Recording Music
 

Me and my friends are looking to record some songs and I honeslty don't have any idea where too start. What exactly do I need to record? do I buy a 4-track? what kind of 4-track, or 8-track? I don't really know the difference beetween a 4 and an 8 track.

I can most likely handle the part pertaining to the software but other than tha I am lost.

4-track or 8-track depends on how many mics you're going to be recording from. For example, a 4-track recording would require 4 mics, etc. so really it depends on how many mics you either have or can get your hands on. 8-track+ will allow more individual editing and mixing to be done, but it's not necessary. It also depends on whether you're all going to be recording your parts simultaneously or separately.

Thanks, can you reccomend me a 4 track?

I'm afraid not - I'm just in school doing music technology so I know a bit about it but I don't have much experience with anything except my school mixing desk. :(

i'd say rent the gear for a weekend first before making the plunge in investing into a proper recording setup. just try a basic 4 track setup and see what you're able to accomplish with it and whether or not it suits your band's needs. most music stores offer some kind of rental service, they should be able to hook you up with everything you need (mics, cables, etc.)

A 4-track doesn't require 4 mics. You can use one mic to record, say, a GTR track and you'll have 3 tracks left over for overdubs.

Many 4 tracks only have 2 inputs available for simultaneous recording anyway (for example: Tascam Porta series).

After filling up your 4 tracks with overdubs, you can then bounce the 4 recorded tracks down to 2 tracks. That way you can free up an additional 2 tracks for more overdubs. The more you bounce, the more noise you get (especially when working with cassette tapes). Doing more than one print back is going to noticeably degrade the sound.

When I was a kid I used to record my voice and acoustic guitar using a set of cheap headphones as a mic!

If you have a laptop, you don't really need a 4-track. If you're just starting out, you're better off using GarageBand if any of have it, since it's free, and spending the money on a couple of decent mics.

I agree. Unless you can't stand being digital - just use some software that offers you as many tracks as you want. You'll just have to figure out the best way (or way you like best) to get the sounds from your instruments into the computer.

Not to pimp a piece of gear but I just got a Blue Yeti Mic about a month ago and its fantastic. It records in 4 different mic patterns so that depending on what your recording you can get the best fitting mic. Best part is it records in analog. You can get one for about 100 to 150 USD.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...61uUIFoChdYeE=

I have made quite a few recordings with basses, acoustic/electric guitars, drums, vocals etc and all have sounded really nice for a mic that inexpensive.

http://www.bluemic.com/yeti/

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