Recording practices with cheap setup?

[DenisBoudreau]

I've seen where a lot of people talk about recording themselves to help learning. I've tried searching about setups but didn't find what I was looking for. My question would be what would you recommend to get a very basic setup to mic my amp and record to my computer. I am a real beginner and don't have plans on playing with a group or in front of a crowd yet. Should I look at a stand alone USB interface to connect a regular Sure mic into and go that route?

Thank you,
Denis

 

[Danno]

I've seen where a lot of people talk about recording themselves to help learning. I've tried searching about setups but didn't find what I was looking for. My question would be what would you recommend to get a very basic setup to mic my amp and record to my computer. I am a real beginner and don't have plans on playing with a group or in front of a crowd yet. Should I look at a stand alone USB interface to connect a regular Sure mic into and go that route?

Thank you,
Denis

The easiest thing to do is just use your phone's video capability to record yourself. That should be fine for a beginner and the video can be very helpful in pin pointing technique issues that might not be obvious in an audio only recording.

 

[DenisBoudreau]

The easiest thing to do is just use your phone's video capability to record yourself. That should be fine for a beginner and the video can be very helpful in pin pointing technique issues that might not be obvious in an audio only recording.

Wouldn't have thought about video being helpful. Thank you!

 

[snarf]

I've got a really fancy setup (mixer, mics, etc into a DAW) that I've never taken the time to really learn how to use properly. Some day I need to do that. It's also pretty time consuming to break out and get setup (maybe that's because I don't know how to use it). As it is, I have a Zoom H4n handheld recorder that's about as simple as it gets. Set the level, hit record, copy the recording off the SD card to my laptop. If you just want audio, any of those Zoom or Tascam handhelds will do nicely.

I recently picked up a Zoom U24 interface that I've been using that's pretty simple. Plug a mic in, plug it into my laptop's usb, and hit record on the DAW. It seems to be as simple as the handheld, but I get to skip the step of copying the SD card to the laptop.

Like Danno said, for audio or video, you can't go wrong just using your phone. It's quick, easy, and, if you're like most folks, always in your hand so you won't have to dig it out of a closet.

 

[Norfolk Bill]

do you have a line out on your amp?

 

[DenisBoudreau]

do you have a line out on your amp?

It's a Monoprice 15w Tube amp that has an FX loop and an external speaker jack. Sounds really nice even if it was cheap to buy.

 

[CaptainMoto]

My 2 cents:
I think your inclination to go with a USB interface & a Shure mic is a good place to start.

The evolution of affordable interfaces has a flood of low cost units available so there's a piece of gear available at every price point.
Same goes for mics.

My advise is to do some serious soul searching to try to imagine where you might be going with this endeavor in the future.
Why?.......The better you plan for future growth, the more likely you are to save money in the long hall.
Example: Will you ever want to add vocals to your recordings? Will you ever want to record two sources at once? Does your current or future computer have thunderbolt? How portable would you like this rig to be?

OK, enough of start gazing.
My recommendation is this:
-USB Iinterface - First Choice, Focusrite Scarlet Solo
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...ite-scarlett-solo-3rd-gen-usb-audio-interface
-USB Iinterface - Second Choice, Scarlet 2i2
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...rite-scarlett-2i2-3rd-gen-usb-audio-interface

-Mic First Choice - Shure SM57
The SM57 is a fantastic piece of pro gear that will last a lifetime, is great on amps, vocals and most other sources.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM57--shure-sm57-cardioid-dynamic-instrument-microphone
-Mic Second Choice - Sennheiser e90
This mic is great for guitar amps and because of it's flat design, it can be easily draped over the from of an amp with no need for a mic stand.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...ilver-dynamic-supercardioid-guitar-microphone

Two more resources for guidance:
https://behindthespeakers.com/content-upgrades/home-studio-gear-guide.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKqQd86L0Fw

 

[cowboy]

this is the cheap way...it is a huge rabbit hole and you can spend tons of dollars but I used this for years and did fine...

my guitar -> USB Interface -> any pedals you own -> computer (Audacity - free software)....

this will get the job down just fine...later.

cowboy

 

[Crossroads]

I would take a slightly different tact. In the interest of understanding what your options are going forward I would probably get a low-cost interface with some modeling software . Something like a line 6 ux1 or ux2 or similar.

Reason being as you move forward you may decide you want a different amplifier or some effects. Using modeling software is the most cost-effective way to search hundreds of amplifier sounds, hundreds of effects sounds so you can kind of get an idea of what you may want to do going forward. Micing an amp for recording can introduce other problems including ambient noise. But of course all this depends on your budget. Cowboy's solution is the cheapest way out.

For recording as others have mentioned. Audacity is relatively easy to operate and is free, you can't be free.

 

[straightblues]

I have been through this for years with lots of different bands. It is a never-ending rabbit hole. If one wants to get a good recording, you need to spend the time and money to mic everything and spend lots of time balancing everything out. I can't tell you how many hours of practice time have been wasted trying to set up recording boards and setting mic levels. In my humble opinion, it is a complete and total waste of time and energy. A simple cell phone or hand-held recorder will give you all the information you need to make adjustments to your playing. Anything more in a practice situation is a waste.

To be clear, I fully believe that a phone or simple handheld recording is very beneficial and encouraged. I really like video recordings. They have the added benifit of being able to see yourself. Sometimes you look weird playing. Having video allows you to assess what you look like so you can improve that as well to be a total showman.

 

[artyman]

One of my amps is a Fender Mustang that has a USB out so simple to connect to my PC and into Audacity to record, which I also use to play the backing track. The Mustang also has lots of modelling and pedal playing options

 

[PapaBear]

I think as a beginner anyway you can document your "now" to compare to your "later on" will be helpful, the quality of the recording is up to you, the quality of your playing will be the same no matter the method

 

[PapaRaptor]

As has been said before, you can go from as simple as your phone to several thousand dollars invested in recording gear.
If I want to make a quality sounding recording or a video, I have gear that will do it quite well. It's always set up and ready to go, but it still requires some effort and is way overkill for just catching a practice session.
When I just want to capture a lick so I don't forget it tomorrow or simply hear something back that is otherwise not for (other) human consumption, I have a Zoom H1 audio recorder on my desk. All I have to do with it is turn it on and press record. To listen to it, I can either use the built-in tinny speaker or plug a set of earbuds into it. If its something worth keeping I can plug the H1 into a USB cable and download it to my computer.
The H1 I have is no longer made, but Zoom now has the H1n, which adds some nice touches that make using it more simple than the original H1. Depending on where you shop, it's about a hundred bucks. You will also need to buy a SDHC micro memory card for it. It will take up to a 32 gigabyte card, but unless you're using it to archive audio, a smaller card will do quite nicely.

You can get an equivalent unit with video record capabilities for about $50 more in the Zoom Q2n recorder. The audio quality is on par with the H1n. @MikeR has one that he has used to record previous BGU Live events (I believe most all of the 2017 videos for BGU Live were recorded on it). You can check out the audio and video quality of it here: https://bluesguitarunleashed.com/forum/index.php?threads/bgu-live-videos-photos.19430/#post-276582

 

[LeftyJohn]

I took the simple view that I already have a phone so add an easy to use microphone, i.e. the rode videomic me and you're good to go.

 

[Iheartbacon]

Another in between option is a USB microphone. No where near as capable and versatile as a USB interface and microphone solution, but cheaper and easier. Compared to the phone, the audio will be immensely better even with a budget mic.

 

[DesmoDog]

Are you using a Mac? If you are, Garage Band is the obvious answer - you can plug the guitar directly into the computer and play around with amps and effects to your heart's content before or after you've played whatever it is you are working on. For acoustic guitars you can use it with a USB mic, mine is a Blue "Snowball" or something like that. Works fine. I suppose you could amp a mic with it but why bother if you're just recording practice?

If you're on a Windows machine there must be some Garage Band type program available but I don't know what it is.

 

[Elio]

I've seen where a lot of people talk about recording themselves to help learning. I've tried searching about setups but didn't find what I was looking for. My question would be what would you recommend to get a very basic setup to mic my amp and record to my computer. I am a real beginner and don't have plans on playing with a group or in front of a crowd yet. Should I look at a stand alone USB interface to connect a regular Sure mic into and go that route?

Thank you,
Denis

Here is my sub-$100 approach that works beautifully:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UMC22--behringer-u-phoria-umc22-usb-audio-interface

and

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/XM8500--behringer-xm8500-handheld-dynamic-vocal-microphone

and

https://www.audacityteam.org/

Mic'ing any of my non-USB tube guitar or harp amps with this combination has consistently produced really nice results. I have also used that setup for recording many instructional videos with excellent results. I have recently changed to a large-diaphragm XLR condenser mic for narrating videos but I still like the XM8500 for amps. Comparing it to a much more expensive Shure sm58 produces almost identical results.

For very quick but good quality audio along with video, I use one of these, which has an input for the line out from the amp or an external mic, or the internal stero mics. https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/olympus-ls20m

 

[CaptainMoto]

Here is my sub-$100 approach that works beautifully:

That's certainly an inexpensive way to go.

One of the resource vids I posted also recommends that Interface and fills in a complete studio for under $150:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKqQd86L0Fw

If somebody asks from my reco, I usually aim for the mid range gear that I have some experience with and has a proven track record.
The good news is, there's a set up that will fit every budget.