
and others as Passive. It is the Active or Powered type you want. The manufacturers
above have offerings starting around $150. If your budget allows it, I would
ceratinly recommend considering speakers from other manufacturers. Click here to see a full listing of speakers
.
Recording Software
Since this tutorial is aimed at recording on the computer, then you will need
some audio recording software. In the downloads section of the website you can
find several free
programs. The free programs don't offer much in the way of features. Below
is a list of several recording software packages that will give you tremendous
recording capability for a low price.
Click here
to see the full array of recording software available.
Assuming you already have a guitar, amp and computer, then the above gear can
be had for as little as $600-$700 total. Not a bad investment to equip yourself
with the tools needed to do some serious recording...
Click here to proceed
to the next section:
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